Forums >Gears and Wears>Garmin Edge 500 & RA compatibility?
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Has anyone used this bike computer and had any issues uploading to RA? I'm assuming it would work as well as my 305, but want to double-check before I get my heart set on one for Mother's Day.
My 305 isn't ideal for the bike, particularly in terms of the wear and tear on the strap...and I am not a fan of the quick-release set-up. It's bulky on the wrist and not particularly secure on the bike, especially for mountain biking or cyclocross (I'm rapidly developing the nickname "Crash," heh). When I do duathlons I end up keeping my 4.5 year old, falling-apart, duct-taped, likes-to-shut-off 305 on the bike and my newer one on my wrist (transitions are faster when I'm not farting around with my Garmin and changing modes)...it kinda makes more sense to just get a dedicated bike one for the bike, since I'm spending as much time on the saddle as I am in running shoes, nowadays.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
The Edge should work with RA because it is supported by the Garmin Communicator plugin.
OK, that's what I thought, but I wasn't sure...I'm electronically impaired, so I thought it wise to double-check. I read something on DC Rainmaker's site about it using a different file format (.fit, I think)...different than the Forerunners, I believe. That gave me pause.
It's true that the Edge produces its data in FIT format, but the Garmin Communicator plugin can convert the file to TCX for backward compatibility. When the Garmin 110 first came out, the Communicator plugin did not have the ability to convert so I added the ability to read FIT files myself. It's the preferred import method because FIT files are so much smaller than TCX, even when compressed.
Ahh...cool. Yay!
So do newer Forerunners still use TCX?
Don't quote me on this but I think all new Garmins use the FIT format natively because Garmin bought the company that produces ANT. Garmin maintains backward compatibility through the Communicator plugin.
"Mr Garmin Conquers the Ant Men".
Not as fun as Godzilla vs the Smog Monster.
"Mr Garmin Conquers the Ant Men". Not as fun as Godzilla vs the Smog Monster.
I wonder what Mr. Garmin would look like...and would he beep at every mile?