Function-rich with an old-school show

Once I first began biking roughly 4 years in the past (yep, one other pandemic bicycle owner), I rode and not using a 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 a substitute of needing to carry my wrist good to see my watch. Nevertheless, it had a tiny display screen and pretty restricted options, so it wasn’t a motorcycle laptop that acquired 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 motorcycle laptop. The characteristic set is powerful, too, offering way over I even want at this time limit, nevertheless it means I’ve issues to develop into as I proceed down my biking highway. General, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a severely spectacular machine, and I’ve completely loved my time with it.

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Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

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

Professionals

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

Cons

• Show seems quite outdated
• Photo voltaic charging is simply helpful in particular conditions

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Worth, availability, and specs

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

What I preferred concerning the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

In depth options with a number of display screen actual property

Put merely, there’s lots to love concerning the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. In the beginning is the dimensions. The three.5-inch diagonal display screen ends in numerous room on the show. All of that display screen actual property makes it extremely straightforward 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 information screens which can 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 assessment might get very lengthy if I touched on all of them, although, so I will spotlight my favorites. To begin, I very a lot recognize how straightforward it’s to sync routes to the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. I principally use routes from Strava, which robotically present up on my machine. The top unit then supplies turn-by-turn instructions throughout a journey 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 acquired off track. Whether or not you’re following a route or simply monitoring a journey, you will additionally get notifications if there is a busy highway forward otherwise you’re getting near a good flip. I actually appreciated these options when driving in areas I wasn’t very acquainted with. Plus, accessing the map throughout a journey is sort of good, even when I do know the place I’m.

Past navigation, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic gives the complete suite of Garmin’s efficiency instruments, together with each 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 in the event you pair extra sensors like a coronary heart fee monitor and energy meter. I bike for health causes, so it is helpful to have that, particularly because it all feeds again to the Garmin Join app, which additionally collects information 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 beneath 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 circumstances (basically if you end up 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 circumstances. The journey abstract exhibits you the photo voltaic depth throughout the journey, together with the battery acquire you bought consequently.

I’ve the Garmin HRM-Match related 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 way of the battery quicker than the opposite information screens. Based mostly on Garmin’s Battery Life Expectations chart, I fall roughly within the ‘Mid’ use case description, which Garmin says ought to lead to 40 hours of battery with out photo voltaic charging or 50 with.

Most of my rides had been below 1.5 hours, so I did not push the unit to its restrict by way of battery life on particular person rides. Throughout my testing, I used to be in a position to get proper round that 40-hour mark that Garmin promised. In truth, my shorter rides used barely any battery in any respect. I solely needed to cost it a couple of occasions, and a type of was as a result of I left the brightness at 100% as a substitute of auto and forgot to show it off (a double whammy). I additionally did not benefit from 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 journey 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 possible be fairly a bit increased, leading to extra battery acquire.

Although much less necessary 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 in the event you fall or in the event you drop it, which is a wonderful merchandise to have given the value. You additionally get three totally different bike mount choices (​​MTB, commonplace, and out-front) and a lanyard.

Associated

Garmin’s latest bike computer is close to perfection

A contemporary show, speedy efficiency, and an limitless listing of options gained over my bicycle owner coronary heart.

What I did not like concerning the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

Outdated display screen know-how

Whereas the show is giant, it, sadly, seems quite outdated. The touchscreen may 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 brilliant.

The display screen continues to be straightforward sufficient to learn in brilliant situations, nevertheless 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. In truth, 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, brilliant, and vibrant show. The Edge 1040 merely pales as compared.

In fact, the value is one other ache level. At $750, this is among the most costly bike computer systems obtainable. You get lots for the value, to make sure, however that worth is greater than many will probably be keen or in a position to pay.

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

The Garmin Edge 1040 is a spectacular bike laptop. There’s lots to love about it. The huge show makes it simpler to see your stats and skim maps whereas driving, it supplies all types of coaching, security, and navigation instruments, and the battery life is implausible. Those that deal with lengthy rides, need in-depth metrics, and depend on a head unit for navigation ought to completely put money into 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 appropriate situations, it prices $150 greater than the non-solar version. For anybody not tackling lengthy rides in demanding conditions, or in the event you do not stay in a sunny location, that additional price possible is not price it. If you happen to nonetheless care about lengthy battery life however do not want the increase from photo voltaic charging, you’ll be higher off choosing the Edge 1040 with out photo voltaic for $600.

Lastly, in the event you’re choosy concerning the show and would like one thing even simpler to learn in all situations with extra vibrant colours, then the Edge 1050 will probably be a more sensible choice.

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Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic