Conclusion
The Edge 810 is available in three bundles. The basic bundle only includes the computer, Garmin’s quarter-turn bike mount (which is easy to use and can be quickly swapped between bikes) and a USB cable for £379.99, the performance bundle also includes an ‘out front’ mount, a heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor for £429, and the all-singing performance and navigation bundle also chucks in the same City Navigator for Europe maps we used for £479. That’s a significant outlay and £130 more than the Edge 510 – which computer works for you depends entirely on whether you want your Garmin to offer full navigation.
Why not just use a smart phone app? We still comfortably prefer a cycling-specific computer. The Edge 810 is sleeker, offers better battery life and presents all the data you’ll need in an intuitive and easy-to-use computer which is designed to sit on your stem.
The Edge 810 is an superb computer, no doubt about that, and as a standalone GPS it remains the market leader for good reason. However, it also feels like a stepping stone for Garmin. The Edge 810 is a measured improvement over the 800 but, while the current Bluetooth features are useful in the right situation, we rarely found ourselves using them after the initial intrigue wore off.
New users will find a lot to like – again, the Edge 810 is a excellent computer, a comprehensive training tool and the navigation is very good, even if we’d like to see a better screen – but the current interactive features are unlikely to be enough to persuade 800 owners to upgrade. However, we hope Garmin’s next computer will change that and the Edge 810 has given us a glimpse as to what might be possible.
