Team Garmin & Special Edge 705 for the Tour de France
Not only did all of the riders in this year's Tour de France on Team Garmin Chipotle get an Edge 705, but they used them to their advantage by specially programing them with key information. According to Bike Radar, the team pre-programed the units with key sprint locations, feed zones and King of the Mountain locations. Pretty cool stuff.
Garmin Garage - New Garmin Icons for Tour de France
The Tour de France kicks off tomorrow and Garmin is there with their newly sponsored biking team; Team Garmin. Garmin co-sponsors the team with Chipotle the burrito kings of franchisedom. Well, sure enough, just in case you can't bike up the Alp d'Huez yourself, you can download these icons for your Garmin GPS and pretend that you are ahead of the peleton. If you are more of the Race to lunch type, you can also download that burrito and slap it on the screen.
The Garmin Edge 705 is a great little Bike computer/GPS unit that brings data capture to a new level. With the ability to capture not only bike computer information, but to combine it with location specifics, wrapping in the wireless data capture of a heart rate monitor and a cadence meter, the Edge 705 rocks. By GPS standards, the unit is small, maybe not small in the bike computer world, but unless you are climbing the Alp d'Huez during July, you won't notice the added weight. The Garmin Cycling Team must think they are great - the Tour de France starts Saturday for them - Good Luck!
The Edge series has been around for a couple of years, but the Edge 605/705 series made two huge leaps in capability. The Edge 605/705 now offers mapping and in my mind this was a big disadvantage of the original 205/305; something that is worth paying up for in the 605/705. I think it makes all the difference. The Edge is also now in color, which as a veteran of the original Garmin eTrex monochrome days, I can say that without a doubt, the change makes a huge difference in the readability of the screen. It makes a difference on the trail with an eTrex and makes a difference on the road with a color Edge.
Finally, the Edge 705 offers wireless sharing; an innovative feature that I think is a total luxury, and one that I have been wanting for a long time across a lot of Garmin models. When you are hiking or biking, being able to show up and immediately share what the route plan is with everybody there is a huge deal. In this case though it means that you need a lot of like-minded friends who also see the value of dropping a few hundred bucks on a GPS enabled bike computer. For those of us here at GPS Lodge, we think it's totally justified.
Team Slipstream is now Team Garmin; the name change happening and announced as they are making plans for the Tour de Tours. The sponsorship and backing by the fitness GPS manufacturer has stepped up and is going big time to the biggest biking event in the world.
The Edge 705 will be used during the race, and hopefully we will get some insight into their performance as they might just upload some of the data online during the race, giving a little insight into what it's like to be in such great shape and to ride such a grueling race.
The Edge 705 represents several breakthroughs in cycling technology, including power compatibility, wireless unit-to-unit connectivity and the ability to monitor GPS position, heart rate, speed, cadence, altitude and gradient on the same display. And Team Garmin will be able to share data - including saved rides, waypoints and workouts -through ANT+Sport™ wireless technology.
I like the Garmin Edge 705 that I have in for review right now, and it appears that I am not alone. Wired Mag has a review up of the Edge 705 calling it the Holy Grail for cycling enthusiasts, and for good reason. The thing grabs a signal, dumps a ton of information your way, tells you where to go and when you are done, allows you to analyze the data collected from the heart rate monitor, the cadence sensor and if you are really into it, you can get power readouts if you add a compatible powermeter. The sensors are all wireless and the edge is smaller than a deck of cards.
REI has a pretty big sale every year, and if you're already a member, you might just want to swing by to grab a Garmin Forerunner. These are the best prices I have seen on these items. Sale is from May 2 - 11.
The Forerunner 205 grabs satellites and allows you to train with the benefits of gathering a whole lot of data including where you have been, pace, time, etc. The data syncs back to your computer through Garmin's Training Center where you can track your data. The Forerunner 305 adds a wireless heart rate monitor. See the Garmin website for more on the Forerunner.
Also, if you are buying something at full price that's not already on sale, you can use this code May 2-11, and it's good for one item per REI Membership. Not a member? It's only $20 for a lifetime membership; what the heck?
We have been lucky to have some great weather up here near Boston - and I took advantage of it the other day to go for a shake-down ride on my bike; the first of the season, and the first with the Edge 705. The Garmin Edge 705 is probably one of the more long awaited pieces of biking gear that has hit the market in a while. I have been hoping for one for a LONG time, wanting color maps, navigation, bike computer functions with heart rate monitor capabilities. The wireless sharing aspect and the ability to send data to friends has been on that wish list too.
The Edge 705 does all of this, color mapping and navigation so you can ride to your heart's content on back roads without missing a turn, all keeping a solid lock on satellites with a high sensitivity receiver. The Edge 705 has ANT+Sport wireless short range capability that allows you to add Heart Rate Monitors (HRM), cadence and power meters to your accessory list, to capture even more data to track and analyze. The ANT wireless technology allows you to send routes to others in your group, like virtual cue sheets for the day's ride.
So how did things work out on the first ride of the year?
Happy Patriots Day (observed), the day the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired, the whole, One if by land, Two if by sea, Lexington Green and Old North Bridge thing happened; if you don't know what I am talking about, skip the "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" auditions. It's also the day the Red Sox play a morning Game to finish up just as the Boston Marathon is starting to pour its main pack of runners into the Back Bay of Boston near the finish.
It's also the coming out party for the Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS enabled fitness watch. Knowing that the Boston Marathon was their launch party, I love whoever set the Forerunner 405 for the above picture - Monday 4/21, the day of the Boston Marathon, and 9:35AM, the start time for the elite women. Brilliant nod to the Boston runners..
Most other people will be stirring around Hopkinton, MA where the runners will be hydrating and keeping warm ahead of their starts.
The Forerunner 405 interacts with a touchscreen, reminiscent of the iPhone. Gestures and swirls control the interface and give you the ability to create new workouts or access their workout history. You can also share wirelessly - the Forerunner 405 can share your locations, advanced workouts and courses wirelessly with other Forerunner 405 users. Now you can send your favorite workout to your buddy to try, or compete against a friend's recorded course. Sharing data is easy. Just select "transfer" to send your information to nearby units.
The Garmin Edge 705 is shipping, and is ready for spring rides as we speak. As the weather gets warmer, I expect to jump on the bike and try this out, complete with the Heart Rate Monitor and cadence sensor.
Snug in the packaging the Edge 705 awaits....
All accessories are well wrapped too.
Peek inside and under the bubble wrap after the jump......
The Garmin Edge 705 is now shipping for spring riding. The GPS equipped bike computer is a very well outfitted device. With its ANT+ Sport wireless technology it can talk to the cadence and speed sensor, your heart rate monitor and even a power meters if you have a compatible one. Oh yea, and being a Garmin GPS enabled device, you get to map out your ride with turn indications sit back and enjoy while you crank out the miles while grabbing a ton of data for fitness analysis. The 705 also includes a barometric altimeter for accurate ascent data capture. The unit has the ability to calculate calories burned, and has "profiles" that allow you to set it up for more than one bike.
Sync with your computer to grab the data and analyze it with the Garmin Trainer software, or upload it and participate in Garmin's Garmin Connect online community.
Meeting up with friends who have a Garmin Edge 705 also? Wirelessly share routes so you are always together when you lead the pack in the dust on the next hill climb.
The Edge 705 comes with a basemap, but by getting the package with the City Navigator Map Package, you'll have all those backroads that are great to ride on without traffic.
Stay tuned, I'll have an Unboxingof a Garmin Edge 705 here soon, as I am looking forward to getting out and riding over the next few months to try out the Edge 705.
The technology that is powering more and more of Garmin's devices these days is called ANT+ wireless technology. It's a short range wireless technology that Garmin gained when they bought Dynastream back in December of 2006. The technology allows the Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) to talk to the Forerunner 405, or the cadence meter to talk to the Edge 705. The interesting thing about it is that you can start to pair these device add-on's with other equipment. Upgrading from the Forerunner 305 to the Forerunner 405? You can bring the HRM from the older Garmin and use it with the new one.
The ANT technology is also the wireless protocol in the new Garmin Colorado series, which allows the handheld units to talk and exchange routes and waypoints. The Colorado can also accept a HRM and/or cadence monitor to record that information if you were to use your Colorado on a bike.
Garmin Blog has more information on the ANT technology.
With all of the new year's resolutions going on to get in shape, the Garmin Forerunner 305 is getting pretty popular. In fact it's one of the most popular GPS devices selling on Amazon. The Forerunner 305 offers an advanced design with a SiRF star III chipset inside to lock onto and hold onto satellites while running. The unit also comes with a heart rate monitor that can help you stay within specific conditioning zones. The unit easily downloads location, speed and heart rate information to your computer for record keeping and analysis. On top of this, you can also check out Garmin Connect, an online community that allows you to do further analysis and join the online community to share routes, and results.
With the recent announcement of the Garmin Forerunner 405, which has a more watch like look, the Garmin Forerunner 305 is selling at a pretty good price.
Garmin confirmed with me yesterday that the new Garmin Edge 605/705 will be delayed the first quarter of 2008, from the original December launch date that was mentioned in the press release. So for those of us with a new Garmin Edge at the top of our wish lists for this December, I guess you’ll just have to slide it to the top of your St. Patrick’s Day wish list instead. Garmin spokesman Jake Jacobson told me, “While any delay is disappointing, we'd rather take the time to get it right.”
Personally, I would much rather have a quality product hit the shelves a few months late than have a buggy unit in the middle of the winter. (I live near Boston, and don't ride through the winter, but I guess if you live in L.A., it would be a bigger disappointment.) Yea, it stinks that there’s a delay, but I think this underscores the quality operation Garmin is; in not wanting to go to market before the unit is absolutely ready. The Edge 705 has a lot of new capabilities, including mapping, routing and of course the wireless features that allow you to swap and share data and routes with all of your biking friends who also have Edge 705’s. I am not sure I can drop the money for the 705, but the mapping capability plus the fitness functions are fantastic. I bike a fair amount and am looking forward to using a new Edge myself.
In the end, look at it this way; you’ll still have a new Edge 705 in time for your first spring ride!
Thanks to GPSLodge reader John G. for picking up on this and sending this in.
Garmin is getting into sponsorships big time with events kicking off at this weekend's Chicago Marathon. This program is part of a push into the fitness arena with their recently announced Forerunner 50 fitness watch that anchors a line of more sophisticated Forerunner products. As part of its growing sponsorship program that focuses on many of the biggest races in the nation, Garmin is proud to contribute to the marathon that brings 45,000 runners to the hometown of its flagship retail store on Michigan Avenue. Also this weekend, runners and supporters will get their first chance to test and purchase Garmin’s newest fitness watch, the Forerunner 50.
Garmin is also going to be sponsoring the NYC, Las Vegas Marathon and the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Marathon and half marathon.
Team Garmin & Special Edge 705 for the Tour de France
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