Sbeautiful screens for bicycles are rather rare. For example, we like the elegant minimalism of Shimano’s crisp and compact display, which comes to the handlebars in conjunction with the company’s electric motors. There is of course little more to see than speed and charge level. For the ambitious driver, especially those who rely on muscle power, heavier equipment has to be brought up.
Garmin is at home in these spheres, the manufacturer sees itself as a technical spearhead. The latest offer of cycling seduction is called Edge 1040 Solar, a bike computer with solar charging function and multi-frequency reception. As if to prove it, the device took us to remote areas, so remote and on gravelly ground that we didn’t dare go any further on our racing bikes. The way back has obviously been successful, otherwise these lines would not have been written, and the last sun-fed reserves had not to be used. This is also due to the remarkable performance of the battery and computer, which are hidden in the voluminous case. The computer sits enthroned on the handlebars and strains the clean line of the high-performance racer. But you can’t have everything.
What Garmin offers in terms of content is of selected quality. We were first in the German freezer and then in the Spanish spring heat room, the endurance test is of course around the freezing point. The Edge 1040 Solar did the job for ten and a half hours under maximum load, demonstrating easy-to-read brightness, flawless satellite connections, clear route guidance and reliable data transmission from the heart rate monitor and wattmeter. The noticeably quicker routing function even plays turn-by-turn directions into the headphones connected to the mobile phone. It is possible to display Whatsapp messages or to transfer location and performance data using the Livetrack function.
After the mammoth tour, the battery reported 40 percent remaining. That raises the question of the solar module. Under the winter sun, it fed in five minutes of battery life during a two-hour drive, which we consider unnecessary given the battery’s already considerable endurance.
The touchscreen reacts better with gloves, and the Connect app has also increased compared to older generations. It shows extensive evaluations of the ride including fitness level, performance or the recommended amount of rest until the next tour. Normal racing cyclists will only use a fraction of all the functions, Garmin is big for technology fans. This is to be taken literally in several respects. 750 euros is the recommended retail price with solar module, 600 euros without.
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