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New Garmin Edge 520 In Living Color and Live Strava Segments, Expanded Smart Capabilities

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Garmin-520_group

Debuting this Tour de France is the new Garmin Edge 520, the world’s first GPS cycling computer featuring live Strava segments. The 520 features a color screen, a revised interface strategy, an extended battery life, and a myriad of other exciting features that the Edge 510 fan-men and women among us have been begging for. It interfaces with ANT+ trainers and your existing Vector  pedals for greater tracking capability. Meet your new best friend to beat your best friend after the jump…

Garmin-520_1

By far, the most plugged feature of this cycling computer is Garmin’s integration of Strava live segments into the interface, meaning that you can actively challenge your own records, or course records as you ride. Your Edge 520 will count down until a given Strava segment and give active feedback as to your performance against the record (this capability will be extended to Edge 510, Edge 810, and Edge 1000 in a later update) as is currently available with Garmin segments.

This extended capability carries into several other areas also. Users will have the capability, through Bluetooth, to instantly share rides on social media and upload rides to Garmin Connect- same as before. More relevant to the solo riders, however, is the Live Tracking features which allow your concerned loved ones to track your progress during long, lonely rides in real time (I know my parents would have loved that when I was younger). The Edge 520 also features smart capability, routing text and call notifications directly to its interface so you don’t accidentally miss important contacts. 

Exciting for many endurance riders is that the battery life lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge- so it won’t crap out on you partway through your epic all-day gravel odyssey. Also, for those users who were having issues with the touch screen surface, the Edge 520 features seven pretty substantial buttons around the perimeter of the device.

Garmin-520_2

The Edge 520 links up with your existing Vector pedals to give advanced, power based analysis on your training. This includes distribution of time in each zone, estimates on cycling specific VO2 max and functional threshold power as well as “cycling dynamics,” which gives further in-depth feedback on time in and out of the saddle and pedal stroke form. The Edge 520 will also link up with your fancy ANT+ indoor trainer for system control and data, as well as existing ANT+ heart rate monitors, speed sensors, cadence sensors and power meters, and the system integrates with the new Garmin Varia smart cycling devices (lights, remotes, and cameras).

The new Edge on the block will be available for MSRP $299 as a single unit, $399 if you would like the heart rate strap and cadence/speed sensor package. Both the solo device and bundle are available for pre-order now.

 

Garmin.com

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22 Comments
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sascetti
sascetti
8 years ago

Let the “trash” rides begin!

John
John
8 years ago

The article doesn’t seem to mention it, but for those of the Strava KOM-chasing persuasion, the built-in Garmin/Strava integration requires a Strava Premium account.

Ck
Ck
8 years ago

Gimmie an 820 with the bigger screen and i’ll finally upgrade. But this is a step in the right direction getting rid of the touch screen.

Robo
Robo
8 years ago

I love the touch screen. Road, mountain, doesn’t matter. So much easier to change things than getting lost in an endless maze of stupid menus. And the way everything is touch screen these days, it makes the unit so much more intuitive. Totally a step in the wrong direction for me.

Rob
Rob
8 years ago

So to do any of the live stuff, you need a phone with service and battery life. Am I missing something or isn’t that redundant? Just use the phone….I guess as a ‘offline’ ride tracker it makes sense.

John
John
8 years ago

Thank you for buttons Garmin! Those of us in hot humid environments with loads of sweat and sunscreen on our fingers thank you for a clear useable display.

Dlightt
Dlightt
8 years ago

Rob, your phone provides the data connection and that is it. The advantage with this is your phones battery will last a lot longer, and you will still have it for if you crash. This device also has a lot better sensors in it than your phone so its a lot more accurate.

Jeferson
Jeferson
8 years ago

The garmin edge 500 is still the better GPS until now!

Kevin
Kevin
8 years ago

Looks cool, would love it if i could control my tunes from it as well..

reader
reader
8 years ago

“The 520 features …. an extended battery life, ….”

How is it called “extended” when the battery life for 520 is only 15 hours, vs 20 hours in 510 and 18 hours in 500?

PROEDGEBIKER.COM
8 years ago

I’m looking forward to this one but on a side note. The quote below from the article is a feature that is already available on my 510 and we use it all of the time when we’re on solo rides.
“More relevant to the solo riders, however, is the Live Tracking features which allow your concerned loved ones to track your progress during long, lonely rides in real time”

devonbikester
devonbikester
8 years ago

I was hoping it might cache the segment locations so that it would work in places where there is no mobile coverage, like out of town where the off road segments are. But alas, no, it is just a front-end to a mobile phone.

Yes I appreciate that the segment results might not have been 100% up to date, but at least you’d have an idea as to how you were doing.

devonbikester
devonbikester
8 years ago

@devonbikester As per usual you are talking nonsense (the Garmin web site is rather vague), it does cache the segment data, so it looks like quite a need phone-free package, see dc rainmaker for more

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/07/introduce-segments-series.html

The Snail Man
The Snail Man
8 years ago

@reader it’s extended from the crappy 20/25 battery life of only 8h 😉

fib
fib
8 years ago

I just hope that the screen, being not touch, is better than one the 510. And I have to side with devonbikester, caching strava segments is the next step. Where I live, on the border, there is often foreign mobile coverage (f*** you roaming) or no coverage at all.

BTW, please Garmin, use stronger LCD screens : mine broke the the first and only time the unit dropped to the ground…

4G_garmin
4G_garmin
8 years ago

@Jeferson

It’s legendary 510 if you’re talking about GPS. ( ability to use both U.S GPS & USSR GLONASS ).

@fib
Mine is fine , no issue with touch screen and I live in high humid area and sweat a lot.

Ken B
Ken B
8 years ago

Clarification on the “LIVE” Segments. There is a review online already about the segments and they are not live. There are three criteria for a segments to be selected. A) Any segments you’ve starred (favorite) B) Any segments you’ve set a goal on C) A small collection of dynamically curated segments from your city. Once that is done you then connect the device to the Garmin connect website and from there you download those selected segments to the device.

Nik
Nik
8 years ago

So, does the Strava alert act like a virtual partner and show how far you are ahead/behind? That’s something I am looking to hack on my 510. Take someone else’s KOM .tcx information, drop it in to my 510 and use their information as a virtual partner. Will the 520 do this? Is it possible to do on a 510?

Jesse
Jesse
8 years ago

If its anything like the 510, the color screen is hardly readable in the shadows of bright daylight or e.g. anytime you cast your own head’s shadow over the display. I wish they’d just go back to monochrome LCDs. Color is a gimmick and hardly necessary or useful on the screens I’m looking at the computer for %99.999 of the time.

Carl
Carl
8 years ago

So it’s now Aug 7th and it was supposed to be delivered by the end of July. Amazon NOW says it may be delayed till October! WTF! When are these going to ship Garmin???

Dones
Dones
8 years ago

I ordered mine on a Saturday and got it on a Tuesday. My only issue so far is the calories count. My first ride using the garmin edge 520 bundle said I burned 1000 when I usually burn 1500-1600 calories during the same ride. Not sure whats causing it but this is something I need to get after.

Cyclops
Cyclops
8 years ago

Sorry for my ignorance guys, is it touch screen and how do you alter the odometer for an existing ‘old’ bike? Seems to be 4 steps forwards and 5 steps back with this unit over my old Edge 705. Do not like the feel and position of the buttons compared to my 705.

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