Garmin has unveiled its new Edge 1050, billed by the company as its ‘brightest, smartest and most connected cycling computer ever.’
Boasting a vibrant touchscreen display, Edge 1050 combines navigation, performance tracking, cycling awareness and smart connectivity – delivering up to 20 hours of battery life in the most demanding use cases and up to 60 hours in battery saver mode.
“We are excited to introduce our most capable, high-performing bike computer yet with the Edge 1050,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales.
“Delivering an exceptional in-ride experience, superior navigation and community-focused features, our latest cycling computer is made to keep cyclists motivated – whether they’re planning a group ride with friends or a long, solo adventure.”
New improvements to the GroupRide feature let riders stay connected with in-ride messaging, live locations and incident detection alerts that can notify and route fellow riders to a cyclist in need of help.
Cyclists can also add some competition to their ride with in-ride leaderboards for climbs, plus post-ride awards, including Speed Racer (highest max speed), Chatterbox (most heavily using the GroupRide messaging feature), Worker Bee (most time spent pedalling) and more.
Users can receive road hazard alerts on-screen that are reported by fellow cyclists – like potholes or fallen trees – and can contribute hazards to help alert other riders.
GroupRide updates and road hazard alerts will also be available on Edge 540, Edge 840 and Edge 1040 series cycling computers soon.
Other features include:
- Refreshed design: Angled casing and discrete, all-metal buttons, plus a replaceable quarter-turn mount are complemented by a vivid, 3.5” liquid crystal display.
- Garmin Pay contactless payments: Making payments with a tap of the Edge.
- Built-in speaker: Hear workout and navigation prompts and alert riders and pedestrians ahead using an on-device bike bell.
- On-device course creator: Create courses on the device using the responsive touchscreen and toggle different map overlays on or off.
- Surface type: See paved or unpaved roadways on the Edge while riding and get alerts for upcoming unpaved sections.
- Ride-specific routing: Get routing suited to a specific ride – whether it’s mountain, gravel or road.
- Map Manager with Wi-Fi connectivity: Add, swap, or update additional maps via Wi-Fi right on the cycling computer.
Timothy O’Donnell, professional triathlete and Garmin-sponsored athlete, said “I’ve seen a lot of Edge iterations over the years and none have ever had me as excited as the 1050. The user interface on the new Edge is amazing. Whether it’s messages, the weather or Strava segments, everything is quickly available.
“The new features are amazing as well; I never have to worry about my wallet again with Garmin Pay now on the Edge and being able to create courses on the Edge (and finding water stops) is a huge plus too. But I have to tip my hat to the built-in speaker – there is a bike bell button! My days of yelling ‘on your left’ are finally over!”
He continued “The new display is insane and it completely changes the experience. The vibrant colours and amazing contrast make the display crisp and easy to see. As an experienced rider, I really appreciate the ease of use of the new Edge 1050. Honestly, new features and tech get harder to use for us old-timers, but the Edge 1050 integrates them perfectly and makes them easily accessible.”
Loaded with advanced training tools, Edge 1050 is ready to help cyclists with their training. Free Garmin training plans – including event adaptive training plans – deliver personalised workouts that adapt based on performance and recovery, while daily suggested workouts provide ride suggestions based on a cyclist’s current training load and VO2 max.
Insights from Firstbeat, like VO2 max, training status, heat and altitude acclimation and more can help cyclists evaluate their performance and see how their body is holding up, while features such as cycling ability and course demands allow cyclists to compare their abilities to the demands of a specific course so they can focus their training in the right areas.
Before heading out, Trendline Popularity Routing helps to find the best routes most travelled by other Garmin cyclists, or use preloaded Garmin Cycle Maps that include worldwide mountain bike trail data from Trailforks. Cyclists can also use pin drop navigation to send a POI (‘pin’) from Apple Maps and automatically receive navigation to that location.
Edge 1050 includes premium performance metrics to help cyclists ride smarter. Real-time stamina insights can help cyclists closely monitor and track their exertion levels to help influence training efforts or see how much further the current pace can be maintained.
Meanwhile, power guide now takes wind data and a cyclist’s current stamina into account to make real-time adjustments to power targets. ClimbPro lets riders see the remaining ascent and grade for each climb – whether riding a course or not – while Climb Explore lets cyclists see nearby climbs on-device or in Garmin Connect.
Advanced cycling dynamics provide riders with insights into their performance and mountain bike metrics, including jump count, jump distance, Grit and Flow, help track every ride.
For added confidence during a ride, Edge 1050 includes safety features such as LiveTrack and incident detection and is compatible with the Varia line of cycling radars and smart lights, as well as inReach satellite communicators. For year-round riding, Edge 1050 pairs to Tacx indoor smart trainers. It can also be customised with data fields, apps and widgets from the Connect IQ Store smartphone app.
Available now, Edge 1050 has a suggested retail price of £649.99.
