Garmin’s new Edge 1060 adds voice control, and costs $100 more than the model it replaces
Garmin also launched two cheaper Edge Explore 3 computers and a $999.99 Tacx trainer that moves under the rider. None has yet been independently tested.
Garmin launched the Edge 1060 cycling computer on 20 October, a top-of-the-range bike computer that riders can control by voice. It costs $799.99 in the US, Garmin said; TOUR gives €799.99 in Europe and the5krunner £699.99 in the UK.
That is $100 more than the Edge 1050 cost when it launched, and £50 more in the UK, according to the5krunner. Garmin launched two cheaper navigation computers, the Edge Explore 3 and Explore 3 Plus, and a new indoor trainer, the Tacx Nēra, on the same day.
A microphone on the handlebars
The main change is a built-in microphone. Riders say “Okay, Garmin” followed by a command such as “Report a pothole” or “What is my heart rate?”, Garmin says. Its own release adds that “performance may vary based on riding conditions” and that voice control works only in selected languages. Voice messages can be sent and received through Garmin’s Messenger app, which needs a connected smartphone.
Navigation gains route options that compare suggestions by ride time, elevation and bike type, previews of a route before setting off, alerts for road closures (which need a phone running Garmin Connect) and “Free Flow Routing”, which Garmin says favours routes with fewer stops. The 1060 can also charge a phone or a Varia light from its own battery over USB-C, although Garmin says this is not intended for use while riding.
The case is smaller and lighter: 142 g against 161 g for the Edge 1050, and 11.5 mm shorter, TOUR reported. The 3.5-inch touchscreen and the battery figures are unchanged, at up to 20 hours in demanding use and 60 hours in battery saver mode. Garmin has not listed a subscription for any of the new features.
The5krunner’s verdict was that the 1060 is worth the extra over the 1050 “only if you want voice control and voice messaging”. Several of the 1060’s software features, including GroupRide and Garmin Messenger, are being added to the Edge 1050 in a beta software update released on 20 October, the5krunner reported, but voice control cannot be, because the older unit has no microphone.
Edge Explore 3
The Edge Explore 3 ($399.99, £349.99) and Explore 3 Plus ($499.99, £429.99) replace the Edge Explore 2, launched in July 2022, the5krunner reported. Both get the new route options and road hazard alerts. Only the Plus has the microphone and a speaker, which Garmin says “also acts as a digital bike bell, alerting pedestrians of approaching cyclists”. Garmin rates battery life at up to 16 hours for the Explore 3 and 14 hours for the Plus in demanding use, and 48 hours in battery saver mode.
Tacx Nēra
The Tacx Nēra is a smart trainer with built-in “motion pods” that let the bike move forwards, backwards and from side to side. It costs $999.99, either with a cassette fitted or as a Zwift Ready version with a Zwift Cog and Click controller for virtual shifting. Garmin claims power and cadence accuracy within 1%, sprints up to 2,200 watts and simulated gradients up to 20%.
Virtual shifting in Zwift and ROUVY needs an active subscription to those apps. Buyers get 45 days of Tacx Training’s premium plan free.
What has not been tested
Every performance claim so far comes from Garmin. TOUR and BIKE, the German magazines, both said their reports were based on manufacturer information and that they had not yet tested the Edge 1060. TOUR said a ride test would need to show whether voice commands work reliably at speed, into a headwind and on gravel. It said the same of the Nēra’s power accuracy, how quickly its resistance changes and what the motion pods add in everyday training.
