About Bicycles Online > Bicycle Accessories > Garmin Edge 500 Review
Garmin Edge 500 GPS Bike Computer Review
The Most Advanced Features at a Reasonable Price
For the most advanced ride stats, information and tracking you will want to move up to a GPS Enabled Bike Computer. The Garmin Edge 500 is the most reasonably priced GPS Bike Computer, from Garmin, that still gives you all of the latest and most advanced features (other than maps and touch-screen). 
The Edge 500 is the mid-range GPS Bike Computer from Garmin and gives you the most features and benefits for the price. If you want the touch-screen feature or mapping options on your Bike GPS unit then you'll need to spend around $200 more for the Garmin Edge 800 Bike Computer for starters and then you'll most likely want to purchase the optional maps too.
If you do not need the touch-screen feature or the mapping or navigational features of the Edge 800, for example, then the Edge 500 will provide you with everything that you need ~ and probably many more benefits that you may not even been aware that you wanted or needed.
Note: When shopping for the Garmin Edge 500 online you will not usually find much of a price difference for the unit alone (not including the bundles) however some online merchants (like Garmin, for example) charge for shipping while others ~ like the merchants that we've linked to below ~ offer Free Shipping.
See GPS and GPS accessories at REI for the latest price and deals on the Garmin Edge 500 and related GPS accessories at REI.
See Garmin Edge 500 at Amazon
Are the Garmin Edge 500 "Bundles" a Good Deal?
One of the nice features that you get with the Edge 500 is that you can enhance your ride stats quite a bit by getting the optional Heart-Rate Monitor and Cadence Sensor for your unit. 
Although you may be tempted to purchase the Garmin Edge 500 in one of the "Bundled" options, when you compare the price of the Bundled option with the price of the individual products separately, the bundled options are not usually a very good deal.
I have looked into this when I purchased my Edge 800 and I found that the bundled options usually cost more than buying the GPS unit alone and getting the HR monitor and/or Cadence sensor separately.
Plus you have more flexibility in choosing the exact accessories that you want rather than just taking what is in the bundle. So, unless you find an unusually good deal, the answer to the question above is No, the Edge 500 "Bundles" are not usually a good deal.
My Favorite Features of the Garmin Edge 500
Prior to writing this review, I had written some notes on my own personal favorite features and benefits of the Garmin Edge Bike Computers and specifically of the Edge 500.
This list does not include all of the Garmin Edge 500 features but is a summary of the features that I like the most ~ Go to the REI and Amazon links above for an Edge model comparison or more complete listing of all of the Garmin Edge features.
Features |
Benefits |
| Programmable Screens | Gives you control of the information that is most important to you with quick and easy reference and less clutter while riding. |
| Uploads and Downloads to PC and to Garmin Site | All ride stats and route is available on PC/internet after rides to review and/or share |
| HR Monitor & Add-Ons | Your HR (and cadence) is integrated with all other ride info such as speed, elevation, etc. and can be uploaded for analysis and review. |
| Altitude and Incline Displays | The barometric altimeter and GPS functions give you your current Incline or Decline percentage along with current altitude. |
Garmin Edge 500 Review
Although I have mentioned my favorite features in the summary above, I would just like to emphasize how much I like the Programmable Windows, HR Monitor and Incline features.
After having a number of other bike computers with their pre-programmed screens, I think that the programmable windows and screens on the Edge 500 may be one of my favorite features.
It's really easy to change the windows that are displayed on each screen and it’s great to be able to arrange them in almost anyway that you like. In addition to being able to select which screens are even displayed or not, you can include up to 8 windows on most screens and you can program what item (speed, heart-rate, incline, average speed, times, etc) is displayed in each window.
The heart-rates and HR ranges, that you can get with the optional HR strap and transmitter, can be valuable information and can be incorporated into your training program(s).
The barometric altimeter sets itself automatically to your starting location from the GPS functionality. As you proceed on your ride you can view your percentage of Incline/Decline as well as your current altitude.
Garmin Edge 500 Accessories:
I am so glad that I got the Heart-Rate Monitor and Strap with my Garmin Edge Bike Computer. I did not own a HR monitor prior to getting the Edge and I did not realize how useful these things are.
They provide a great way to make sure that you do not push yourself too hard (especially if you are older or need to monitor how much you exert yourself) and can also be used for very specific training programs ~ by allowing you to stay in your own predetermined HR zones for the most beneficial workouts.
Although you can use a HR monitor independently of the bike computer, I think that it's really nice to have the heart-rate data displayed on the GPS bike computer and totally integrated into your ride stats to review later.
I've had a Cadence Sensor on my previous wheel-magnet based bike computer in the past and found that it was not something that I used much so I did not get the cadence sensor. I know that this can be an important item for some riders though so it's nice to know that you can get this as an option.
Ride History, Tracking and Review Software:
After my first few test rides I downloaded the Garmin Training Center software to my PC to upload my ride data and I also setup an account on the GarminConnect site to upload my ride data to the internet. This was all pretty easy and I did not have any problems with the software.
The Garmin Training Center software (for your personal computer) is pretty basic compared to the much nicer ride data that you get on the GarminConnect website. Both are good though for uploading, saving, analyzing and reviewing your ride stats. The GarminConnect site is also good for sharing ride data.
The Baggie Technique/Hint:
Speaking of how rugged this unit is, although it does claim to be water resistant, I have always carried a few cellophane baggies and a few rubber bands with me (especially on longer rides) to cover my bike computers in case of rain. It is really easy to stop and throw a baggie over the unit if it starts to rain and you can still use it for the rest of your ride. It may be "water resistant" but for what I paid for my Garmin unit I don't really want to push my luck.
Software Updates:
You can upload the Garmin WebUpdater software to your home computer, for the latest updates to the latest firmware on the unit. I found this to be very easy and it is nice to stay up to date on the latest fixes and enhancements.
Garmin Edge 500 Review Wrap-Up
After reading through many very detailed reviews of GPS units online, I tried hard to keep this one from getting too detailed and to be a good common sense, easy to read review. It was actually a little difficult to cover just the basics without getting into a lot of detail so I hope this covered what was necessary without getting too technical.
Most of the customer reviews that I have read on the Garmin Edge 500 have been overwhelmingly positive. There were some cases where very specific functions may ~ or may not ~ have had some issues but I have found that there are often cases where it comes down to user errors.
For the issues that were not actually user errors, it is nice to know that once the software issue is resolved you can easily update your firmware as described above.
I would personally recommend the Garmin Edge 500 to any cyclist that wants to monitor and track their ride stats, likes this kind of technology and that does not need the maps or touch-screen features of the Garmin Edge 800.
For the full specifications and features of the Garmin Edge 500 Bike GPS Computer and for the latest customer reviews use the easy Garmin 500 Link Buttons Above.
Garmin GPS Product Reviews
Garmin Edge 800 Bike GPS Review - The Garmin Edge 800 is the top of the line, touch-screen GPS Bike Computer with mapping, navigation, programmable screens and external device integration.
Garmin Edge 500 Bicycle GPS Review - The Edge 500 is the mid-range GPS Bike Computer from Garmin and gives you the most features and benefits for the price.
Garmin Edge 200 Bike GPS Review - The Edge 200 is easy to use and the most affordable GPS Bike Computer from Garmin but does it give you all the features that you want or need?