# Anyone using a Garmin Edge Explore for mountain biking?



## jbsocal (Feb 12, 2011)

Getting tired of my 510 periodically doing weird stuff...

I’m considering a 520 plus...then I saw the Explore.

I don’t use any power meter, training, or strata live stuff...would like to try Trailforks.

Not sure if having no barometric altimeter would matter to me.

The Explore is $30 cheaper than the 520 plus.

I didn’t see any mtb type reviews when I googled it.

Would love to hear from someone who has used it for mountain biking.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Looks like it would work. That said, I wouldn't count on any of those "cycling specific routing" options to be functional for mtb use, so either way, you'd be paying for features you're not likely to use. 

Over the years, I've developed strong enough feelings about touchscreen bike computers (after using one for a few years) that I don't want one anywhere near my bikes. I want my computer to be operable 100% by buttons. That put me onto an Edge 520 a few years ago and I'm really happy with it.

It's also larger. Not quite as big as the 1030, but not a whole lot smaller than that, either. I like smaller computers on my bars, too.

Fwiw, the 520+ has a $50 mail-in rebate on Garmin's website, but the Explore has no rebate.

Also, when was the last time you completely cleared all old activities from your 510? Every Garmin fitness device I've ever owned has behaved oddly when old activities fill up the memory.


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

I have an Edge Explore 1000....don't particularly care for it. The screen is small and dark (even at maximum brightness). Functionally, it's remarkably non-intuitive...obviously designed by someone who has never used a basic Android or Apple smart phone. Updates are problematic, data management is difficult. The map is small, lacking detail, and hard to use.

Not a fan. My iPhone is infinitely more usable.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Cuyuna said:


> I have an Edge Explore 1000....don't particularly care for it. The screen is small and dark (even at maximum brightness). Functionally, it's remarkably non-intuitive...obviously designed by someone who has never used a basic Android or Apple smart phone. Updates are problematic, data management is difficult. The map is small, lacking detail, and hard to use.
> 
> Not a fan. My iPhone is infinitely more usable.


FWIW, your Edge Explore is a different one than OP is asking about (also making sure to point this out for OP). It's likely the OS is a bit different, and I'll bet the screen is a bit different. Garmin has a tendency to change things a bit when changing/updating a device series.

What do you mean by "data management is difficult"? Are you speaking about on-device? Yeah, that could be better. But I've always plugged mine into a computer and navigated it like a thumb drive. No problems doing that.

Smartphone OS is not the be-all end-all for small device operating systems, either. Settings for certain things can be a f*cking nightmare to find. Sometimes the setting I want is accessible directly within the app. Sometimes it's on the OS's "app settings" that are buried within the OS "settings" menus. Sometimes it's in the settings of the OS itself. And bafflingly, sometimes the setting is only accessible via the app's website. Specifically, I'm thinking about phone notification settings, especially when the app developers turn all the damn notifications that I've turned OFF already back on with some update or another. And of course, with the app update, the menu structure is often different so they've moved it from where it was last time.

I find most of Garmin's recent UI's to be intuitive enough. I've also had the misfortune to use some devices with UI's that are truly hot messes. So in the grand scheme, Garmin does pretty well. Granted, the explore series looks to get a different UI than other Edge models. And since I haven't put hands on one extensively, I can't really say how it compares to my Edge 520, for example, in ease of use.


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## jbsocal (Feb 12, 2011)

Harold said:


> Looks like it would work. That said, I wouldn't count on any of those "cycling specific routing" options to be functional for mtb use, so either way, you'd be paying for features you're not likely to use.
> 
> Over the years, I've developed strong enough feelings about touchscreen bike computers (after using one for a few years) that I don't want one anywhere near my bikes. I want my computer to be operable 100% by buttons. That put me onto an Edge 520 a few years ago and I'm really happy with it.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I hadn't cleared old rides for awhile.

I don't like the 510 touch screen...always end up taking off a glove.

I read some Explore reviews on rei.com, one review claims the altitude readings are very inaccurate and said not to buy it...which is plausible since it doesn't have the barometric altimeter.

Sounds like the rebate on the 520 plus is the best deal...don't see these 520 plus on sale.

My 510 was a returned item I bought for 40 percent off a couple years ago...


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## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Cuyuna said:


> I have an Edge Explore 1000....don't particularly care for it. The screen is small and dark (even at maximum brightness). Functionally, it's remarkably non-intuitive...obviously designed by someone who has never used a basic Android or Apple smart phone. Updates are problematic, data management is difficult. The map is small, lacking detail, and hard to use.
> 
> Not a fan. My iPhone is infinitely more usable.


Garmin did an android phone/gps unit. It was crap.

My Garmins are far more usable to me than a bar mounted smart phone.

Although in my pre-garmin edge days, I did use a Sony Xperia with a bar mount, but that was the size of an Edge 810, more robust and the mount was solid.


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## jbsocal (Feb 12, 2011)

I ended up ordering a 520 plus to get the rebate.

The new Explore’s lack of a barometric altimeter was the deal breaker for me...I like seeing the temp and altitude...if it weren’t for that, I would have preferred the newer faster unit and bigger screen.


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