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Tested: Garmin Edge 1050

It’s Garmin’s flagship model, is priced at over $1000, and is big, bold & very impressive.

The latest and greatest member of the Edge family from Garmin recently popped up to entice cyclists with its large and bright colour screen. If you haven’t seen the 10-series computers in person, picture a small smartphone and you’re in the right zone. It’s large.

The benefit from being so big is that I can read the numbers with my contact lenses in! I found out the hard way that my ability to read a printed map with small text disappears with my contacts in place. Large, bright and colourful display with fast interactive touchscreen means that the 1050 is easy to see and use.

My own Garmin is the 840, which has a similar bright and colourful screen, but it lacks both the size and “pop” of the 1050 screen. Both share one trait I didn’t love: the rim around the screen does protect it, but it also traps fine grit (such as when you ride in the rain or MTB in the dust) which is then harder than I expected to remove.

Setup couldn’t be easier if you already use a Garmin device. A QR code appears on the Edge, scan it with the phone where you already have the Garmin Connect app and it clones your existing setup.

A new feature I used frequently on the 1050 is a bell. The 1050 has a proper speaker on board and a light tap on the screen while riding brings up a “button” that when tapped rings a digital bell that sounds quite like a physical bell. While the touch screen mostly worked with my winter gloves on, I couldn’t reliably tap the small bell icon to ring it. With bare hands it worked 100 per cent.

The flexibility of the new Garmin operating system continues with the new Edge. Ride profiles permit selection of the screens that matter to that style of riding. I have one for bikes with a power meter that contains screens displaying power. You get no reading if you use that without a power meter, so it is nice to be able to select appropriately. I also set up a MTB profile using the “grit” and “flow” statistics, but the 1050 is so long it didn’t fit on my MTB where I have the Garmin mount located. Each profile displays an odometer when you scroll through them, an indication of how far you’ve ridden in that profile. If you profile each bike then you’ve got an odometer for each bike.

Within a profile it is super simple to add or modify a screen. Select the number of data fields, then select how those fields will appear (equal splits across each or more space for some), then assign the data to each field.

Navigation on this unit is excellent. It computes a route quickly, rapidly recomputes when you deviate from the chosen route, and the bright screen is easy to follow. It is also the first GPS unit I’ve successfully obtained a sensible route home from work with! I ride across the local uni campus and it wanted me to get on campus as soon as possible – but from there home it was almost identical to how I ride daily. Near home it ended up taking me a way I didn’t even know I could go. There are popular attractions built in too. Plus, the option to avoid things like busy or dirt roads means you can customise it quite easily. The unit warns of upcoming sharp corners. Some gave the perfect amount of warning, but others didn’t beep the warning until I was already “in” the corner.

Via the Garmin Connect app, it can also map and share cycling hazards with other Garmin users. I added a fallen tree at the bottom of a fast hill (dangerous!). Each time I passed again it asked me if it was still there. Three clicks of “no” and I never saw the warning again.

New Edge models connect directly to Wi-Fi. I found things like updates would happen in the time when the unit is on charge, which is convenient. Another trait new Edge units share is the replaceable mounting interface. With the price of the 1050 a broken tab on the interface would be incredibly annoying, but it can be replaced with two screws should the need arise.

I loved the big screen. For me, it would work best on my MTB – but like I mentioned – it doesn’t fit due to its length. On my road bike I rarely use the navigation and I don’t need many data fields on one screen so a smaller Edge would suffice there. With around 25 per cent more battery life and double the screen area (of the 540/840 twins) there are many use-cases where the 1050 is the optimal pick. And it would be amazing for riding in a new area. 

Specifications

Dimensions: 60×118.5×16.3mm

Weight: 161g

Waterproofing: IPX7

Display: 3.5 inches diagonal

Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels

Battery: Around 20 hours and up to 60 in battery saver mode. RRP: $1199

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One-On-One With Gerry Ryan

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