Ogsarg

I've only been in the Garmin universe since December but I'm starting to wonder if anyone in that company rides a bike. Today I'm about 11-12 miles out from home and notice that the Garmin says 0 MPH, and 0 cadence, timer has stopped, etc. So I stop and don't see any reason for it. I tell it to resume, but it doesn't. Finally I save the ride and as soon as I do that it says there is a software update and do I want to continue or be reminded later. WTF? What could be so dang important that I need to update the s/w in the middle of a ride? So I tell it to remind me and start another ride. An hour or so later, same thing. The update is so freaking important that they can't wait for me to finish the ride!

The garmin software people seem to go out of their way to make their product difficult to use. On a positive note after I did the update, it did not reset my screens like it did after the first time I updated.

If anyone knows how to turn this off, let me know.

Iride01 

Probably two separate issues working together to annoy you. I get the update request with every ride I begin until I update. The timer stopping might be some other oddity. Usually I found those to be a user issue. Or a problem with the interface between the saddle and the device. <grin>

I've been there and done that stuff plenty of times with my Garmin's.... 2 cycling, 5 marine, 1 handheld and a dozen automobile devices.

Did that portion of your ride till it stopped get recorded? If not, then perhaps you never started the timer. On my old Edge 500, there were a few times right after I got it that the thing would quit mid ride and shut down. I eventually discovered that when riding with my hands on the tops of the bars and my brake cable got between my finger and the Edge 500, it didn't take any noticeable pressure to stop the timer and that would trigger an auto shutdown if not noticed in time.

Many times I felt like Garmin was stupid in how they did things, but I almost always found out I was misunderstanding what a feature really did and/or how to use that feature.

But.... it's possible they screwed something up. But usually it's me.

Koyote

Buy a Wahoo.

Ogsarg

It was started and with my install, it would be near impossible to accidentally turn it off. Hard enough to do it intentionally. It saved the ride each time although I'm not sure if it saved the entire distance or only till it stopped reading.

You get a request to update every time you ride? Really? Assuming you ride often, what in the world do they need so many updates for? Sounds like some engineers trying to justify their existence. Smart companies limit how often they do updates unless they discover some major bug and inconveniencing the customer to force them to update is just stupid.

How hard is it to write something into the code to not bug you if you're using the device?

Iride01 

No.

When there is an update available, Every time I turn on the device I get a notification asking if I want to do the update. Since every time I turn the device on, it is at the start of the ride, I naturally don't want to take the unknown amount of time it might delay me to do the update. So I ignore it and do my ride. Forgetting to do the update when finished with the ride, I turn off the device and then next ride.... rinse and repeat.

I did this for about a weeks worth of rides before remembering to do the update at a time more convenient for me.

I don't see that as the big terrible stupid thing you evidently do. There is an update. Unlike days gone by, it's usually better to update things when updates are available.

I think you just need to get used to how these devices work. Some never understand Garmin's ways. I've used Garmin's since the mid to early 2000's. For me they just work and I understand their thinking. If you don't understand their ways, then typically those people get along with Wahoo's.

There is a Garmin Community Forum where you can get and share information or even rant about your specific Garmin device with other users

https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/

Ogsarg

If I had the chance to do the update before the ride, I probably would have, but it didn't ask me about it at the start of the ride. It just freakin stopped working in the middle of the ride. That is what is so annoying. It sounds like this hasn't happened to you so perhaps this is something that is unique to the 530 or maybe just this update. I guess they figure it is my responsibility to check for an update before I start my ride in order to keep this from happening?

I have to use a lot of bad tech as part of my job and yes, you get used to it and get to where you can predict the inane things that companies do, but that doesn't make the product any better. A company as large as Garmin can afford to do better. Thanks for the link. I'll definitely let them know my thoughts.

Tycho Brahe 

Same here. I will get a notification when I turn on the device, which I can ignore. It will continue to ask every time I turn it on. Never in the middle of an activity.

ericcox

Something weird definitely happened - I have a 530 and have never had this happen. I've owned many Garmin products, and while I have had occasional issues, I've never had anything like this. I don't know if it is something with your unit or not, but I've delayed an update before and not had this happen. I normally power on my device and make sure it is connected to my phone well before rides (I use livetrack so my wife can follow - I learned that it's good to open Garmin Connect and make sure the phone is connected before starting), but I've never had it shut off mid-ride.

Atlas Shrugged

The update thing has never been an issue for me and my family members who all ride Garmin. When I turn on my unit and it requests an update I either do it right away or wait until the ride is done. Has the shutdown problem reoccured if not who knows could be an operator issue or just a unique combination of issues. Have had the unit seize once on an extended navigation session (215km) but rebooted and I carried on.

Iride01 

Mine is a Edge 530 too. Been using it since about July or August of last year. Prior to that I used an Edge 500 for over 10 years.

I still think your issue was multiple things. One, just being a new user. Second, it was a new device. There are a lot of things going on with these devices today. Different smartphones used with the phone app present different issues at times as the handle bluetooth connections ever so slightly different that other phones. I've noticed some of that during rides with my Son. He uses a Edge 1030 plus and a Samsung Note 20 or something. I have a Moto G7 I use with my Edge 530. We've both experienced different behaviors sometimes on the device that seems like it might be related to the way the two different Android phones handle things. None of those things a big deal in themselves.

I had some issues with initial setup of my 530. Garmin's initial software on it to connect to phones using a particular version of some of the BT or wifi drivers was messed up. But after Garmin got that fixed they had another update out to solve that issue. Don't remember if you said you'd updated all the software/firmware on the device when you first got it, but if you hadn't before that ride, it perhaps bit you. But still, If it were anything like my issue, then something else was amiss too.

Every time I've had a device stop in the middle of the ride, it's been because I accidentally stopped the timer. With the exception of a few battery depletions. Nothing else. Not saying you didn't have another issue.

The big thing is that strange things happen. When they only happen once, don't worry about it. If they happen more than once, then we can start to figure things out.

CAT7RDR

I am done with Garmin because the elevation +/- is wildly inaccurate and the battery life is only about 4 hours on my Vivoactive watch. Looking at a Lezyne Mega XL to replace it at about $200. Don't need all the bell and whistles, just a basic computer with GPS and accurate elevation.

Seattle Forrest

Much more likely it's an unintended consequence of the many "moving parts" in the software. Between the different phones, 3rd party sensors, variable GPS etc, there are a lot of scenarios.

That said, you should update to v.latest. It may have fixed the bug you experienced and probably has other stability and quality improvements.

Ogsarg

I wouldn't mind so much being told its my fault if you actually had some information to explain my experience. How does my being a new user, effect how the software update works? If you know of some feature or setting or technique that would have prevented a more experienced user from having this problem, please let me know what is.

The device is mounted on the factory out-front mount dead center of the bars and my hands never get anywhere near it. Even if I did for some reason want to put my hands close to it, I have a light mounted to the right making it impossible to hit the start/stop button without intentionally trying. My typical routine is to start it before I get on the bike and stop it after I get off because it's too awkward to do it when on the bike.

As far as the software goes, I did an update in December just after I went through the initial setup of the screens. I don't keep track of what version I'm running so can't tell you what it was. I use the device typically 3-4 days of the week and had not been prompted to do an update till my ride Sunday.

I don't see how the phone interface would effect this but I use an iphone 8 with the latest ios. Garmin connect app was up to date as of about a week ago.

I've raised the issue on the Garmin site as well and was told it shouldn't happen but no explanation as to what could cause it. I'm willing to stick with it for a bit. If stuff like this keeps happening, I'll sell it and just go back to using cyclemeter on my phone. Other than the climbing numbers being inaccurate, I never had a problem with it and it's 1000 times easier to use.

Ogsarg

I did update the software as soon as I got home. I am happy to do updates whenever prompted....other than when I'm out on a ride.

Seattle Forrest

I'd maybe warm the thing up before I changed into my bike clothes, if mine was similarly possessed. It can't screw up the way it did if there isn't an update is my thinking.

Honestly I'd probably do a factory reset assuming it's a software issue in the device. If it happened again, I'd try to get the unit replaced as defective.

Chuck M 

Garmin seems to make good hardware, but apparently the software people screw up hard. And that goes for device firmware and the Garmin Connect software that is used for synching. One other thing I will say is if you do go through an update, reboot the device again after the update is done.

jaxgtr

I specifically left the Garmin world due to the Connect software issues. I swear they inserted bugs into every week but telling you they were fixing them.

base2 

It's not unheard of for radio frequency interference (rfi) from the drivers in led lights to interfere with the inner workings of of bike computers. Square wave is terrible for rfi, it's super cheap to make a super tiny low voltage power supply for small consumer electronics, but very expensive to keep emissions contained. $0.02 manufacturing cost for a chebyshev filter &/or a ferrite choke really adds up & in cycling grams matter.

My guess is radio emissions from your light may very well be getting into & affecting your Garmin. The solution may be to A) Increase the distance between your light & any other device, or B) Buy a better light that complies with FCC emmisions. (It'll probably more expensive than a bargain basement light.)

Carbonfiberboy 

I'm a dinosaur. I do everything the simplest way possible. I have used Garmin 800s for 10 years or so, never a complaint, but I have old-fashioned computer habits. I never plug the Garmin into a computer, instead use a micro card which I put in a reader. I never use Garmin Connect, which seems to have been inspired by devil worship or some such. I ignore the entire Garmin world outside my device. I upload into RidewithGPS, Strava, and TrainingPeaks, all for different reasons, though only one would be enough for the non-demented. I never connect my phone to my Garmin or vice versa. It's in the Why would I do that? category. If I bring a phone, it just sits in my jersey pocket. Maybe that's all too simple, but I like simple because it's harder to screw up.

People seem to want to use their devices in the most complicated way possible, maybe just because it's possible, but possible doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea. We might be able to think of several instances of that.

Seattle Forrest

I don't know why Connect is so maligned, it's pretty good.

Ogsarg

Why would a device that has a battery to drive a LED require a power supply with a square wave output? I know that is sometimes done when the supply voltage is AC but not DC.

base2 

Because to properly drive a 12 volt LED (for example) from a 1.5 volt supply, you first must double the supply to 3 volts, then again to 6 volts, & again to 12 volts. To double DC voltage first requires a conversion to alternating current, travel through capacitors & diodes (to pass in phase/block out phase) to summate to the desired voltage then conversion back to DC to run the LED.

You could, of course run the LED directly from a 6 volt or 12 volt battery sans the voltage doubler circuit, but the light output would be variable with charge level. Which in & of itself is not very desirable, nor carrying around the 4 or 8 double AA batteries a direct from battery system would require. Driving an LED with 1.5v doesn't really light very much...a tail light blinkie at best.

Voltage doubler circuit, homemade.

jaxgtr

Truth....

njkayaker

???

The 800 can't connect to a phone.

Carbonfiberboy 

Thank you for the succinct explanation!