I do not currently have a power meter but am seriously considering dual pedal-based model, so looking for opinions.
In addition, my beloved Edge 500 is a bit out dated and requires a wired connection. I’d like to move up a model or two within the Garmin family so am interested in recommendations here as well. I’d look forward to minimizing the toggling between Garminconnect, training peaks, fascat and strava!
Thanks all!
I don’t have a pedal based power meter, but I will say I have the wahoo bolt and the uploading to trainingpeaks and strava is seamless. So easy. Not only that, but the customer service at wahoo is 5 star!
A lot of the FasCat athletes have recommended Assioma pedals. Here is a thread from not too long ago on this topic!
Thanks Lacey – yes, I have been looking at those pedals and the dual version seems to have a wait time of over a month, unless you are willing to pay more on eBay. I’ll get it figured out. In the meantime I will use the estimate from strava.
For what its worth, I had a Garmin 520 and bought the Bolt. Returned the Bolt for a refund, the phone integration wasn’t enough to justify upgrading. Then a year later bought the 530 and kept it, just like my 520 it has been 100% reliable and just works. If I didn’t like the 530, was planning to buy&try the Wahoo Roam but its more expensive vs 530 and less flexible. The one advantage of Wahoo is easier setup from a phone. While I would like that for initial setup of 530, I actually prefer customizing the screen on my 530 during recovery intervals. And there are some interesting 3rd party apps and data fields you can install on Garmin. If you are coming from Garmin 500 then the old school menu setup is easier to accept than if you are new to cycling and never used an old school bike computer.
Long story short… I turn on my 530, select Indoor or Outdoor profile, and it immediately asks if I want to do the FasCat workout on my TrainingPeaks calendar. Finish the ride and it uploads everywhere. The integration with Connect/TrainingPeaks-FasCat/Strava is seamless and just works.
Thanks for much. Great color on the other Garmin models, as familiarity is a big plus. Will look more closely at the 530. Thanks again.
Jim
Hey Jim,
This past weekend I was out of the area and really happy with off-course features when I had to re-route due to smoke from a grass fire. It is not perfect, as it kept trying to put me back on course but eventually it was shorter to continue on my new road and it realized that and stopped trying to put me back on course. There were only 3 roads along a canyon to the ocean (high, mid, low) so it was impossible to get lost. Also I forgot to create a route on RideWithGPS (free - desktop) or Strava (well not anymore, didn’t pay for premium after trial ended). Just before leaving used Garmin Connect mobile for the first time to create a route. Never used that feature before so I fumbled around for a couple minutes, then tapped out the route and synced it to the 530.
If buying again I’d be tempted to buy the 830 for touchscreen, but for the price the 530 packs a lot of useful features. I’m of the opinion that a bike computer is an expendable item, so price/features/performance was tops in my decision making. I’ve been in the software industry for 30 years, both Garmin and Wahoo have annoyances but in different areas. Someday I may give Stages Dash a try, it looks somewhat interesting.
-Brian
I’ve have Vector 2 and 3 pedals and both have been bomb proof. I’ve also had several Stages with no issues. Edge 530 is leaps ahead of the 500 and 520. 1030 has bigger screen. Great for my aging and failing eyes.
In you are in the US check out Bike Tires Direct they have good deals on the Vectors. I got my wife a dual set for $550 delivery was 3 days
Thanks Stuart. Very helpful.
I had the Assioma Uno for a while and was very happy with them. I would recommend them although it’s a bummer they’re hard to find right now. I switched to crank based for almost nothing other than having dual sided recordings. It was cheaper to sell what I had and buy a used Quarq vs buying the second pedal.
I have a 1030 and a 520+, both have been good. The 1030 is very nice to have for training due to the large screen and it also being a touch screen. I use the 520+ for racing since I’m not really looking at it during the race, it’s just to track data. I had a Bolt for a while and it was okay, the 1030 offered more features at the time I switched. I do use Garmin Connect on a PC a lot for route planning and it’s been the easiest to get them onto the computer for me.
Thank you. So you find that dual is worth it, vs single pedal?
It’s hard to say for everyone. For me there wasn’t much value added since my power balance is usually 51/49 to 49/51 but I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t buy dual sided. I’d be interested to see what a coach says if it was a 55/45 difference on how to better balance it, if it’s even a concern, and if it affects setting proper zones for training.
I will likely go with dual. I note some folks who start single and then add the second pedal, which then costs more that having bought dual to start.
Totally agree with you Jake. I had a Garmin 1000 and the battery life was dwindling so I bought the Garmin 830 model as it was a little smaller. After having both I wish I would have gotten the larger model again as the eyes are not what they used to be! 
I’m in the same position as you. I am currently waiting for the email from Favaro so I can purchase the dual Assiomas. (Think I’m about half way through the waiting period.)
In preparation for the pedals, I bought the Edge 530 because I didn’t have a computer, just used my phone with my Garmin watch for heart rate. I knew I would need the pc so I got it a few weeks ago to learn how it worked before buying the pedals. I’m quite happy so far. And I still use the watch as my heart rate sensor.
I’m used to Garmin connect with the watch, and the addition was seamless. Just hook it to your WiFi, and if you upload it does it right from your phone, and syncs with strava.
That is helpful Mike. Are you good with the screen size of the 530? I currently use the HR function on the 500, with a chest strap. No power. I then have to connect to download the ride data, which includes power estimate from Strava. I believe it is pretty close but I’d prefer the pedals. I am ok to commit as much as possible to Garmin if I can take fewer steps overall to get good data onto Strava and Training Peaks.
The screen size doesn’t seem to be a problem for me. Everything shows up in direct sun or shade. It’s nice to see the numbers now where I had to use my phone before. Now I just keep it in my bag or pocket. I get the estimated power as well but what I really want is the ability to see it on the fly, which the pedals will do. I’ve read a lot about how the 530 and the Assioma’s work together and everything I’ve read says they work great.
Thanks. Good luck with the pedals
in addition to what Mike said, I’m late fifties and can still read a menu without my glasses despite having astigmatism. No problems seeing anything on my 530 and these are my usual screens: What is on your cycling computer screen?
Eyesight is kinda like shoes, what works for me may not work for you. For reference in the garage I workout on the trainer without my glasses and no problem seeing the info on my 530. On the road my sunglasses have progressive lenses, definitely makes everything on 530 look crisp and clear (vs no glasses). My everyday glasses are progressives and have correction for reading computer screens, books, and menus. Been wearing glasses for 40+ years.