Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation, Transportation, Features, Interviews

One of the things in this year’s tour that is really making an impression on me is riders choosing to make their bike heavier.  Normally, cyclists (or any endurance athletes) strive to have nothing extra.  No cost is too big, no weight savings too small.  So when you have more and more Tour riders choosing to put a Garmin GPS and a PowerTap hub, it deserves a closer look.

I had the chance to interview Jake Jacobson, Garmin’s Senior Media Relations Specialist, who is actually in France with the Tour riders, the lucky guy.  He was gracious enough to answer my questions despite moving from town to town in the French countryside following the action.

I’ll point out here that saying Garmin’s hundreds of thousands of dollar investment in the Garmin-Chipotle team was a move into a niche market was probably not the wisest of moves for me.  Luckily, Jake didn’t hold against me and was gracious enough to answer anyway.

Gadgetell:  What does the Garmin team like most about their Edge 705?  What competitive advantage do they feel they get from this gear?

Jacobson:  The cyclists and staff of Team Garmin appreciate the options and data provided to them by the Edge 705. As David Millar and other cyclists have said on several occasions, they simply want as much information as possible and the flexibility to display it and analyze it as they see fit. And whether they’re glancing down at their power metrics during a time trial or studying their stats hours after the ride is over, Team Garmin has embraced the training and racing advantages offered by the Edge 705.

Gadgetell: Garmin’s sponsorship of a team is a pretty big move as is expanding the edge line to four units, where does Garmin see this niche headed?

Jacobson: These days, describing cycling and/or the fitness world as “niche” marketing is a bit of an understatement. During the three weeks of the Tour de France, more than 20 million roadside fans and 110 million daily television viewers are expected to watch extensive coverage of Team Garmin. Each year, cycling coverage reaches 4 billion people, a number that is sure to grow as cycling emerges as an easy and enjoyable solution to global challenges associated with the environment and health issues. Riding a bike helps you “go green” and get exercise at the same time. The benefits of GPS-based data when using the Edge and/or Forerunner products quickly become evident whether users are participating in a walk on the weekend or the world’s biggest endurance race.

Gadgetell: Historically, cycling companies and tech companies to some extent, have shunned working with other makers.  Garmin has broken this idea with the ANT+Sport wireless concept that connects the Garmin unit with other products.  Who else will be offering components that support this connectivity? 

Jacobson: Because ANT+ is an open protocol, we welcome component makers to work with us in creating compatible devices. Currently SRM, Saris and Quarq are enjoying the benefits of working with ANT+, and interest grows with each day that the Edge 705 turns heads on the Tour de France.

Big thanks go out to Jake and Garmin for taking time out of their busy Tour schedule.

Company site: [Garmin]

Photo by Jerzy Snowman

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