In a move that's unlikely to be a shock, today Garmin is launching the brand new Edge 540 and Edge 840 bike computers. Although timing was unclear, those who've been paying attention knew this announcement was coming. For one thing, anyone who's spent time shopping for the best bike computer would have noticed the two models haven't gotten an update since 2019. Four years is a lifetime in the world of any consumer electronics and Garmin has hardly been quiet during that time. Then, in case anyone wasn't sure, US retailer Adorama managed to slip up and leak the product listings ahead of time. Still, even with the surprise gone, today is the day we get the details.
In the world of bike computers, this news is as big as it comes. In many ways, Garmin invented the modern bike computer but history has little relevance in the world of technology and every brand remains vulnerable to innovative competition. Garmin might be the market leader in terms of volume but with such a long gap, questions began to emerge around relevance in the mid-range. With today's Edge 540 and Edge 840 release, Garmin looks to answer those questions. The two models are the heart of the Garmin bike computer portfolio and, by extension, the heart of the whole bike computer market.
