The humble Garmin Edge 530 is still the most used cycling computer on Strava - here's why
Strava's Year In Sport Report shows the most used devices of 2023
Strava has lifted the lid on statistics from over 100 million users this month with its 'Year In Sport'. Similar to Spotify Wrapped, Year In Sport allows users to see a satisfactory summary of the kilometers they've covered over the previous 12 months.
But alongside individual statistics, Strava has also released 'The Trend Report', giving away the stats on some more general trends from its army of users, including the most used cycling computer on the platform. Enter: the humble Garmin Edge 530.
The Garmin Edge series has been a dominant force for the last decade, developing a reputation for great functionality and solid build quality, and the Garmin Edge 530 was no exception.
The 530 was first released back in April 2019, and on its release we thought it was "quite possibly the best Garmin cycle computer ever produced", offering all the functionality you really need, with no nonsense.
The Edge 530 foregoes a touchscreen, instead opting for simple button controls, which in my opinion, tend to be much less finicky. You'll find capabilities for GPS navigation, ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity, and various metrics for analysing climbs and even trail riding inside the Garmin Edge 530, all housed inside an IPX7 body with a 2.6" colour screen.
And it's this happy medium on the cost/feature spectrum that we think has led to the popularity of the device. It's worth noting too, that in our most recent cycling computer grouptest, the Edge 530 was still hailed as the best value cycling computer of the older generation units we included in our test.
Unfortunately, Strava has only listed the most used devices for both running and cycling - so the other top-rated cycling computers remain a mystery. Nevertheless, it's clear Garmin's hold on both the cycling computer and smartwatch sector is still substantial.
Alongside the most popular upload devices, Strava also unveiled the top bike brands on the platform. The bike data does rely on users manually updating the current bike of choice in their profile (something which I can say with confidence that I haven't done in well over a year), and provides perhaps some less surprising reading.
In ascending order, the list reads Giant in third place, Specialized in second, and Trek in first - no prizes for guessing those correctly!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Joe is Cycling Weekly's tech writer. He's always had a love for bikes, since first riding a two wheeled steed before the age of four. Years down the line, Joe began racing at 16, and enjoyed great experiences internationally, racing in Italy, Spain and Belgium to name a few locations. Always interested in tech, Joe even piloted his Frankenstein hill climb bike to a Junior National Title in 2018. After taking a step back from elite level racing in April 2022, Joe joined our team as a freelancer, before becoming Tech Writer in May 2023.
-
Stock but not standard: Argonaut Cycles upgrades its stock offering to flagship status; launches carbon gravel wheels
With 13 frame geometries, Argonaut’s high-end stock program aims to streamline the buying process of its handmade bikes
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Claims against bankrupt Sir Bradley Wiggins’s estate double to £2m
Wiggins’s efforts to pursue money through the courts have been paused
By Tom Davidson Published