Garmin Wheels Out Touchscreen Edge 800 for Cyclists

Garmin's new Touchscreen Edge 800 adds a touchscreen interface to its mapping and route-tracking GPS for cyclists.

GPS maker Garmin has announced its Touchscreen Edge 800 GPS for cyclists, which builds on the company’s previous Edge units by adding a 2.6-inch color touchscreen display. The Edge 800 aims at both on-road and off-road cyclists with a mix of mapping options and satellite imagery, as well as routing features that enable users to plan their routes ahead of time as well as track distances and routes they cover on their own. And, of course, the whole thing ties in with Garmin’s social features so users can share their routes and rides with other enthusiasts.

“Whether you’re on the road, in the mountains or around the city, Garmin’s touchscreen Edge 800 puts the most important information of your ride at your fingertips,” said Garmin VP of worldwide sales Dan Bartel, in a statement. “Thanks to its simple mounting system, improved mapping and route-planning capabilities, and the GPS-based features that make wires and calibration obsolete, we can easily say that one Edge fits all.”

The Edge 800 comes with a built-in basemap that shows major roads and cities, and users can sideload street and topographic maps using a microSD slot. The Edge 800 can also record user’s routes with a high-sensitivity GPSreceiver that can stay locked on the unit even through dense foliage and cover, and the unit enables users to customize up to three training pages on the unit so folks can see as much (or as little) information about their ride as they like. The unit also includes a barometric altimeter to present climb and descent data, and the power-hungry performance cyclists can even hook the unit up with a third-party ANT+-enabled power meter to show their riding output in watts. The unit weighs about 3.5 ounces, and Garmin says users should be able to get about 15 hours of use out of a single battery charge.

The Touchscreen Edge 800 should be available in October at prices ranging from $49 to $649, varying with map and accessories bundles.