Garmin Edge 705 GPS-Enabled Cycling Computer (Includes Heart Rate Monitor and Speed/Cadence Sensor) This instant

Garmin wins in the bike GPS category simply because there is no comparable device competing with it. I've had this device for over a year and I had a Garmin 305 before this. They have improved many bugs through firmware updates, but there are some things that you will have to suffer with:

- Non-swappable battery. You would think a GPS device would be built with the long distance rider in mind, but long distance is where this device really fails. If you do very long events (randonneur events, 24 hour rides, etc), you'll need some way to keep the battery going. The battery is built into the 705, and Garmin does not offer any external power options. There are third party products you can try out, the big problem there is that if its raining you'll need to worry about water getting into the port.
- It ships without maps. Yes, you bought a GPS unit and now you need to buy the maps for it separately.
- Very delicate components. The cadence sensors die easily, I've gone through four in the past year (hold onto your warranty info!). In Garmins defense, they are always good about honoring those warranties. The main unit itself often gets blinky when I hit rough road. A frequent problem I have is that the street names on the map turn off, and the only way to get them back is by turning the unit off and then on again. The unit itself is light weight plastic - not what I'd expect for a rugged outdoors product.
- Still buggy. Most of the major bugs have been fixed by now, but some still remain.

It's still the best bike computer available, but as I said - that's only because nobody else offers the same features in a bike computer. I would love to see this product improved with a solid or rubberized case so that I could be confident it won't burst apart if I drop or hit it. The cadence sensors need to be built to survive use outdoors, as I believe the are currently intended solely for indoor use. And the battery situation is just inexcusable - anything for the bike needs to be able to operate without ANY dependency on power outlets (sometimes on multi-day rides you just don't have that luxury).
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