The new Garmin EDGE 1030 GPS cycling computer aims to connect you to your ride like never before. In addition to pairing itself with the usual performance devices like heart rate straps and power meters, it also connects to their Varia radar and headlight, and your phone. Using all of that, it can then connect you to better rides.
Called Trendline, the device will pull popular routes for both road and mountain bikes from the cloud and offer suggestions on where to ride. Those are shown on its large 3.5″ color touchscreen on the built-in maps with turn by turn directions and even warnings for sharp turns. Ambient light sensors adjust screen brightness in real time, keeping it easy to see.
The ride recommendations come from Garmin Connect, which pulls from “billions of miles of ride data”. Their online Course Creator has also been updated, which they say now offers easier route creation on road, gravel and mountain bike trails. Then, when you’re ready to ride, you can have it show your pre-formatted routes, share them with friends, or let it offer a few alternate suggestions based on your desired direction of travel and distance. If you’re a Strava Premium member, it’ll also let you pull Strava Live Segments and routes directly onto the device, as well as see your KOM and segment performance in real time.
A new Rider-to-Rider messaging system lets you send preformatted messages to other 1030 users without having to pull out your phone.
BETTER TRAINING DATA FROM YOUR HEART RATE & POWER METER
If you’re ponying up the $599 for this device ($699 with HR strap bundle) in order to train harder and smarter, you’ll be happy know there are two systems integrated into the device. First, it has TrainingPeaks Connect IQ preinstalled, putting daily workouts directly on your device to guide you through it in real time.
They’ve also partnered with Firstbeat to offer a full suite of training analysis, including VO2 max, Training Status, Performance Condition, FTP (all of which also require a power meter), Stress Score, Training Load, Aerobic/Anaerobic Training Effect, and Recovery Time.
Training Load reveals the accumulated physiological impact of training over a rolling 7-day period of time in terms of the amount of restorative and adaptive work stimulated through physical activity. Once enough data has been collected, Training Load feedback will also include an indication of whether your current training load is optimal for you.
Training Status tells you how your training is going by analyzing changes in fitness levels (VO2max) in light of current and historical Training Load data. This data can reveal whether training efforts are productive, unproductive, or maintaining current levels. It will also automatically warn you when you are overreaching and at risk for overtraining.
“These new metrics onboard the Edge 1030 give cyclists a chance to see what is happening below the surface at a physiological level” says Aki Pulkkinen, Firstbeat head of consumer products. “The ability to quantify training loads scientifically means that what you do on a bike becomes simultaneously visible and manageable. Putting that data in the right context unlocks a whole new frontier, deepening the way cyclists look at and evaluate training, and most importantly it means better, scientifically informed training decisions.”
