Every other person who rides a bicycle has that wanderlust adventurer inside them. Some people love to go with that old-school-level adventures that do not include any help from the latest technology.
However, You may be a rider who loves adventure trips to unknown places with your bicycle and worried about getting lost in between the roads. That is when you need a device that has a GPS installed.
Garmin makes some of the best devices for that kind of purpose, and we will discuss two of the best from the brand in this comparison of Garmin 520 Plus vs 530. Remember that both these devices may look and have many attributes similar to each other.
But the small differences make one of them better for some people. Here in this detailed note, you can find out everything about both these devices that can help you decide about the right device for you to use on the bike.
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Table of Contents
Garmin 520 Plus vs 530
Last update on 2021-10-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Garmin Edge 520 Plus
Last update on 2021-10-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Here you are looking at one of the most appreciated bicycle computers from a well-known brand that makes similar products with many differences, including the price point.
The first GPS bike computer from the Garmin 520 Plus vs 530 comparisons is the Garmin Edge 520 Plus. It is an advanced-level bike computer that can be used for navigation purposes and other competing-level uses.
When talking about the advanced level of features, it has the new rider alerts along with the new kind of special Garmin map that can give you turn by turn direction, including on and off the road.
Besides, this device lets you know the current stats and your previous measurements and records to compare them with the new ones to assess and improve yourself with ease.
Moreover, you can also see the competing rider’s real-time PR alongside you with the Strava Live Segments that are preloaded in this Garmin bike GPS device.
It has a clear and colorful monitor that can give you these pieces of information without any kind of delay.
You can stay connected with the Live Track or the Group Track with the help of your smartphone. Other features like smart notifications, rider-to-rider messaging, and built-in incident detection are also available on this device.
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- Easy to upload to Strava or Ride with GPS.
- Routing on the road is very easy without any kind of lag.
- It has more battery life.
- This can work on both on and off-road trails with accurate navigation.
- Very accurate elevation and grade metrics.
- No app adjustments are available on this device.
- The screen needs a little bit of care because of the tendency to smudge easily.
Garmin Edge 530
Last update on 2021-10-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Garmin made some of the best bicycle computers to help riders all around the world. Besides, they keep updating all those devices and creating new ones to make them more advanced and helpful for people.
This Edge 530 from Garmin 520 Plus vs. 530 comparisons is another one of the advanced-level bike computers that come with many useful features to help you out on the road.
First of all, this Garmin 530 has a touch screen system for all kinds of controls. It is especially compatible with the Vector Power Meter and can be used with all the other compatible third-party ANT+ enabled power meters.
If you pair this Garmin bike computer with the right and compatible sensors, this can provide Dynamic performance monitoring insights on your VO2 max, recovery, training balance, heat and altitude acclimation, nutrition, hydration, and many other useful things.
Moreover, this device is also equipped with the latest biking security features, including group messaging, incident detectors, tracking, bike alarm, etc.
And another thing that makes it perfect for your daily need is the compatibility with the Variant rearview radar and lights so that you can see and you be seen.
The popular Garmin Cycle Map used in this device can do local maps along with the off-road maps with the help of popularity routing.
Besides, you can get the Trails Forks data along with the trail difficulty ratings with the mountain bike model of this GPS device.
You can customize your device and the ride through that with free apps, widgets, and data fields from the Connect IQ Store.
Other features include MTB dynamics track jump coun (jump distance and hang time as well as Grit, a measure of the ride’s difficulty), and Flow (tracks the smoothness of your descent, so you have a score to beat next time).
- Plug and Play with almost any sensor, trainer, or cycling device.
- Built-in wifi and auto-updates.
- You can design your own screens with up to 10 metrics per screen.
- Perfect battery life.
- The touch screen is not as great as other premium touch-screen bike computers available in the market.
Comparison Between Garmin 520 Plus vs. 530
Garmin made both these bike computers in Garmin 520 Plus vs 530 in a similar way, with many similarities in the working and the features.
So that we have to look further into the similarities and the differences they have to get a detailed idea about them.
The Garmin 530 is the latest model that came after the Garmin 520 and the 520+ so that it will surely have some advantages over the older versions of the device.
Display and The Resolution
The display's physical dimensions are the same for all the Garmin 520, 520+, and 530 models of the bike computer. But the Garmin 530 has more advantages over the 520 plus when it comes to displaying resolution.
Garmin 520 plus has a display resolution of 200 x 265 pixels of resolution, while the 530 has a bit more pixels of 246 x 322 pixels of resolution.
Battery Life
Predecessors of the Garmin 530 which are the 520 and the 520 plus, have a battery life of around 15 hours on one charge.
Herewith this latest 530 model of Garmin bike computer, you will get an extended 20 hours of battery life in one charge so that it becomes more reliable for sure.
Material Used
Both of these devices are made using the same kind of plastic material that is hard and durable enough to stand any kind of climatic circumstance with ease.
However, the Garmin 530 has a glass screen with a touch screen instead of the low-quality plastic screen of the 520 plus bike computer.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about both these devices from the riders and other bike product enthusiasts to help you get more ideas about the devices.
Can I use it in another country, and do I get the updates?
Yes, you can use it anywhere. Sometimes you may have to add local maps like ProyectoMapear.
How do the reading of different aspects and the notifications work in this device?
The Edge allows you to set up your course, segments, and workouts before you ride and provides notification via tones and vibrations if there is something you need to be aware of.
Is the screen of this Garmin 530 is glass or plastic?
The screen of this Garmin 530 is glass, similar to a cell phone's durability.
Can I use Google Maps and other features and load them into Garmin?
Just use the Garmin ConnectIQ app map. That may save you from the trouble of converting to the right file format and other compatibility issues.
Conclusion
You can find any kind of bike computer that comes with many of these above-mentioned features in the market. But most of them are just another copy of the same internal parts with different names.
That is where the name Garmin needs to be noticed because they make some of the best bike computers and keep updating them with the best engineering and quality testing.
Both these bike computers in the Garmin 520 Plus vs 530 articles are made with good care and materials that can make the product more affordable to everyone.
So that been said, you can go through everything explained in this short note and decide on the best bike computer from Garmin.
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