Congrats on the new swagg. I have an Edge 500, so no upload able maps. However I do believe that the basics are similar.

There are more options in these things than at your local chinese takeaway.
Mine has a max of 3 screens with splits per screen of up to 5/6.
What it comes down to is what info do you want while you are riding and then what info do want when you start analyzing how your ride went. This dictates which screens get what info.

You will also have to set up an account with Garmin, which should prompt you once you plug the device into into your computer.

Make sure that you put all your vitals into your Garmin account and then sync with the Edge as this will then give you a true indication of how you are doing and what your energy expenditure was.

Hope this helps, Enjoy and many happy km's

...I ordered the one with the 1:50 base map (Europe) and ordered the HRM separately as that worked out cheaper. I've found online that you can download Open Street Maps rather than pay for their City Navigator software. Has anyone tried either of these options?

I originally bought my 705 just after it's release (early adopter syndrome) and i'v lost count of the patches and firmware downloads I've been through on it. Finally, a few months ago, they seemed to get a version that actually works properly. Sadly, the regularity of updates to the system firmware doesn't extend to the mapping. I bought the pack with the road mapping, and frankly it was very poor. Not only that, but as far as I know, they don't do updates - you have to re-buy a new one. So - I went for the open street map solution. Much better, updated (not frequently, but often enough) and best of all free.

Has anyone got any tips on how best to set this up - I'm guessing it would depend on your goals. I want to track my speed, calories burnt, average speed, elevation etc, and to try and "beat myself" on my commute to and from work. I basically love stats and to be able to see graphs of my progress and compare workouts looks to be possible.

Any tips from existing users of Garmin Edge devices greatly appreciated

Cheers,
Fran

The Garmin "head unit" pretty much tracks everything - there's a whole list of things in the manual - the "setting up" only really configures what's displayed on the screen - even if you don't display it while you're riding, it'll still be recording it for analysis at a later date, when d/l'ed into your computer. If you want an analysis package on your computer, then I can happily recommend either Goldencheetah - http://goldencheetah.org/ especially if you're playing around with power data - and as a logging program with lots of extensibility, I think that SportsTracks 3 is porbably up there with the best of them - http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/

Version 3 is a pay version, but it has an "evaluation" level of operation that is pretty much fully functional, apart from it has a restricted number of functional plug-in's. I worked with this for over a year with no problems whatsoever, and only really ended up getting the full version as I needed the ability to impost polar .HRM files from my Tacx trainer and convert them to .TCX so I could have ALL my training online in Garmin Connect to keep my health practitioner abreast of what riding I was doing (my Physio uses GC to check on my progress and that I wasn't over-training etc.) To get a .HRM import and a .TCX export plug in, along with the Withings Scale importer working at the same time, I needed to register (only a few euros... peanuts really. Literally - I spend more on peanut butter in a year than I did on the software :laugh:)

Ah - you're in god's own country... I didn't check, so didn't give specific recommendations as to downloads etc...

I went though the Wiki page (that's what I bookmarked anyway!) , and iirc, ended up with the Talkytoaster page...

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

Can't be much more specific, as I'm using a 705, rather than the 800, so you may have more options etc., but what the hell - they're free anyway, so just download one give it a try, and swap until you find one you like...

Frank Kinlans Blog has a great "Dummies Guide" here http://frank.kinlan.co.uk/garmin-edge-800/dummies-guide-to-the-garmin-edge-800/

As far as uploading your rides to evaluate, the Garmin Connect website is good for most things. You can now create workouts and courses there to upload to your 800. And its free http://connect.garmin.com/ The biggest complaint I have about it is the "Explore" feature which I still can't understand and I've been using Garmin Connect since it was launched (and MotionBased before Garmin took it over). But everything else works very well.

Dex.

EDIT: Hmmm sorry, not sure why the links aren't clickable? You will have to cut and paste :-/

Yeah I've not quite worked out the elevation bit of it yet. I've now done two commutes to work and two commutes from work on it, and the elevations were all different. It does say about if I know the elevation to enter that, but it should still show the same ascent and descent figures regardless of starting elevation surely? I'm sure it's something I've not set up right, but not fathomed it out yet!

Also, I went to compare the 2 runs to work and I couldn't see that you could overlay graphs of the two, so see your speed in both runs on the same graph. Maybe I have to export it to Excel for that.

I know I haven't scratched the surface with the functionality of it yet so it's going to be fun doing it :-)

One trick with elevation is to set a waypoint for your home, and ensure that the elevation is the ACTUAL elevation of the building. Then when you start the GPS running by pressing the START button at the beginning of a ride, it will automatically check if there's a waypoint, and amend the starting altitude to the figure in the waypoint. I know it works this way on the 705, and I can't think they'd have dropped this facility on the 800.

My 800 came with the city maps and cadence, and has been mostly trouble free. One thing I my mention is that my old garmin had a much better HR strap. Not as flexible maybe but works much better. I got a lot of HRs of in the 200s with the new strap and I am no where close to that HR. IF you have trouble with it, the old style strap may be an answer. Good luck and be safe. Phil