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I used it for Bike to Work week and followed a route through the center of Baltimore on quiet back streets - no problem - 1st time I used the unit out of the box. Have also used it to navigate with - this is not going to give you Car GPS functionality. Any route you want to follow you will need to pre-load and use BikeRouteToaster or other application to make a.crs file - some fiddling required - the result is a black line you will need to follow (no map / other roads shown). Product arrived on-time. Happy so far. Fairly easy to install. Excellent price on Amazon (through Warehouse Deals versus current market price). Have used on aggressive mountain bike trails (mounting method is solid) and on the road.
I ignored them, and I'm glad I did.The 305 has been a great training partner. One of them is the default data fields displayed on the device: your heading is shown by default in the five data field configuration that I prefer, but your heart rate isn't. Cyclist friends of mine made fun of its size, made fun of my desire to map my rides afterward, and generally mocked the device. The interface is relatively easy to navigate, though a bit puzzling to set up. I returned to cycling after a 20-year hiatus last year.
Garmin has announced their upcoming new generation of Edge cycling units, and the 705 looks too good to pass up. It's still not perfect, but it's very useful.The ultimate endorsement of the 305 is that I'll be replacing it soon. Garmin's origins in navigation show in a couple of funny places. The 305 still performs like a champ thousands of miles later.As a Mac user, I found the Mac support lame at first, but it has been steadily improving with Garmin's release of their Training Center software for the Mac, a Mac version of their Web Updater tool, and improvements they've made to Mac support [.]. It comes with a separate power supply so that you can either charge it from a wall outlet, or from the USB cable connected to your computer.On the bike, the display is large and clear. Data reception for the heart rate and cadence sensors has been glitch free.In terms of durability, I've banged the 305 around quite a bit and ridden it in conditions that left other electronics begging for mercy (don't ride in the driving rain without putting your mobile phone in a plastic bag). You charge the 305 through its USB port. In use, I found that the GPS reception was generally good even in tree-shaded areas, but the startup process can sometimes be irritatingly slow.
Being a dyed-in-the-wool sucker for gadgets, I had to get the Garmin 305 as my bike computer. I was able to reconfigure it to display the fields that I watned to see, but I found the choice surprising in a product that is ostensibly aimed at athletes. I'm hooked on the capabilities and insight that the 305 has given me, and I'm looking forward to even more with Garmin's next generation. Thanks to its data recording ability, I can really easily correlate perceived effort on a day's ride with my actual performance in terms of speed, heart rate, and cadence.Setting up all of the sensors on the bike was relatively straighforward (though the combined wheelspeed and cadence sensor setup was somewhat novel), and the directions were clear. I've found it readable in any of the lighting conditions in which I'd be willing to ride the bike.
another is the unit will go to "sleep" if left for more than a couple of days, but by holding both the Mode and Reset button for 30 seconds it will "wake" the unit back up. Must have for anyone who really wants to track results, understand effort, maintain data and improve performance. The ability to, customize the display, set up interval trainings, upload rides to the computer, analyze the ride as a whole or part and compare to other days is outstanding. Still awesome. A little expensive but worth every cent. I recently purchased the Garmin Edge 305, w/cadence, plus I added the heart monitor a couple weeks later.
I have found very quickly that by focusing on my cadence and heart rate, I have improved my overall times and have become even more efficient on my bike. One negative is the battery life is truly only about 6 -6.5 hours, so for the longer rides I have left my Cateye on my bike so I have some reference for speed, mileage etc. I commute daily on my bike and I do 350 - 450 miles per week, with weekend centuries. It has even helped me find my way home when I have gotten out in an area I am not as familiar with. Ride Strong. This is a great tool for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of their effort and cadence.
I would recommend the Garmin to anyone who wants to become serious about cycling, get the most out of their time on the bike, and improve their performance.
Both of my mounts started to crack after two weeks, and were broken within 60 days. There's also a homing feature to guide you back to a home location.The altimeter is very accurate, relying on GPS and barometric pressure to measure elevation gain/loss.It's nice to be able to download the data onto a desktop computer for viewing and archiving.Lots of third parties offer software to help you view the data online and/or share it with friends (i.e., motionbased and trimble-outdoors).The unit is highly customizable, and the screens can be set up with any number of bits of information (up to 8 pieces of information a time per screen). For a $300 bike computer - the mounting hardware is the worst. The software is relatively easy to use.It's fun to find or make a route worth exploring using a route toaster, then going to the new place with the help of the Garmin 305's course map as a turn-by-turn guide.
Overall: This is a clever and easy to use little device, but it comes with very poor mounting hardware. I emailed Garmin and they emailed me back saying the mounts are not in stock, check amazon for prices. The unit comes with two mounts (one for the handlebar, another for mounting on the stem). This is my first GPS.Pros:The GPS has helped me find me way when I've gotten off course.
Cons:My only real complaint is the mounting hardware. I've been carrying the unit in my pocket and looking at data after my ride. Since it doesn't have street maps, it works by tracking your course then guiding you back to the course. There are several "views" including ones that shows just a course map.
So I don't even know what the product is actually like yet. Computer Brain sent the wrong product right before Xmas so the present that I intended had to be shipped back and it is Jan. 16 and I am still awaiting the right one.
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