I would give it 5 stars if I understood or had all the gadgets needed to get all the info this computer can display ... Cadence, HR, Distance, Time of day, is all need.
Bought computer on a recommendation from a friend. Did a lot of research as well as to size features battery life etc. computer works great and was relatively easy to set up. Not as intuitive as older models and not as easy to set up pages as previous models is my only gripe! Mapping capabilities, map features and connectivity to Garmin connect were seamless. Overall good purchase very happy
Bought computer on a recommendation from a friend. Did a lot of research as well as to size features battery life etc. computer works great and was relatively easy to set up. Not as intuitive as older models and not as easy to set up pages as previous models is my only gripe! Mapping capabilities, features and connectivity to Garmin connect was seamless overall good purchase very happy
Garmin Edge 530 GPS Computer: it's much less expensive than the 830 and 1030; I don't care about the bells and whistles of the other models, so for me, it's a better value...works great with the Garmin Varia RTL515 Rear-view radar/tail light too.
I bought this Garmin 530 thinking i was going too have routes created so not to get bored riding the same routes doesnt work too great twice I got lost with this. What did wirk great was the emergency contact sos it sends your exact location out too whoever your emergency contacts are that was pin point location of where I needed to get picked up. I do like the drunk and eat alert vert nice feature as well.
The 530 is nice provides alot if cycling stats depending on what you really want info on.
I do like it though its a little quarks though.
Test it out in short distance and experience it for yourself
Also when directions say cycleway that means sidewalk or bike trail that can be very confusing and annoying.
Experiment with it set up you ER accounts and good luck
Safe riding
I've had a edge 500 for a long time, and it was finally falling apart. I was hesitant going forward because the 500 worked so well, and I was concerned that a non LCD screen would wash out in bright sunlight while I was wearing my polarized riding glasses. But the 500 case finally started to disintegrate (literally, I could see the circuit board inside), so it was time.
The details
1. Unit finds the satellites much faster and can hold them when under tree cover better than the 500.
2. Wireless syncing works great. I don't even have to wake the unit up, just throw it on the shelf in the garage with my other riding gear after a ride and it automatically syncs. Now if it could only automatically charge too......
3. The screen is quite readable in bright sunlight, even with the sunglasses.
4. Metrics like 'grade' seem much more stable (the 500 wouldn't do well on very steep grades...15%....probably because I was not moving fast enough).
5. The new metrics, like 'load' and 'grit' and level of aerobic and anaerobic effort are kinda fun. Not sure if they are accurate, but they seem fairly stable (ie, rides of similar effort give similar numbers). Are they needed....no.... but it's fun. There is a 'flow' metric that seems useless to me so far but maybe that will change over time.
So far I have found nothing that is significantly worse on the 530 relative to the 500. It does take a bit more time to learn (more buttons) and customize, but once you are past that it is an upgrade.
This is one of the most affordable, feature-packed ride computers on the market. Proven technology, rugged construction, reliable performance. I use this computer on a regular basis for ride of 20 to 60 miles. I can't think of anything I don't like about it, because it is perfect for me.
Higher models do not bring an additional benefit and I am no fan of the touchscreens anyways. Navigation, etc. is handled through the smartphone anyways. It works great with speed and cadence sensors.
I love it.
This is an amazing computer I would highly recommend it to anyone from everyday commuters to World Tour pro cyclists. One of my favorite things about this computer is the navigation features and how easy it is to use. It will give you turn by turn directions and read aloud the directions. I think everyone needs one of these because of how easy it is to use.
I had been using an Edge 520 and upgraded to the 530 as my battery life was starting to decline and the 530 has a few interesting features that the 520 didn't.
The turn notification is much nicer. The screen switches to the map and shows exactly which way the route goes. It also is notifying when and where it should. The 520 was always a little late giving the turn notices, as if it always thought I was a few seconds behind where I actually was.
The Di2 integration is better, letting me set the chainring sizes for the unconventional setup on my tandem,
I like the smart hydration notifications and I've been drinking a lot more during rides on hot days while using that feature.
I like the climb feature that shows me the distance, vertical, and average grade on a climb, but the algorithm needs some work. Some of the climbs it detects are no bigger or harder than climbs it doesn't detect. On some climbs it stops before the very top, and on others it will include a descent and then maybe 20 more feet of climbing where it would have made more sense to call the peak before the descent the end of the climb.
I've had a few unexpected reboots and glitches, but I expect that from any new Garmin product while they work out the kinks. Two issues I'm having for now First, the bluetooth just won't stay connected to my phone. I have to open the Garmin app to get it to connect. That makes the emergency notifications and SMS notifications useless. My 520 didn't have this issue, so I don't think the problem is on the phone side. Second if I turn off the computer at a rest stop while navigating it will lose the 'Distance to Course Point' and the turn-by-turn list. It will still show each turn when I get to it however. So after I leave the rest stop it will just show the distance to next course point as the distance to the finish. I have to stop the route navigation and re-start it to get it working correctly again. I generally don't turn it off now at rest stops due to this issue, and luckily the battery life is really good, so I can do 2 or 3 rides of 40 or 50 miles without recharging.
This will track anything you want in a workout, it has lots of buttons and whistles......But I bought it for back/Hearing issues.
With The EDGE 530 is connected to the VARIA RT515 I can track the traffic Behind me. This is exactly why I bought it and its AWESOME! I would not ride without it . I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
This bike computer does it all! I use it to mtn bike and road bike. I also use it for triathlon races. Syncs perfect with my 945 LTE watch. Garmin offers so many features, and constantly stays up to date with technology
Sweet computer! Switched from an Edge Explore to this 530. Big plus, rec'd enough credit to get the speed sensor 2 (saves distance if computer putts out - 300hrs!!). Out front mount is solid, buttons are clicky and snappy. My only gripe is some minor 1st release software hiccups. It was logging me moving and stopping, constantly setting off collision detection. It froze up on initial setup too, but both issues have subsided with sensors connected and out on the road. Very solid, highly recommended.
Full retail price a little painful for me, but this does what it says it will. Supplied mounting hardware works, the screen is visible and informative, and it quickly pairs with the Varia radar unit and my Vivoactive 3 watch (for heart rate). That said, I find the side buttons difficult to operate, and it took me a while to figure out how to navigate all the different display options (still learning).
This is the computer with the most MTB features out there, it comes in a small form factor and the button only interface makes it the better suited for MTB riding .
Good bike computer, I like that it gets brighter when I ride a dark trail but the normal display on a sunny day with dark sunglasses on is difficult for an experienced (67 years old) rider to see all of the values. Will remove some data and try larger fonts I guess. Overall good value, battery life and product performance.
This is the best cycling computer I have used to date. The battery life is phenomenal. The boot time is faster than I can open Strava. I can upload my rides from zwift so it can calculate my training load. I used the edge 820 prior to this and the upgrade is well worth the price.
Upgraded from a 5+ year old model. Battery life and satellite acquisition is great, and maps have been useful when trying some new routes on the fly as well as doing some "asynchronous group rides" with planned routes. Garmin needs to work on the interface...too many buttons on the device and too many clicks to do the basics.
Great GPS if you want to stay in the Garmin ecosystem and not want to have a touch screen (although initial setup is slow due to the button-only interface). Really liked to new popularity coloring on the maps and the built in TrailForks integration.
The screen is very easy to read (screen set up with speed, cadence, HR, gradient, clasped time, time of day). Initial setup a bit tricky but once set up no problems. The big flaw is that it is a very delicate device. Had it for a month and it slipped from the hand and hit the floor. Completely dead. If Garmin won't repair it I'll get another - and put a silicon case on it. Would be a five star review if it was not so delicate.
