Garmin Edge 1040 Solar harnesses the sun for 100 hours of claimed run time

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High-end GPS cycling computers typically have claimed battery lives somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 hours more than enough for most everyday users. But if youre an ultra-distance rider that needs way, way more than that, Garmins new Edge 1040 Solar is claimed to run for up to 100 hours, thanks to built-in solar panels that help feed power to the onboard rechargeable battery while you laughs.

There are some caveats to that claim, however. Garmin says the Edge 1040 Solar has to be operating in Battery Saver mode, and that figure assumes a certain level of sunlight intensity. Nevertheless, even if Garmins claims are wildly inaccurate, there should still be more than enough run time for something like the 350-mile course of Unbound Gravel XL, or even a brevet like Paris-Brest-Paris, without needing to hook the unit up to external power.

Dont need that much run time? Garmin is offering an identical unit without the solar charging technology called the Edge 1040.

Both of the new Edge 1040 models also incorporate Garmins latest “multi-band GNSS technology” for more accurate positioning and coverage, which might prove particularly useful when theres poor line-of-sight to orbiting satellites, such as in dense urban areas, mountains , or heavy tree cover. There are also more cycling-specific features, such as a built-in coaching function that offers suggestions based on inputted strengths and weaknesses, and recommended power output targets.

The ClimbPro feature is particularly neat, but unlike with the Hammerhead Karoo 2 (which predicts where you’re climbing), the Edge 1040 Solar requires you to have the route preloaded on to the unit so it knows where you’re going. ″ Diagonal screen provides plenty of area for navigation functions. Provided they also have the GroupTrack feature enabled, you can see directly on-screen how far away they are in case you want to meet up It’s unclear just how accurate these sorts of training metrics are, but for many riders, any guidance will be more useful than none.If turned on (and if the unit is connected to your smartphone), Incident Detection will automatically notify designated contacts that you’ve likely crashed.

Like with other high-end Garmin units that came before, riders can get a variety of performance-minded prompts on-screen, too, such as VO2 Max, reminders to eat and drink, recovery time suggestions, and estimates on how well youre adjusting to heat and / or altitude. And if youre following a course, ClimbPro will provide on-screen visual data on the remaining ascent distance and slope.

As Garmins largest cycling GPS model, the Edge 1040 leans heavily on its navigation capabilities, with popularity-based routing (based on the companys native Garmin Connect data, not Strava or another third-party provider) and integration with Trailforks for mountain bike use.

And of course, Garmins new Edge 1040 models are compatible with existing Varia accessories (such as the new Varia RCT715 radar and camera unit), and provide on-screen notifications for stuff like calls, text messages, and weather alerts.

Hopefully you’re never lost in the desert for more than 100 hours, but assuming you’ve got provisions, a clear view of the sky, and some maps preloaded, the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar will supposedly last long enough to get you out of there.

Perhaps most interesting, however, is finally! the ability to port over settings from another Edge device so you dont have to re-configure all of your screens, sensors, and ride types. Got your older Edge set up just how you want it? Don’t worry; now the associated app will copy those settings over to your new Edge, too.

We dont have one of the new Edge 1040 models on hand to test just yet, but should have one any day now. In the meantime, theyre available for sale now. Retail price on the Edge 1040 Solar is US $ 750, while the non-solar Edge 1040 is US $ 600 (pricing for other regions is to be confirmed).

More information can be found at www.garmin.com.

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