I had owned a 1030 for about three years before deciding to upgrade to this computer. An accident which damaged to the old computer screen provided an excuse to make the change. The reviews I read were iffy about whether there were enough modification to justify the upgrade. Having done it, I do feel quite happy with the change. It is a better computer, faster and more responsive than that 1030. An additional $100 would have gotten me the 1040, but I live in the Pacific Northwest, solar batteries added to bike computers and, indeed, my Fenix watch are of little value, and reviews of how well they perform shows little benefit even in a sunnier environment. This computer has a very long life between charges. My usual ride is about 3 hours in duration. I have a speed sensor, cadence sensor, Varia Radar, and Garmin headlamp, as well as a heart rate monitor all connected to the computer on the rides. I have never seen the computer battery drop below 70% even on my longest rides. That is very reassuring. There is no question that the endurance of its battery far exceeds mine. The touch screen works really well even with gloves on. Having a big screen also allows me to monitor all of my desired parameters without having to change screens. One other thing I have noticed as a real improvement over my old 1030 is that at the end of the ride the ride is automatically uploaded to my iPhone, something that was less dependable with the 1030. It also recharges much faster when connnected to my computer. All in all, it is a much better computer and certainly worth the price. If you are in the market for a new computer and are trying to choose between the 1030, 1030 plus, and the 1040, I would definitely recommend the 1030 Plus.
The 1030 plus screen size is easy to read, a plus for older eyes. The touch screen works great in all weather. I was able to switch screen with winter riding gloves without an issue. Wet weather did not appear to impact performance.
Indoors the 1030 plus paired with my trainer without issues.
Outdoors the map features are a pleasure to use.
Pairing with sensors and phone is simple.
Using the workout suggestions both indoors and out is a great feature. The graphic screen is great when doing zone training.
I would recommend this unit to anyone looking for a new bike computer.
Get this guy and be the talk among your friends.
This unit has a mountain of features and can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses, if you let it.
The monstrous sized screen is actually not that big (incredible what you get used to, just like cell phones you'll wonder what you did before this) and holds what's really the perfect amount of data.
Among the features you will really appreciate is Garmin allowing you to import devices from your old bike computer, it will let you pair this way, no more new device let's pair all my accessories back in one at a time. I also love the bully in coaching/training features. Garmin will take a look at what you've been up to, and suggest a workout of the day (it's almost like Santa, it knows if you've been naughty or nice with your training). I've used this with my Tacx 2T to control it and no issues.
Battery life, I own a 520+ which lives on my secondary bike and wow, the giant screen, improved GPS and multitude of features almost mean nothing to lifespan. I ride a reasonable amount (600-750 miles per month) and if I feel like pushing lifespan I have gone weeks without charging, 520+ needs at least weekly.
Why wouldn't I buy it? 520+ to this was a huge jump in price and features, if I already had a top end computer, improvements would be too marginal and hate to justify. Do you use features? The worst things to buy are things you don't use.
If you have the money and are serious about cycling you should consider this device, it rocks but cost a cool mountain of cash.
Bought the Edge 1030 for a new road bike. It's big, a LOT bigger than the Edge 130 I have on another road bike.
PROS: Big display, easy to read (when the sun hits it or if its dark and the backlight turns on), LOTS of data, and long battery life. And a laundry list of features, more than I'm likely to use more than a few times a year if/when I explore new routes.
CONS: It's big. I mean HUGE! It makes the older Edge 130 on my other bike look tiny. So, be sure you want this big of a computer hanging off the front of your bike.
SET UP: Standard Garmin set up. Takes a bit of time to get the data screens to show exactly what you want (if you're really picky and choose not to use their default data fields).
I haven't used a lot of high tech bike computers. I wanted a better mapping option so moved from the Edge 130 plus to the 1030. It's like the difference from video game Pong in the 1970's to the latest version of Xbox or Play Station.
The 1030 offer so much adaptability it's frankly a tad overwhelming and requires a bit of patience to work though it all. The screen is clear and the color is very crisp. The movement through screens is intuitive and quick. I use a mapping software that integrates seamlessly. Love this bike toy!! I would encourage anyone who's interested in accurate data and mapping needs to purchase this all day!
We use 2 GPSs (Hammerhead and Garmin) because neither one is perfect for bicycle touring.
1- Good thing about Garmin is that a user can load and unload Courses from a desktop or laptop computer as a data file.
2- When set-up the Auto rerouting can be turned off. Auto rerouting is only beneficial when a person absolutely needs to be rerouted (bridge out, road washed away, detours, military/state pop up blockades/exercises/disaster control). We've experience all of the above. 98% of the time, rerouting without your OK leads to travel problems, steep trails/climbs, jungle/back road unsafe shortcuts, and it always adds more time (it is almost always a shorter distance).
3 - All that health data is a waste of space, most of the time.
4 - Garmin forgets that the primary purpose of a GPS is to positively facilitate navigation.
If you are an avid cyclist and like to keep a detailed record of your rides this is a good tool to use. But you need to make sure that you have it setup correctly. My first ride turned out to be a shake down ride. Most of the information was incorrect. The heart rate function kept going off and on. Then it would either go real high or extremely low (i.e. 37 bpm). After doing some checking I realized that all of the sensors were set to Ant+ and not BLE. After changing all of the sensors to BLE I have not had any issues. It is a little pricey, but it does what I need it to do and I really like the large screen.
I bought this at a sale price, and I have no regrets. My view is certainly atypical, so I need to give some background.
I am not a hard core rider and I will never use a power meter or cadence.
I had an Edge Explore that was suggested by a Garmin rep. It had all the features I needed, but it was slow, worked erratically, and the battery life was horrible.
So... sale price for the 1030 +. I finally gave in and bought it. The screen is much, much brighter, faster, and clearer. The battery is wonderful for me and my uses. The map is pretty good and updates naturally. I can change settings and choose my preferences fairly easily. The only curiosity (to me) is that the % grade updates slowly. That is, it's always behind. The numbers seem fairly accurate, but I'm a ways down the hill when the 1030 thinks I'm still going up. 4 stars just because I had to pay for lots of features I won't use to get good quality and a large screen.
This is my 4th Garmin bike computer all the way from an Edge 800 to now the Edge 1030 Plus.
I really appreciate the new user interface and the speed with which the device responds to user input.
The screen is highly visible and the battery life is phenomenal.
The only hiccup was during setup, for some reason I was unable to set up the device on my computer and had to use my phone to set up. It took a while but got through it.
Also note it shows up as two devices on bluetooth. No idea why.
I bought this computer for the bigger screen (aging eyes) and the fantastic map capability. This was an upgrade from my old Edge 500. I found the set up and general use a bit daunting to begin with as many aspects do not seem intuitive to me. Garmin support was extremely helpful and I am slowly figuring out many of the functions though there are so many that I will probably never use...it's a bit overwhelming. I'm now to the point that I'm having fun with it and rather enjoy the challenge of figuring it out. The one thing I don't like so far is how slow it is to calculate grade. It's fairly good on long, sustained climbs but on short rollers, it's very poor. My old Edge 500 was much better...you'd think a computer of this caliber and price would offer lightening fast data regarding grade.
This is the best Garmin that I have used. I have used it for a while now and it is far superior to my older 820. The battery lasts longer than I do buy a lot. I can turn it on and it lasts through a physical therapy appointment and a three hour ride and still has about 60% left. The display is larger and easier to read by these old eyes. I'm not going to worry about the battery for centuries next year even when using the navigation function. Well worth the extra price.
I bought it to replace a failing Garmin 1000. The addition of emergency notification is a must!!! Seriously don't think about anything else. I crashed horribly, went down at HIGH speed. Shattered clavicle, split hip socket and pelvis in half, broke sitting bone. Before my body stopped I could hear the garmin alert sounding that my emergency contacts were being notified. If you are unconscious you will have help on the way. While I was conscious (although I wish I was not due to pain) and my phone with me through crash, if it was not I would have struggled to move well enough to find them. Serious stuff people. It's not worth a couple grams and little $ to get a lower functioning unit.
The Garmin Edge 1030 was problematic transferring data from my previous Edge 1000, but once that I accepted that only the very basic info could transfer directly and accepted that most would need to be manual it's been good. The model is more reliable than the previous version, operates more consistently. I still need to figure out how to handle the "off course" options as they are not intuitively named and don't allow more than seconds for a decision. But overall it does what it is suppose to do. The slightly larger size makes the data more readable when attempting to finding it quickly on the move. The on/off button is much better designed for durability than the 1000 was, so hopefully it will last longer. I didn't expect to be impressed with the new ClimbPro feature but it does come in handy when climbing new terrain and knowing where you are when the climb is a slog. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually make the climbs easier. It is a pricey product so that could be a factor. Customer support is much improved over years ago, so they are responding to the presence of more competition.
This computer has all the bells and whistles. Large screen allows you to have a lot of data at a glance. Maps and navigation are great. Do I need all the options? No Do I even look at the detailed training analysis? No. Basically I spent a ton of money on the large very readable screen and maps. Is it worth it? Depend on your needs. So I mentioned that there is one feature that really bugs me, the gradient data is so slow to respond that I begin a climb and my grade still registers at zero. I finish a climb and begin to go downhill but the gradient is still increasing because it is trying to catch up. Very annoying. I live in a hilly area and like to know what my power output is on a 8 percent gradient but it is not accurate because of its slowness to respond in real time. Almost returned it but decided to hold on and see if Garmin has a fixed for their top of the line computer.
I had previously purchased the high end Stages bike computer. Trust me get the Garmin 1030 instead. The software and functions are just simply better. 1st Garmin has a touch screen. 2nd-data screen edits are easier to create and modify. Very simple. Small software features are also just better for example- the Garmin allows you to set a stop data recording at a slow/almost stopped speed. The Stages does not even have that function. You have to be completely stopped.
The actual mechanical mount is also way better on the Garmin' The Stages mount barely works..
Battery life is also excellent on the 1030.
I could go on and on but you get the point. Don't waste your time go with the gold standard of Garmin
I don't know what's happening. But I've 2 Garmin 1000's in the past year where the battery I assume has swollen pushing the screen out of the unit. I'm assuming the heat or cold has blown up the battery for lack of a technical explanation.
My newest replacement that I received in April. The backlight upon setting up was blinking while in use. Then the unit started to shut down during use.
Never used to have problems with these computers years ago.
Great device. I'm upgrading from a 530 due to old eyes. The mapping and other functions as well as a touch screen are awesome. I thought about the solar 1040, but as with my 530, the battery has always outlasted me.
I have been riding with this computer for a month now. It was easy to set up and linked to my other Garmin components including power pedals without and problem. Most importantly, the 1030 plus gives the rider a lot of useful data on one screen. I highly recommend this computer.
I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of setting up the 1030 and all of the features available. Picking up sensors etc was super easy. Operates superbly and extra features are very useful as I build up after surgery!
I use my Garmin Edge for route guidance that I download at home before the ride. I had an older Garmin (an 800 series) that was horrible and I was apprehensive about ordering another Garmin product. But my fellow cyclists told me I'd like it and they are right. It's got several features that my old one didn't have and it seems more user friendly, and customizable too. It is working wonderfully.
