You don't get fully fledged navigation like the pricier Garmin models but the basic setup is usable if that's not your top priority. It's not only compact, but the stripped-back features focus on offering the core functions and fewer superfluous ones that, in my opinion, have been bloating some of the bigger and pricier Garmins at the expense of solid reliability. It's an all-new product line too, sitting above the smaller and cheaper 20, 25 and 200 computers, but below the 520 Plus, 820 and 1030. It garmin edge 130 appeal to performance-minded cyclists as it pairs with a whole bunch of sensors, but shuns a lot of the features found higher up the range, which keeps the price down and makes it easier to use. Button-operated No touchscreens here, the Edge 130 is operated by five buttons located on the side. That means no touchscreen reliability issues to worry about, plus it's good for battery life. It doesn't take long to be fluent in using the buttons to navigate around the Edge 130, it's very simple and intuitive. The garmin edge 130 interface is a breeze, so much easier to use than any of the 'better' models. It's not as indulgent or colourful as Garmin's bigger devices garmin edge 130 it is pin sharp and legible; reading the numbers at speed with a quick glance is simple. That's true in any light conditions as well, from gloomy low light to bright sunlight. It's probably the crispest display I've used on any computer, Garmin or other brands. Its screen might be small but the Edge 130 lets you pack up to five data pages with eight data fields, so garmin edge 130 can get all the important ride information you need. I was easily able to set up a data page to show speed, distance, power, heart rate, cadence, elapsed time, timer and total ascent, all I really need for an average ride. It's quite handy to have a couple of other screens set up with less data, especially for racing when all you might need is speed, power and time, with the subsequent larger numbers making it easy to glance at in the heat of a race. You have to determine the configuration of the data fields in the main menu of the Edge 130, which isn't quite as easy as setting up a Wahoo via a smartphone app, but it's pretty straightforward and it's likely to be something you only do once. In fact, setting up the Edge 130 out of the garmin edge 130 for the first time is a simple affair. And every time you add a sensor you get a prompt to add a relevant data page, which saves mining through the menus. I found it picks garmin edge 130 the satellites very quickly so there's no delay to starting a ride, and it hasn't shown any sign of dropping signal during any rides so far. Unless you're having issues in the stock mode you shouldn't have to worry about changing anything. Recording and connecting Recording rides is a doddle. When you're done, press the Stop button and you'll be prompted to save or discard your ride. Hit Save and then you'll have the opportunity to categorise your ride with options including road, mixed surface, mountain and gravel. It's a nice touch, given the diversity of cycling these days. You only get one activity profile compared to the multiple profiles on the 520, say, but it's not something I missed. The latter means you can connect a smartphone so you can get alerts for incoming text messages. I like that; it lets you know if it's something important that you need to stop and respond to, or just some junk mail. It doesn't work with WhatsApp, though, which is a shame. Bluetooth also means easy uploading to Garmin Connect or any other training package. I found the Bluetooth to be reliable and worked fine every time, which is an improvement on my experience with some older Garmin computers which were frustrating, to say the least. You can use LiveTrack if you want to share your route with friends and family. Strava Live Segments is supported if you like to challenge yourself that way on a ride. It also supports Strava routes but you have to plug the Edge 130 into a computer and manually copy across the files, there's no easy way of doing it via the smartphone, which might limit its appeal with dedicated Strava fans. Sensors The Edge 130 is compatible with sensors including heart rate, cadence, power meters and more, and the Varia radar rear light. You get a reasonable selection of metrics for monitoring these sensors, but if you're a data-hungry performance-focused cyclist then you might prefer the full suite of power metrics you get with Garmin's more expensive computers. You don't get proper navigation like on the 800 or 1000 series, as there's no base map installed. You can still download a map, easily done from the Garmin Connect app, and you're presented with a line you can follow, with prompts to upcoming turns. It can be hit or miss; for countryside riding it's doable, but in urban and city areas I found it tricky when you get to a roundabout with lots of possible exits. As well as downloading a route, you can use the 'back to start' via the same route or in a straight line — handy if you need to get home sharpish. Battery life Garmin claims 15 hours of battery life, but that is in the best possible scenario. For real-world riding with everything turned on and connected to a smartphone and a couple of sensors heart rate and power meterI found I was getting in the region of 10-12 hours. That's enough for a week's worth of riding for many. More sensors will drain the battery quicker; turning them off will increase it a bit. I know Garmin users have had their fair share of issues. I've had plenty — most recently with the 820 and it's unusable touchscreen, thankfully fixed with firmware updates — but I'm pleased to report the Edge 130 bucks this trend. It's been solidly reliable and free of gremlins and bugs during the couple of months I've been testing it. It's not once thrown a wobbly or had me cursing it, it just does what you expect of an expensive computer and works all the time. So well done Garmin on releasing a product that is bug-free. Price and rivals Garmin asks £170 for the new Edge 130, which is £90 cheaper than thethough that offers a lot garmin edge 130 performance data metrics and navigation. If you need proper navigation garmin edge 130 you're seriously into tracking your fitness and want the full suite of performance data then it's worth the extra, but if you know your way around then the Edge 130 does everything most cyclists will probably need, and in a very compact and sharp looking computer. Shop around and you can find the regular Edge 520 for about the same price as this new 130. It's an older design but does pack more performance metrics, though it doesn't do a proper map. The 130's small form-factor and more modern design tip it for me. Tougher competition comes from outside the Garmin stable: is pricier at £200. It's a chunkier unit and, to my mind, not as smart looking as the Edge 130, and the display is not as crispy sharp, but it does offer proper navigation with a base map and it matches all the same performance parameters as the Edge 130. Usability is garmin edge 130 little better with the Bolt, too, especially when first setting it up as you conduct all changes through the smartphone app. The Edge 130 is still cheaper, smaller and has a nicer screen, and if you don't need navigation then pocketing the change might be reason enough to choose the Garmin. Conclusion The Edge 130 pretty much does everything I want in a computer. It tracks rides reliably, provides all the data I need being compatible with heart rate, cadence and power meter sensors, has a decent battery life, is easy to use and is contained in a small and sleek package. There's no navigation but it's not something I miss as I rarely need to navigate on unfamiliar roads. What I really like is that it provides all the key features I need for my regular riding, with a sharp screen, compact form factor and, finally, solid reliability with no software issues. Verdict Possibly the best Garmin yet if you don't need mapping Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it. How does that compare to your own feelings about it. And it's all in a compact device that goes where you go and won't weigh you down. Small but powerful Whether you ride on single-track, open roads or city streets, Edge 130 is the perfect riding partner. Its compact, lightweight design features a 1. That means you'll get a completely crisp view of the screen, even in direct sunlight when you'd normally be squinting at your smartphone screen. Its five-button interface is easy to navigate, and you can even customise the display to show up to 8 data fields on each screen. And don't let its slight stature fool you — Edge 130 is packed with additional features and gets up to 15 hours of battery life between charges. From Garmin: Simplified, rugged design with 1. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds. Early firmware versions weren't great and I'm still getting issues with the accuracy of the elevation - currently elevation is 200 m below where it should be. It feels like Garmin are using early adopters as beta testers. Long time required to get initial fix. Three months use, riding most days and zero dropped rides, even rides over three hours. Expecting support for SeeSense Ace lights soon. Fast syncing with Garmin Connect, even on an ancient iPhone 6. Most often the slow lock is after a few days of not riding. I've used the mapping and nav a couple of times and have found it accurate enough for the riding I do mostly rural. This has been completely reliable in comparison. Long time required to get initial fix. Long time required to get initial fix. Certainly on a Monday morning after it not being used for three days it takes a while longer to get a lock. Rest of the week it's pretty much instantaneous. Literally switch it on, roll the bike out of the shed and it has a lock. I'm fortunate to be in a rural area without tree cover or tall buildings to interfere with the satellite signal so things may differ in an urban environment. On the other hand, as of now this is the only Garmin computer that supports Bluetooth sensors at all. Other than that no major garmin edge 130. The auto pause feature takes up to 10 seconds to kick in so if you stay somewhere with lots of traffic stops then it will seriously dent garmin edge 130 average speed. Probably linked to this is that there is a noticeable lag in the recorded speed on the device. I do it all the time. In hindsight now I wouldn't have bought it. It can drop the ant+ sensors for a bit if its trying to sync with the phone. Garmin edge 130 say trying because often it doesn't sync. Like brianlescargot says it takes a long time to autopause. When I compared power on the turbo it was within 1 or 2 w with what the 1000 recorded but it wasn't ever trying to sync. I would try switching off the auto sync during a ride not ideal but might be a fix. Coincidently, I also bought the 130 to cover for a 1000 that power button discintegrated. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective, and we strive to ensure that all opinions expressed are backed up by facts, but reviews garmin edge 130 always a reviewer's informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything except locks but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores. It reflects both a product's function and value. 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