Review on Garmin Edge Explore - Advanced Touring Bike Computer with Connected Features, 010-02029-00 by Cool Martin

My new Garmin Edge Explore arrived yesterday so today I strapped it to my bike along with my trusty 8 year old Garmin Edge 705 and set off on a new route that I haven't ridden before to fully explore the Explore to experience. Since I pre-ordered the device and received it quite early, I decided to leave a review to help others with their decision. The Bluetooth connection started coming to me. I recently bought the 520 Plus but returned it 2 days later, mainly because the user interface was awful to use due to the lack of touch navigation and I couldn't justify the cost of more expensive touchscreen models. The Edge Explore doesn't have all the bells and whistles that pricier models have, but if you're looking for a touchscreen device that connects to your heart rate monitor, phone, and the internet, I think Garmin ticks the box. The good: A large color screen that lets you see an extra layer of detailed maps that come with this device - like lakes, swamps and hills already marked. The map also showed trails that were already present in the basemaps on the device and I used it on my very first ride, which I couldn't do with the 705. The touchscreen is great - works in wet conditions with sweaty fingers. You can navigate the map or follow your course on the screen (as opposed to the ball at 705 or the directional buttons at 820). Initially configuring the device with the phone was easy, the driving screens are similar to previous models and using it on the road is mostly easy. I ran both the Explore and 705 side by side and the GPS accuracy was the same. Now that it's connected it has many new features like real-time tracking and emergency assistance, both of which were reasons I wanted to upgrade. But there are also a few complaints. First, the Strava app on Connect IQ is not compatible with Explore. Hopefully that will change, but for now you'll need to upload the course to garmin.connect first or use another app like TrailForks. Second, the map zoom function. To this day I didn't realize how much I zoom in and out of the map while driving along a route, especially in tight sections that are difficult to follow when zoomed out. On the 705, this was done using two buttons on the side of the device. In Exploration you have to tap the screen, which requires a level of precision that's pretty difficult to manage in the middle of a rock garden. Third, I think I used half the battery in 3 hours of riding. Not such a big deal as I rarely do 6 hour rides but I do need to be mindful of post ride charging and battery life on full day rides. There are other minor complaints as well. The starting point isn't easy to see with all the new detail on the maps (I used my 705 to get back to the car) and the 'zoom text' looks like a font size 4 - something else I wasn't aware of . It also mentions how I ride and decide where to turn on the trail. I hope Garmin reads this and changes it :) Also, I felt like I was losing the bluetooth connection with my phone quite a bit, but I'll have to keep that in mind. Overall - very happy after Trip 1. I believe and hope that my problems will go away. everything will be fixed in firmware updates over the next few months - which is to be expected in the first release of the product. Update: 7 rides and my old Edge 705 was limited by my spares kit. Edge Explore is great. I didn't notice any drop in Bluetooth connection, and the battery drain with a heart rate monitor and connected to the phone is 10-15% per hour. The lack of integration with Strava Route forced me to use TrailForks, which is actually much better than Strava for creating itineraries, so don't miss the Strava app on your device.