Hot on the heals of our Edge 500 review comes the announcement of a replacement for the popular Edge 705 .  Similar to the Edge 500 in styling but carrying full topographic maps, a touch screen interface and a colour screen its the new cycling range topper from Garmin.

Like the Edge 500 it will have customizable screens with up to 50 performance metrics to choose from but with the addition of colour maps.  We have to admit it looks pretty nice.  We are expecting a test sample shortly and will see it at its launch at Eurobike this week so more then but in the meantime you will have to make do with the press release below.  It is expected to be on shelves in October.

Garmin, the global leader in satellite navigation, has today announced the feature-packed touchscreen Edge 800 for cyclists who want accuracy and simplicity when tracking their statistics and location for racing and recreation. Edge 800 seamlessly combines the most popular aspects of the industry-leading Edge 500 and Edge 705 while adding an intuitive touchscreen interface. An array of new mapping options including Garmin GB Discoverer^TM topographical mapping for Great Britain, developed in conjunction with Ordnance Survey, make it perfect for training, touring and riding on the trail. Find out more about how you can plan and view your routes, on road and trail, under ‘Mapping Options’ below. Edge 800 will debut at Interbike (Booth 2631) and Eurobike (Booth A5-201), where it won the coveted Eurobike Award for electronic components.

“Whether you’re on the road, in the mountains or around the city, Garmin’s touchscreen Edge 800 puts the most important information of your ride at your fingertips” said Andrew Silver, Garmin’s Sport and Fitness Product Manager. “Thanks to its simple mounting system, improved mapping and route-planning capabilities, and the GPS-based features that make wires and calibration obsolete, we can easily say that one Edge fits all.”Edge 800

Building on its popular predecessors, Edge 800 is smaller and sleeker than the Edge 705, yet features a larger 2.6″ display with a simple touchscreen interface. And while Edge 800 gets its streamlined design from the ultralight Edge 500, the colour display and versatile mapping options make exploration more enjoyable and efficient than ever.

In its third year as title sponsor of UCI Pro Team, Garmin-Transitions, Garmin has worked closely with the sport’s top athletes in developing Edge products that can be appreciated by cyclists around the world using a cycling computer, whether they’re using it for the first time or continually striving to beat their fastest time.

“At Garmin-Transitions, we’re going to be on the cutting edge of technology, in everything we do,” said Team Garmin sprinting sensation Tyler Farrar. “Edge 800 can track all of our performance data, and it also keeps things interesting on training rides because we can use it anywhere in the world to plan and follow new routes - on and off road - and always find our way back to the start.”

Cyclists can view Team Garmin’s featured rides - or download, analyse and share rides of their own - at Garmin Connect^TM (http://garminconnect.com), the free-to-join online community of more than 30 million activities from around the world. Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, speed, elevation and heart rate through charts and a variety of map representations, including street, satellite, topographic, and elevation maps. Garmin Connect users can search for activities in their area and try them by uploading the data to Edge 800, which will guide the way.

“I can come back and do even more on the computer when I download it,” said Team Garmin’s Christian Vande Velde of combining Garmin Connect with the Edge products he used in consecutive top-8 finishes at the Tour de France. “It takes all the guessing out of everything in my training.”

Using information directly from GPS satellites, Edge 800 accurately tracks speed, distance, time, GPS position, elevation, calories burned, climb and descent. For even more real-time data on display, Edge 800 syncs wirelessly through ANT+^TM technology with compatible third-party power meters as well as Garmin heart rate monitors and speed/cadence sensors. For extra-precise climb and descent data, Edge 800 incorporates a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation.

Because Edge 800 requires no calibration, it can be switched quickly between bikes thanks to a low-profile, quarter-turn mount that fits easily on the stem or handlebars with tight-gripping rubber rings. Boasting a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFixTM that quickly acquires and maintains satellite reception, Edge 800 displays temperature readings, changes time zones automatically, lasts up to 15 hours on one charge and alerts riders if they’re moving but the timer has not been started.

As powerful as it is for performance cyclists and speed specialists, various mapping options make Edge 800 an ideal device for singletrack exploration, everyday errands and casual commuting.

Mapping Options

The new Edge 800 is designed to accept Garmin GB Discoverer^TM microSD cards for use on the road or trail.OS 50k Nav The 1:50k and 1:25k scale mapping for Great Britain is the same scale as Ordnance Survey Landranger and Explorer maps, giving you the equivalent of a paper map with the ability to search addresses, points of interest and get turn-by-turn directions whilst cycling on the road. Garmin EIRE Discoverer^TM is also available for the Republic of Ireland.

Automotive mode 2 City Navigator® Europe NT is ideal for touring as it gives the user street mapping for turn-by-turn directions for the whole of Europe. City Navigator street mapping is also available for every major part of the world.

Garmin TOPO is the ultimate mapping for off-road cycling in Europe and popular destinations further afield. These topographical maps will give you contours, trails, points of interest such as mountain peaks and crossings as well as hotels and restaurants. Everything is fully searchable which means you can find a place to stay for example and get directed there.Course Overview

All of these maps can be used with Garmin’s free BaseCamp route planning software (www.garmin.com/basecamp). This enables you to survey the terrain and plan routes. BaseCamp is an easy tool which lets users plan and preview routes - along with viewing elevation changes - and then send those routes to Edge 800.

Subscribers to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery can quickly transfer high-resolution satellite images to Edge 800 and seamlessly integrate those images into the onscreen maps to get a true representation of the surroundings. See https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=255&pID=70144 for more information.

Garmin’s free Custom Maps (www.garmin.com/CustomMaps) can bring the details, labels and landmarks of your existing paper or electronic map to Edge 800 in just a few simple steps. For example you can transfer a map of mountain bike trails to your Edge so you can see them on your screen and navigate with them.

To find out more about different mapping solutions visit www.garmin.com//garmin/cms/site/uk/mappingsolutions

Edge 800 is the latest breakthrough from Garmin, which has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries. For more about pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin’s other products, go to www.garmin.co.uk and http://garmin.blogs.com/uk/
For more about Team Garmin, visit www.garmin.com/teamgarmin, For more information on the Edge 800 please visit www.garmin.co.uk/edge800