In Praise of the lowly Garmin 500

[makoti]

I had, have, one of these old units. I once had two. Two bikes, two 500's. They worked well, always did what I needed them to for the most part. I didn't care for the way I had to cycle through a zillion button clicks to set stuff, but they worked.
Then the 520 came out & promised more. I can't even remember what the "more" was at the time, but it was an upgrade, looked cooler, so I jumped. Easier to use with multiple bikes so a win. I sold one of the 500's, keeping the other as an "emergency backup computer".Like I've ever needed one.
Life was good for a few years. Then, disaster struck & the 520 stopped holding a charge. Garmin offered no fix, even though it was a common problem. Screw that, I'll go with a Bolt. The 500 was called into service while I researched and waited for delivery.
The Bolt was heaven, mostly. So easy to set up, so easy to use. I gave the 500 to my girlfriend to use with her bike while she decided on getting a computer or not.
Life again was good. For a year and 2 months. Then the buttons fell off my Bolt. Called them, yeah, an issue. Send it back, we'll get you a new one. Two week turnaround. Luckily, the girlfriend had already gotten her own computer & the 500 was handy. Pushed back into service again.
Life was good. For about a year. New bolt, same buttons, same problem. Another call, another replacement, another two weeks. And the 500, waiting patiently for it's time, fills in perfectly. Again.
So that 500, as clunky as it is to use, has outlived 3 other "better" computers, and is sitting on the shelf, safe, waiting for the next time it is needed.
Sometimes, the old stuff outshines the new.

[thirdgenbird]

I agree the 500 was/is a great. Time will tell, but the Garmin 130 might be better.

You get a lot of what made the 500 great but with easier setup and no need to physically connect the device to a computer. Rides upload to your phone and software updates automatically come down through the phone.

[weisan]

I have the 800 on my road bike and have used it for more than 8 years now, had to watch a youtube video and changed out the battery once. And then I found a garmin 500 sitting on the table "abandoned" at our local co-op a few years ago. Took it home and used it on my commuter bike. Now that I don't commute because of COVID, it has found a new owner.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=2729691&postcount=28

[skouri1]

I too have had my garmin 500 for 8 years. amazing, still probably holds like 8-9 hours of charge. if i could buy a new one when this one dies, i would. here here.

[dancinkozmo]

ive had similar experience with the even lowlier edge 200.
8 or 9 years old and still working well

[jm714]

My 500 is great except its quirky when it comes to connecting and downloading to my iMac. I keep thinking Out of frustration i want a wahoo unit, but i just want basic metrics and cant justify The expenditure.

[GregL]

I’m still rocking a 2006 Edge 305 and a 2009 Edge 705. I’ve replaced the batteries in both units and they still work like new. They need a USB connection for down/uploading data, but they’re otherwise convenient and serve my purposes.

Greg

[robertbb]

Agreed.

I have two of them on rotation (for when I forget to charge the battery). Bought a second on eBay for $50.

Has all the power metrics you could want, which the 130 does not have. TSS, IF, NP... L/R balance...

Only two knocks on it:

1) It requires the GPS to set the time/date. Until GPS is acquired, time/date are way off. It would be far better if time could be set manually. I'd keep the GPS off for most rides (usual routes I ride from home) and switch it on only when doing new/special routes on weekends or holidays.

2) GPS acquisition can be poor. Both in terms of the time it takes to lock on, and also it loses signal easily when you're in deep forest/mountains (which is when I'd need it most, being in the wilderness means I'm away on holidays).

[Likes2ridefar]

Having recently moved to a 530, used a 500 for years, can’t say the two compare. The 530 is just way better in functionality.

It connects almost instantly to sats, turns my lights on and off, uploads right away when I finish automatically, nav works perfect On courses I add, and I like the hill climbing info as I suffer up the long ones when riding with courses.

Shall see if it lasts...

[Gummee]

Having recently moved to a 530, used a 500 for years, can’t say the two compare. The 530 is just way better in functionality.

It connects almost instantly to sats, turns my lights on and off, uploads right away when I finish automatically, nav works perfect On courses I add, and I like the hill climbing info as I suffer up the long ones when riding with courses.

Shall see if it lasts...

This.

The new units are light years better than the 500 in many ways.

The only nit to pick is that I don't like the way they laid out the buttons. ...but that's minor

M

[OtayBW]

Still using the same Garmin 500 after ~8 years myself. No issues except twice in that whole time, it failed to find satellites for the 1st ~45 minutes of a ride. :no: But other than that and the occasion Garmin Connect quirkiness, it's been solid. I'd like to get a 530 at some point - would be nice, but the extra functionality is just marginal for my needs....

[mktng]

been through the 200/500 and 520.

the 200/500 series units were my favorite. (someone who rides but isnt much of a data junkie)

the battery life was amazing, and it was easy to use.

[R3awak3n]

I never had a 500 but I have had a bunch of different ones and have to say, the 830 is the best garmin ever made. Yes, it still has some garmin quirks and I know some here think it has too many features and its hard to figure out how to do some stuff. I don't have that problem but I can understand why some do but it has been excellent so far and the battery life is just incredible, it just goes and goes which to me is one of the most important things. I think the 530 is probably a worthy upgrade from the 500 (I know the 510 and 520 were not)

[happycampyer]

<snip>

(someone who rides but isnt much of a data junkie)This is a really good description of the type of person the 500 is good for. I was also a fan of the size of the unit—I’m not a fan of a phone-sized cycling computer hanging off the front of my handlebars.

I never had a 500 but I have had a bunch of different ones and have to say, the 830 is the best garmin ever made. Yes, it still has some garmin quirks and I know some here think it has too many features and its hard to figure out how to do some stuff. I don't have that problem but I can understand why some do but it has been excellent so far and the battery life is just incredible, it just goes and goes which to me is one of the most important things. I think the 530 is probably a worthy upgrade from the 500 (I know the 510 and 520 were not)Agree with this 100%. I had two 500s for years, and finally passed them on for a good price ($35 each). I would say for $35 - $50, they are an absolute bargain. That said, the navigation and touchscreen on the 830 is superb (albeit $300+ more than a used 500 in good working condition). I bought a 530 less than a year ago, and for some reason found it frustrating to use compared to the 500.

[nooneline]

I also loved how the Garmin 500 worked, but didn't like how it didn't work. I tried the 510 and 520 and hated them both. The 500? No frills, long battery life, and long life in general. Downsides? Terrible to set up or change anything.

When I got a Wahoo, I was pretty thrilled at the sensible app-connectivity. It seemed like there were a lot of features, many of which were easy to ignore or turn off, but I just loved being able to set my screens via a phone app, have good wifi connectivity for ride uploads, while still essentially having a no-color, text screen plus a simple map screen. And the long battery life - more like the 500 than anything else I'd used - is also a plus.

The Wahoo's mapping, too, gives me the ability to do a lot more fun/adventure/exploration rides than I normally did. I HATE consulting a cue sheet. I hate stopping to figure out where we are and if we missed the turn. Easy RWGPS integration and simple mapping on the Wahoo means I do a lot more cool riding in unfamiliar terrain than I used to, without having the stuff I hate.

So I'm hoping I can go a good long time without hitting the many issues that people have with Wahoos - batteries, screen failure, etc.

[makoti]

I also loved how the Garmin 500 worked, but didn't like how it didn't work. I tried the 510 and 520 and hated them both. The 500? No frills, long battery life, and long life in general. Downsides? Terrible to set up or change anything.

When I got a Wahoo, I was pretty thrilled at the sensible app-connectivity. It seemed like there were a lot of features, many of which were easy to ignore or turn off, but I just loved being able to set my screens via a phone app, have good wifi connectivity for ride uploads, while still essentially having a no-color, text screen plus a simple map screen. And the long battery life - more like the 500 than anything else I'd used - is also a plus.

The Wahoo's mapping, too, gives me the ability to do a lot more fun/adventure/exploration rides than I normally did. I HATE consulting a cue sheet. I hate stopping to figure out where we are and if we missed the turn. Easy RWGPS integration and simple mapping on the Wahoo means I do a lot more cool riding in unfamiliar terrain than I used to, without having the stuff I hate.

So I'm hoping I can go a good long time without hitting the many issues that people have with Wahoos - batteries, screen failure, etc.

I really like the Bolt. Navigation is clear and always works. Setup is a breeze. But those buttons... I'm hoping 3rd time is the charm, but I'm already think of ways to set my screens so I page through rather than scroll to avoid the same issue of the buttons coming apart. When it finally happens, I expect o be able to charge up the 500 and at least record my efforts while I figure out my next move.

[Alaska Mike]

I had four 500s over the years. Loved them once they were configured to my liking.

I have two 520s, which I like more and less for various reasons.

My current favorite is the 130, because it doesn't have as much "fluff". I don't use maps, and my analysis is done post-ride on Training Peaks.

[coreydoesntknow]

I'm STILL on a 500. I've tried to kill it. TRIED. It just wont die. It's been super glued back together multiple times.

Every time it almost dies I whisper to myself "time for a Bolt" but the 500 just keeps coming back.

Super simple. I use it with three bikes and three different power meters.

It's like the Nokia 3310 of bike computers.

Viva la 500!