Garmin 705

[PaulSB]

I've decided to treat myself to a Garmin 705 and plan to get the whole package, heart rate, cadence etc. Several people in my club have these and seem to be very happy with the all round performance.

My only concern is where to buy. Clearly this is an expensive purchase and I want to be sure I don't end up with an old version etc. I am happy to pay extra for certainty on this but equally don't want to pay way over the odds. The simple answer is to pay top dollar from a Garmin registered dealer or similar. On the otherhand there seem to be some very good deals on the web. Are there things such as version numbers etc I should be looking out for if I decide to go the e-bay / online route?

Thanks in advance

 

[Ben M]

I'm also looking to buy one at the moment, I'm not set on having the 705 over the 605 because I'm not bothered about cadence and HR that much to spend the extra.

The differences that you want to look out for between models are the maps. There are 3 map versions that you're likely to come across:
basemap, all models have this
citynavigator UK
citynavigator europe

It's quite simple really, the basemap is really basic. To navigate you need a citynavigator map, now if you're only cycling int he UK, get the UK maps, if you're going to europe get the europe maps. The maps on their own are quite costly (£33.99 for UK, £75.00 for Europe). It works out cheaper, of course to buy one with the maps you have already rather than buying maps later.

As for where to buy, Amazon have them at a very competitive price, apparently Halfords have them on offer at the moment (I havn't looked, but I doubt it's as cheap as Amazon)

I personally am looking at used ones on ebay. They are things which people tend to look after, and can often not use much before selling (buy them for a particular event then sell them) so one can get a bargain I think.

 

[Martok]

HaloJ and I got ours from Wiggle. We got the Garmin Edge 705 Road Performance Package, which includes heart monitor, cadence sensor and the City Navigator Europe maps on microSD card. We managed to get it cheaper than the quoted price because Wiggle were doing a 10% off cycle computers promotion.

Do note that different Garmin 705 packages come with different things. Not all include the cadence sensor or heart monitor or indeed the mapping, so check carefully before buying.

 

[zacklaws]

I'm not sure, but I'm planning on getting one in the future and everything I have found out about them indicates that you can use the "Open Source" maps which are free to download and upload onto the 705, but I have to still have it 100% confirmed and if so will be a big saving on buying the Garmin packages. The maps I use in Garmin training center and Garmin Mapsource which are far better than the base map, come from these two sites:-

http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

 

[zizou]

I've been wanting one for a while now but have been holding off thinking it is due for replacement.

Not sure if it means anything but the Garmin store listed an Edge 800 about a week ago, no pictures, price or release date just some feature details. The page has since been taken down....perhaps they are getting ready to launch a new device at eurobike. Or maybe it was just a programming error on their site!

 

[amaferanga]

Handtec are usually the cheapest for Garmins. Currently £264.85 for 705 with HR/cadence. City Navigator Europe on DVD is £64 from Handtec - more expensive than the maps on SD card, but more useful.

Cycling websites like Wiggle are usually not the best (i.e. cheapest) places to buy Garmins.

 

[amaferanga]

I'm not sure, but I'm planning on getting one in the future and everything I have found out about them indicates that you can use the "Open Source" maps which are free to download and upload onto the 705, but I have to still have it 100% confirmed and if so will be a big saving on buying the Garmin packages. The maps I use in Garmin training center and Garmin Mapsource which are far better than the base map, come from these two sites:-

http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

Yes you can use OSM maps, but coverage is still patchy.