A necessary tool for the Garmin Edge 305

I've been using my Garmin Edge for roughly 3 years now and I love it. I am totally addicted to the numbers though. I have a good feeling for how long I can hold a certain heart rate and at what cadence. So for me, the cadence sensor is essential. Sometimes as the day wares on my cadence will fell like it's faster than it actually is. Having the cadence sensor makes it much easier to keep things straight.

The installation of the sensor is straight forward and easy. Essentially you just align the sensor with the magnet you place on your crank arm (for cadence) and adjust the magnet on your spoke until it all lines up. Garmin was pretty clever when they designed the cadence sensor. They made it so when the pedal stroke registers on the cadence sensor, a small green LED blinks. Then when a wheel revolution registers a small red LED blinks. This makes aligning the sensor very easy. Plus, since the unit uses a rear wheel speed sensor, you can use it when you have your bike on the trainer.

My only problem with the Edge is how they use the data. If you get poor satellite reception (in a valley for example) it switches to the the cadence/speed sensor for determining your speed. That's right, the speed sensor is only used as a back up. I don't understand this since the magnetic type sensor is much more reliable.

I end up changing out the battery every spring. I've started doing it after my first ride of the season even though it seems to last about 14 months. This will typically run about $6 a year. You might also want to know that after you change the batter you need to have your computer search for the cadence sensor again. It's not a problem but it's something you need to do.

Overall, I think the cadence sensor is an essential part of the the Garmin Edge package. I wouldn't want to use the Edge without it.

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