28.3.2020

*RECORDING* I have found recording my rides to be very simple using the Edge 130. Each data page is highly customisable. During a ride, I have my primary screen set up to show distance, speed, average speed and heart rate. The next page shows me the current time, sunrise and sunset. The third page then displays an outline map of the route you have taken so far, along with heading and my speed again. The final two screens display any notifications from my phone and the current weather. I purchased one of the cheapest ANT+ compatible heart rate monitoring straps off Amazon and the Garmin connected to it just fine.If you intend to take a break during the ride,you can pause the recording and then hold down the power button to shut down the device. When you turn the device back on, it will continue from your previous ride. This is very handy if you are splitting a ride up across the day or stopping off for lunch somewhere.Once I save the ride on the Garmin my phone seems to pick this up almost immediately and automatically posts the ride directly to Strava so I can collect some satisfying kudos.*NAVIGATION* I find the easiest way to get routes onto the device is over USB. You can generate a route using Strava routes (or download someone elses) and download the GPX. Alternatively you can use Google Maps and an online conversion tool to generate the GPX file. I copy this file into the NEWFILES folder on my Garmin. These then appear under Main Menu -> Navigation -> Courses. From the same set of menus you can also use a previous ride as a route.During the ride, I found the navigation mostly very simple to use. If you are cycling in a city, you will probably want to enable to Auto Zoom setting, or you'll probably end up missing a lot of turnings. Generally I try to avoid designing routes which have cross over points as these can become quite confusing when trying to follow the map. I think there is an arrow which points to the direction you planned to go in, but I haven't quite figured that out just yet.*MOUNTING* The included mounting bracket for the phone seems very sturdy and I like being able to twist the Garmin into place so securely. The mounting bracket is attached to the bike with rubber o-rings and quite a few spare are included. These o-rings are probably a little more than 3mm in diameter when not stretched and seem very strong. I believe this is a fairly universal mount type for Garmin device which makes me wish my bike lights could also be clipped onto the bike so easily.*BATTERY LIFE* I do not generally ride for much longer than 2 hours at a time. After which the battery level indicator is showing 3 out of the 5 bars. I suspect it would probably run for around 6-7 hours but this may be extrapolating a bit far!*PRICE* I think for what the device can do, it is very worth the £99 I paid for it. The functionality is good and it does what is described. It has given me a little more courage to go on some longer solo rides which normally I would be too wimpy and scared to try.*SMALLER POINTS* Initially I would have to open the Garmin Connect app on my phone before the Garmin would connect to it after switching it on. I found this was my phone being overly paranoid about power consumption, killing the app after some period of time in the background. I was able to disable this feature on my phone and now the Garmin connects to my phone immediately after switching it on.I have found some of the options in the menus slightly confusing. On/Off options mostly seem to have a small slider but I can never remember if up means on or off. The UI could be improve slightly to give a better indication of which options are actually enabled.*OVERALL* I've only been using the device for a few weeks at this point, but so far I think it's a great device and I am pleased I went for this model over a more expensive cycling computer. I may update this review in the feature if I become unsatisfied with anything.

29.7.2018

I was kindly given this Edge 130 to write an impartial review. I’ve used it on a few rides now and on the whole, I’m really impressed. I’ve used lots of Garmin Edge models over the years from really basic models like the 25 to the advanced Edge 1000.The Edge 130 sits in the middle of the range below the 520 and has a monochrome display which has a nice high resolution and the text is really easy to read even though the unit is quite small. Even in direct sun, it is really clear which is good.Set up was really easy, you just follow the instructions on the screen when you turn it on. If you have the Garmin Connect app on your phone,this helps to set up the 130 as it transfers across all of your settings which saves a lot of time.You can easily configure the screen to have up to 8 data fields which is really good for such a small unit. I think you can get most of the data fields you would need on a ride on one screen which is very useful and saves you having to scroll through screens during your ride.If you don’t need maps, then this is a good unit to go for as it does support connections to most things you may need like heart rate monitors, speed and cadence sensors as well as power meters. It does however, have a breadcrumb trail map and you can upload routes to the device so it will give you turn prompts which can be useful if you're cycling a new route for the first time. It does also have a 'get you back home' feature so if you get lost, it will tell you how to get back to the start of your ride.In use, it has tracked accurately on my rides. It is just as accurate as any other Garmin I’ve used to be fair. When you do want to scroll through screens, the up and down buttons on the right-hand side are easy to use. Finishing a ride, you just hold the stop/start button and choose to save the ride, you can then download the ride via the USB cable or via Bluetooth when your phone is connected.You get the usual mount that has the rubber bands, this means that you need to locate it on the stem or handlebars and when positioned like this, it’s not really in an easy to read location, I much prefer an ‘out-front’ mount which makes it so much easier to read on a ride, so in my opinion it is worth investing in one and it’s a shame they don’t include one.I really like the Edge 130, it’s basic, but quite powerful with lots of options for data fields and you can even download stuff from the Garmin Connect IQ store to customise it further. Bluetooth and Ant+ take care of all your connection needs and you can receive texts etc on screen if you want to be interrupted by such things!It reminds me of my old Edge 500, which, in my opinion is a good thing as it was one of my all time fave GPS computers, so this new Edge 130 is now my go to device. The only issue for me is that the price is now similar to the Edge 520 which is being discounted as the new 520 plus has just been released.

24.4.2019

This really is the only bike computer you'll ever need.OK. so it doesn't have a flashy colour screen, or even a very big screen. But those things just drain your battery. What it has is a mono screen that is 100% visible in bright sunlight, and also has a backlight you can turn on at night. This means it lasts for days and days on its tiny battery. Text and icons are sharp and clear, and the resolution is decent for such a low power screen. The blue tinged backlight is strong and lights up the screen evenly, and you can set it to stay on all the time or turn off after 30 seconds to save power.Build quality is amazing. It's taken a lot of punishment from me and keeps on trucking.It's like a solid little lump, very difficult to break. You charge it with any old USB charger, and it takes about 30 minutes to fully charge, and lasts for a good few days so long as you don't use the backlight or the bluetooth very often. It comes with a couple of mounting clips, which are a really good design, you twist it 90 degrees and it just pops on and off. The mounts are very well made again and give me confidence that once it's on it will stay put no matter what. I've come off the bike a couple of times with it mounted and it's been completely fine. They give you various sizes of elastic bands and stuff to mount it with, which is a nice touch. The elastic hand strap supplied is very good as well, and you can use it for an extra little bit of security.Garmin have perfected the Edge software over many years. It really is a joy to use one of these things. Menus are easy to use and well thought out, you can customise the main display to show any number of data points like speed, time of day, how long you've been cycling, elevation, compass direction, all sorts of stuff. I have a nice selection of numbers that I'm happy with now and I find it really reassuring to be able to see it when I'm out on the bike. I also love trying to beat my personal speed record, and my "lap time" on the route to work :)You absolutely must buy a speed sensor with this computer, it's rubbish without one as it relies on GPS to see how fast you're going, and that can only really be a 10 second average, so it's a bit inaccurate. Once you have a speed sensor installed it changes the game. I believe it can work with any brand of speed sensor but I got the Garmin one as it's well made and not too expensive either.You get the Garmin app for your phone and sync the computer to Bluetooth, and you can download all your ride data to your phone. From there you can go really in depth with speed, elevation, mapping your route etc. You really don't need the phone app at all, the computer works great as a standalone unit, but it's fun to go back through past rides and look at your stats.

3.8.2018

Garmin Edge 130I’ve had a Garmin Edge 200 now for just over 3 years and I love it and use it on my bike daily. So, when I was offered the Edge 130 to review I was interested to see how it compares and what benefits it would bring to me for the 50% extra price tag.The Edge 130 comes in a box with the usual stuff – the bike computer itself (which for one moment I thought they had omitted to pack as it is hidden housed in a small compartment underneath the rest of the stuff!), a USB recharging lead, various bike attachments to ensure your Garmin Edge computer is housed safely on your bike and two booklets – a Quick start guide (in 6 languages – only 10 pages in English)

14.8.2018

Straight out of the box, already with a partial charge, having downloaded the Garmin app and set up an account, paired my phone to the 130 I was on the road and measuring stats within 20 minutes.Recording distance, elevation, tracking my incoming text alerts & seeing weather data when sync'ed with my phone - as well as being able to allow nominated friends / family track my live progress on a any given route when linked to my phone.Having already got used to following a marginally smaller but still equally as clear set of graphics on my TomTom Adventurer watch and the routes that I have uploaded using .gpx files, following similar guidance while on the road or track is a simple,

1.8.2018

I really like the Garmin Edge 130. I used to own the Edge 25 which is the 130s little brother but I found the screen to be just a little too small for me.Recently I have been using the Strava app on my Apple Watch which works well however its not as convenient having to look at your wrist to get feedback. Before that I used Strava on my smartphone attached to the handlebars via a phone mount. But one strong gust of wind whilst parked resulted in a new phone screen at a cost of £250. Expensive mistake ( Never Again)Back to the Edge 130. The screen is 1.8” and is very clear and easy to read. The installation process is fairly simple and intuitive.

8.8.2018

I generally regard Garmin as about the best for GPS navigation - I use one for the car - the only other brand I use is Lezyne for bicycle use. I first had a Garmin bicycle Edge unit nearly 20 years ago!Like many modern bike-dedicated GPS units, it offers a multitude of information gathering and sensor compatibility. This model has GPS, Gemini and GLONASS functionality and a barometer / altimeter too for maximum sensitivity and accuracy. You get a range of information such as speed, altitude, trip distance, lap, climb / descent, average speed etc and with the right accessories you can monitor cadence, power and heart rate (etc). There is compatibility with Garmin software, so data can be uploaded,

25.7.2018

I've used Garmin Edge bike computers for a while now, and have found them to perform well and be reliable in all conditions. The 130 is used on my commuting bike, when I just need basic ride data and the ability to sync up to strava. It works perfectly - really crisp, easy to read screen in a nice compact package. Battery life is great - does me a week of commuting with no need to charge, and I can customise the screens and get all the data I need on the fly. I don't have a power meter on my commuting bike, but if I were to need it on my road bike, it's good that it will connect. I do use my Garmin activity tracker to broadcast my heart rate, and the 130 picks that up well. Unlike the other reviewer,

1.7.2020

Wanted a fairly basic GPS device to save my phone battery when out on my mtb and to hopefully provide some more accurate GPS data. Very happy with how this has performed so far, has met my needs perfectly. I don't use any other sensors, I just like to have an idea of distance, time, and speed on my rides. It also automatically syncs the rides to strava when connected to my phone so I can see how I did, very easy and convenient. My experience with the battery life so far has been consistent with others, in that it doesn't seem to reach the claimed 15hours. With covid and going back to work I was only able to use the device consistently over a week,

19.5.2020

After discovering the komoot app I was about to return this item thinking they did exactly the same thing, intact komoot even has better maps. But after taking them both ona. Ride the advantage of the Garmin 130 over a mobile phone app became apparent. The computer was way more accurate if you went to areas with poor GPS signal (e.g. woodlands) and my phone can do both GPS and Galileo. The screen can also be viewed in direct sunlight similar to a pdf viewer. Following a route isn't without its faults but once you learn to pay more attention to the track and heading pointer than the promts it becomes very easy and reliable to follow a predetermined route. Decided to keep it after all.

13.11.2019

I upgraded from an edge 200, this is much better, smaller, clearer screen, no need to plug to a computer!! to upload rides and can connect to a heart rate monitor. I like being able to customise what is displayed on the screen. The Bluetooth connects and uploads most of the time, but occasionally I need to switch off and on the garmin and phone Bluetooth to get it to connect. GPS tracking seems better then the 200. The battery life seems to take a hit when cold, ie below 5 degrees C. Every few months I need to delete the rides saved to free up space. Used on the commuter bike, mountian bikes, etc all have a garmin mounts.

28.8.2018

The Garmin 130 is easy to set up and pair with a smart phone. It has a pleasing mounting kit and is simple to release. It recorded my first bike ride perfectly and was easy to use during the ride. However once home I had a big problem synching with my Samsung J3 using Bluetooth. The only way I eventually got round this was to pretend I was connecting to a new device. Maybe I'm going to have to do this each time I use it. I read on Garmin support pages that other people with the same phone had this problem. So maybe good to check the compatibility of your phone before buying this product.

20.10.2018

I don't have an armband for my mobile - it sits in a bag attachment on my bike which is good enough but if I want to track a workout then you hear a muffled voice from the app but this now puts all the information right in front of me using the attachment for my bike.Love it. Spent the summer accurately tracking some rides and I think this helps keep up your pace and personal competitveness.I've used this on cloudy days with different coloured lenses in my bike riding glasses and find the display easy to read and easy to navigate.

15.1.2020

For detailed review then DC Rainmaker's reviews are great. So just couple of things to mention to be aware of:- the 130 does not record left/right power balance and does not have a normalised power field (but available as third party add-in). Also does not have auto-lap (except a pointless every 5 km option) that older and newer garmins have. Not major omissions but slightly niggling- the battery life is not so great, couple of times surprisingly low after just medium (4 hour) rides

13.5.2020

I picked up the Edge 130 to replace my old 200 which I accidentally damaged and I a way I'm glad I did. The 130 has a ton of features and is really well made. It can do the same as the Edge 1030 but just without mapping and colour touch screen. It comes with 2 mounts so if you have more than one bike it's easy to switch it between them.Overall I would recommend the 130 or anyone from hobbyist to more serious riders as it has everything you will need including smartphone connectivity.

Garmin Edge 130 - Reviews

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