Test director Matt Phillips has been testing products for Bicycling since 1995. His product knowledge and experience is almost unmatched. ‘Matt’s Picks’ highlight the new products that impress him, and the benchmark products he trusts.

The Product: Garmin Edge 520
Buy it Now: $299.99 at Competitive Cyclist

Why it’s a pick
This is a product that I have with me on almost every single ride. I’ve tried a lot of different GPS units from Garmin and its competitors: the 520 is the best currently on the market. 

It does almost everything the Edge 810 and 1000 do (which is a lot), but it’s smaller and lighter (which makes it more suitable for off-road use as well). It uses buttons: more reliable than a touch screen, especially when wearing gloves. 
Once set up, it’s very easy to use. With automatic uploads enabled, all I need to remember to do is press start, press stop, recharge, and all my rides are available online. I also like the extensive aftermarket mount options. Great battery life. 

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Media Platforms Design Team
Buttons are more reliable than a touch screen

RELATED: Wahoo Unveils ELEMNT GPS Bike Computer

What could be better
Setting up and changing settings, like any Garmin, isn’t particularly intuitive. It takes a lot of steps to get an Edge tuned and customized. I’d love to be able to use my iPhone for setup (like Wahoo’s Element), and be able to save and transfer sensor settings and activity profiles from one Garmin device to another. I’d like to see support for Bluetooth Smart sensors. 

Tips
• For off road use, pair with a speed sensor to counter auto pause when moving slowly in canyons or under thick canopies. 

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Media Platforms Design Team
Dialing in the 520 isn't super intuitive, but once set up it's simple to use.

Competing products I’ve tried
Almost every Garmin GPS cycling compatible computer, PowerTap Joule GPS, Magellan Switch, Cateye Stealth, Apple iPhone, Polar M450, Wahoo RFLKT+, SRM PC7 and PC8

Competing products I haven’t tried (yet)
Wahoo ELEMNT, Magellan Cyclo, Sigma ROX 10.0 GPS, Lezyne Super GPS

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Media Platforms Design Team
The 520 (middle) is compact and light, but large enough to read easily.