Swiss company Garmin has unveiled what it claims is its brightest and smartest cycling computer ever.

The Edge1050 has a vibrant touchscreen display, and combines navigation, performance tracking, cycling awareness and smart connectivity with up to 20 hours of battery life in the most demanding use cases and up to 60 hours in battery saver mode.

Features help foster a more cohesive cycling community as cyclists can receive road hazard alerts reported by fellow cyclists and see in-ride messaging and leaderboards during group rides. There are additions such as on-device course creation, Garmin Pay and built-in speaker.

“We are excited to introduce our most capable, high-performing bike computer yet with the Edge 1050,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin (www.garmin.com) vice president. “Delivering an exceptional in-ride experience, superior navigation and community-focused features, our latest cycling computer is made to keep cyclists motivated, whether they’re planning a group ride with friends or a long, solo adventure.”

Improvements to GroupRide let riders stay connected with in-ride messaging, live locations and incident detection alerts that can notify and route fellow riders to a cyclist in need of help. Cyclists can also add competition to their ride with in-ride leaderboards for climbs, plus witty postride awards, including Speed Racer (highest maximum speed), Chatterbox (most heavily using the GroupRide messaging feature), and Worker Bee (most time spent pedalling).

Riders can receive road hazard alerts on-screen that are reported by fellow cyclists – such as potholes or fallen trees – and contribute hazards to help alert other riders.

The refreshed design has angled casing and discrete, all-metal buttons, plus a replaceable quarter-turn mount, complemented by an 8.9cm LCD.

“I’ve seen a lot of Edge iterations over the years and none have ever had me as excited as the 1050,” said Timothy O’Donnell, professional triathlete and Garmin-sponsored athlete. “The user interface on the new Edge is amazing. Whether it’s messages, the weather or Strava segments, everything is quickly available. The new features are amazing as well; I never have to worry about my wallet again with Garmin Pay now on the Edge and being able to create courses on the Edge and finding water stops is a huge plus too. But I have to tip my hat to the built-in speaker – there is a bike bell button! My days of yelling ‘on your left’ are finally over. The new display is insane and it completely changes the experience. The vibrant colours and amazing contrast make the display crisp and easy to see. As an experienced rider, I really appreciate the ease of use of the new Edge 1050. Honestly, new features and tech get harder to use for us old-timers, but the Edge 1050 integrates them perfectly and makes them easily accessible.”

Loaded with training tools, Edge 1050 is ready to help cyclists crush every ride. Free Garmin training plans – such as event adaptive training plans – deliver personalised workouts that adapt based on performance and recovery, while daily suggested workouts provide ride suggestions based on a cyclist’s current training load and VO₂ max.

Insights from Firstbeat Analytics such as VO₂ max, training status, and heat and altitude acclimation can help cyclists evaluate their performance and see how their body is holding up, while features such as cycling ability and course demands allow cyclists to compare their abilities with the demands of a specific course so they can focus their training in the right areas.

Edge 1050 includes premium performance metrics to help cyclists ride smarter. Real-time stamina insights can help cyclists closely monitor and track their exertion levels to help influence training efforts or see how much further the current pace can be maintained. Meanwhile, power guide takes wind data and a cyclist’s current stamina into account to make real-time adjustments to power targets. ClimbPro lets riders see the remaining ascent and grade for each climb – whether riding a course or not – while Climb Explore lets cyclists see nearby climbs on-device or in Garmin Connect. Cycling dynamics provide riders with insights into their performance and mountain bike metrics, including jump count, jump distance, grit and flow, help track every ride.

Safety features include LiveTrack and incident detection, and it is compatible with the Varia line of cycling radars and smart lights, as well as InReach satellite communicators. For year-round riding, it pairs with Tacx indoor smart trainers. It can also be customised with data fields, apps and widgets from the Connect IQ Store smartphone app.

Available now, Edge 1050 (www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1196129) has a suggested retail price of $700.