Garmin Edge 540 GPS 2023

Here are my thoughts after the first half-dozen rides. I'm not commenting based on months of experience. I replaced my trusty 520 with a 540 and am so glad I did! The setup was very easy due to the ability to sync settings from my old device to the new one. And, thus far, I have found the UI to be great, way better than I was led to believe by a couple of reviews that indicated the interface worked if you were running it on a 840 with drag and drop capabilities, but not well using the 540's buttons. I haven't found that to be an issue. In fact, the UI often highlights a button to suggest how to continue or complete a setting change. I really like that. As an (ahem) older rider, I also like that the screen text is adequately sized so I can read it during a ride ... MoreHere are my thoughts after the first half-dozen rides. I'm not commenting based on months of experience. I replaced my trusty 520 with a 540 and am so glad I did! The setup was very easy due to the ability to sync settings from my old device to the new one. And, thus far, I have found the UI to be great, way better than I was led to believe by a couple of reviews that indicated the interface worked if you were running it on a 840 with drag and drop capabilities, but not well using the 540's buttons. I haven't found that to be an issue. In fact, the UI often highlights a button to suggest how to continue or complete a setting change. I really like that. As an (ahem) older rider, I also like that the screen text is adequately sized so I can read it during a ride without the need to stop and use my reading glasses. The text would no doubt get smaller if I added items to my display pages, but my primary page shows 4 metrics and they are all easy to read. I suspect, but don't know for sure, that connecting to two GPS signals has resulted in a more consistent reading for mileage or speed. I find that the variation from one day to the next on my favorite ride is considerably less than it was with my 520. Finally, both the speed on start-up and battery usage are thus far exceptional. I expect the battery to lose life over the years, but thus far I i'm very happy with my experience.

I've been using the Garmin Edge 540 for about a month now on several rides, and here are my early thoughts. First, the user manual/guide is digital and navigation around the document is terrible. There is no effective index so you can find topics quickly. I've ended up just punching buttons on the device until I find out how to do what I need to do, but that takes a lot of time. Second, the buttons on the device sometimes don't respond to a press. I think this is because the buttons are like rockers; they don't just press inward uniformly but move in on one side or the other of their centers; especially when I'm riding, it's very frustrating to have to press a button multiple times to get the needed response. This also takes my attention away from the road for a ... MoreI've been using the Garmin Edge 540 for about a month now on several rides, and here are my early thoughts. First, the user manual/guide is digital and navigation around the document is terrible. There is no effective index so you can find topics quickly. I've ended up just punching buttons on the device until I find out how to do what I need to do, but that takes a lot of time. Second, the buttons on the device sometimes don't respond to a press. I think this is because the buttons are like rockers; they don't just press inward uniformly but move in on one side or the other of their centers; especially when I'm riding, it's very frustrating to have to press a button multiple times to get the needed response. This also takes my attention away from the road for a second or two, which can certainly be a safety problem. Third, the battery life is great. I've ridden several times for 17 to 26 miles each ride and still have not had to recharge the battery. Granted, I don't ride centuries or tours, but going weeks without having to recharge to me is great. Fourth, the included extended mount that attaches to the handle bar just to the left of the head tube has two issues. First, when you attach the Edge 540 to the mount, it's not level left to right. It's slightly downhill to the right; this is a nuisance but a distraction nonetheless. Second, the extended mount only mounts on the handlebar to the left of the head tube; to install it I had to move my front light to the right of the head tube, but there is still some interference because of the way the Edge is suspended out in front but also over the center. I could move the Edge mount further to the left, but that makes the whole installation look asymmetrical and unprofessional. I don't like the front light on the right of the head tube because it places it on the opposite side of where the open-coming road traffic will be coming from and increases the possibility that the light will be blocked from being seen by oncoming vehicles by the Edge device or the bike components during turns. Overall, I'm mostly pleased with the Garmin Edge 540, but I think it's overpriced and that for the price, Garmin should have done a better job of integrating it with various bike brands (mine is a Trek) and geometries and also with the user manual/guide.

As someone who strictly mountain bikes, I haven't found the touch-centric software to be problematic, since I basically bring up my dashboard with ride data and leave it throughout my rides. I imagine if you use navigation, or scroll through screens a lot, the touch screen 840 would probably be worth the extra $100. Compared to the 520, the controls that I routinely use are identical. I have had no problems going through the settings or even scrolling through all the new features. I don't think it deserves the flack it's getting for not being the 840. If you want the 840, get the 840.The simple setup is what truly blew my mind. If you are upgrading from an x20 or newer device, the setup is insanely easy. I was actually loading up my bike for a ride when the UPS ... MoreAs someone who strictly mountain bikes, I haven't found the touch-centric software to be problematic, since I basically bring up my dashboard with ride data and leave it throughout my rides. I imagine if you use navigation, or scroll through screens a lot, the touch screen 840 would probably be worth the extra $100. Compared to the 520, the controls that I routinely use are identical. I have had no problems going through the settings or even scrolling through all the new features. I don't think it deserves the flack it's getting for not being the 840. If you want the 840, get the 840.The simple setup is what truly blew my mind. If you are upgrading from an x20 or newer device, the setup is insanely easy. I was actually loading up my bike for a ride when the UPS truck dropped off my 540. I decided to check it out a minute but didn't plan to go through the whole setup before heading out. My 520's battery life had become dismal so I've lately been using my smartwatch for capturing my rides. I powered it on and it showed around 75% out of the box. OK, so I select my language and it asks if I want to sync the settings from another device. Why, yes I do. It displays a QR code that has to be scanned on my phone. Scan the code and it launches the Garmin Connect app on the phone, with a list of my devices. I pick the 520, agree, and bam. In literally seconds, it transferred all of my settings, the dashboard that I use with the data fields set up the way I want them, and best of all, every connected sensor was now automatically paired with the 540! Done. It pulls everything from Garmin Connect, so you don't even need the old device. Good thing, since the battery was dead. I was able to use the new computer without having to do anything else.The dual GPS is impressive. My ride mapping is spot-on even when riding under a thick canopy of trees. This also improves the data gathered for speed, altitude, etc. It also added several metrics I'd never seen before. The respiratory rate calculated using HRV with my existing chest strap. Grit? Cool. Flow? Pretty cool too. The summary at the end of the ride provided more information in a very intuitive format as well.I skipped the 530, so maybe it's just the jump from the 520 to the 540 that has impressed me so much. The larger screen is easier to read while riding bumpy trails. The setup was crazy easy. The accuracy is amazing. And, to me anyway, navigating through the screens I tend to use, the buttons work well to get me where I need to be. If you use navigation a lot, I imagine the 840 would be a worthy upgrade. No regrets from me though.