I loved the 500 units and they lasted probably ten years. The 520 was okay but lasted less than 2 years and then I was told that Garmin no longer supported the unit, though the only thing ailing was the port for recharging. The 530 has this same terrible port which is delicate at best. It has a secondary charging system, for which you can purchase the charger. Weak, very weak. It is the same as on the 520, so I don't know why they can't repair the 520. Anyway, the 530 is overly complicated, shuts down any time it wants to or sends error messages about the HR strap or Varia radar unit. I have never even heard of some of the workout parameters that it has. The choices for screens is limited, in comparison to the older models and worst of all, don't even think of trying to push any button with gloves on. They are ridiculous trying to push with the bare fingers. Truly, never again.
Bought a 530 to replace a well used 520 which I lost in a gravel race last year. Just set it up and am ready to go for the new season. Lots of competition and for sure devices and sensors can be mixed and matched but Im used to and generally like the Garmin ecosystem of products. Use the Garmin rear light/radar and headlight not all the time but regularly. Use a Garmin heart rate monitor all the time. Also works well with my Stages crank based power meter.
This is my second 530 and given the good and not so good, I still chose to buy this again. I like that it is simple to use and I get enough data to keep me happy with what it records. I mostly use it to track miles and other statistics of my daily commute. That said, it still does a nice job on century rides where you might upload a course. There are a few things that could be better. I think the integration with my Apple phone could be better. For instance, you can't reply to a simply text message with an iPhone. It also seems to struggle with uploading data through the interface. Earlier models would just work when you pushed the save button. Now I have to try a few times before it uploads. Sometimes the 530 doesn't pick up the GPS satellites without rebooting the 530. Fortunately this only happens about 1 in every 10 times I want to start a ride.
I've had older GPS units, this one captures satellite data quickly, and never errors. It is very easy to navigate through, has many functions I love. I have it connected to Power crankset (SRAM), wheel speed sensor, and with those I get cadence as well. I love all the data through Garmin Connect using heart rate and power, such as fitness level, freshness, estimated FTP, etc. Also easy to look at a glance. I have used the map to get me home when in areas I'm unsure of and it chose great cycling routes vs. major streets/difficult areas.
This is my first GPS bike computer. It has taken a little time to learn, but it gets better with each ride.
The Garmin 830 was a last minute purchase before a gravel race which required on board navigation. I am not a techie. But the 830 set up and mounted easily, was very easy to interface with my computer to download the course map, and performed flawlessly the day of the race. Conditions were snowy and right at freazing which caused no issues at all. Glad I bought the 830 and looking forward to using it next spring.
Great computer with many functions I am still learning to use. I bought it to sync with my rear radar/tail light. Works well on both MTB and Road bike using the mount with rubber connector bands. I still have to try mounting the extender on the road bike. Not certain if the extension mount will fit the larger oblong carbon road bars. I like the audible beep for the sharp curve notifications because I typically am not looking at the screen notifications when approaching a sharp switchback! the touch screen is great!
Had the 810 before this. I really liked it but once I connected the Varia radar unit to it the seven year old battery showed it's age. The 830 stunned me with its battery life .. still had 70 to 75 percent of a charge after more than 100 miles of riding. Multiple devices connected including power meter, radar, and electronic shifters. I love the incline grade feature and the screen customization. And the display is a dramatic improvement from the 810.
Perfect! Used a 1030 for >3 years thinking I needed its large screen. When it died (Blue Halo screen) I was going to replace it with a 1030+, but then the 1040 came out. Suddenly realized I don't need all the data-obsessed features Garmin includes (which are a pain to have to shut off if that is even possible!), and thought I'd try the 830. Love it:
(1) its screen is just enough bigger than the old 820 screen that data displayed in the 10-window data screen is easily readable
(2) its alert beep is loud enough, though perhaps not quite as loud as the one on the 1030+
(3) about half the weight of a 1030/1030+/1040
(4) fast processor for quick performance
I've been using my Garmin Edge head unit since it was first released, and I recommend it to anyone that will listen. The battery life is exceptional (especially if you decide to use the battery saver mode and turn off your screen). The features are extensive, maps and navigation work great, and it easily pairs with loads of accessories and sensors. Of all the Garmin head units, I truly believe this is the best one for the money.
Sure, computers from Wahoo and Hammerhead offer some compelling competition (thats a great thing), but you can't go wrong with the Edge 530.
I've owned several Garmin EDGE models and this is the best one I've had so far. What sets this apart from others is the shear amount of available features. Some would argue that one would never use all of the features but at this price point you get a lot of bang for your buck. One feature in particular that I love is the Climb Pro. I find it very useful to know when I am approaching a climb and how much is remaining until I get to the top. Super helpful. The live Strava Segments are cool as well. The processor speed on the 530 is incredibly fast. A notable improvement over others I've had. This makes the user experience so much better overall. If you are trying to decide between an 830 and a 530 they are essentially the same except that the 830 has a touch screen. My previous Garmin was a touch screen and I find that I am missing it's ease of use. While the buttons on the 530 function fine its just a little bit tedious to navigate the system using buttons. You will have to decide if the extra $100 is worth it to enjoy the ease of use that the touch screen on the 830 provides.
This is a quality product specific to bicycling. Garmin makes some of the best aviation navigation avionics in the industry and we're talking precision instrument landing guidance that leaves nothing for error. You can see this expertise bleeding over to their line of biking GPS'. The 830 is a compact touchpad biking tool for guidance and training. It's hard to imagine they left any features out. If you want a bigger screen for guidance that will be more like your smart phone, then step up to the 1030. But, it appears the 830 does all that the 1030 but in a smaller package. Expect a learning curve.
I've had many Garmin devices over the years. In my opinion, sometimes Garmin gets it right and sometimes they don't. I think that they got it right with the Edge 830 - although it's too early to know about true durability yet. First, a gripe: Coming from the Edge Explore, going back to a smaller screen seemed a step backwards. However, that being said, the basic cycling information is well displayed and the screens can be customized for just the information I want to see at a glance. I really like the way it integrates with the Varia radar taillight and headlight. It seems that the alert for approaching cars is more noticeable on this unit than the Explore. I have not used all of the included features of the 830 - and one's like the crash alert - I hope I never will! However, the 830 seems like a keeper. Tip: buy the silicone case to avoid damage.
I've owned many Garmin devices over the years and navigating the functions / settings hierarchy with buttons mostly intuitive. The touchscreen feature on the 830 makes it that much easier. I read a lot of articles debating the incremental value of that feature since it has a higher price point. Certainly an end user decision / preference. Pairs easily with Powertap, SRAM, and Assioma Favero power meters, plus iPhone and Garmin heart rate straps. I find the safety features and training analytics useful.
Having owned many Garmin products, I can say that this device (Edge 530) is just like every other other - rock solid engineering built to last. Garmins have never let me down. HOWEVER, just like every Garmin I have owned, the documentation (both provided in the box and on-line) is HORRIBLE. If you have owned a Garmin in the past, you know what I am talking about. If this would be your first Garmin, be prepared to spend several hours BEFORE YOU USE IT ON YOUR BIKE learning all of the menu choices and button combinations. If the documentation was written by an athlete instead of a database manager, I would have given it 5 stars.
My 1030 broke again,they seem to not last very long. I got the 530 for less than half the price of the 1030.It's smaller and basically does the same thing just with buttons. I had problems with the touch screen on the 1030,it would change screens by itself very annoying for such an expensive thing.So far the 530 has been very reliable I am glad I bought it
After years with the 510, it was time to move up. The 830 is for the most part intuitive, and the touch screen features allow options to be used while riding. The ability to download segments, particularly climbs, is much appreciated. This makes it much easier to pace the 500 - 2000 foot climbs. The battery life seems excellent, on a number of occasions I have not recharged the battery but there has been plenty of life left for the next ride. The 1030 was tempting, but I prefer the size of the 830.
I replaced a 5 year old Wahoo Elemnt with the 830. It works very well and has many more features. I don't use all the training tools but the navigation tools work very well. I like the ability to "pin" routes in RWGPS and move them to the Garmin by syncing without a USB cable connection. The climb pro feature is nice in the mountains. The touch screen is great, much better than pushing buttons.
I do wish the start/stop button was on the top instead of the back. That can be a clearance issue. Also the screen can be hard to read with certain glare situations. The old Wahoo was better in this regard. Steve
I was skeptical about moving to a Garmin from my existing GPS since all of my other cycling friends are not using Garmin. After making the leap to Garmin I am very satisfied with the touch screen, the interface with Garmin Connect, reminders for hydrating, weather forecast, and ease of linking routes from other apps. At first it took some time getting used to the interface and setting it up, which would be expected for going to a new product. I do love the bluetooth interface with my Shimano di2 where I can use my shifter buttons to navigate between the different screens. So far I've ridden about 1000 miles with the unit and it has saved me with its re-routing feature whenever I get lost on a solo ride. Definitely a life saver.
Great bike computer with many new functions. I really like the climbpro as you get all the etails of the climb and know how much longer you have to go in the climb. Please note that you must be following a pre-loaded course for climbpro to be enabled. Wish it would work on a new ride where I'm doing a climb for first time and don't have the course loaded in. The GPS is very accurate and works well. Several feature that have been flaky for me are the livetracker and incident detection. The livetracker sometimes notifies my contacts but not always, not sure why. I tried the test for incident detector and it does not work.
I paired my 530 with cadence/speed and HR monitor(all ant) with no problems. Recently added the Varia radar and love it as I'm notified of cars approaching from behind. All in all a great computer and well worth the price.
