Spotted back in June, with Rand McNally bringing some competition in the world of bicycle touring GPS units, we knew this was coming. In addition to the Virb action camera, Garmin is cranking out the product with their new Edge Touring and Touring Plus GPS devices. Specifically designed for cyclists that would rather explore than race, the Edge Touring has built in maps and bike specific directions along with a round trip calculator that sounds very similar to Rand McNally’s Loop Me function. Instead of AA’s like the Foris, the Edge Touring uses a rechargeable battery pack for up to 17 hours of use – though there is an optional solar external battery pack that adds an extra 20h of run time.
The Edge Touring plus includes all of the features of the Edge Touring, but adds the additional ANT+ compatibility for heart rate monitors, etc. Available this fall, the two computers will retail for $249.99 and $299.99.
Jump past the break for full details!
OLATHE, Kan./August 26, 2013 — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the Edge Touring and Edge Touring Plus cycling computers — GPS navigators designed for touring cyclists, commuters, mountain bikers and those seeking navigation on their handle bars.Edge Touring and Edge Touring Plus work like a GPS navigator for a car, yet packed with bike-specific features, preloaded maps and POIs to help cyclists to find their way. They provide both on-road and off-road navigation and can provide round-trip ride options based on a set distance. The Edge Touring and Edge Touring Plus will debut at the Eurobike exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany (Hall A5, booth 201) and at Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada (booth 11058) where they will be prominently displayed.
“The new Edge Touring and Edge Touring Plus are perfect for those whose bikes mean adventure, freedom, exploration and a way of life,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Easy to set up, easy to use and preloaded with bike-specific maps, they will let riders navigate safely and securely to their destinations.”
Designed for Navigating by Bike: Edge Touring comes preloaded with bike-specific maps that make it easy for cyclists to stay on the route and find their way back again. Whether cyclists are riding from A to B, asking Edge Touring to provide a round trip route, or following a ride that they have planned or downloaded from Garmin Connect™ or Garmin Adventures, Edge Touring will guide them on their ride with clear turn-by-turn visual instructions. Cyclists can choosebetween Cycling, Tour Cycling and Mountain Bike modes to calculate the mostappropriate route. Edge Touring will then guide cyclists on suitable roads or bike-paths to their destination. With the new round trip routing feature, cyclists need only to input the distance they want to ride and Edge Touringwill do the rest. It will calculate up to 3 routes to choose from, including their distance and elevation profiles. Cyclists can compare the routes, choose the one to follow and are one tap of the screen away from turn-by-turn directions the entire way. To see the Edge Touring and Touring Plus in action, go to http://bit.ly/1c0HXyD.
Designed for Riding: Robust, water resistant¹ and with a 2.6’’ touchscreen that works in the wet and with gloves – Edge Touring was built to handle the elements. It weighs less than 100g and fits easily on the stem or on the bars. The rechargeable battery will last up to 17 hours, and it is also compatible with optional solar external battery pack, which will give an additional 20 hours of ride time. Edge Touring displays key ride data such as time, speed, average speed, max speed, distance and much more. Cyclists can view from 1 to 10 fields on a clear customizable screen. Edge Touring comes with a quarter-turn bike mount and can be easilytransferred between bikes.
Replay and Relive Your Rides: Edge Touring records how far, how fast and where cyclists ride so users can replay, relive and share each ride in detail once it has been uploaded to Garmin Connect. Cyclists can share their own rides or search for ones others have completed in Garmin Connect or look for Adventures in Garmin’s free Basecamp™ software. Cyclists can also create custom courses within Garmin Connect and send them directly to their Edge Touring.
Edge Touring Plus – The Premium GPS Navigator For Cyclists: Edge Touring Plus provides all bike-specific features of Edge Touring, in addition to compatibility with ANT+™ heart rate monitors– to help cyclists know how hard they are working, and will even display key data such as range or remaining charge from ANT+ compatible eBikes. It also includes a barometric altimeter for accurate elevation, gradient, ascent and descent data.
Edge Touring and Touring Plus are expected to ship fall 2013 and have a suggested retail price of $249.99 and $299.99 respectively. Edge Touring and Edge Touring Plus are the latest solutions from Garmin’s expanding fitness segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives and promotes healthy and active lifestyles. Whether it’s running, cycling, or other athletic pursuits, Garmin fitness devices are becoming essential tools for athletes both amateur and elite. For more about features, pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin’s other fitness products and services, go to www.garmin.com/intosports, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin.
