Lezyne Mini GPS review

When it was launched earlier this year, the Lezyne Mini GPS was the world’s smallest GPS computer. Unfortunately for the German company, Garmin then came along with its Edge 20 to take this title, but that’s no reason to dismiss this excellent little computer.

As you’d expect, the first thing that strikes you about the Lezyne Mini GPS is its size. Just 33.4mm wide and 50.8mm long, this really is a very tiny unit. In fact, there is very little difference in either size or weight compared to the Garmin Edge 20, with the only significant bulk being on the back of the Lezyne Mini GPS, which, at 22.5mm is 7mm deeper than the Garmin.

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In terms of functionality, the Lezyne Mini GPS is also largely comparable to the Edge 20. That means it offers almost everything you’d want from a basic GPS unit, measuring speed, distance, time, average speed, temperature, time of day etc.

However, the one thing you don’t get ANT+ or Bluetooth connectivity (you’ll have to upgrade to the bigger and more powerful Lezyne Power GPS or Super GPS to get those), which means that you can’t connect to heart rate, speed, cadence, or power sensors. If you’re just starting out in cycling, then this is fine, but if you’re looking to take your training a bit more seriously, then you might find yourself needing to upgrade to another unit in the future.

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One area where the Lezyne Mini GPS really excels is the ability to customize the display so it shows the exact metrics you want while out riding. You can have anywhere between two and four metrics on the screen at any one time.

The data appears on lines on the screen, with all but the bottom line remaining fixed. These top lines are set to display speed, time and distance, while you can cycle through other metrics on the bottom line using one of the buttons on the right hand side of the unit.

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The only issue is that because the screen is so small (and because it also shows battery life and GPS strength at the same time as performance metrics) it can be difficult to see the numbers on the screen. This is particularly the case when riding out of the saddle, or when there’s rain on the screen, so if you’ve got bad eyesight, you might have to go for fewer on screen metrics.

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As far as usability goes, the Lezyne Mini GPS is an absolute doddle. You scroll up and down menus using the two buttons on the right of the unit, while the button on the left is used to select options. And while riding, the bottom right button is used to start and stop the ride, and to do laps, the top left button used to scroll through metrics on the bottom line of the screen, and the button on the right to turn the backlight on and off.

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Charging the Lezyne Mini GPS is also dead-easy. The unit uses a mini-USB port, meaning that you probably already have a suitable cable handing around (although one is provided in the box). And battery life is a good 10 hours, two hours more than what’s offered by the Garmin Edge 20.

Mounting the unit is also nice and simple, using an X-lock system which holds the Lezyne Mini GPS securely on your bars. The only downside is because it is not compatible with the almost ubiquitous quarter mount system used by Garmin and others, there are not many out-front mount options available, so you’ll have to stick with Lezyne’s own offering.

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Of course once back from your ride, you’re going to want to upload your stats. Lezyne suggestsyou do this by using their own GPS Root site, which also allows you to analyse all the vital data. The site will sync automatically with Strava, although if you want to, you can cut out the Lezyne middle man altogether.

For more details visit the Upgrade Bikes website.