Garmin announced a new GPS in their cycling lineup, the Garmin Edge 500. In comparison with other recent GPS devices in the Edge line, people should take notice of what was left out of the new Edge 500 rather than what was added– and I mean that in a good way. The new Edge 500 is much lighter than other Edge models, coming it a mere two ounces. The blue / white unit is pitched as the best of both worlds and tracks all the core features, including actual positional and speed data as well as the estimated calories burned and amount of climb or descent. User can use it with wireless sensors either specific to Garmin or which support the ANT+ format, such as cadence or heart rate monitors. Cool, eh?

Of course, the users will use that information to improve the calorie rate and other data already being tracked. Garmin Edge 500 Cycling GPS has about 18 hours of battery life and plugs into USB both to recharge as well as to send its data to a Mac or Windows PC. Expect to be able to grace the bars on your bike with a Garmin Edge 500 in December or at least grace the bottom-side of your Christmas tree. The Edge 500 will retail for $250, or $350 when bundled with a heart rate monitor and cadence sensor.

[ via Garmin ]