When the latest Garmin 810 and 510 debuted in January 2013, they introduced mobile syncing to bring live ride tracking, weather alerts and instant uploads. Now, the new Garmin 1000 adds phone/text alerts to the party and pairs with the new Shimano Di2 wireless transmitter to capture your gear selection.
Being a top end Garmin piece, maps are naturally part of the deal. It bundles in a the same complete maps package (with free updates!) as their Touring editions, but lets you plan routes on the go. Punch in your desired ride distance and it’ll suggest up to three cycling-friendly round trip routes with elevation profiles. Should you decide to head home early, just tell it to find the quickest way home (or anywhere else) and it’ll guide you with turn by turn prompts.
And if your route has segments recorded from other Garmin Connect users, it can even time you against those and show real-time results so you know how you stack up.
Add in all the usual functions like time, distance, altitude, heart rate and compatibility with any ANT+ device like power meters, speed/cadence, etc., plus the ability to remote control the VIRB camera, and you have one heck of a digital companion…
Left to right:
- See who’s calling or texting without having to pull over or fish your phone out of your jersey. Works with iPhone 4S and later.
- Basic data, using customizable fields, is laid over the map.
- Data view is completely customizable to show the metrics you care about, and only as much or as little as you want per screen.
- Built in workouts help you train for different types of events or goals.
- Know when a Connect segment starts and ends, how you’re doing along the way, and whether you’re beating your own personal bests. It’ll also do real time pacing from public “courses” shared on Connect or your own saved rides. It’s worth pointing out that these segments are only Garmin Connect segments, not Strava segments. Still no direct method of uploading your workout to Strava.
- The screen can be rotated and viewed in either portrait or horizontal mode. The touchscreen claims to function with gloves and in the rain. Screen size is 3″ (diagonal) and has an ambient light sensor. Battery life is up to 15 hours.
When you’re done riding, data can be uploaded to your Connect account through the app (iOS / Android), just like with the 810/510 models. But, the 1000 adds Wifi capability, letting you set up one or more hotspots that will automatically pull the data from the device and upload it to your account when in range of the network.
One of the great safety features of the mobile connectedness is LiveTrack’s ability to stream your location in real time. Simply email or share via social media a link to your Garmin Connect page and friends and family can see where you are.
Retail is $599.99 and it’s available now on Garmin’s website. Hawley’s also reporting stock on hand. It comes preloaded with Garmin Cycle Maps, an Open Streets based map that carries bike-friendly routing features, POI’s and more. A bundle deal for $699.99 includes their heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor. Both come with standard and out-front mounts.
Want to mark laps or scroll through pages without taking your hands off the bar? The $49.99 ANT+ remote control does each of those with distinct buttons. There’s also a programmable third button. It runs off a standard watch battery and should last for about a year before needing a new one. It comes with mounts for both road and mountain bike handlebars to put it closer to your mitts.
Silicone covers are also available for $14.99 in pink, white, red, blue, green, yellow and black.
