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Cyclopath
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Cyclopath
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PostWed Jun 08, 2022 6:14 pm 
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/06/garmin-edge-1040-with-solar-in-depth-review.html The price is downright shocking. Garmin has made a handful of solar watches and now this. Everything is is a minor update overall vs the of 1030+.

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Randito
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PostWed Jun 08, 2022 10:35 pm 
At $749 it seems the main value of this device adorning your all carbon bike is akin to a diamond encrusted hood ornament for your Rolls.

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Cyclopath
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PostThu Jun 09, 2022 9:33 am 
Thank you for that valuable insight.

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neek
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PostThu Jun 09, 2022 9:47 am 
You think $749 is a lot, have you seen the diamond encrusted edition? Solar won't make sense on these devices until it can charge the battery. This will involve some fancy new tech like carbon nanotubes embedded in the display. Right now it just extends runtime by something like 20%. The batteries already last more than a day, so what's the point. If I'm on a multi-day tour, I'll have a battery pack with me anyway. I've tried several handlebar-mounted cell phone holders; one I picked up from REI recently works pretty well. Cell phone can do most things a bike computer can (some much faster, like routing), but the screen will quickly drain the battery if left on.

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Cyclopath
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PostThu Jun 09, 2022 3:36 pm 
neek wrote:
The batteries already last more than a day, so what's the point.
Very long events like Paris Brest Paris, maybe Dirty Kanza. Something 1% of customers will actually do. Probably because it's an area where Garmin already has expertise and less the market, extending it is probably less expensive than other improvements that would appeal more broadly, like a higher resolution display for the maps. It's annoying to have to charge the thing after every ride, but 24 vs 35 hours of runtime is already far enough beyond my diamond encrusted needs as not to matter.

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostThu Jun 09, 2022 4:35 pm 
Garmin is in a hard place. The market for car GPS has pretty much collapsed. Same thing for general purpose GPS with advent of GPS chips in smart phones. It is good for them that they bought InReach. That and the watch business is about all they have left. Does Trimble still have the pro market?

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Cyclopath
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PostThu Jun 09, 2022 9:16 pm 
You would think phones on one end and Apple Watch on the other would decimate Garmin's business, but they've been able to leverage their expertise to fill niches. Boating, aviation, and sports (running watches and cycling computers) are making up for what they've lost to Google. The Apple Watch is beloved, but you have to charge it every day. I have to charge my Fenix every couple weeks. Garmin Projects Another Double-Digit Growth Year Ahead * Revenue soared 19% in 2021. * Profitability is still falling due to soaring costs. * Garmin is an attractive growth stock, despite the short-term earnings pressure.

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trestle
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PostFri Jun 10, 2022 1:07 pm 
Not everyone wants their phone as their riding computer. I sure don't. Customer analytics do not seem to be a strong point for Garmin.

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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schifferj
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PostFri Jun 10, 2022 2:36 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
It's annoying to have to charge the thing after every ride, but 24 vs 35 hours of runtime is already far enough beyond my diamond encrusted needs as not to matter.
I'm still riding with a 530+ which has every feature I need (and a lot that I don't). I do have to charge it more frequently than I would like. That said its charge last long enough to complete any ride i would attempt to take. It has a one feature which I totally forgot. In a crash it will call your designated number through a paired smartphone for help. Unfortunately my wife didn't answer the call! Bad fall, broken pelvis, torn Arcteryx Norvan SL, but NOT A SCRATCH ON MY BIKE! Getting my body fixed comes at minimal out of pocket cost. Getting a bent "diamond crusted" Carbon Fiber bike fixed way more expensive if at all possible. FWIW I still regularly use a Garmin Oregon 600 GPS and someday my grandson will inherit that treasured piece of equipment.

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neek
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neek
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PostFri Jun 10, 2022 3:36 pm 
schifferj wrote:
NOT A SCRATCH ON MY BIKE!
Well, that's all that matters! (Sorry folks - old biker joke.) Seriously though, glad you're OK.
schifferj wrote:
In a crash it will call your designated number through a paired smartphone for help.
Don't make me say it... there's an app for that smile.gif I fully understand why folks want a dedicated device. Here is how silly a phone looks next to an Edge 520.

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