Garmin Releases Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus
Garmin have dropped the news of major updates to their Big Boy and Little Boy head units. It hasn’t been a well-kept secret, but now it’s official. The Garmin Edge 130 Plus and Garmin Edge 1030 Plus not only exist, they’re available to purchase right now.
Edge 130 Plus
The Edge 130 Plus looks the tastiest of the two. As old school cyclists who still follow The Rules, we love a small bike computer. This latest iteration addresses many of the missing features on the Edge 130, adding structured workouts, ClimbPro, Mountain Bike Dynamics, and a whole other bunch of stuff only previously found on the 500 range and above.
They’ve elevated the diminutive device from a limited, basic head unit option to something relatively fully featured. It’s all in service of Garmin’s recent pitch to offer the best value and biggest feature set at each of its price points.
This effort has been to stave off rivals in its space, especially Wahoo, who’ve made a small but significant dent in Garmin’s market share and are now tackling them on branding with a vision for future dominance. Wahoo has pre-empted this tactic with a permanent discount on its Elemnt Bolt, followed by a sale that puts it at exactly the same price as the 130 Plus: $199. Both are bargains at this price, with either you pick up being a winner. We’d lean towards the Edge 130 Plus for ClimbPro, but there’s not really a bad choice here.
Edge 1030 Plus
The Edge 1030 Plus doesn’t have the same approach to pricing and value. That’s largely because it’s the only unit in its space. Garmin has a monopoly at the ultra-high-end, high-price point, so it doesn’t have to worry about competitors. That price point? $599. Big oof.
But there is another factor they’re getting ahead of with these updates: the release of the Edge 530 and Edge 830 elevated the 500 and 800 series not only to the 1030’s level, but actually surpassing it in mountain bike features. Solid software updates across the Garmin line have left the 1030 as a bit of an odd man out – Garmin has been great about updating it, but it’s increasingly an expensive device that doesn’t offer a huge deal over their more affordable ranges. Enter the Edge 1030 Plus.
The Edge 1030 Plus adds a simpler setup, better UI, free maps of the world, Mountain Bike Dynamics, better touchscreen, better navigation and routing, bigger storage, and better battery life. Oh, and it’s now a sleek, black device instead of the “cool but vaguely sanitary towel” look of the original 1030.
All those suggest they might have a different rival in mind: the Hammerhead Karoo 2. We don’t know much about it, but it’s black and is likely to continue to be a leader in cycling navigation. It could well land at a similar price point.
Reviews Incoming??
We reached out to Garmin a while back for pre-launch review units, but they weren’t very interested. Either we’re too small, or they looked over our resumes and noticed how much work we’d done for their rivals over the past few years.
Maybe we’ll buy the 130 Plus as a business expense. If we do, we’ll review it. We have so many head units at Cyclry HQ right now though. So many.
What Garmin Told Us
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced the Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus, its latest GPS bike computers that include state of the art navigation, performance insights and safety and tracking features. Engineered for cyclists, by cyclists, the Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus will not only track a ride, but monitor stats, provide training guidance and more. Ideal for riding no matter the weather conditions, the Edge 130 Plus features a button design and a 1.8-inch display that’s sharp and easy to read, whereas the Edge 1030 Plus offers a 3.5-inch touchscreen display that is quick and responsive – even when wet or used with gloves.
“Boasting a combination of performance, navigation, awareness and connectivity features, these new GPS cycling computers make it easy for all riders to take their adventure to the next level.”
“Big or small, the Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus cycling computers are full of features for every type of rider – from the entry-level cyclist, to the adventurers and competitors,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “Boasting a combination of performance, navigation, awareness and connectivity features, these new GPS cycling computers make it easy for all riders to take their adventure to the next level.”
Designed for year-round riding, the Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus allow cyclists to sync indoor and outdoor workouts automatically from Garmin Connect™ or other training apps, including TrainingPeaks® and TrainerRoad, right to their device. During a ride, the Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus use vital data to provide dynamic performance insights, including VO2 max and heart rate, while the ClimbPro feature lets riders see the remaining ascent and grade for each of their climbs when following a route or course. Whether commuting to work or out riding with friends, built-in safety and tracking features include incident detection, assistance and LiveTrack to let loved ones follow a cyclists’ real-time location and view their entire preplanned course to see where they’re headed.
With features specific to each model, the new Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus deliver easy-to-follow navigation as well as key metrics and insight to every rider. Each cycling computer is built with purpose in both form and function to help cyclists make every ride count.
Edge 130 Plus
Stay on track with the Edge 130 Plus. GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellites, plus a built-in altimeter provide greater coverage and more accurate ride data so cyclists know how far, fast and high they ride. Before heading out, riders can plan and download their routes using the Course Creator in Garmin Connect, which uses Trendline™ popularity routing to provide riders with the best road, mountain or gravel routes that are aggregated from those most traveled by fellow cyclists. While riding, easy-to-read course prompts and a breadcrumb map let cyclists see where they’ve been and where they’re going. At the end of a ride, it will even direct users back to their starting location.
To help cyclists boost their performance, the Edge 130 Plus provides insights such as VO2 max, heart rate, heart rate zones and calories burned. For riders searching for their next adventure, the Edge 130 Plus will keep track of detailed mountain biking metrics, including jump count, jump distance and hang time so they can relive every heart-racing run.
Smart connectivity features mean cyclists won’t have to reach for their phone when using the Edge 130 Plus. Text messages will appear on the device screen so cyclists can view them at a glance and keep on riding. A weather page will display current and forecasted conditions, as well as weather alerts to help keep users from getting stuck in a downpour. When paired with a compatible smartphone, the Edge 130 Plus automatically uploads rides to the Garmin Connect online fitness community and is customizable by downloading configurable data fields from the Connect IQ™ store. The Edge 130 Plus features up to 12 hours of battery life while using GPS and up to 10 hours when using two sensors.
Edge 1030 Plus
Get ready for any ride, from remote gravel trails to epic climbs, with the Edge 1030 Plus. Preloaded Garmin Cycle Maps have wider coverage than ever before across the United States and Europe and include turn-by-turn navigation and alerts that notify riders of sharp curves ahead. Cyclists can create new rides and courses right on their device or use Trendline popularity routing to find routes based on billions of miles of ride data that other users have uploaded. For riders using platforms like Strava and Komoot, they can create courses and seamlessly sync them to their device. While out for a ride, cyclists can now pause route guidance and off course notifications if they choose to explore off the beaten path. When they’re ready to get back on track, the Edge 1030 Plus will guide cyclists back to the route or back to where they originally started their ride. Using the preloaded Trailforks app, riders can view trail details from more than 80 countries right on the device. When stopped mid-ride, Forksight mode automatically displays upcoming forks in the trail and shows riders where they are within a trail network.
Cyclists using the Edge 1030 Plus can easily track their VO2 max, recovery time, training load, training focus and more to see how their body is responding to their efforts. They will even get daily workout suggestions based on their current training load and VO2 max. The Edge 1030 Plus lets riders see how their body is holding up in different environments with heat and altitude acclimation and receive in-ride notifications when it’s time to refuel or rehydrate. In addition to jump count, jump distance and hang time, other mountain bike features include Grit, which rates the difficulty of a ride using GPS, elevation and accelerometer data, and Flow, which measures how smoothly a cyclist descends a trail.
Cyclists can ride in just moments, instead of wasting time configuring settings after powering the Edge 1030 Plus on for the first time. Riders will now get prepopulated custom ride profiles based on their previous Edge settings, while new users will automatically receive the most popular set-ups from other users based on their sensors and ride types. What’s more, the Edge 1030 Plus easily pairs with a Tacx® indoor trainer so cyclists can ride whenever they want. Safety and smart features let cyclists stay connected while out for a ride. In addition to receiving smart notifications and automatically uploading rides to Garmin Connect, the Edge 1030 Plus can be paired with an inReach® device so users can view and reply to messages, share trip data and trigger interactive SOS alerts with an inReach subscription. Additional safety features include group messaging and tracking to let cyclists stay in touch when they get separated from the pack. The Edge 1030 Plus features up to 24 hours of battery life while using GPS, multiple paired sensors and connected features, including LiveTrack. Cyclists will see double the battery life when using the optional Garmin Charge™ power pack.
For added confidence while riding, the Edge 130 Plus and Edge 1030 Plus are compatible with the Varia™ line of cycling awareness devices, including the new RVR315 and RTL515 so riders can see and be seen. Using the new Time Trial/Tri Bar Mount makes it easy for time trialists and triathletes to attach their Edge cycling computer and quarter-turn accessories to TT bars. Available now, the Edge 130 Plus ranges in price from $199.99 to $249.99, while the Edge 1030 Plus ranges in price from $599.99 to $699.99.