If you thought the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus is an expensive cycling computer, well, you're in for a big surprise! Garmin has just released the updated version of its flagship bike computer, the Edge 1040, which comes in two versions, Solar and non-Solar, the latter which is... well, let's just say it's not cheap.
The Edge 1040 Solar, admittedly the more exciting model of the two, adds the solar-harvesting Power Glass and multi-band GNSS technology to the already super-capable bike computer, similarly to how the Garmin Fenix 7X and Garmin Epix Gen 2 improved the already brilliant Garmin Fenix 6 Pro.
Clearly, Garmin is on a mission to add solar to all its products and I'm here for it! Who doesn't like long battery life, after all?
Even the non-Solar version of the new Edge 1040 is packed with "state-of-the-art" navigation, performance, safety and connectivity features. The Edge 1040 series also has a "completely refreshed" and modernised user experience, giving people the ability to customise the home page, peruse the improved ride summary view and more – all in a 3.5-inch touchscreen display.
Garmin Edge 1040: Price and availablity
The Garmin Edge 1040 and Edge 1040 Solar were announced on 8 June 2022 and are available to buy from Garmin US, Garmin UK and Garmin AU for a recommended retail price of $749.99/$599.99, £629.99/£519.99 and AU$1299.00/$999.00 (Solar/non-Solar prices).
Twin peaks (left - Edge 1040, right - Edge 1040 Solar)
Garmin Edge 1040 and Edge 1040 Solar: What's new?
There are quite a few new features added to the Edge 1040, even if you discount the Power Glass. But let's talk about that first anyway.
The Power Glass solar charging lens extends the battery life to up to 100 hours in battery saver mode, giving you an additional 42 minutes per hour during daytime riding! You don't even need full sun to make use of the power of the sun: the Power glass can also collect energy on overcast days.
The multi-band GNSS technology improves positional accuracy and coverage, "even in the most challenging environments", Garmin says. Based on my experience with the Fenix 7X which also uses a dual-band multi-GNSS system, I expect the Edge 1040 to pick GPS signal up instantly and never let it go.
The new Cycling Ability and Course Demands feature help classify strengths and weaknesses as a cyclist so you can focus on improvement and prepare for the demands of a specific course. To help you prepare even more appropriately, the Edge 1040's Power Guide recommends power targets to manage efforts throughout a course.
Another feature inherited from the Fenix 7X/Epix Gex is the Real-time Stamina Insights feature that monitors and tracks exertion levels in real-time during a ride.
Garmin Edge 1040 and Edge 1040 Solar: There is more!
The Garmin Edge 1040 series have plenty of returning features to indulge yourself in, including Firstbeat Analytics analytics stuff such as VO2 max, recovery time, training load, training focus and more.
Plus, there are daily workout suggestions based on your current training load and VO2 max. The Edge 1040 Solar can even let you see how your body is holding up in different environments with heat and altitude acclimation insights and recommend in-ride notifications when it’s time to refuel or rehydrate.
You also get ClimbPro which lets riders see the remaining ascent and grade for each climb when following a course and review their performance on the climbs post-ride right from the Edge 1040 Solar or in Garmin Connect.
Are you an MTB rider? The Edge 1040 also includes mountain bike metrics, including jump count, jump distance, hang time, grit and flow track the epic details of every ride.
The Edge 1040 also offers high-contrast, ride-type-specific maps via Trendline popularity routing that highlights popular roads and trails based on billions of miles of ride data that other users have uploaded to Garmin Connect. There is also turn-by-turn navigation and alerts notify riders of sharp curves ahead.
You can pause route guidance and off-course notifications and turn them back on at any time to get back to the original route or starting point. Better still, you can download the Trailforks app to view routes and trail details from more than 80 countries. When using the Trailforks app, Forksight mode automatically displays upcoming forks in the route and where a rider is within a trail network.
There are also a bunch of safety and connectivity features that we'll discuss in the upcoming full review of the Edge 1040. Stay tuned!
