Garmin has yet another GPS cycling computer in the new Edge 130, which provides basic navigation, scores of metrics and ANT+/Bluetooth connectivity in a small but crisp display. It is available now for £169 / $199.
Garmin Edge 130 highlights
- Body size: 40x62x17mn
- Weight: 33g
- Claimed battery life: 15 hours
- Screen: Black and white, 1.8in / 46mm, 303x230 pixels with Memory in Pixel
- Compatibility: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, ANT+, Bluetooth
- Bundle options: Speed/cadence sensors ($249), HR monitor (£199), MTB mount, remote and silicone case (£199/ $249)
Garmin Edge 130's sharp screen and other features
Garmin's bike computers range from the small, boxy Edge 20 up to the smartphone-sized (and priced) Edge 1030. The Edge 130 is as thin and wide as the 20, but slightly longer and with substantially more features, and more than double the claimed battery life.
Notably, the Edge 130 has a super-crisp screen, at 303x230 pixels with a Memory in Pixel display, which has a faster memory rate than Garmin's other bike computers. (The Edge 20 has a 128x160 pixel screen, too.)
There are five buttons on the Edge 130: power, lap, start/stop, up/menu and down. Holding the up button moves the computer into the menu.
The Edge 130 works on GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellites. These signals, combined with a built-in barometer, deliver location, speed and elevation data.
ANT+ and Bluetooth mean the Edge 130 can pair with all the standard cycling peripherals, such as heart-rate monitors, speed/cadence sensors and power meters, plus your smartphone for text/call alerts on the phone and automatic uploading of rides.
A mountain-bike bundle is available for £199 / $249 and comes with an MTB mount, a silicone case and an Edge remote, which lets you change pages or mark laps without taking your hands off the handlebars.
For navigation, the Edge 130 offers a basic breadcrumb format with a line on a blank screen. Unlike the higher-end Edge units, you can't use the 130 to punch in an address, but you can load routes into the computer before you ride and then receive course prompts and audible turn cues.
Once riding, though, it can direct you back to your start location via the same route or a straight line.
For safety, the Edge 130 is compatible with Garmin's Varia rearview cycling radars, which alert riders to vehicles approaching from behind. Also, it can be configured for LiveTrack, Garmin's method of letting friends and family track a rider's location when paired with a smartphone.
The Edge 130 also works with Strava Live Segments and other Connect IQ apps. While some computers use average speed for Strava Live Segments when racing a previous best time or that of a friend of KOM/QOM, the Edge uses real-time measurement on the segment.
Claimed battery life is 15 hours.
