Garmin Edge 530 Bike Computer [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for.

The best way to track your rides, or finding new routes is to use a bike computer. The name that is most recognized is Garmin, and they're arguably the gold standard in the industry.  Our friend, Jay, has been using the Garmin Edge 530. See what they think!!

Overview

I have owned the Garmin Edge 500 for over 10 years and loved it since I originally purchased it. I thought it had everything I wanted in a cycling computer. My post ride routine would include uploading my data to Strava via a usb plug to my computer. The Edge 500 has no connectivity to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. I have been wanting a new Garmin for a while now only because of new features I was lacking on my old one. My original Garmin Edge 500 works flawlessly still to this day. This is one of the reasons I was interested in purchasing another Garmin brand device as compared to othe cycling computers available. I use it with the Garmin heart rate monitor chest strap to track my heart rate while riding.

I purchased my new Garmin Edge 530 from Worldwide Cyclery and it arrived quickly with free shipping. Most of my rides are solo and my wife is always concerned that she or emergency personnel won’t be able to find me in the event of a crash. The Garmin Edge 530 has features that allow live tracking and sending alerts to loved ones if the device detects a crash. This feature does require you to ride with a phone to connect via Bluetooth. It pairs quickly and easily when I turn the Garmin 530 on for a ride. It also lets you control what notifications will go to the Garmin from your phone, if you choose any at all. I like that it automatically lets who you want to notify your going on a ride via Live Track when you press start on the Garmin Edge 530. I also like that when you complete a ride, the Edge 530 will automatically upload your ride to Garmin Connect and Strava, saving me the time manually dragging a file from the Garmin to the website to upload.

The size of the device is also perfect in my opinion. The screen is very crisp and is very easy to read in all lighting settings. The maps on the small screen were also very detailed and easy to read for the size of screen they are on. I really like that I can have just a live view map or an uploaded map with routes from Strava. The battery life is excellent. I only have to charge it for about 30 minutes to reach full charge every 5 or 6 rides which I tend to ride over two hours per ride. I opted for the non touchscreen version because of size and value.

In the box, you get a rubber o-ring mounting attachment for your handlebar or stem and also a nice plastic hard mounting option that attaches to different diameter bars. I opted for a aftermarket K-EDGE Gravity stem cap mount because I already have a bell on my bars and didn’t want to clutter them up. I also purchased that at Worldwide Cyclery. A usb charging cable is also included as well as a lanyard that is a extra measure to protect the Edge 530 from falling, but I feel the twist lock feature is sufficient enough to prevent it from coming off. I have washed out in turns a couple of times since owning it and have never had it come off.

Final Thoughts

Now having two Garmin cycling computers, I can say that they are of superior build and quality and I would recommend them to anyone interested in a cycling computer.