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You are here: Home / Adventure Race / Test of Mio Cyclo 305 HC

Test of Mio Cyclo 305 HC

26. July 2014 By Bjarke Rosenbeck Leave a Comment

mio cyclo 305-1Mio Cyclo 305 HC is the new flagship model from Mio, containing ALL that your heart desires of functionality from a cycling computer.

It is a GPS-based cycling computer with altimeter, cadence sensor, speed sensor for both wheels and GPS, a heart rate monitor, map and navigation features, all packed into a neat GPS receiver with color touch screen that works even if you have gloves on.

Included in the package are:

GPS bike computer
Pulse Belt
Cadence meter / speedometer – combisensor
Data cable
Charger
Mounting bracket for handlebar or stem

Quality and finish

All parts can easily be mounted on the bike, using the included bracket and strips. The build quality of all included parts is incredibly good! The chest strap is a soft-strap type and sits really well. The GPS is in many ways complete, it can be tailored to suit your every need, and multiple screens can be set up with the info you want displayed… and there are plenty to choose from.

After adjusting the setup to fit my needs, it was time to hit the trails on my MTB!

The built-in map, which is open source, contains all roads and many trails. If you use the bike computer part, the only thing missing, is an option to press a lap-button to display lap times. This is a feature I often use for intervals. When using the navigation unit, it auto-zooms in and out on the map depending on the complexity of the terrain. Pretty handy, because it provides an overview when there are no turns, and zooms in when you are approaching a sharp turn.

Ease of use

mio cyclo 305-1The screen can be clearly read in daylight and it works pretty well in direct sunlight. Battery life is also quite good, typically 10-15 hours of use.

A really cool feature that I have not seen before is the “Surprise Me” feature, where you can enter how far or for how long you would like to cycle, and the GPS suggests three different routes based on your selection.

When you get home, after cycling, it is possible to upload the data to your computer, or Endomondo / Strava profile. When you connect it to the computer, an external device is detected in the same fashion as with a camera or SD-card. The files are then stored in a GPX format, as all current websites and applications for GPS data can handle. The accompanying map can also be seen and easily updated.

That was all the positive things that were to say, it’s probably not hard to guess that Mio Cyclo 305 is a permanent fixture on my bike for the next period of time. The only complaint I have, is the size of the device, as it is slightly larger than the competition, but it comes with a bigger screen, so I guess I can live with the size. The weight is either light nor heavy, the 155 grams can be described as fairly regular for such a device.

Garmin-killer?

mio cyclo 305-2Every time there’s a new cycling GPS on the market, the question has been whether we are dealing with a Garmin killer or a dull copy?

The Mio Cyclo 305 at least puts up a fair fight. Garmin wins in the design category, with it’s slim exterior, but the Mio Cycle is a challenger in a number of other areas.

The advantages of the Mio Cyclo 305 is apparent. The screen is better, the features are top-notch, even compared to the Garmin Edge 800. If you are looking for a product that is intuitive and easy to navigate, it’s my clear impression that Mio delivers, to such an extent I have not seen before in a bike-GPS.

The good: It provides EVERYTHING that you need
The bad: Missing ‘lap’ function and the size
Target segment: Anyone who bikes and wants the best accessory on the market
Overall: An extremely versatile GPS computer of high quality

Originally tested and written by Christian Gammelgaard Olesen for GrejGuide.dk

Filed Under: Adventure Race, Frontnews, Gear test, Mountainbike Tagged With: cycling, GPS, mtb

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