Garmin Edge 1040 Solar GPS Cycling Computer

Are you looking for a GPS bike computer that will run as long as your epic adventures? Then the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar could well be the device for you. Boasting built in solar panels—for charging on the go or when resting—this state-of-the-art device, will provide up to 100 hours of charge, in battery-saver mode; during day-to-day usage this would more likely be, a still impressive, 35-40 hours. What’s more GPS accuracy has been increased thanks to the addition of multi-band GNSS technology, so on those big days out on the bike, you can be confident the navigation software won’t let you down.

Incorporating all the usual features you’d expect from a flagship Garmin bike computer, including training and performance metrics, mapping and navigation, data analysis tools, and an intuitive user interface the Edge 1040 Solar, is a hard to beat option.

If think a still exceptional 35-hours battery life is more than adequate for your cycling, check out the Garmin Edge 1040, which is also available as a bundle package Garmin Edge 1040 Bundle.

The Basics

There’s been a number of hardware and software upgrades from the previous Edge 1030 Plus. For starters, the processing power has been boosted, so routes will load and calculate in seconds. Additionally, Garmin have revamped the user interface to make for a cleaner experience.

The Garmin Edge 1040 Solar uses a large, touchscreen display, complemented by three physical buttons to start/stop an activity, lap time, and turn the device on/off. The touchscreen itself is capable of working well rain or shine, gloved or ungloved, enabling you to keep riding whatever the weather.

Another change from previous models is that the mounting point is now aluminium. But fear not, it’s still capable of working in conjunction with regular Garmin mounts and supports the Extended Battery Pack.

Longer Lasting Battery, Faster

For this flagship model, the main event is the introduction of the Power Glass solar charging lens, which enables the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar to charge from the sun. This advancement can extend the battery life to up to 100 hours in battery saver mode or up to 45 hours in demanding use cases. When the sun is shining, this equates to approximately up to 42 minutes per hour in battery saver mode and up to 20 minutes per hour in demanding use cases.

Not only have Garmin increased the battery life of this bike computer, they've also introduced USB-C charging. Meaning you'll have a battery that'll last for up to 100 hours, but when it does run flat, getting it back up to charge will be much quicker.

The Set Up

Out the box you'll be able to get riding quickly, as setting up your Edge 1040 Solar is a doddle. Simply pair it with the Garmin Connect Mobile app, via a smartphone, and that's about it. If you have a an Edge series device already, you can transfer your current sport profiles, data pages, and settings automatically. You can also transfer all the current sensors you have paired to your previous device. But if you want to add new sensors this is a doddle, too. You can easily pair your heart rate monitor, cadence and speed sensor, and power meter, among others, via Bluetooth or Ant+. Handily, at the end each ride you'll be able to see the battery life for your sensors.

Once you've set up your old profiles, there's endless possibilities for customizing new ones. Create varied activity profiles for training, racing, commuting, mountain biking, or anything else you might like. Add up to ten data fields to your custom pages, so you can keep your eye on all the data you could possibly need, or keep it minimal; the choice is yours. Handily, in this upgraded model, you can edit all the data pages from your smartphone.

Increased GPS Accuracy

Garmin have incorporated multi-band, dual-frequency GNSS GPS into the Edge 1040 Solar; this is widely considered to be the pinnacle of GPS accuracy. When riding in areas that are surrounded by tall buildings, in dense tree cover, or within mountain ranges the addition of multi-band GPS data will produce far more accurate results. However, there is a trade-off with battery life when using multi-band; for typical road rides, “All Systems” or “Base” GPS is recommended and will still provide better accuracy than the previous Edge 1030.

Post Ride

After your ride, Garmin has added a host of new features. You’ll get the usual summary page, detailing the typical aspects of ride length and time. But in addition, there’s an achievements summary page that will show your personal records for a ride, the training impact and load, and recommended recovery time. What’s more, there’s a second page summarizing your routes, training effect, power data, nutrition and hydration data, among others.

And, of course, you can sync your ride with Garmin Connect, via Bluetooth or WiFi, and share this with Strava, Komoot, and a host of other third party apps.

Mapping and Navigation

In terms of the navigation and mapping on offer, the Edge 1040 Solar is a market leading bike computer. You can plot routes on the device itself, making use of Garmin’s popularity data, or import a route from Garmin Connect or third-party apps. Garmin have added a number of points of interest to the device, which you can navigate straight to using the computer. For the off roaders, through partnership with Trailforks, the device has access to thousands of bike specific trails, as well.

Should you stumble off course, fear not, the device will automatically re-route you the most efficient way.

ClimbPro is one of Garmin’s most beloved recent features. With a route uploaded to your device, you will be able to display all the details of climbs on your route, including length, gradient, total ascent, and, crucially, how further you have to go to the top. This is an incredibly useful feature whether you relish a climb or loathe them.

A new feature for this device is Up Ahead way points. This allows you to set markers on a route so you know how far it is to a café stop or summit, or a decisive sprint point.

Training And Performance

Garmin have increased the number of features on offer to the performance minded: with Power Guide you can create training or race plans for a specific course; Cycling Ability will identify your relative cycling strengths; and Real-Time Stamina is a predictor of how far you will be able to ride at a certain intensity and whether you’re likely to be able to sustain this.

Includes

• Edge® 1040 Solar
• Black silicone case
• Mounts (MTB, standard and out-front)
• USB cable
• Tether
• Documentation

Key Features

• Multi-Band GNS GPS enabled for highly accurate ride tracking and navigation
• Power Glass solar charging to extend battery life to up to 100 hours in battery saver mode and 45 hours in demanding conditions.
• Quick and easy set-up. Pretty much sync and go.
• See your strengths as a cyclist, match your ability to the demands of a specific course, and get training plans targeted to specific courses or races
• Use power guide to manage your effort on a course or climb
• Stamina provides information on how long and far you can go on a given intensity, better enabling you to manage your efforts
• Find popular routes and trails in unfamiliar neighbourhoods with Garmin’s route planning by popularity
• Connect to all your favourite smart devices and third part apps, like Strava, TrainingPeaks, Komoot, to name a few
• See workout recommendations, adapted to your current training load
• ClimbPro allows you to see how many climbs are on a given route and how long and steep they are
• For off-road riders, see your jump count, jump distance, and hang time
• Log your nutrition and hydration, and receive prompts on when to eat and drink.

Battery Specifications

Demanding Use (Multi-Band GPS)

• Demanding means Multi-band GPS, four sensors connected, Live Track enabled, an on the map page with a course loaded
• 35 hours or up to 45 hours with solar charging
• Solar charging adds up to 20-minutes per hour during daytime riding

Battery Saver mode

• 70 hours or up to 100 hours with solar charging
• Solar charging adds up to 42-minutes per hour during daytime riding

Compatible Sensors

• Heart Rate (ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart)
• Speed/Cadence (ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart)
• Garmin VIRB (ANT+)
• Cycling Lights (ANT+)
• Cycling Radar (ANT+)
• Cycling Power (ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart)
• Garmin inReach (ANT+)
• Garmin Edge Remote (ANT+)
• Shimano STEPS (Proprietary Shimano ANT)
• eBike (ANT+)
• Gear Shifting (ANT+)
• Shimano Di2 (Proprietary Shimano ANT)
• Smart Trainer (ANT+)