This is Garmin’s new top of the range cycling computer, the Edge 1030 Plus. In this video
we’re going to be taking a closer look at its features and showing you why we think
this all-encompassing multi-bike computer is one of the best out there!
Building on the success of their standard 1030 computer, Garmin have updated their flagship
model with the all new Garmin Edge 1030 Plus. It’s a compact unit with a beautiful 3.5”
touchscreen and packed with plenty of the route planning and performance training features
you’d expect from Garmin, plus a few cool new additions. And Garmin have also released
a smaller unit, the Garmin Edge 130 Plus, which we’ve taken a look at in another video
– but right now we’re going to focus on the flagship model.
Before we dive into the detail of this latest device, make sure you’re subscribed to our
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So what are the main differences between the 1030 and the 1030 Plus, and what features
does the updated model have?
As well as the obvious colour difference, the new model has lots more inside including:
Structured training guidance, mountain bike-specific outputs, smart cycling awareness features,
workout recommendations and much more.
This computer isn’t a one-bike device, pop it on your road bike, gravel bike, mountain
bike or city machine and it’ll help you get the most out of your ride – before,
during and after you head out.
Let’s see what you get in the box.
Inside the box you get, the device itself which now has 32GB of internal memory and
weighs in at 125g, you get a standard mount, an out-front mount, spare bands, allen keys,
instruction manuals, and a USB cable for charging.
Right now it’s time to take this out for a ride have a closer look at it’s features.
There's a lot of new mountain bike-specific features built into the 1030 plus and that’s
where we’re going to start!
You can seamlessly upload your off-road routes to the unit, then track the epic details of
your route as you go. While you’re sending it the 1030 plus displays details like hangtime,
jump count and jump distance – perfect for seeing how far you’re flying or in my case
how much room you have to improve.
Other MTB features include Grit, which rates the difficulty of a ride based on GPS, elevation
and other data, and Flow which measures how smoothly you descend so you have a score to
beat next time you ride.
The 1030 plus is also compatible with the Shimano STEPS ebike system, offering a dedicated
ebike status screen perfect for keeping track of your bikes battery life, the mode you're
in and other ride data.
Another little addition that caught our eye was the ability to pause off-course notifications
if you decide to go and explore when you’re riding a pre-loaded route – perfect for
those gravel spins when curiosity takes over and you want to see where that little path,
by-way or bridal way leads to!
Out on the road and this thing is like your own personal coach, allowing you to set training
goals, prepare structured workouts and even suggest workouts based on your previous training
history.
If you’re taking on a long ride like a sportive or race with plenty of elevation thrown in,
then the ClimbPro feature will come in handy – you upload the route to the 1030 plus
and it detects the climb sections, giving you information on the grade of the climb,
the distance left to the top and the remaining ascent.
This would have been perfect for the rides I’ve most recently done - including the
Etape, Quebrantehuesos and riding up Mount Ventoux – because it prepares for the pain
you’re in for!
Garmin’s tried and tested smart cycling features are also built into the 1030 plus,
which includes GroupTrack and LiveTrack – essentially allowing your riding buddies or friends and
family to keep track of you while you’re on a ride. Rider-to-rider Messaging also allows
you to send prewritten messages to other riders in your group if anyone falls out of sight.
There's a whole load of training features, workout recommendations and more which work
seamlessly alongside Garmin Connect and other third party apps, which we’re not going
to go into here – but you can explore more via the link below.
Over the next few months I'm gonna be hitting the trails, roads and local gravel tracks
putting more miles on the 1030 plus and seeing if it can take my riding, to the next level.
What about you? What cycling computer do you use? And what do you think of the updates
on the 1030 plus? Let us know down in the comments section below!