Characteristic-rich with an old-school show

After I first began biking roughly 4 years in the past (yep, one other pandemic bike owner), I rode with no bike computer. I’d merely observe my rides utilizing my Garmin watch. Then, my husband purchased me the Garmin Edge 130 Plus, which made monitoring my rides simpler since I might see key stats in entrance of me as an alternative of needing to carry my wrist excellent to see my watch. Nevertheless, it had a tiny display and pretty restricted options, so it wasn’t a motorbike pc that obtained me very excited.

Unboxing the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic, then, left my jaw on the bottom. The machine is huge, trying extra like a small smartphone than a motorbike pc. The characteristic set is strong, too, offering excess of I even want at this cut-off date, however it means I’ve issues to develop into as I proceed down my biking highway. Total, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a significantly spectacular machine, and I’ve totally loved my time with it.

Beneficial

Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a complicated bike pc with photo voltaic charging capabilities to increase battery life. It presents a strong listing of options for navigation, efficiency, and security with an enormous show that makes it simple to see data throughout your rides.

Professionals

• Comes with a lot of equipment
• Massive show supplies loads of room for knowledge
• A number of helpful maps and navigation instruments
• Very feature-rich
• Glorious battery life
• Photo voltaic charging is useful for lengthy rides

Cons

• Show seems moderately outdated
• Photo voltaic charging is just helpful in particular conditions

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Value, availability, and specs

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is accessible from Garmin’s web site, Amazon, and REI for $750. It comes with a silicone case, three completely different bike mounts, a lanyard, and charging cable.

What I favored in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

In depth options with a lot of display actual property

Put merely, there’s quite a bit to love in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. Initially is the scale. The three.5-inch diagonal display leads to quite a lot of room on the show. All of that display actual property makes it extremely simple to see your data whereas driving, even with only a fast look down. It is particularly helpful when trying on the map. Plus, due to a number of knowledge screens which might be customizable, you may select which data you see whereas driving.

As is typical for a Garmin machine, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is extraordinarily feature-rich. This evaluate might get very lengthy if I touched on all of them, although, so I will spotlight my favorites. To begin, I very a lot admire how simple it’s to sync routes to the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. I largely use routes from Strava, which robotically present up on my machine. The pinnacle unit then supplies turn-by-turn instructions throughout a experience so I do not get misplaced.

The instructions popped up with loads of time forward of a flip and had been pretty fast to regulate if I obtained off target. Whether or not you’re following a route or simply monitoring a experience, you will additionally get notifications if there is a busy highway forward otherwise you’re getting near a decent flip. I actually appreciated these options when driving in areas I wasn’t very conversant in. Plus, gaining access to the map throughout a experience is sort of good, even when I do know the place I’m.

Past navigation, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic presents the total suite of Garmin’s efficiency instruments, together with every day urged exercises, coaching standing, efficiency monitoring warmth and altitude acclimation, synced coaching plans, and a lot extra. These efficiency instruments are much more sturdy and helpful for those who pair extra sensors like a coronary heart price monitor and energy meter. I bike for health causes, so it is useful to have that, particularly because it all feeds again to the Garmin Join app, which additionally collects knowledge from my Garmin watch.

In fact, as it is a photo voltaic charging-capable machine, I’d be remiss if I did not speak about battery life and photo voltaic charging. The Edge 1040 options two photo voltaic panels above and under the show, together with Garmin’s Photo voltaic Glass show, which is an basically clear photo voltaic panel over the show itself. Meaning your entire unit is roofed in some type of photo voltaic panel.

Garmin guarantees as much as 100 hours in battery saver mode or as much as 45 hours in demanding use instances (basically if you find yourself utilizing all of the sensors with the GPS settings on the most correct). The corporate additionally says the photo voltaic panels can add as much as 42 minutes per hour in battery saver mode or as much as 20 minutes per hour in demanding use instances. The experience abstract exhibits you the photo voltaic depth through the experience, together with the battery acquire you bought because of this.

I’ve the Garmin HRM-Match linked to the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic, and plenty of of my rides use turn-by-turn navigation with the map on the show, which chews by the battery sooner than the opposite knowledge screens. Based mostly on Garmin’s Battery Life Expectations chart, I fall roughly within the ‘Mid’ use case description, which Garmin says ought to end in 40 hours of battery with out photo voltaic charging or 50 with.

Most of my rides had been underneath 1.5 hours, so I did not push the unit to its restrict when it comes to battery life on particular person rides. Throughout my testing, I used to be capable of get proper round that 40-hour mark that Garmin promised. The truth is, my shorter rides used barely any battery in any respect. I solely needed to cost it a couple of instances, and a kind of was as a result of I left the brightness at 100% as an alternative of auto and forgot to show it off (a double whammy). I additionally did not make the most of the truth that the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic will get photo voltaic charging even when off (it was tucked in a darkish nook), which might have prolonged the life much more.

I did not get the photo voltaic charging numbers Garmin promised, however to get these, you will constantly want 75,000 lux situations. One experience was at roughly 10 am on a sunny day, albeit with occasional shade on the path, and the machine stated the photo voltaic depth was 85% with 2:13 of battery acquire. If I had been completely out within the open in the course of the day, that quantity would doubtless be fairly a bit greater, leading to extra battery acquire.

Although much less vital than all of the above options, I used to be additionally impressed by all of the extras the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic comes with. It features a silicone case that protects the unit for those who fall or for those who drop it, which is a superb merchandise to have given the worth. You additionally get three completely different bike mount choices (​​MTB, normal, and out-front) and a lanyard.

Associated

Garmin’s latest bike computer is close to perfection

A contemporary show, speedy efficiency, and an countless listing of options received over my bike owner coronary heart.

What I did not like in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

Outdated display know-how

Whereas the show is giant, it, sadly, seems moderately outdated. The touchscreen could be very responsive, however the transflective TFT show know-how, in comparison with what you are used to in your smartphone and even Garmin’s newer watches, merely seems a bit unhappy. The colours are boring, the distinction is pretty low, and it is not very shiny.

The display continues to be simple sufficient to learn in shiny situations, however it certain seems far older than the Edge 1040’s 2022 launch date. Garmin deployed the identical kind of show in all of its bike computer systems, which was a standard criticism. The truth is, it was such a standard criticism that the corporate not too long ago launched the Edge 1050, which makes use of a way more trendy, shiny, and vibrant show. The Edge 1040 merely pales compared.

In fact, the worth is one other ache level. At $750, this is among the most costly bike computer systems accessible. You get quite a bit for the worth, to make certain, however that worth is greater than many shall be prepared or capable of pay.

Do you have to purchase the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic?

The Garmin Edge 1040 is a spectacular bike pc. There’s quite a bit to love about it. The large show makes it simpler to see your stats and browse maps whereas driving, it supplies all kinds of coaching, security, and navigation instruments, and the battery life is improbable. Those that deal with lengthy rides, need in-depth metrics, and depend on a head unit for navigation ought to completely spend money on the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic.

There are additionally downsides to this unit, although. Whereas the photo voltaic charging is a plus, and it does add a pleasant increase in the precise situations, it prices $150 greater than the non-solar version. For anybody not tackling lengthy rides in demanding conditions, or for those who do not reside in a sunny location, that additional price doubtless is not price it. Should you nonetheless care about lengthy battery life however do not want the increase from photo voltaic charging, you’d be higher off choosing the Edge 1040 with out photo voltaic for $600.

Lastly, for those who’re choosy in regards to the show and would like one thing even simpler to learn in all situations with extra vibrant colours, then the Edge 1050 shall be a more sensible choice.

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Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic