F Strava

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
So I'm thinking about getting a Gramin 520 Plus, anyone here have any feedback on it? How does it do off-road?

I have the 520. I assume the + is a little better. In the price range of GPSs, these are the ones to get. Off road / on road, trainer control, phone alerts, it does everything you want (except musuc control which I want and is available on the Fenix watches).
 

CrankAddictRich

Well-Known Member
I'd also recommend checking out the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt... it has all of the features of the 520, minus the color screen (which, IMO isn't a necessity and in some instances is a detriment)... it is also less expensive. The biggest different between the Wahoo and Garmin computers is the use of an app on your phone to set them. I've spent a lo of time with both and I think the app on the phone is much easier to use for set up, then digging through all of the cumbersome menus on the garmin devices. I've heard people list this as a negative though, because it means the Wahoo is limited if you don't have a smartphone.
 

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the feedback guys. My main motivation to upgrade from my 500 is to be able to download rides from Trailforks and Strava so that I can find my way around new places. For example, the Wildcat group ride from earlier this year (my brain was too oxygen deprived to be able to retrace the ride on my own). I believe both the Gramin and Wahoo have that functionality. As far as ease of use during the ride and real-life screen resolution, is one better than the other? Also, what are you guys using for bar mounts? I have my REI dividend plus the 20% coupon, so I plan on picking one up this weekend or next while the bike is at the LBS getting some "upgrades".
 

MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Thanks for the feedback guys. My main motivation to upgrade from my 500 is to be able to download rides from Trailforks and Strava so that I can find my way around new places. For example, the Wildcat group ride from earlier this year (my brain was too oxygen deprived to be able to retrace the ride on my own). I believe both the Gramin and Wahoo have that functionality. As far as ease of use during the ride and real-life screen resolution, is one better than the other? Also, what are you guys using for bar mounts? I have my REI dividend plus the 20% coupon, so I plan on picking one up this weekend or next while the bike is at the LBS getting some "upgrades".
K-Edge mount or the one it comes with. K-Edge is a superior product to the stock Garmin mount.
 

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
I have a K-edge for my road bike, the one that replaces a stem spacer looks to be the ticket. Touchscreens don't appeal to me, and the 520 Plus doesn't have one, so that's a positive.
 

CrankAddictRich

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the feedback guys. My main motivation to upgrade from my 500 is to be able to download rides from Trailforks and Strava so that I can find my way around new places. For example, the Wildcat group ride from earlier this year (my brain was too oxygen deprived to be able to retrace the ride on my own). I believe both the Gramin and Wahoo have that functionality. As far as ease of use during the ride and real-life screen resolution, is one better than the other? Also, what are you guys using for bar mounts? I have my REI dividend plus the 20% coupon, so I plan on picking one up this weekend or next while the bike is at the LBS getting some "upgrades".


Both the Garmin and Wahoo have this functionality but it differs a little bit depending on how you're making the routes. If done in Strava, then both basically work the same. With the Wahoo, a route designed using ridewithgps has some added functionality. I don't think the Wahoo plays well with trail forks, but my experience with that app is limited. I prefer the screen and resolution of the Wahoo... the high contrast, black and white screen is easier to read, IMO, in varying light conditions. The Garmin I had, 510, 520, and 820 all had varying degrees of readability depending on the ambient lighting conditions. For bar mounts, most of them come with one... I prefer barfly though. I use some custom barfly mounts for my road bikes and TT bike and use the standard barfly MTB mount for my mountain bikes.
 

goldsbar

Well-Known Member
I have a mount for the Elemnt that replaces the stem cap. IIRC, you can use a Garmin mount for the Elemnt, just need to replace the plastic piece inside the mount that the GPS unit rotates into. They sell them on Amazon. A prior thread on 520+ vs Elemnt indicated the 520+ has an app for Trailforks. That would sway me to the 520+.
 

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info guys! I do like the Trailforks functionality, it could help with navigation at the "big" places like Kingdom, and out West. I also like cutting things with an exacto knife, I find it oddly satisfying.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
I never did the garmin bike computer - been using the elemnt for a couple years now (i think it has been that long)
seems easy enough - got the event invite for HOH from RideWithGPS, accepted the invite, powered up the elemnt,
and did a route sync - and there it was. no connecting to a computer or phone.

I have a mount for the Elemnt that replaces the stem cap. IIRC, you can use a Garmin mount for the Elemnt, just need to replace the plastic piece inside the mount that the GPS unit rotates into. They sell them on Amazon. A prior thread on 520+ vs Elemnt indicated the 520+ has an app for Trailforks. That would sway me to the 520+.

i flip the KOM Cycling mount ($18 on amazon) backwards over the stem. KOM mount is less expensive, and also has a replaceable/sacrificial insert that will keep from breaking the ears of the computer's mount point. On the roadie, i have the one that aligns the computer with the stem (cause more aero)

Here it is on @Mtbdog's sled. (hope he fixed the saddle alignment!)

IMG_2811.JPG


and the cx bike
IMG_2873.JPG


are we still hating on strava? or running?
in for beer at salt tho.
 

FitmanNJ

Well-Known Member
I never did the garmin bike computer - been using the elemnt for a couple years now (i think it has been that long)
seems easy enough - got the event invite for HOH from RideWithGPS, accepted the invite, powered up the elemnt,
and did a route sync - and there it was. no connecting to a computer or phone.



i flip the KOM Cycling mount ($18 on amazon) backwards over the stem. KOM mount is less expensive, and also has a replaceable/sacrificial insert that will keep from breaking the ears of the computer's mount point. On the roadie, i have the one that aligns the computer with the stem (cause more aero)

Here it is on @Mtbdog's sled. (hope he fixed the saddle alignment!)

View attachment 90811

and the cx bike
View attachment 90812

are we still hating on strava? or running?
in for beer at salt tho.
I just "Wish Listed" this mount on Amazon. Pat, they don't mention a replaceable insert in the description -- buy directly from manufacturer? I'd rather have the mounting ears break on the mount versus my device.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
I just "Wish Listed" this mount on Amazon. Pat, they don't mention a replaceable insert in the description -- buy directly from manufacturer? I'd rather have the mounting ears break on the mount versus my device.

yes - i reached out to them after breaking one, and they sent me replacements - think it was 3/$10 ? they don't sell them on amazon, because they can't make the numbers work for such a small item.
 

Rusty

Well-Known Member
spending 500 bucks or more or less on a gramin (sic) is seems to me to be a stupid waste of money. first, you can do this shit on your phone and unless you are two inches behind Jim in the iditarod you dont need to care about the 1/2 a ms variance that you get on your iphone (or whatever the hell it is). And yeah, you are carrying the phone anyway.

And, your goal is to NOT get lost mountain biking in a place you have never been before?...thats the fucking point! its my goal in life, to be lost in a park I have never been to before. sorta adds to the ambiance to be sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere fixing a flat and eating a banana thinking is a bear going to eat me? fun stuff.

and if you are afraid to get lost learn the underground magic of maprika and you can make your own maps of new places (if they dont already exist) and by the time you are done fiddling with that you know 99 percent of what you need to know, and this can satisfy your need to fiddle with a gadget. In the 1 percent of cases, you pull out the phone you are already carrying and figure out which way to go. Done. No money spent, you can save it to waste on your kids college education and new tires.

and when did I learn to start paragraphs with "and"? musta been around here....
 

rick81721

Lothar
spending 500 bucks or more or less on a gramin (sic) is seems to me to be a stupid waste of money. first, you can do this shit on your phone and unless you are two inches behind Jim in the iditarod you dont need to care about the 1/2 a ms variance that you get on your iphone (or whatever the hell it is). And yeah, you are carrying the phone anyway.

And, your goal is to NOT get lost mountain biking in a place you have never been before?...thats the fucking point! its my goal in life, to be lost in a park I have never been to before. sorta adds to the ambiance to be sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere fixing a flat and eating a banana thinking is a bear going to eat me? fun stuff.

and if you are afraid to get lost learn the underground magic of maprika and you can make your own maps of new places (if they dont already exist) and by the time you are done fiddling with that you know 99 percent of what you need to know, and this can satisfy your need to fiddle with a gadget. In the 1 percent of cases, you pull out the phone you are already carrying and figure out which way to go. Done. No money spent, you can save it to waste on your kids college education and new tires.

and when did I learn to start paragraphs with "and"? musta been around here....

Nice rant!
 

Bernies_Bicycles

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
So I'm thinking about getting a Gramin 520 Plus, anyone here have any feedback on it? How does it do off-road?
We have been selling the 520+ steadily to customers who have been enjoying the device so far. It offers many capablities for the price. The functionality of Trailforks is also an added benefit to find your way around a new trail system.
 

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
spending 500 bucks or more or less on a gramin (sic) is seems to me to be a stupid waste of money. first, you can do this shit on your phone and unless you are two inches behind Jim in the iditarod you dont need to care about the 1/2 a ms variance that you get on your iphone (or whatever the hell it is). And yeah, you are carrying the phone anyway.

And, your goal is to NOT get lost mountain biking in a place you have never been before?...thats the fucking point! its my goal in life, to be lost in a park I have never been to before. sorta adds to the ambiance to be sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere fixing a flat and eating a banana thinking is a bear going to eat me? fun stuff.

and if you are afraid to get lost learn the underground magic of maprika and you can make your own maps of new places (if they dont already exist) and by the time you are done fiddling with that you know 99 percent of what you need to know, and this can satisfy your need to fiddle with a gadget. In the 1 percent of cases, you pull out the phone you are already carrying and figure out which way to go. Done. No money spent, you can save it to waste on your kids college education and new tires.

and when did I learn to start paragraphs with "and"? musta been around here....

All good points. Yes, I am carrying a phone, but I kind of don’t want to be pulling it out and looking at it all the time because looking like a tourist or someone posting on Instagram carries it’s own baggage of lameness. I’d rather spend the $200 on my Gramin, and like Fernando says, look good instead of feeling the goodness that eschewing modern innovation brings. As far as the bears go, I ain’t afraid, since there are plenty of the lost out there fixing flat tires and eating bananas (because they’re cheaper than gel or a Cliff Bars, more money for college) for them to dine on.
 
Top Bottom