Want to track your biking performance but don't want to risk dropping your smartphone? Garmin might have the answer. The company today announced its new dedicated biking devices, the Edge 510 ($329) and Edge 810 ($499), and we got to go hands-on with both at CES 2013.
Garmin says the waterproof devices are meant to be strapped to your bicycle's handlebars and can track information ranging from elevation and speed to the number of calories you've burned during your ride and the exact route you took.
The Edge 810,the larger of the two gadgets, features a 2.6-inch color touch screen and packs upward of 17 hours of battery life. While thick, the device has the look and feel of a small feature phone. The touch screen was both responsive and bright, making it ideal for direct sunlight.
The 810 provides users with topographical, or TOPOS, maps and BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, so you can see exactly where you're riding at all times. The GPS-enabled device's Active Routing Maps feature gives riders the ability to set skill- and bike-specific routing preferences, so you'll never feel overwhelmed by an unexpectedly tough route again.
The Edge 510 offers a 2.2-inch color touch screen and is roughly the size of an egg. It features many of the same capabilities of the larger Edge 810, including both GPS and GLONASS satellite tracking. The 510 lacks the 810's topographical mapping and Active Routing Maps options. That said, Garmin notes that the 510 offers 3 more hours of battery life than its larger brother.
Garmin says both devices include speed, elevation, positioning and climb rate monitors, as well as a barometric altimeter. Using the altimeter, the company says the Edge 510 and Edge 810 can provide users with live local weather updates when paired to a compatible smartphone. Beyond that, the devices have been outfitted with Garmin's LiveTrack, which allows users to offer friends and family the ability to track their exact location via their smartphones, tablets or notebooks.
