{"id":29218,"date":"2018-07-29T20:01:48","date_gmt":"2018-07-30T03:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/averagejoecyclist.com\/?p=29218"},"modified":"2022-12-05T15:54:44","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T23:54:44","slug":"garmin-edge-520-vs-520-plus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/averagejoecyclist.com\/garmin-edge-520-vs-520-plus\/","title":{"rendered":"Garmin Edge 520 vs 520 Plus GPS Bike Computers: Full Review and Comparison of GPS Bike Computers with Navigation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Garmin recently released the Garmin Edge 520 Plus, which is of course an update of the very popular Garmin Edge 520, which caused a lot of excitement when it was released. This post aims to give you all the information you need to choose between the original Garmin Edge 520 and the newer Edge 520 Plus. First there is a chart that highlights the key differences<\/strong>. Then I discuss those differences. Then I offer some advice on which Garmin Edge to buy, based on your needs. If you don’t have enough time to read all of this, you can jump to the Bottom Line on which Garmin Edge bike computer is right for you<\/a>. Otherwise, please read on!<\/p>\n

Related Post: Garmin Edge 1040 vs 1030 Plus: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/a><\/h3>\n

First off, here is a chart that highlights the differences<\/strong> between these two bike computers.<\/p>\n

Chart Showing the Differences between the Garmin Edge 520 vs 520 Plus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
<\/td>
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Garmin Edge 520<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/th>
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Garmin Edge 520 Plus<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Big picture<\/td>Great for training but not for navigation. Buttons, not touchscreen. Color<\/td>Great for training and also has several navigation features - much more than the 520, but but not quite as much as the 1030 and 820. Buttons, not touchscreen. Color<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lowest Price on Amazon Right Now:<\/td>Usually around $300. Please click here for current price.<\/a><\/td>Usually around $280. Because price is lower than manufacturer's recommended price (it's on sale right now), we cannot display it. Please click here for current price.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>2.1 oz (60 g)<\/td>2.2 oz (62.5 g). The extra weight is because of the storage space for maps. The difference is the equivalent of a grasshopper hitching a ride on your handlebars!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
History that can be stored on unit <\/td>Up to 180 hours of history<\/td>Up to 200 hours of history<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CONNECTIVITY<\/td>
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Smart phone Connected features (depends on having a Bluetooth enabled smartphone, and you have to install the Garmin Connect mobile app on your phone)<\/td>Automatic uploads, LiveTrack, smart notifications, send\/receive courses, social media sharing, weather<\/td>Automatic uploads, LiveTrack and GroupTrack, smart notifications, send\/receive courses, social media sharing, weather, rider-to-rider messaging and built-in incident detection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Group tracking <\/td>No<\/td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CYCLING AND TRAINING FEATURES<\/td>
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Preloaded with TrainingPeaks? (a virtual coach to guide your workouts and training plan)<\/td>No, but you can download it with Garmin's Connect IQ app<\/a><\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MAPS AND NAVIGATION<\/td>
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trendline popularity routing - when mapping, Trendline uses the routes most popular with cyclists, drawing from Garmin's database<\/td>No<\/td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Navigation?<\/td>No, it cannot figure out how to get to places. However, you can upload a breadcrumbs course and then follow that. When doing that, you do get turn notifications, plus an alert if you go off course<\/td>It can guide you to locations using turn-by-turn directions and off-course alerts IF the location is a saved place, OR IF the location is found on Yelp. However, you can add extra navigation if you download routes to the unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Turn-by-turn guidance?<\/td>No<\/td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Preloaded basemap?<\/td>Yes, but very basic. It's just to give you a rough idea of where you are<\/td>Yes, preloaded with Garmin Cycle Maps for your region<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Points of Interest (POIs) specifically for cyclists<\/td>No<\/td>No, but the preloaded Yelp app does much the same thing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Preloaded with TrailForks app?<\/td>No, but it is part of Connect IQ, so you can download it<\/td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Preloaded with Yelp app?<\/td>Part of Connect IQ, so you can download it<\/td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n