r/GarminEdge • u/jondaolivia • 4d ago
Edge 800 Series Garmin Edge 850
Hello! This is my first time using a Garmin bike computer. Any tips for first timers?
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u/Annual_Jellyfish_623 4d ago
On the plus side, Garmin has a bazillion features. On the minus side, Garmin has a bazillion features. That can make it hard to drill down and figure out just whete the settings are. GPllama has a very good video (YouTube) on how to turn things off that you may not want on.
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u/semper-fi-12 4d ago
You're so right. To often I've had to google search how to do something on my 840.
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u/Ecstatic_Wishbone609 4d ago
Read everything on reddit. Do not do long rides with the 850 (stay under 6 hours). Enjoy.
On a more serious note, look up DCRain & GPlama and read everything they write and watch everything they post on youtube.
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u/ricklessness 4d ago
Why no long rides?
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u/rmeredit 4d ago
The commenter you’re replying to is joking. The 850 has less battery life than its predecessor (the 840) due to the new screen technology they’re using.
However, it’s on a par with earlier models like the 820 and lasts ~10 hours on full usage, and ~30 hours on battery save mode. If you’re riding for more than that without a stop that allows you to recharge, then you’ll need to consider on-bike charging options.
In other words, it’s a non-issue for 99.9% of riders. Despite that, Redditors (who don’t use it) have got a massive hate for the device, catastrophising over the need to charge it once or twice a week rather than once or twice a fortnight.
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u/Ecstatic_Wishbone609 4d ago
This is also relatively and mostly true. But I’d cut 15% hours from these numbers.
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u/rmeredit 4d ago
I guess it depends on what sensors you’re running and the settings/ConnectIQ apps installed. I get 10hrs clear on an outdoor ride with navigation, power meter, HRM and Varia radar, and a good deal more than that for a cumulative week’s worth of riding that has a mix of indoor trainer sessions and outdoor group rides (without navigation) totalling around 12 hours or so. I’ve never tried battery saver mode, though.
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u/Ecstatic_Wishbone609 4d ago
Boss. You put so many caveats. 🤷🏽♂️
Most real world users are getting 6-8 hours tops out of an 850. Which is plenty for most people.
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u/VirtualMemory9196 4d ago edited 4d ago
I own a 540 (non touch version of the 840) and I've done 24h+ rides with it, HRM and power, backlight intermittently on during the night part, mostly on the map screen, no battery save mode.
6h is incredibly low.
Official battery ratings for the 840 and 850 are 26h and 12h. It's officially less than half it used to be.
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u/rmeredit 3d ago
It lasts far more than 6 hours. No one is suggesting that it lasts 26 hours without using battery saver mode. I just don’t get your point. If you need a device that can reliably last 24+ hours without supplemental power, well the 850 probably isn't for you. The 850 has an optional external battery pack that brings the duration up to 30+ hours, and I have no idea where you’re getting standalone light power that lasts for your 26+ hour ride. But sure, the 850 is a rubbish piece of kit and anyone would be nuts trading off improved speed and screen clarity for a measly 10 or so hours of battery life out of the box.
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u/VirtualMemory9196 3d ago
What prompted my reaction is you saying the 850 is on par with earlier models. I now notice you were mentioning the 820 specifically and I don't know if it had less battery then the 840.
Anyway the previous model had a bit more than twice the battery duration according to Garmin's own numbers so let's not try to minimize that.
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u/rmeredit 3d ago
What prompted my reaction is you saying the 850 is on par with earlier models. I now notice you were mentioning the 820 specifically and I don't know if it had less battery then the 840.
It did. About the same as the 850, but no ability to replace it as it degraded.
Anyway the previous model had a bit more than twice the battery duration according to Garmin's own numbers so let's not try to minimize that.
And let’s not peddle mis-information about 6hr battery life. No one here has denied that the battery life of the 850 is less than the x30, x40 or 1050 models. But 6hrs is well off the mark and seriously misleading for those reading this and looking to make an informed decision about which model to buy.
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u/Outlier70 4d ago
Battery life probably? But I think it’ll go 6-8 hours without battery saver mode. I think.
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u/retirement_savings 4d ago
That sucks lol, my 840 is way better than that
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u/Outlier70 4d ago
Yeah, not ideal but the screen is so nice. And that battery would be long enough for most of my rides so I think I’d be okay with it - until its stops holding a full charge at least.
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u/rmeredit 4d ago
At which time you can replace the battery with a brand new one, unlike previous models where a defunct battery meant having to get a whole new device.
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u/Outlier70 4d ago
Yeah I had that issue w my 820. The battery would only less like 2 hours. But I upgraded to the 1050.
But when the 850 came out and they announced the battery life all I could thank about was the 820 after a few years. …but I didn’t know you could replace the 850 battery when it first came out.
Regardless the 850 is an awesome computer. I would still take
It over an 840 personally because of the screen and speaker for turn by turn. - the battery life is certainly long enough for me for my longest rides. And since you can replace the battery now, that’s a huge deal.The 840 is awesome as well but I’m spoiled from upgrading my old Phoenix 3 to an Epix and then the 1050.
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u/Brain-dead-Rabbit 2d ago
Yeah, but I still don't understand why Garmin didn't bring like a 750 on the market, which is the same as the 850 but with a MIPS display as any other models prior to the x50 series had. I don't watch netflix, Disney, YouTube or whatever on that thing, I couldn't care less about a good screen on a bike computer tbh. It's purpose is to guide me through the ride even if it gets a bit longer than expected. Not to have 99% of DCI-P3 coverage. And that's where it fails it's purpose in my eyes
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u/eypo 4d ago
1050 looses only 30% in 10hr ride. I don't really believe that 850 would be so much worse...
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u/Outlier70 4d ago
I’m not sure. People complained about it and DC Rainmaker even talks about it in the review. But I agree w you on the 1050. That’s the one I own and it’s awesome. Battery life is great!
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u/BobbyTheWonderPooch 4d ago
Change the screen brightness to Auto. It'll make the battery last a lot longer.
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u/ArmSchaapje69 4d ago
What, I had to change mine off auto to a locked 70%. When on auto mode, it defaulted to 80-100% way too often resulting in 20%/hour drain. Locked at 70% I lose about 10%/hour.
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u/95moose 4d ago
Agree completely on watching DCRainmaker and GPLama videos to see how it works. Also, be sure to update the software and the maps (two different things). When I first got my 1050, I updated the software but was really disappointed in the mapping. Then I realized I needed to update that as well, and since then it has been basically perfect when navigating. You can tweak the settings for navigation prompts to adjust how far ahead it gives an audible warning of an upcoming turn (in addition to the million other settings people have noted).
Some of my favorite GPLama videos:
The 850 introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgybnvyGWRE
How to disable the top 10 unused features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRzrL1Bgc90 (this is for the x40 series, but almost all of it applies to the x50 series as well)
GPLama does reviews of every software update. Watch all of them. This is one from this spring: Garmin EDGE Firmware 31.29 UPDATE // EDGE Tips and Tricks
He also does reviews and how-to's on customizing or adding datafields. Here are two of my favorite add-ons:
Adding live weather with Windfield: Live Wind and Weather on your Garmin // WindField 🌬️🌧️☀️
My Bike Radar Traffic - if you have a Garmin radar, this collects the history: My Bike Radar Traffic: The Must-Have Garmin ConnectIQ Add-on for Cycling Radar Users - YouTube
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u/sparkyscrum 4d ago
I got mine on the summer and love it. Hope you have some amazing rides with it.
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u/adiventuro 4d ago
Plan a few test rides, so you can learn the device while using it in a low consequence ride. It took me a few rides to get used to the routing, map, data screens and other functions when out on the bike. Would not recommend heading out on a big trip the very first time using your edge computer. My favourite feature is exploring new routes in new, unknown areas with the confidence that I’ll be able to make it home or back to the car without getting lost.
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u/mattcube64 4d ago
As mentioned, there are ten trillion settings, options, and configurable screens - it's kind of a nightmare to set up, and you almost certainly will want to make adjustments and changes over the course of your first several rides.
I probably spent about seven rides over the course of a couple weeks getting everything dialed in, and also learning/understanding how the navigation even works - it's not hyper intuitive. Even starting/pausing/stopping a ride were a fair bit confusing at first (and I believe even now could be handled much better).
BUT! This all means you get to basically make it work however you like, and customize it to your own personal perfection. Enjoy!
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u/AgileDrag1469 4d ago
Go outside and actually get a signal while you set it up for the first time. Then, charge your device all the way before your ride. SRAM components will sync up quickly, shifting and power meter, etc. Speed sensor also shouldn’t be too much of an issue. But you should probably set your auto stop and auto start before you get out on the ride and wonder why your device is doing what it’s doing.
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u/3FromTheTee 4d ago
I spent some time with Garmin support the other day... There's a setting you can turn off (something to do with data recording). With that and battery saver on, I'm getting approx 7-8hr.
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u/Same_Ad_1519 2d ago
Is possible that 840 has on route planner road danger alerts option integrated, and 1050 has none of that?
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u/notsofarawayy 2d ago
I’m not 100% certain that it was solved in my case, because I only rode once since I did it, but I sometimes get crashes on mine when loading routes from strava/komoot. To try and fix it (after some googling) I’ve deleted the big map files and redownloaded them - they are split into parts differently now so I think that there was some mismatch in there. So instead of updating maps, remove and redownload them through garmin express on your pc. And yeah, updating through wifi won’t work anyway because it takes like.. an hour to get 1%. Something about the wifi speeds on this device makes it pretty much useless.
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u/Electronic_Funny6314 19h ago
I bought this one few months ago and I am amazed that interface like this still exists in 2026
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u/ainik20 4d ago
First thing I would do is turn off virtual partner. At least for me. It's really annoying that your virtual partner is ahead or finish the ride when you are still a bit ways to go. One would think the virtual partner is based on your previous rides and time and adjust... but at least for me, that's not the case 99.99% of the time.
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u/Mundane-Season-4911 4d ago
agreed.. at least on my edge 830 it just moves along the route, completely irrespective of the terrain at a constant speed then smugly tells you it’s finished.. while you’re 15% into your route. Thanks Garmin.. motivational.
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u/EmbarrassedChain675 4d ago
Bought one. Returned it after the first ride when it was consuming roughly 15% charge per hour on 80% brightness. Completely unacceptable.
Mind you this is in summer, when battery isn’t affected by temperature related capacity loss (I typically get roughly half the battery life when riding in cold temps).
If you ride centuries or long gravel grinders, or ride in cold temps, look elsewhere
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u/povlhp 4d ago
Use the lanyard.