Garmin Edge 520

Name: Garmin Edge 520
Brand: Garmin
SKU: 643442
Price: 229 EUR
Availability: SoldOut
Rating: 8.9 (23 reviews)

Review is 8,9 out of 10, based on 23 reviews.
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Product information
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Reviews
Insurance
Specifications

Product information

Key specs

	Screen size	2,5 inches
	Suitable for cyclist type	Cyclist, Mountainbiker
	Touchscreen
	ANT+
	Bluetooth
	Spoken directions
	Screen reflection	Glossy
	Color screen

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Pros and cons

According to our bike navigation expert

The calorie counter lets you measure how many calories you've burned during a bike ride.
Incoming messages from your smartphone appear on the screen of your bike navigation system.
You can link the device with a cadence or heart rate sensor.
The included basic map isn't suitable for navigation outside your preloaded route.
The maps can't be expanded.

Description

The Garmin Edge 520 tells performance-oriented bikers everything every bike enthusiast wants to know. It'll let you know your distance, average speed, and inclination. The bike navigation detects at which height you're at very precisely, thanks to the integrated barometric altimeter. Want to measure more? No problem. ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart let you connect multiple sensors to the bike navigation system simultaneously. If you also link your smartphone to the Edge 520 via Bluetooth, you can even receive messages and calls on the display. When you're done cycling, you can review your data in Garmin Connect, Strava, or another cycling app.

Note: the Edge 520 only lets you navigate preloaded routes. If you deviate from this route, the bike navigation system can't recalculate the route to your final destination

Tips for using this product

This is what you get

Manual
Standard bike mount
Extended bike mount
USB cable

Reviews

Rating

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Customer images

Most helpful reviews

Review is 6,8 out of 10.

Performance-oriented device, not suitable for navigation

fully configurable
connection with smartphone and sensors
iq apps
navigation

A month and a half ago I bought the Garmin Edge 520.

I already had the Garmin Forerunner 230 in my possession, which I am very satisfied with. The choice for a Garmin cycle computer was therefore self-evident.

In order of priority, these were the requirements for purchasing a cycling computer:

Navigating a loaded route
Heart rate monitor pairing
Connecting cadence/speed sensor
Information transfer via bluetooth
Link with smartphone for smart notifications
Compatibility with IQ apps for view extension

What I didn't need was the following

Routable function : I didn't need to navigate to an entered address, like a normal car navigation does
Group track function
Connection with Strava premium, for this you have to pay an extra subscription
Calculating VO2max, for this you need a power meter that will cost you around 1000Â€

Based on the above parameters, I quickly arrived at the Garmin 520. In terms of functionality, it is somewhere between the Edge Touring plus and the Edge 820. The strava live function and VO2max function are therefore a bit overkill for me. The price was also acceptable to me. Since I only use this device recreationally, I don't want to spend a fortune on it.

I'll start with the positives: Its configuration is somewhat complex, as we are used to from Garmin, but after a while you get used to it. You can actually configure this device completely to your own taste by means of different user profiles. The pairing of my smartphone, heart rate monitor and cadence/speed sensor is also very simple and works seamlessly. After a workout, the data is instantly uploaded to your Garmin Connect via the Bluetooth function of your phone. If you wish, you can also link your strava account to your Garmin account and your activity will be online within a minute. Furthermore, the base map supplied on the device is worthless. However, this is not a problem since you have a lot of open source maps available. The best known for this is http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/. Just select your area, download to your PC, and upload back to the device. Piece of cake. The memory of 100mB is a bit small, but a number of provinces can easily fit here, in other words more than sufficient for the recreational cyclist. For those few times you cycle abroad, you can put a different card on it in 5 minutes. Functions perfectly!

The only and, in my opinion, insurmountable drawback of this device is the navigation itself. Since Garmin is a pioneer in navigation systems, I never would have thought to have so many problems with this. Usually I create routes via routenet's node network. Uploading and activating the route is very simple. The problem is in the 'turn by turn' instructions. These simply don't always work. Since the Edge520 is not routable, the device must therefore rely on a change of direction of a route to give instructions along the lines of 'turn right within 100m'. About half of the splits are missed that way. In order not to drive the wrong way, you have to look at your screen almost constantly, which is very annoying and sometimes downright dangerous. You can also get completely lost when deviating from a route or when navigating to the start of the route. The only indication you get at that moment from the device is, for example, 'go north'. Even if you don't pass exactly along the starting point, you are constantly prompted to return to that exact point. I learned a thing or two from this thread : https://forums.garmin.com/archive/index.php/t-345126.html You can solve this problem by working with course points. Those are points that you can link to your tcx file. If you then turn off the 'turn guidance' in the settings of the device and activate your 'distance to next course point' in the user profile, the navigation works perfectly. Only problem is that not all route programs use this. Even if you download a route to, for example, participate in a tour, you cannot work according to this system. Creating a route via, for example, Ridewithgps works perfectly, but you also have to pay a subscription for this.

I conclude from this that this device is more performance-oriented than navigation-oriented. I knew that in advance but I couldn't predict that the navigation part would be so bad. Before purchasing my device, I had asked Coolblue for support, specifically about creating routes. Their advice was that this should work perfectly, which it absolutely does not. Potential buyers should know that this is a complex device with certain limitations. The people at Coolblue should know this and better not give advice if they are not sure about certain things. In retrospect, I should have spent a few euros more on an Edge 820 or 820 explorer. Coolblue does not want to take back my device because it has exceeded the 14-day cooling-off period. Very unfortunate because now I am forced to offer it second hand.

Review by:
Karel Maes
Date:
2 March 2017
Translation:
Automatically translated from Dutch

Review is 9,2 out of 10.

Good solid device and definitely value for money

Easy to use
To pair with strava
Many features
Find GPS not always fast

Very nice and handy device. Easy to assemble and set up. You can easily connect it to your phone and other devices. Very accurate. Only downside is that the data is bad to see us in the dark.

Review by:
a Van Wijngaarden
Date:
26 January 2018
Translation:
Automatically translated from Dutch

Review is 8,4 out of 10.

Just good

Compact

Review by:
Herman De Prins
Date:
22 April 2018
Translation:
Automatically translated from Dutch

Insure your bike navigation

Receive more coverage in case of damage than with your standard warranty. Coolblue takes care of everything: from taking out the insurance to repairs. Is a repair not possible? You receive the purchase price as CoolblueCredit.

What am I insured for?

Fall and impact damage
Water damage
Manufacturing defects outside the warranty
Theft(Optional)

What am I not insured for?

Damage you deliberately cause
Damage that doesn't affect the product functioning (such as scratches)
Damage due to gross negligence

XCover insurace

XCover is allowed to arrange and process insurances on behalf of the insurer. The insurances are governed by Belgium law. If you have a complaint, you can contact the or our customer service.

How do I insure my bike navigation?

First, add your bike navigation to your shopping cart. On the next page, choose one of the Protection Plans below. You always have a 30-day return window and pay no deductible in case of damage or theft.

XCover Protection Plan with theft cover

2-year advance payment
31,99 one-time payment (16,- per year)

XCover Protection without theft cover

2-year advance payment
16,99 one-time payment (8,50 per year)

The insurance can be canceled every year, even if you have paid in advance. If you cancel earlier, you will receive a refund for the overpaid amount.

Specifications

Product

Product
	Product number	643442
	Manufacturer code	010-01368-00
	Brand	Garmin
	Warranty	2 years
	Processing of your defect	Carry-in warranty

Physical properties

Physical properties
	Height	7,3 cm
	Width	4,9 cm
	Depth	2,1 cm
	Weight	60 g
	Color	Black
	Water-resistant
	IP certification	IPX7
	Water resistance	Waterproof

Screen

Screen
	Screen size	2,5 inches
	Resolution height	265 pixels
	Resolution width	200 pixels
	Color screen
	Screen reflection	Glossy
	Backlit screen
	Touchscreen

Navigation

Navigation
	Suitable for cyclist type	Cyclist, Mountainbiker
	Navigation possible (bike)
	Trackback feature
	Spoken directions
	GPS sensor
	GLONASS
	Live tracking
	Compass

Maps

Maps
	Pre-installed maps
	Maps expandable
	Free map updates

Connectivity

Connectivity
	Compatible with operating system	Android, iOS
	Compatible with smartphone / apps
	Compatible with apps	Garmin Connect, MapMyRide, Strava Cycling
	Shows smartphone messages
	Bluetooth
	Built-in WiFi
	ANT+
	Strava Live

Workout functionalities

Workout functionalities
	Heart rate sensor	Chest strap sold separately
	Cadence sensor	Yes, sold separately
	Speed sensor	Yes, sold separately
	Power sensor	Yes, sold separately
	Interval training
	Save courses
	Electronic gear-shifting system
	Integration Shimano DI2 gear-shifting system
	Altimeter
	Type of altimeter	Barometric
	Calorie counter
	Lap counter
	Stopwatch
	Temperature sensor

Battery

Battery
	Rechargeable battery
	Battery level indicator

anything for a smile

Ordered before tomorrow 23:59, delivered tuesday for free

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Garmin Edge 520

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