Gadget review: Garmin Edge 705 cycle computer

The day I picked up the Garmin Edge 705 ($750), Scotty Brown, owner of Scotty Browns cycle shop, said I wouldn't go back to another cycle computer once I'd tried the Edge.

I dismissed the suggestion as marketing talk, but after a week using the Edge 705 on commutes to work and on weekend rides, I realised he's right.

As much as I love my Cateye cycle computer, the Edge 705 punts it through the goalposts, over the grandstand and into orbit. It's also the same cycle computer used by American pro- cycling team, Garmin, which lists New Zealander Julian Dean in its lineup (and is sponsored by Garmin, funnily enough).

I'm missing the 705's coloured GPS maps that showed me exactly where I was when I was out riding. And I'm missing the large colour LCD screen with all the data a serious cyclist could need. Saying the 705 is a cycle computer is a bit simplistic really.

It's more than that. As well as the GPS unit, it's also a heart-rate monitor. A cadence counter, it can tell you your elevation and it'll even track your power if you're using a power meter (for serious cyclists).

The Garmin was easy to install - simply attach it to the handlebar stem on your bike using two zip- ties - and I was impressed with the 705's ability to lock on to GPS satellites quickly. The buttons and thumbstick were large enough to be used easily when wearing full- fingered gloves - a necessity during mid-winter rides.

The Edge has a microSD card slot on which you can store ride information and if you're got mates with a 705, you can transmit a route you've ridden to their 705 wirelessly.

The only thing about the Edge 705 that might make the weekend warrior waver is the price: $750 seems a lot to pay for a cycle computer, no matter how fancy.

But then, if you're a serious cyclists and don't bat an eye lid at paying $10,000-plus for a bike, what's another $750?

Simply put, if I had the money, I'd buy an Edge 705.

* Thanks to Scotty Brown's for the loan of the Garmin Edge 705.

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