bike computer advice

[hangfire]

hi all

so far i have a set of spd pedals and shoes on my christmas list for my commuter bike
i am thoroughly getting gadgetitus though

looking at replacing my smart phone bike computer (its annoyingly wobbly and turns off etc)

i saw that hardly normal has a deal on the magellan 505 with a heart rate monitor for $197 and started to drool

am i being silly?

i like the idea of gps and mapping etc for the weekend stuff that i would like to do (and for bling). i do upload my current rides as they are to strava to keep a log of where i stand vs myself (others wipe the floor with me so no point aiming for koms).

is this a common type of deal or a once in a lifetime one? i would prefer to keep the cash in the sky rocket but it does seem to be burning a hole at present...

my wife is long suffering with my love of gadgets (usually restricted to diy power tools)

any advice is welcome, i had a research and the device itself seems pretty decent........

[MattyK]

Seems like a good price. JB Hifi is about the same.

You could of course get something more basic like a Garmin 20 or 25, and use your phone for mapping duties when required. The tradeoff is between features (mapping, big screen vs bluetooth connectivity etc).

Don't try to justify it, if you can afford it and want it then get one.

[RonK]

I posted about the 505 a few days ago in the specials thread. Find and read it.

[Robinho]

I've just bought a 505 from JB hi-fi, Harvey Norman and Wiggle both have similar deals. Ask far o am very happy with mine, not really tested out the maps yet, but everything seems to work pretty well

[caneye]

i have the more basic cyclo 500.
it's 1 of the best purchases i've made to-date. the map function is really useful for the weekend rides when i'm venturing into unfamiliar suburbs. (i'd previously gotten lost in the inner city when my phone died)
i've also used it when driving. when using map function, you can select either car or cycling routes.

i believe the main thing that's missing is really training-specific functions - eg lap times, best lap, average lap, etc ..

[cjrich]

Hi guys.
I'm interested in this thread as looking to update my not so reliable Edge 500. Tossing up between the Edge 25 or Magellan 505. Question is with touchscreen models, do they work OK with winter full finger gloves or sweaty fingers? I use an indoor trainer a lot and found that my smartphone touchscreen sometimes doesn't work with wet hands.
Cheers.
CJ

[JdM]

^I have a touch screen computer (V650) and I don't have any issues with sweat (especially on the trainer). Thin gloves are ok, but full blown winter ones forget it, you have to pull one off.

I did have an issue on the weekend where some heavy rain actually activated the screen on its own though

[kb]

^I have a touch screen computer (V650) and I don't have any issues with sweat (especially on the trainer). Thin gloves are ok, but full blown winter ones forget it, you have to pull one off.

I did have an issue on the weekend where some heavy rain actually activated the screen on its own though

The Garmin Edge 1000 used to have a lot of problems in the rain with the screen locking itself. Seems to be pretty reliable now. I like that it's dual capacitive and resistive. Works well with those new fangled gloves designed for smart phones

[cjrich]

I like the "nice to have" features of the 505 but the thing looks massive compared to my Edge 500. Leaning towards the Edge 25 as don't need maps and prefer a smaller unit.