The Importance of an Edge When You Are Riding or Racing
An onboard cycling computer is a vital part of your kit. It gives you the data you need. That data could be your power, how far you’ve ridden or how well you’ve done on “your” segment.
With Garmin Edge cycling computers, you have precisely the same information and data that our professional teams have. All our teams use an Edge to manage races and riding and to gain an increase in performance and awareness.
To find out how the Edge is used to the maximum, we sat down with some of our riders and teams to understand how they use them in racing and training.
Michal Kwiato of Team Ineos picks the story up: “The Edge allows us to see the data during the race and be able to analyse it post-race and in training too. Garmin products are benchmarks for all the other companies and I know there are probably a lot of jealous teams and riders out there.”
EF Education First Pro Cycling describes their use of the Edge. Tom Scully says, “In race situations, the Garmin Edge helps me with navigation of the race course. In a lot of the races, we don’t see the course before the start, so without it we’re almost flying blind. We upload a GPX or TCX file of the course, that way when using the mapping screen, we know when we have a direction change. This, in relation to wind direction on the day, is vital information for us as tactics unfold throughout the race. Also, when we are approaching key climbs or cobbled sectors, distance to/from the finish, we can be in optimal position in the peloton.”
Movistar Team agrees, stating, “We utilise stage files on the Edges in all our races. We have the race route and key points along the course on the Edge to help plan and communicate tactics in-race and also for security reasons to keep an eye on the ‘hot points.’ In events such as Paris-Roubaix, this is critical — being in the right position for the upcoming cobblestone sections can be the difference between making the split or not. Same in the mountain stages, particularly when approaching the big climbs.”
As you can see, Edge function is crucial, with mapping being vitally important for all of our teams. To know specifically where they’re going and what that means to the race really contributes to the overall strategy and can contribute specifically to which rider attacks, which doesn’t and how they all stay safe.
