Hey Guys,
Today, I am going to review Garmin Edge 25 model. By the end of this review, You will be able to make your decision if you should be going for it or not. Let’s start –
Garmin is a household name, and for a long time, it has provided us with quality, dependable and durable products.
The Garmin Edge 25 is one such functional product. and I am going to review this Garmin Edge 25 model because I have been testing it from a long time. & I hope you will find it valuable. Let’s start –
The new Edge 25 is Garmin’s second cheapest bike computer, sitting one rung above the Edge 20 in the range. Both the Edge 20 and Edge 25 add to what has seemed to be a near monthly cadence of new products from Garmin within the fitness realm.
Again both Garmin 20 & 25 are a direct replacement for the Edge 200, thanks to their minimalistic design, lightness, and improved performance. The Garmin 25, however, is more superior as it supports ANT+ accessories (HRM cadence) and Bluetooth smart connectivity to your phone.
The Garmin Edge 25 is a minimalist GPS unit and relatively cheap, and yet it comes with the superiority and performance of the high-end and more expensive bike computers.
Who is it For?
The Garmin Edge 25 is for everyday cyclists. It meets the needs and ticks the boxes of most average cyclists, even those in competitive cycling.
Given it has a rugged construction, this bike computer will stand up to bad weather while your smartphone stays safe and dry inside your pocket or pannier.
Garmin Edge 25 Design
If you are like me who doesn’t fancy touch screens, you will love the button-operated system on the Garmin Edge 25.
Unlike the previous units which featured awkward rubber flaps to cover their charging ports, the Edge 25 comes with external contacts that mate appropriately with a proprietary USB cable.
And given that the Edge 25 has a wireless data download to the Garmin Connect app using Bluetooth Smart technology, the only time you will need to plug it in the USB port of your PC is when you want to charge it.
Garmin Edge 25 Features
GPS AND GLONASS
The Garmin Edge 25 is versatile as it can get, thanks to its ability to acquire satellite signals using both GPS and GLONASS to pick up your location.
The benefit of such versatility is that this bike computer will lock in faster. Having been a user of computers with only GPS, I know how frustrating it can be due to a slow lock.
With the Edge 25 however, you will realize that it will in most cases find your location fast and this means you can get on with your ride almost straight away.
ANT + and Bluetooth Connectivity
The Garmin 25 features ANT+ Connectivity, a wireless technology that will allow your gadgets to talk to each other.
ANT technology will allow you to hook up the bike computer on a host of sensors including handlebar to a cadence sensor on your wheels to heart rate monitor around your chest.
At the moment, the ANT technology might not seem crucial, but in case you need a cadence and speed sensor or a heart rate monitor later, you will not need to buy a new bike computer with the Edge 25.
A stumbling block to the efficacy of the ANT technology is that it only connects to two sensors. This would not be a bummer if you had, say, a single bike and two sensors. But if you have more than two bikes, with each having their sensors, it can be a huge problem.
Garmin offers a sophisticated Garmin Vector 2S Power Meter Pedals that will allow you to measure the energy you put into your pedaling accurately.
Again, it’s quite disappointing that you cannot connect the Power Meter Pedals with Garmin Edge 25 and this is could pose a real challenge especially if you want to train with power meters.
Wireless Uploads
The Garmin Connect/ Strava feature on the Edge 25 allows you to transfer data wirelessly.
In my honest view, or at least what I think, the wireless connection is probably one of the best upgrades we have seen with the bike computers in recent years. The wireless connection is convenient and will save you from the hassles of having to fiddle around with USB cables.
Mapping and Navigation
The Edge 25 is not primarily a navigation device as it has no maps, and it does not allow downloading of maps either.
Any kind of help on the navigational aspect of this device is limited to basic navigation help in routes already downloaded in advance.
The good news, however, downloading courses from Garmin Connect is straightforward and easy. A huge caveat owes to the small size of the screen, which makes following the large arrow on the screen particularly unpractical.
Ride Options
If you are like a majority of cyclists, you will probably for a Basic ride. Here, you will need to press the To Right and go ride. Otherwise, other options include:
Follow course: Assuming you have already downloaded a previous ridden course, you can follow the same course and the unit gives you turn by turn instructions.
Time: A time option will allow you to set a target time and while cycling, the unit will provide you with feedback to ensure you hit your objective
Distance: Like the time ride option, distance option will ensure you reach your distance objective.
What I Liked
- Lightweight
- Excellent navigation ability
- Wireless connection
- Rugged construction
What I Didn’t Like
- No direct upload of course files
Conclusion
The beauty of the Edge 25 lies in its simplicity. It’s an ideal unit especially for the beginners new to cycling GPS, and want to train by heart rate. I also recommend you to see this Edge 520 model for a better comparison.
Though the unit has a small screen, and some users complain of having issues with the display, I did not have any problem seeing the data.
Generally, I was quite impressed with the Garmin Edge 25, and with a few tweaks, it could get a to score.