All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

I'm about to add a new Garmin to my bikepacking loadout. Is there any reason to not go with the 530?

 

Mt Hillyer

 

I don’t think so. Overall it’s a solid computer. Battery life has been really good so far. I think i could get battery life even better if I used some more of the battery saving stuff. Getting a connection to my phone takes a few tries sometimes but once it’s connected it’s fine.

I’d say that if you know you want a stand-alone gps computer the 530 is a good choice for the money.

 

Been using an 820 (pior version of the 830) since it launched and put it through a number of tests... two DirtyKanza 200s, dozens of XC races, and thousands upon thousands of road training miles. It's a solid unit and with their IQ apps feature; you can add a lot of value with the aftermarket apps like Training Peaks, Strava Routes, Trailforks, Beers Earned, etc...

Some pro tips for conserving battery life:

1. If not riding in deep forest or dense urban environments; keep the GPS type set to just GPS. Using GLONASS and/or Galileo uses more battery life.
2. Set the backlight to auto-off after 30 seconds or a minute; that backlight will suck a battery dry.
3. If actively navigating where you'll be out for some time; turn the Battery Saver feature on. The display will go blank but the unit will continue to navigate and will only power the screen on when a turn is upcoming or you receive an alert (time based, phone notifications, etc...)

It has crash notification feature, so if it experiences a high g-shock load; be prepared to respond, or it will send a signal to your phone to call your emergency contacts. I've run into this issue a few times out on the trail when I grazed a tree with a handlebar or come to a sudden stop if I picked a bad line to prevent going yard sale.

This is the Beers Earned IQ screen from a road ride I did last year.



The buddies house I finally stopped at seemed to think this was sufficient as my earned beer... I did not find it nearly as funny but, it was cold, free, and better than what I'd been drinking the previous 8 hours.

 

that earthquake we just had might have loosened up the dirt for a dig sesh! then again your deck might not be there anymore

 

Well I'm standing on my deck rn, so we are good on that front.

My dog did NOT appreciate the wobbly floor though.

 

that shit was kinda scary for a hot second. i was downtown and it was movin!

 

Saw some buildings dumped a load of bricks onto the sidewalk on the news. Thankfully this isnt my first rodeo, but the biggest one Ive been through.

 

Hope all the SLC folks are OK after the quake. God knows we’re used to them here in California but it’s been a while in our area since anything that bad. Stay safe!

 

Just got the same rig as you in mid February! really am loving the trail riding so far! excited for the future

 

Sold my cracked frame. Not gonna lie though, I’m a little gun shy to go buy something new. With the state of the economy I may need money in my pocket more than I need a bike.

 

This was super insightful! I have an REI dividend to burn and I think this may be a good use of it. Worst case scenario I return it 364 days later.

 

Yeah I was literally waiting to get tax refund money back then this all happened. I was gonna get a fancy new bike but now I’m probably gonna wait to see how this all plays out. Luckily I’m still working from home but all it takes is one executive order that leads to a stop work order and no more work for me.

 

With the enactment of the Defense Production Act, I am all but guaranteed to keep my job and the plant stays open since we make pipettor tips and lab supplies for infectious disease research. Trust me, its a huge relief when I heard that this morning.

 

Sounds like a solid gig! I don’t think it’s likely that we would get a stop work order. It would have to get super bad for that to happen. The agency I support is mission critical too so it’s even less likely. But given all the policies and guidance recently I’d say anything is possible.

 

I feel pretty secure with my employment. I’m salary with a global company, so I’ll get paid even if we get sent home. But I’m certain we’ll still feel the affects. At the end of the day we just build and sell big expensive toys that people will very likely not be buying as many of.
Case in point. My potential spending has all but 100% shifted to the used market rather than spending more on a new bike frame.

 

True, it will take some time to recover that’s for sure. I’m hoping an economic rebound will be quicker once the virus stuff goes away but who knows when that will be. I’m still down to buy new, its more of how often I’ll use it relative to saving just in case. Group rides are basically done, races are done, I don’t think I’ll be able to demo any new bikes before I buy. Doesn’t seem like I’ll be doing as much riding as I was hoping. At least big riding.

 

Yeah... USAC just threw a frag grenade right into the beginning of the race season by suspending all race permits until May 3rd. My whole XC calendar just went kaboom... but, hopefully, my LD gravel calendar will hold fast.

I was supposed to race Croatan Buck Fifty last weekend and it got canceled literally while I was driving down to the coast.

https://advcyclistblog.wordpress.com/2020/03/16/croatan-150-the-search-for-the-lost-gravel-race/

 

I am a paramedic so I think I have some job security...

#uhoh

 

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