Garmin 810 advice please

[Deleted]

I'm about to treat myself to an 810 at long last and would appreciate some advice on the best way to go about it.

Are the bundles worth it or should I just buy the basic device and get my own heart rate monitor, cadence sensors etc? I'm starting from scratch, having only a Garmin 200 My First Bicycle Computer at the moment.

And for £25 extra on Wiggle is it worth getting the Garmin maps rather than the open source ones you can download?

It's worth saying that I'm pretty lazy and would prefer set up to be as simple as possible... 

[Deleted]

Hi Heather,

Are you a high cadence spinner when cycling? If so, the cadence sensor is pretty much pointless. Having a cadence sensor was useful for my girlfriend Lucy to get her away from grinding the gears so much, it was a constant reminder that she wasn't spinning high enough. Eventually, when your cycling addiction makes you neglect everything else in life, you'll end up buying a power meter of some kind, and that will have built-in cadence reporting.

The "premium" soft strap HR monitor that comes with the performance bundle is utterly crap. Over two years I went through 5 of them, the strap eventually stops making contact and they stop working.

If I was you, I would buy the following:

www.handtec.co.uk/garmin-edge-810-cycle-gps-010-01063-01.html
www.wiggle.co.uk/garmin-forerunner-hrm-chest-strap/


Handtec sell the basic unit cheaper, and the Garmin Forerunner HRM strap is far superior than the soft strap, I'm still using my first forerunner strap nearly two years on.



Alvaro

[James Corlett]

Hi Heather,

I'd say that the OSM free maps you can get online are better than the Garmin ones. I bought the Garmin topo maps for my 705 when I first got that a good few years ago and they were rubbish in comparison to the OSM ones...

I found them far more detailed and accurate, plus you can get them easily for any country, which is a bonus.

James

[Sara Barman]

Hi Heather!

I got the 810 bundle without maps as I didn't have HRM already and worked out cheaper that way (altho at that point the Garmin maps was more than £25 extra I think).
That said, I hate having a tight, sweaty band around my ribs and so ended up spending another £80ish for a wristband optical HRM!

Re cadence monitoring - does also mean you can log those miles on turbo trainer if that appeals!
However, my 810 came with the older style with-magnets cadence monitor, which sits on fork, while if you get separately you could get the new no-magnets one which goes on wheel axle (I think... I'm no tech expert) - which looks nicer IMO and is better for switching between bikes / not getting in the way reasons.

[Sara Barman]

Don't forget to buy a mini SD card for sticking the open source maps on too. 16G should do - about £6 from Amazon

[James Malone]

I would get the one with the cadence sensor as it also doubles up as a speed sensor so you can use the Garmin when you have no GPS signal such as indoors on a turbo.

I don't know if the 810 is any different to my 800 but sadly the set up on these things is not easy. The menu system is pretty unintelligible.

[Deleted]

Thanks for all the tips folks. I definitely think the cadence sensor is worth it as I do tend to grind a high gear rather than spin which is something I'm working on - and it would be nice to clock the turbo miles.

I've decided to buy the basic unit then separate a heart rate monitor and wireless cadence sensor. Thanks to Alvaro pointing me to www.handtec.co.uk this still comes in at under £300.

Map downloads TBD...

Thanks again!

[Deleted]

p.s. look forward to the next installment containing frustrated pleas for advice on how the f*@# to get it all working...

[Deleted]

Make sure you update it to the latest firmware if you don't want it crashing every 10 seconds

[Jon Puleston-Jones]

Have a look at this tutorial to download free maps

www.scarletfire.co.uk/download-free-osm-maps-garmin-gps-device-any-country/

[Deleted]

Before buying your SD card check compatibility with the card size. I limited mine to 16g as I'd heard that the 810 doesn't like working with anything bigger.



...pointing the figure at my mobile device for any typos.

[Sara Barman]

DC rainmaker has extensive map DLing guidance. (And everything else)

[Deleted]

Jan 6, 2015 10:00:57 GMT @alvaro said:

Hi Heather,

Are you a high cadence spinner when cycling? If so, the cadence sensor is pretty much pointless. Having a cadence sensor was useful for my girlfriend Lucy to get her away from grinding the gears so much, it was a constant reminder that she wasn't spinning high enough. Eventually, when your cycling addiction makes you neglect everything else in life, you'll end up buying a power meter of some kind, and that will have built-in cadence reporting.

The "premium" soft strap HR monitor that comes with the performance bundle is utterly crap. Over two years I went through 5 of them, the strap eventually stops making contact and they stop working.

If I was you, I would buy the following:

www.handtec.co.uk/garmin-edge-810-cycle-gps-010-01063-01.html
www.wiggle.co.uk/garmin-forerunner-hrm-chest-strap/


Handtec sell the basic unit cheaper, and the Garmin Forerunner HRM strap is far superior than the soft strap, I'm still using my first forerunner strap nearly two years on.



Alvaro

Have to disagree re HR monitor. I have two of the premium ones, and have had them both for well over a year now - both work flawlessley, and I use one 3 days a week to commute with, the other on the rest of my rides for that week. Have not had any problems with. Maybe your sweat just doesn't like em?  

I also find the cadence meter useful - especially when paired with a power meter. 

Heather - I have the Garmin Europe NT Base maps available as a file I can send, which you can place on your Garmin and have the offical maps to all over Europe. I've found these work better than any of the many other free map files out there.. 

Same goes to anyone else who wants it. 

I have an Edge 810 - it can be a pain in the ass with routing sometimes, going haywire on some rides - just have to learn to ignore it sometimes and follow your planned route - the thinner line on the garmin.


Use Strava to create .tcx routes to download to import into Garmin. Garmin Connect route maps also work very well. 

I've taken it everywhere with me - tenerife, benidorm, paris - with planned routes and it's worked well. Even has all the local landmarks like cafes, supermarkets etc! Plan to take to Italy later this year. 

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info everyone! Heather told me to have a look at this link, I've just followed the advice and brought a Garmin as well!
Help! Hope it arrives ok, its almost the same price as my commuting bike cost...

and of course, i now have no excuse not to spend at least some time on the front... (sorry Selene, Kathryn, Libby...)
Hopefully no one will now need to shout " Next left. NEXT LEFT, NO! Clara I said LEFT!!! NEXT LEFT!!!" on country lane junctions any more... although I guess I will get used to furious beeping instead...

[andrewdowden]

Clara, Enjoy your Garmin. Don't forget the number one rule, "remove from from bike when bike not in use!" I know too many people who have 'lost' their Garmins when they have securely locked up their bikes.