Garmin 1030 Plus or Edge Explore 2? Just touring ...

[Hankj]

Some help please selecting between the 1030 Plus and the Explore 2. I've never used a cycling computer before. My major goal is to get my phone off my handlebars. I ride locally and tour in Europe alone and with family most summers.

Would like to use Komoot to make my routes, have rerouting in computer, control music/media from the head unit, quality easy to see touch screen, upload completed rides to Strava. Hill profile would be nice too.

1030 Plus $506 all in new (used "like new" $440 Amazon)
Explore 2 $330 all in

How much better is the bigger screen on the 1030 plus? In terms of touch performance? In visibility for aging eyes?

Is the user interface significantly different between these models?

Does the navigation work the same or is one better than the other?

Thank you for advice - I'm feeling like springing for the bigger screen might be worth it but don't want to waste money either.

 

[steveindenmark]

Just to throw something into the works.

Why not look for a Wahoo Bolt? Now the Wahoo Roam has been released. Wahoo Bolts can be had on market places very cheaply.

I have just got one for £30 and it is like new. I was a bit fortunate. I find them a lot easier to use than Garmins. But I do have the 1030 as a standby.

I did a 155km gravel ride at the weekend in an area I had never been to before. The Wahoo worked brilliantly.

 

[cyberknight]

if your touring the 1030 has features you wont use i think ? the explore has more than enough features and comparable stated battery life.

 

[PaulSB]

Why not look at Wahoo Roam? A similar price to the 1030 and a vastly superior product. For one thing you won't have to jab at a touch screen at the same moment you hit a lump in the road! That is a real issue.

In all seriousness if you're spending +/-$450 you must take a serious look at Wahoo. Their products are more reliable, simpler to use and customer service is outstanding. I run the original Elemnt which I chose mainly for the larger screen.

I converted to Wahoo about 4 years ago and would never go back to Garmin.

 

[Mo1959]

Why not look at Wahoo Roam? A similar price to the 1030 and a vastly superior product. For one thing you won't have to jab at a touch screen at the same moment you hit a lump in the road! That is a real issue.

In all seriousness if you're spending +/-$450 you must take a serious look at Wahoo. Their products are more reliable, simpler to use and customer service is outstanding. I run the original Elemnt which I chose mainly for the larger screen.

I converted to Wahoo about 4 years ago and would never go back to Garmin.

If they’re still around much longer! https://road.cc/content/news/wahoo-claims-special-agreement-after-credit-rating-lowered-300573

I’m currently using a Garmin Edge 830 and it’s been faultless and reliable so I’m sure the 1030 will be the same.

 

[chriswoody]

If my 15 year old Edge 605 ever dies then I am seriously looking at an Edge Explore 2 to replace it. For the money, it's a really good cycling computer. From what I can tell from the reviews it is fairly similar to the 1030 and uses the same operating system layout. The biggest difference to me is the fact that the 1030 is physically bigger, though not by a massive amount and the 1030 has a whole bunch of extra fancy training software amongst lots of other cool technology. Realistically though I would never be needing or using this and would find it hard to justify the extra cost over and above the Explore 2.

DC rainmaker is a good source of information about these units, though they can go very deep!

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/07/garmin-edge-explore-2-in-depth-review.html

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/06/garmin-edge-1040-with-solar-in-depth-review.html

With regards the above suggestions of looking at Wahoo units, it depends on what you want really. Personally I welcome the touchscreen that the Garmin units have, I often find situations where I need to scroll around the map looking for details or to get an overview of where I am. I find button navigation like on the Wahoo units, to be frustrating and clumsy compared to the much more intuitive touch, also the older Wahoo units are not in colour, I'm sorry, but for me that is a deal breaker, I need the colour to see the contrast between different elements of the map.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’ve had an Edge Explore 2 since last September. It’s a great unit, and I got it exactly for your reasons, for touring. If you need to change where you want to go mid tour, then you can do that all from your phone, and send your updated itinerary to the unit. It has all the features you mention. The screen is so good I’m now using it for audax. I’m still carrying my old Etrex as backup, but haven’t had deploy my old gps yet.

I wouldn’t listen to the, you want a Wahoo, unless they offer some feature important to you, that the Edge Explore 2 doesn’t have. Why settle for a smaller screen and older technology for the sake of it? The reliability argument is hocus pocus with the latest GPS, and is much of a muchness.

 

[Dogtrousers]

How much better is the bigger screen on the 1030 plus? In terms of touch performance? In visibility for aging eyes?

Is the user interface significantly different between these models?

Does the navigation work the same or is one better than the other?

Thank you for advice - I'm feeling like springing for the bigger screen might be worth it but don't want to waste money either.

I used to have an Edge Touring, which preceded the Edge Explore. I now have a 530 - which is one notch down from the 1030. So I kind of have experience of the two ... ish.

I'm not sure about the screen size difference.
No, the UI will not be all that much different between the two.
No navigation will not be significantly different.

The Explore will have all the features you mention in your post.

The 1030 claims better battery life, promising 24 vs 16 hours. But if you need more than 16 hours then a small charge tank isn't a big deal to take along.

The 1030 will have a whole host of "performance/training" type features that you don't want/need. Some which you may find annoying and have to switch off - like the thing that nags you to have a drink.

One example of a feature that the 1030 has that I don't think Explore has is One feature that both devices have is ClimbPro. This is not exactly useful, but is a lot of fun (I think so anyway)- basically if your planned route has some hills in it then when you arrive at the hill it shows you a profile, how far up you are, remaining average % and so on. I really like it, but it's not exactly a "must have", but seeing you have hill profiles on your list, you'd probably like it.

Personally, I think the Explore is better value for money, but the 1030 has more in the way of techy features if you like that sort of thing. Some people do (I'm one). If I were me (which I am) I'd go for the 1030. If I were you ... well, I don't know.

Garmin's website has a "compare" feature that (surprise surprise for Garmin) is really fiddly to use. I'm not 100% certain if I've chosen the right two models here but you can see a side-by-side comparison here:

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/cat...p?compareProduct=802162&compareProduct=704417

Re your list of features

• use Komoot to make my routes: There's a Komoot Connect IQ* app. I don't use Komoot, but I'm going to assume it works. I use the RidewithGPS Connect IQ app which works perfectly and I guess that's similar. Both devices will handle this.
• have rerouting in computer. Not sure what this means exactly. But probably both devices.
• control music/media from the head unit, According to the link above, the Explore does this but the 1030 doesn't. ("Control smartphone music"
• quality easy to see touch screen, 1030 has a bigger screen. Both are touch screen. I used to use a Garmin Oregon touch screen on my bike and that didn't like rain, but I've read that the newer Edge touch screens are really good.
• upload completed rides to Strava. Both devices. Easy.
• Hill profile would be nice too. Both devices have this 1030 is the only one with climb pro I think. The link above claims that the Explore has it, but I can't find it in the manual. So you'd need to research further. However, both devices will show you the route profile I think. Again you need to check further.

* Connect IQ is a means by which 3rd parties can write apps that execute in Garmin devices. In this case to download rides from the parent website.

Manuals:
Explore 2 https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/web...6B0-CC27-4063-8F77-112E424C85FD-homepage.html
1030 https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/web...5A2-AAE3-4B67-83EB-54A450FCB1A5-homepage.html

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Ahhhh, another what GPS device thread

I think the key, the really important thing, is to visualise how you plan to use this gps unit. Then to look for the unit that best suits your needs. (I have been known to make a spreadsheet for this kind of research )

Would like to use Komoot to make my routes, have rerouting in computer, control music/media from the head unit, quality easy to see touch screen, upload completed rides to Strava. Hill profile would be nice too.

Most GPS units will integrate with Komoot easily, certainly Garmin and Wahoo. The problem is that Komoot regularly tries to kill me
Most GPS units will have rerouting - something I have switched off on mine.
I can't comment on music control. I take the view that my gps unit is for navigating.
Touch screen? Don't like them.
Upload completed rides? Most will do this.
Hill profile? I can vouch for Wahoo to do this. Colour coded gradient profiles can be described as Satan's work!

I sought out a unit specifically for touring. That meant, most likely, buying a unit with more features than I would need.
I didn't need detailed maps on the unit - my phone is better for that.
But I did need a unit that had full functionality without a computer. ( don't tour with a laptop)
And I also wanted a unit from a company with good customer service.

I plumped for Wahoo. An Elemnt (no longer available). It just worked.
Half way through a tour, with about 3-4 years of use on the clock the battery started to lose charge. Wahoo were excellent to deal with, offering a choice of current units at a reduced price. In fairness, it was very complicated - a unit bought on one continent, failing in another and dealing with Wahoo in a third Continent.
Later, when the thingy at the back of the unit broke off, a replacement was shipped (to yet another country) free of charge. In fact a bit of glue did the job.
I cannot fault that kind of service. If only Thermarest were so good.

As always, a lot of this is down to personal preference but my strong advice to avoid disappointment is to do your research. What is the dream unit fo me may be a nightmare for you.

I've done a bit of touring, making up routes daily on my (android) phone and following them on the Roam. I cannot fault it.

 

[steveindenmark]

I’ve had an Edge Explore 2 since last September. It’s a great unit, and I got it exactly for your reasons, for touring. If you need to change where you want to go mid tour, then you can do that all from your phone, and send your updated itinerary to the unit. It has all the features you mention. The screen is so good I’m now using it for audax. I’m still carrying my old Etrex as backup, but haven’t had deploy my old gps yet.

I wouldn’t listen to the, you want a Wahoo, unless they offer some feature important to you, that the Edge Explore 2 doesn’t have. Why settle for a smaller screen and older technology for the sake of it? The reliability argument is hocus pocus with the latest GPS, and is much of a muchness.

I’ve had an Edge Explore 2 since last September. It’s a great unit, and I got it exactly for your reasons, for touring. If you need to change where you want to go mid tour, then you can do that all from your phone, and send your updated itinerary to the unit. It has all the features you mention. The screen is so good I’m now using it for audax. I’m still carrying my old Etrex as backup, but haven’t had deploy my old gps yet.

I wouldn’t listen to the, you want a Wahoo, unless they offer some feature important to you, that the Edge Explore 2 doesn’t have. Why settle for a smaller screen and older technology for the sake of it? The reliability argument is hocus pocus with the latest GPS, and is much of a muchness.

I use the Wahoo Bolt and the Garmin 1030. In my view the Wahoo is simple and its hard to make it go wrong. It does not have all the features a Garmin has. But some people do not need them. The op wants something to guide him. A Wahoo Bolt is a lot cheaper than a Garmin at the moment. As for reliable connectivity and loading long routes. I would choose the Wahoo over the Garmin.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

One example of a feature that the 1030 has that I don't think Explore has is Climb Pro.

You’re confusing the Explore for the Explore 2. The Explore 2 has climb pro as per my post.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I use the Wahoo Bolt and the Garmin 1030. In my view the Wahoo is simple and its hard to make it go wrong. It does not have all the features a Garmin has. But some people do not need them. The op wants something to guide him. A Wahoo Bolt is a lot cheaper than a Garmin at the moment. As for reliable connectivity and loading long routes. I would choose the Wahoo over the Garmin.

I was comparing the Explore 2 not the Edge 1030 to the Wahoo Bolt. I don’t have an Edge 1030. I have reliably loaded routes up to 600km on the Edge Explore 2 from my phone, without a single issue.

The Wahoo Bolt and Edge Explore 2 are the same price in the UK. Found at £220 to £250.

 

[Dogtrousers]

You’re confusing the Explore for the Explore 2. The Explore 2 has climb pro as per my post.

Thanks. I'm easily confused. I have corrected my post

 

[Proto]

Veey happy with my Hammerhead Karoo 2.

 

[steveindenmark]

I was comparing the Explore 2 not the Edge 1030 to the Wahoo Bolt. I don’t have an Edge 1030. I have reliably loaded routes up to 600km on the Edge Explore 2 from my phone, without a single issue.

The Wahoo Bolt and Edge Explore 2 are the same price in the UK. Found at £220 to £250.

I have just bought 2 Wahoo Bolts on Facebook marketplace. One for £30 and one for £50. Both look and operate like new. I think the op was trying a find an easy and cheap way to get his phone of his handlebar.