Function-packed with an old-school show

After I first began biking about 4 years in the past (sure, one other pandemic bicycle owner), I rode and not using a bike pc. I simply use a Garmin watch to trace my rides. Then my husband purchased me a Garmin Edge 130 Plus, which makes it simpler to trace my rides as a result of I can see key stats in entrance of me with out having to elevate my wrist to examine the watch. Nevertheless, it has a small display and pretty restricted performance, so it is not a biking pc that I am tremendous enthusiastic about.

After I opened the package deal of the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic, my jaw dropped. The machine is cumbersome and appears extra like a small smartphone than a motorcycle pc. The characteristic set can also be sturdy, providing excess of I at the moment want, however which means I’ve one thing to develop with as I proceed down the biking path. General, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a formidable machine and I completely loved my time utilizing it.

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Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a complicated biking pc with photo voltaic charging for prolonged battery life. It affords a spread of highly effective navigation, efficiency and security options, and options a big show that makes it straightforward to view info whereas driving.

benefit

• Comes with many equipment
• Massive show offers ample house for information
• Many helpful maps and navigation instruments
• Very wealthy in capabilities
• Wonderful battery life
• Photo voltaic charging helps on lengthy rides

shortcoming

• The show seems to be fairly dated
• Photo voltaic charging is simply helpful in sure conditions

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Worth, availability and specs

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

Why I just like the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

Intensive performance with a number of display actual property

In brief, there’s lots to love in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. First and most vital is the scale. The three.5-inch diagonal display ends in quite a lot of actual property on the monitor. All that display actual property makes it straightforward to view messages whereas driving, even with a fast look down. Particularly helpful when viewing maps. Plus, you’ll be able to select what info you see whereas driving, because of a number of customizable information screens.

As is typical with Garmin units, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is extraordinarily feature-rich. This assessment would most likely be lengthy if I touched on all of them, although, so I am going to spotlight my favorites. First, I actually admire how straightforward it’s to sync routes to the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. I principally use Strava’s routes, which robotically present up on my machine. The pinnacle unit then offers turn-by-turn navigation throughout the journey so I do not get misplaced.

The path pops up given sufficient time earlier than turning, and might be shortly adjusted if I’m going off beam. Whether or not you are following a route or simply monitoring your journey, you may even be notified if there is a busy street forward or an upcoming flip. I actually admire these options after I’m driving in much less acquainted locations. Plus, despite the fact that I do know the place I’m, it is good to have entry to the map whereas driving.

Along with navigation, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic affords a full suite of Garmin efficiency instruments, together with every day advisable exercises, coaching standing, efficiency monitoring, warmth and altitude acclimatization, synchronized coaching plans and extra. These efficiency instruments are much more highly effective and helpful in case you pair them with different sensors like coronary heart fee screens and energy meters. I journey a motorcycle for health causes, so it is handy to have, particularly because it all feeds into the Garmin Join app, which additionally collects information from my Garmin watch.

In fact, since this can be a machine with photo voltaic charging capabilities, I might be remiss if I did not discuss battery life and photo voltaic charging. The Edge 1040 options two photo voltaic panels above and beneath the show, in addition to Garmin’s Photo voltaic Glass Show, which is a largely clear photo voltaic panel above the show itself. This implies the complete unit is roofed in some type of photo voltaic panels.

Garmin guarantees as much as 100 hours of use in battery saver mode and as much as 45 hours of use with demanding utilization (primarily while you use all sensors at their most correct GPS settings hour). The corporate additionally says that the photo voltaic panels can run for 42 minutes per hour in energy save mode and 20 minutes per hour underneath demanding utilization. The journey abstract exhibits you the depth of the solar throughout your journey, and the ensuing battery achieve.

I’ve a Garmin HRM-Match related to an Edge 1040 Photo voltaic, and lots of of my rides use the map on the show for route navigation, which drains the battery sooner than different information screens. In line with Garmin’s battery life expectancy chart, which I roughly fall into the “medium” use case description, Garmin says the battery ought to final 40 hours with out photo voltaic charging, and 50 hours with photo voltaic charging.

Most of my rides have been underneath 1.5 hours, so I wasn’t pushing the machine’s battery life to the restrict on each journey. Throughout testing, I used to be in a position to hit the 40-hour objective promised by Garmin. The truth is, my quick rides barely drained any battery. I solely needed to cost it a couple of occasions, one in every of which was as a result of I set the brightness to 100% as a substitute of auto and forgot to show it off (double whammy). I additionally did not reap the benefits of the truth that the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic costs photo voltaic even when it is turned off (it is tucked away in a darkish nook), which might have additional prolonged the lifespan.

I did not get the photo voltaic charging information that Garmin promised, however to get these you at all times want 75,000 lux situations. One of many rides was carried out on a sunny morning round 10am, and regardless of occasional shadows on the street, the machine confirmed 85% solar depth and a battery achieve of two minutes and 13 seconds. If I have been fully outside in the midst of the day, this quantity could be a little bit greater, leading to extra battery achieve.

Whereas not as vital as all of the options talked about above, I am additionally impressed by all of the extras that include the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. It features a silicone case to guard the machine within the occasion of a drop or fall, making it an ideal worth product. You additionally get three totally different bike mounting choices (mountain bike, customary and front-mounted) and a lanyard.

Related

Garmin’s newest biking pc is sort of excellent

The trendy show, quick efficiency, and countless options received me over as a bicycle owner.

What I don’t like in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

Outdated display know-how

Whereas the show is giant, it sadly seems to be fairly dated. The touchscreen is responsive, however the transflective TFT show know-how seems to be a bit disappointing in comparison with what you’d discover in a smartphone or perhaps a new Garmin watch. Colours are uninteresting, distinction is kind of low, and it is not very vibrant.

The display continues to be straightforward to learn in vibrant situations, nevertheless it does look considerably older than the Edge 1040’s 2022 launch date. It is a widespread grievance that Garmin deploys the identical kind of show in all of its bike computer systems. The truth is, it is such a typical grievance that the corporate lately launched the Edge 1050, which contains a extra trendy, brighter, and extra vibrant show. The Edge 1040 merely pales as compared.

In fact, worth is one other ache level. At $750, it is likely one of the most costly biking computer systems. Positive, you get lots, however the worth is greater than many individuals are prepared or in a position to pay.

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

The Garmin Edge 1040 is a superb biking pc. There’s lots to love about it. The massive show makes it simpler to view statistics and skim maps whereas driving, it affords quite a lot of coaching, security and navigation instruments, and the battery life may be very lengthy. Those that deal with lengthy rides, need in-depth metrics, and depend on the pinnacle unit for navigation ought to positively put money into the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic.

Nevertheless, the machine additionally has disadvantages. Whereas photo voltaic charging is a plus and does present an honest cost underneath the best situations, it is $150 costlier than the non-solar model. For individuals who aren’t planning on doing lengthy distance rides in demanding situations, or in case you do not dwell someplace sunny, the additional price will not be value it. If you happen to nonetheless care about lengthy battery life however do not want the enhance of photo voltaic charging, you are higher off choosing the $600 Edge 1040 with out photo voltaic.

Lastly, in case you’re choosy about your show and wish simpler studying and extra vibrant colours in all situations, the Edge 1050 can be a more sensible choice.

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Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic