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MTB Reviews > GPS > GPS Unit > Garmin Edge 305
 Edge 305
Description: (from garmin.com)
Take your ride to the next level with the Edge 305 — Garmin's GPS-enabled, personal trainer and cycle computer. From competitive road racing to mountain biking, the cyclist-friendly, lightweight Edge will help you achieve your personal best. With the easy-to-use Edge 305 on your bike, you'll always know where you're going and how far you've gone.
For advanced cyclists, the Edge 305 comes packaged with a heart rate monitor and/or wireless speed/pedaling cadence sensor to provide valuable feedback. In addition, the Edge 305 incorporates a barometric altimeter for extremely accurate elevation and vertical profile data. Recreational cyclists looking for the perfect touring companion and fitness partner will love the Edge 205.
The Edge 305 has the ability to measure pedaling cadence, heart rate, speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, plus much more. 305 features include:
* Easy-to-install — no calibration required. Just snap it in the included bike mount and go
* High-sensitivity GPS receiver — knows your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for navigation
* Highly efficient ANT wireless protocol — provides superior battery life and reliably transfers your performance data to the Edge 305
* Customizable cycle computer — shows up to eight different data fields for continuous feedback
* Virtual Partner® — lets you "race" a virtual competitor, making training fun
* Courses — let you "race" against a recorded course to try to match previously set speeds at every point along the way
* Auto Pause® — pauses the training timer when you slow down below a specified speed and resumes when you speed up again so you can focus on your ride
* Auto Lap® — automatically triggers a lap every time you pass a specified location or travel a preset distance
* Garmin Training Center® software — gives you the ability to create workouts, manage and download courses, and create a detailed post-ride analysis that charts your performance
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| Pros | Very easy to use. Web-based tech has great reporting capabilities. You really NEED to use the accompanying web-based software (Motion Based) which is free for the standard application, alowing you to see your last 10 rides in gory detail. For more than 10 rides, buy the upgrade (about $90/year.) I now use it for mtb and road (base-miles) rides, and have started using it for hiking as well. Everything you want to know for training - elevation, HR, calories, mileage of course, zones - plus a dot-player map function that lets you virtually observe the ride in varying background formats - street, topo, photo, contour maps. You can show up to 16 screens on the device while riding (but who has time to read them?) Excellent sat. reception so far. | | Cons | Price. One of the priciest gadgets out there, but oh so cool! Also the screen can be a bit hard to read in merciless (read: Phoenix, AZ) light. NOTE: I do NOT use cadence on the mtb (what's the point,r eally, speed is good enough) but have been happy with it on the roadie, no problems there so far as noted by one user below. Maybe not installed right, it is tricky to get a good read! | | Verdict | If you can afford it and are training for something, or just like the idea of seeing where you've been, it's a great gadget. | | Recommended for: Experienced XC riders |
| Pros | Size, accuracy, and access to training information (that I still have to start using). Works well with other applications including Mapsource, Topofusion, and Sporttracks. | | Cons | Training Center Software sux! Cannot import GPX files, edit tracks, or anything. | | Verdict | It's the perfect size for mounting on the stem and the reception is phenomenal. Lots of capabilities that I have yet to tap into but like all Garmin products, easy enough to use right out of the box! | | Recommended for: Experienced XC riders |
| Pros | Great training tool and for an old man it is nice to see how high the heart rate was during the ride. | | Cons | Speed / cadence does want to stay on bike during a hard ride. Garmin can get shut off during the same. Several software problems in the 6 months I have owned it. | | Verdict | I use it for both road and off road rides and it is a great gadget, motionbased software is fun to watch after the ride. Wish the speed / cadence device would stay on as gps signal in woods is not always reliable. | | Recommended for: Anyone |
| Pros | Love how it automatically records calorie burn, elevation, maps the course, etc..etc.. Easy to use & transfer information. Website of Garmin is always up to date. | | Cons | The training CD included is very basic, and was not fully available for MAC computer users. The training CD included was a bit difficult to figure out. | | Verdict | I would buy the Edge 205 if you are not concerned with training in your heart rate zones. We dont really even use the cadence for our mountain bikes, but for road bikes I think it would be beneficial. | | Recommended for: Anyone |
| Pros | This has been one of the best training tools I have used. You can race against yourself. If there is noone else around to push you. | | Cons | Nothing | | Verdict | I Would recommend this to anyone who rides offroad. It is great to be able to send your rides to your friends, no matter where they live | | Recommended for: Anyone |
| Pros | Easy to configure and use; rich data collection; great GPS signal reception; nice elevation profile display | | Cons | Expensive. Many features are more geared toward road cyclists (cadence, etc.) | | Verdict | This is probably one of the most complete GPS solutions you can get for your mountain bike. It has all the advantages of the Edge 205 PLUS it shows you an elevation profile while you ride. The cadence monitor is virtually useless for mountain bikers and even the heart rate monitor is only marginally helpful (more helpful for training than recreational riding & mapping). Buy this if you have the money to spend, otherwise invest in a Garmin Edge 205. | | Recommended for: Experienced XC riders |
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| Phoenix, AZ | May 18, 2007 
| Newtown, CT | May 18, 2007 
| Atlanta, GA | March 26, 2007 