Garmin Edge 510: In Depth Review

After 3 months of using the Garmin Edge 510 cycle computer on both the Merida Scultura 5000 and the Dahon Boardwalk, I have had the chance to try out most of the features on the Garmin.

With that, it is now possible to give a more detailed review about the Garmin Edge 510, and also introduce some of the more interesting features found on the Garmin.

First of all, the interface of this Garmin allows it to be used on different bikes easily, even though the bikes may have different sensors or wheel sizes. This is achieved by allowing different bike profiles to be created to suit the different bikes.

For example, the Merida is using 700C wheels with Schwalbe One 25C tires, with the Garmin GSC-10 ANT+ sensor installed on the bike. This sensor can track cadence and speed.

Garmin GSC-10 sensor on the Merida

As for the Dahon Boardwalk, it is using 20" wheels with Schwalbe Kojak tires. It has a new ANT+ Garmin speed sensor which does not require the use of a magnet on the spokes. Also, the Dahon Boardwalk has a Ultegra Di2 system, with a D-Fly wireless unit that enables gear data to be transmitted to and displayed on the Garmin Edge 510.

Dahon Boardwalk with D-Fly wireless unit that can transmit Di2 gear data to the Garmin

Despite the different sensors and setups, this is not a problem for the Garmin, as it is fully customisable to be able to be used effectively on both the bikes. I have created different bike profiles to suit the two different bikes, as shown below. Also, different activity profiles can be created, which refers to the different data fields that will be displayed on screen.

As long as the correct bike profile is chosen, it will detect the correct sensors and display the correct data. This setup only needs to be done once, as the linking of the ANT+ sensors to the Garmin is automatically done for subsequent usage. Choosing the different activity profile will then display different data fields on the screen.

Four different activity profiles and two different bike profiles, all nicely colour coded for easy identification.

Merida bike profile with Race activity profile, with red as my chosen colour 

The Merida is linked to the GSC-10 Garmin sensor, which has speed and cadence data as shown here. 

For the Merida Race profile, these are the info that I chose to display on the first page.

First page of the Merida Commute Mode, shown here in blue colour. Time of Day is important, while Heart Rate is not important while commuting.

Dahon bike profile with Commute activity profile is selected

On this bike, the sensors are the new Garmin speed sensor and the Di2 D-Fly sensor

 First page of the Dahon Commute activity profile. Di2 gears are clearly shown at the top of the screen. Also, shown here is the Night display mode, with a black background and lighted words.

Second page of the Dahon Commute profile. Di2 battery level is also shown here. This is the Day display mode, with a white background and black words for contrast under sunlight.

The data fields for each page is also fully customisable. Besides being able to choose the number of pages to display, the number of data fields to display on each page and the type of data to display can also be chosen.

Up to 10 data fields can be displayed on one page. However, displaying less data fields per page will allow each data field to be larger.  

With only 5 data fields on this page, the size of each field can be larger.     

For every data field box shown on screen, it can be changed to display the data that you want. Shown here are just three pages out of about six pages. 

Gears is a category that is only found if the Di2 D-Fly unit is connected 

More categories for those who love cycling data. Under each main category are more sub-categories.

I think that the Bike Profile and Activity Profile arrangement works really well, as this allows the Garmin to be used across different bikes, while still allowing full customisation of the sensors and data display to best match each bike and type of usage. It is easy to expand this to more bikes if desired.

There are also some other rather special features, such as Training Partner or Ride A Course. These can add a bit of excitement to an otherwise boring solo ride.

For Training Partner, what it does is to let you choose a previously ridden course, and then assign a virtual rider to pace you. For those who have played racing games before, this is similar to the Ghost Car mode, with a virtual car driving alongside you. In this case, you first choose the course to ride, and then adjust the speed of the training partner. The distance and time difference will then be displayed.

This mode is useful if you want to compare your average speed to the pre-set value. It encourages you to ride faster and put more distance between yourself and your virtual partner. The speed of the virtual partner can also be changed on the go, so you can increase the speed of your virtual partner if you find that you are pulling too far ahead, or vice versa.

Select the speed of your training partner, and start riding! The distance and time difference will then be displayed, to see how you match up against the selected speed. 

Another feature is the Ride A Course mode. This allows you to retrace a previously ridden route, and show you how far you are along the route. If you go off course, it will also inform you.

A selection of two different courses that I have saved and named. 

Rough map of the course. When activated, it will also show how far along the route you are.

The next major feature is LiveTracking, which allows your current location to be broadcast to selected viewers. Other than your location, selected parameters such as speed, distance, heart rate and etc can be seen by your selected viewers.

For this to work, the Garmin will need to be linked to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The data will then be transmitted from the Garmin to the smartphone, and then uploaded from the smartphone to the Internet. The Garmin Connect app will need to be downloaded on the smartphone.

Example of a ride that was tracked using LiveTracking. The default ride name is Johor Bahru Cycling, which is a bug with Garmin that has not been fixed yet.

To start LiveTracking, the ride needs to be first started on the Garmin. Then, you can send invitation emails (with the link to the ride map) to your selected viewers, or just upload it to Facebook or Twitter. After that, start LiveTrack on the phone and the ride will be live!

This is a fun feature that is useful if you want to let others know your location, or if you want to check where your friend is currently at. Not sure how much the lag is, but it is not too much to be unusable. Currently there is a bug with the automatic Facebook upload, which has not been fixed yet.

There are other features such as Navigation and such which I have not tried, so there is still some hidden potential in the Garmin Edge 510. Nevertheless, it already has a lot of features packed into it, many of which are quite useful.

Other than the features, here are some of my observations on the general function of the Garmin Edge 510.

Time Taken for GPS Lock
The first time I turned on the Garmin and tried to connect it to the GPS, it took more than five minutes before it was connected. The good news is, that was only for the first time. Subsequent locking of the GPS signal was very fast, taking less than thirty seconds, as long as you are in the open. If you are under shelter, it tends to take a while more, but still acceptable. Overall, connecting to the GPS is quick and reliable, so no problem there.

Battery Life
The battery life of the Garmin is very good, as I can easily go more than two weeks before needing to charge it, despite using it for commuting to and from work a few days a week. I never had a problem with the Garmin running out of battery, so I am very pleased with the battery life, with respect to my type of usage.

Using the Garmin Edge 510 without external sensors
It is possible to use the Garmin Edge 510 on its own, without connecting to any ANT+ sensors. I did try this when I tested the Garmin on the Dahon MuEX, which does not have any ANT+ sensors on it. If there are no sensors, the Garmin will estimate the speed and distance based on GPS data. This is of course not as accurate as having sensors on the bike, but it is good enough for most purposes. The overall distance and average speed will be reasonably accurate, but not the current speed as it cannot respond quickly enough to changes.

With that, my in depth review of the Garmin Edge 510 is complete! Definitely not as in depth as those by DC Rainmaker (which is super detailed), but probably useful enough to learn more about the Garmin. I think it is a good cycling computer, and is also a worthwhile investment if you have multiple bikes.

Dahon MuEX: Installation of 10 Speed Ultegra/XTR Di2

Now, with all the Ultegra Di2 and XTR Di2 components gathered, and the compatibility issues solved, the Dahon MuEX is now ready to be upgraded! However, before mounting all the new Di2 components onto the bike, it is best to connect all the components together and update the firmware first. If there are any issues, it would be easier to troubleshoot with the components off the bike.

Circuit diagram for this Ultegra/XTR Di2 hybrid system

The wiring for this Di2 setup is very straightforward, as can be seen from this picture. Nothing complicated.

The tricky part for this setup is to update the firmware for all the components. As there is a mixture of older road 10 speed Ultegra 6770 parts, with new MTB XTR Di2 M9050 parts, it is important to update the firmware so that they can all communicate with each other.

Once again, the PC Linkage Device is used to update the Di2 firmware. This is not as straightforward as the components are not the default road Di2 components, since it has some XTR Di2 parts in it. As such, the XTR Di2 components need to be manually selected when choosing the components for identification and updating.

XTR Di2 shifters (SW-M9050) and System Display (SC-M9050) have to be manually selected for identification and update.

Once updated, there are some options that can be configured, such as multi-shift for the shifters. Shown here is the choice of gear display duration for the Di2 System Display.

XTR Di2 shifter mounted on the handlebar. Sufficient clearance between the levers and the brake lever clamp band for comfortable operation with the thumb.

XTR Di2 System Display mounted near the centre of the handlebar for easy viewing.

As the default clamp band is for diameter 31.8mm handlebars, a rubber shim from the old S-Sun front light is used to mount it onto the diameter 25.4mm LitePro Monster handlebar.

With everything mounted onto the handlebar! The wiring is kind of messy, but I don't have a way to tidy them up. On the other hand, the wire from the System Display to Junction B is routed along the rear brake cable, so at least that part looks neat.

When upgrading from mechanical to electronic shifting, the main components for upgrade would be the shifting components such as the shifters, RD and FD. The drivetrain components such as the chain, cassette or crankset does not really need to be changed, as they can be the same regardless of mechanical or electronic shifting.

However, for electronic shifting, one thing to take note is that the Di2 front derailleur is very powerful. It will push the chain strongly against the side of the larger chainring, when shifting from the small to large chainring. As such, for a smooth and successful shift, the larger chainring needs to be very stiff to withstand the forces and not deflect too much. This is one of the reasons why the stiff and lightweight HollowGlide chainring is recommended for use with Di2 shifting.

Hollowglide outer chainring with Hollowtech crank arms. Stiff and lightweight.

With the Shimano 105 crankset, the 53T outer chainring is a single piece of flat aluminium chainring, which is good but not as stiff as the HollowGlide chainrings found on Ultegra or Dura-Ace cranksets. Since the Dahon Boardwalk has already received the new 11 speed Ultegra 6800 crankset, the natural thing to do is to use the older 10 speed Ultegra 6700 crankset on this Dahon MuEX.

How about the weight difference for the mechanical vs the electronic shifting components? As shown in the comparison table below, the electronic components are slightly heavier. Do note that this is the first generation Ultegra 6770 Di2 RD and FD, which are heavier than the new 11 speed Ultegra 6870 Di2 RD and FD.

I did not want to increase the overall weight of the bike with this Di2 upgrade, therefore I also decided to change the bottom bracket and the crankset to a more lightweight version, to offset the Di2 weight increase.

Weight comparison of the components, before and after. Overall weight of the bike is maintained.

The new Ultegra grade bottom bracket, BBR60. Not as small as the Dura-Ace 9000 BB, but smaller than the standard Hollowtech II BB. As such, it requires yet another adapter to use with the standard BB tool.

Lightweight at only 76 grams

Before change, the previous Shimano 105 BB-5700

New BB-R60 installed, with a matching black colour. A red 2.5mm spacer has been fitted under the right hand adapter, to push out the right crank arm a bit more. This is necessary to give more clearance between the FD and the right crank arm.

The 10 speed Ultegra 6700 53/39T crankset that was previously on the Dahon Boardwalk

The longer crank arm fixing bolt from the Ultegra 6800 crankset is required to allow it to engage the spindle, due to the offset of the right crank arm.

I am unable to use the original Ultegra 6700 crank arm fixing bolt, as the threads are not long enough to engage the threads in the spindle. This is due to the 2.5mm offset caused by the red spacer under the right hand adapter. Also, this means that the crankset is slightly offset to the right side, and the Q-factor for the left and right sides are slightly different. Hopefully this will not have a big impact on the pedaling.

A few more pictures of the assembled bike!

With the extra spacer under the right hand adapter of the BB, there is now good clearance between the FD and the right side crank arm.

Di2 battery, battery mount and the DIY mount velcro-ed to the frame. Black mounting tape was inserted between the frame and the DIY mount. I chose to use the wider velcro straps instead of cable ties for more stability.

Junction B mounted on the front of the seat tube with mounting tape, and cable tied for extra security. No danger of it falling off or moving as it is so lightweight.

Overall view of the seat tube area, with the battery and Junction B mounted in that area. Note the Di2 wire from Junction A that is routed along the rear brake cable, and into Junction B.

Ultegra Di2 6770 10 speed rear derailleur mounted on the bike

Ultegra Di2 6770 10 speed double FD, and Ultegra 6700 10 speed crankset mounted

No problem with folding the bike, still as compact as before.

Outdoor shot of the Ultegra Di2 2x10 speed drivetrain

XTR Di2 System Display, with the bright and sharp LCD numbers showing the current selected gear.

Overall view of the Dahon MuEX with Ultegra/XTR Di2

As an additional upgrade, I also changed the original Biologic Impel saddle to the Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle for more comfort and lighter weight.

Summary of the weight and cost of this newly upgraded Dahon MuEX Di2. Still cheaper and lighter than the Tern Verge X20!

With this upgrade, the Dahon MuEX has been transformed. It is still a lightweight and high performance 20 speed folding bike, but now with Ultegra/XTR Di2 components for effortless shifting. Maybe not so affordable now, but it is totally different from what is available out there. This is probably the only folding bike in the world with this Ultegra/XTR Di2 setup!

Added a Di2 sticker onto the bike to highlight the difference. The red Di2 logo matches well with the red accents on the bike!

In addition, shifting with the XTR Di2 shifters is really fun and enjoyable, as every shift is crisp yet effortless. It is very easy to shift multiple gears, and there is no need for any trim adjustment of the front derailleur, since trimming is done automatically for Di2 drivetrains. The bright and sharp display also gives useful information about the current gear position, which is really useful for me.

Overall, this has been a good upgrade, where I have managed to install a hybrid Ultegra/XTR Di2 system on a folding bike, and also learnt a lot along the way.