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keef66.
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February 10, 2016 at 5:02 pm #25356
Stumps
This may have been discussed previously but with new devices coming out regularly i was hoping someone would point me in the right direction.
I’m after a GPS system that will show routes and which turn to take etc as, due to shift work, i do a lot of my rides on my own and its a pain working which way to go at times.
I have a basic speedo type system at the moment but want something better.
I’ve looked at the Garmin 810 and 520 however the 1000 is beyond my price range.
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My Garmin Edge Touring Plus
My Garmin Edge Touring Plus is fine if I create a route and import it; reliable turn by turn directions.
I’ve learned that it’s important to turn off Recalculate if you’re doing a circular route, otherwise if it loses satellite reception on the outward leg it will invariably start sending you straight back the way you came to get home.
Also the option of having the device suggest a circular route of a certain distance can be a bit hazardous if you don’t check carefully where it’s proposing to take you. I’ve had too many unscheduled cyclocross events when it’s decided a footpath is cyclable when all the evidence is to the contrary. (And it’s Garmin’s fault; the tracks on the OSM maps are invariably correctly labelled as unsuitable for cycling when I check)
And the option to return home is pretty useless; it plots a straight line! What effing use is that to a road cyclist??
Uplift
Does anyone have experience
Does anyone have experience with the Mio Cyclo units?
Mio Cyclo 500 series looks good value compared with Garmin, I have been considering a purchase recently.
What I would really like is to be able to just ride wherever I want until I’m lost, then hit a button and let the GPS guide me back to where I started on a sensible route. I haven’t yet worked out if that’s possible with either Mio or Garmin Edge
gonedownhill
srchar wrote:gonedownhill wrote:If you’re using Google maps you have to download the map data whilst you’re out on your ride which takes ages and probably won’t work in the sticks, whereas with osmand you already have the maps loaded into your phone and all it has to do is the GPS bit.You can save Google maps data to your handset so that it works without a data connection. Zoom the screen to the area you want to save, then type “ok maps” in the search bar.
That’s cool didn’t know that. If you are doing say a 60 mile ride and do this at a scale big enough to fit the whole ride on does it also save the detail you’d need when you want to zoom right in?
Also seem to remember you can’t load a route into google which is a bit annoying if you want to put a circular route in rather than use one of google’s own calculated routes – they do have a bike option on them to avoid motorways though which is cool.
rnick
I’ve had a touring edge plus
I’ve had a touring edge plus for around 12 months. In summary, I’d describe it as “ok”. Mapping your routes from the Garmin Connect to the device seems to generate too many “bridleway de-tours” and cannot give you a reliable elevation gain. I now use a paper map to pick the route and then enter way points directly into the Garmin. It’s a useful backup device in case you get lost. It’s a robust device, good battery life and you can tailor screens to suit.
I’ve had to upgrade the memory (a few £’s for a SIM card) to allow the seemingly never ending map upgrades from Garmin to be processed. I’ve had endless problems connecting this to a 64bit laptop for updates and now use an old laptop for this. Garmin support can’t resolve this.
I picked mine up for a 50% of RRP offer, so don’t feel too hard done by – but if I’d paid full price I’d be unhappy. All in all – quite a frustrating device – sometimes perfect, sometimes hopeless.
Colin Peyresourde
I have an 800 and the 810,
I have an 800 and the 810, touring and 1000 do the same thing (I think the 700 also). They have a map which you can pre-load a route and follow it using the on-screen map. If you upload the right format it will tell you that a turn is coming up (though this feature has usually been annoying for me).
the 500 and 520 just tell you that a turn is coming up with arrows and street name. If it’s a complicated junction then you may struggle, especially if you don’t know the roads and can’t see a street sign. Even with the maps it can be difficult.
No GPS unit does the same route planning as a car GPS, such as a TomTom. The reason seems to be that no one has invested in a route finder that eliminates motorways and focuses on cycle friendly roads (is there such a thing?)
If you need something to plan routes and guide you the 700/800/810 are what you need. An alternative is the Bryton. My wife has one and they are a bit fiddly.
Bike GPS’s do give you more respect for the technology in your ‘humble’ iPhone. There’s a lot that could be done to improve them. Plotting routes without a computer would be useful (or at least in a way which is more user friendly). On screen manipulation could be better (the 700 and 800 are relatively clunky – though I’m not sure that a rained on iPhone is easy to use.
The main reason for using the ones developed for bikes is the specificity that it brings e.g. Long battery life, coupled with lots of data.
These things are still in their infancy so I imagine they will get better with time. I actually have a Suunto Ambit Sapphire and so I have a choice, but the Garmin is my go to on the bike – though I love the fact that my Suunto (and the 1000) can now channel text messages from your phone into the screen.
700c
or just get a Garmin
or just get a Garmin
srchar
gonedownhill wrote:
gonedownhill wrote:If you’re using Google maps you have to download the map data whilst you’re out on your ride which takes ages and probably won’t work in the sticks, whereas with osmand you already have the maps loaded into your phone and all it has to do is the GPS bit.You can save Google maps data to your handset so that it works without a data connection. Zoom the screen to the area you want to save, then type “ok maps” in the search bar.
Stumps
dave atkinson wrote:do you actually need it to tell you the route instructions?On my 520 (and previously the 1000, and before that the 810) I just:
- create a route
- upload it to the garmin
- go into the route settings, set to always display (yellow and purple work well)
- go into the display, set to night mode (easier to see the line)
- go off and follow the line
I’ve done 300km+ rides like this with only the barest minimum of faffing at awkward junctions
Dave, i’m pretty new to the gps systems so what i’m trying to describe might not be possible on my budget. What you’ve described above is what i want so i’ll give it a go, cheers mate.
rjfrussell
if you have bluetooth smart
if you have bluetooth smart phone then you can get turn by turn directions on a Wahoo RFLKT+ using the ridewithgps app on your phone (which you can keep in your pocket). You have to get the phone out if you want to look at the map, but the directions work pretty well.
If you’re using Google maps
If you’re using Google maps you have to download the map data whilst you’re out on your ride which takes ages and probably won’t work in the sticks, whereas with osmand you already have the maps loaded into your phone and all it has to do is the GPS bit.
JeffBrown
I personally use the garmin
I personally use the garmin edge touring gps, it is very simple to use and has great battery life. There are quite a few other good ones but I try and stick with garmin ones, cause personally I find them more reliable.
Morat
gonedownhill wrote:If you want turn-by-turn instructions and have an android phone then you can do it for free.1. Create a route in strava or garmin connect or whatever will allow you to save it as a .gpx file
2. Download OsmAnd app for free – this is an open source map program which you get 10 free maps with, you can get a map of the whole UK as one download although it will take up about 500Mb of storage on your phone.
3. Open OsmAnd, load the .gpx route and turn the navigation on. You can follow the route overlaid on the map and also have audio instructions (might need an ear piece in to hear properly though).
Pros are that as you have the map already stored on your phone you can see where you are no matter how far away from a 4G signal, and the GPS itself hardly uses any battery so you can go as remote as you want and not have a problem.
Cons are that it’s not the most intuitive app ever and took a little bit of messing about with it for me to get the voice commands. If you want the map displayed on your handlebars you’ll need to get a mount for your phone and having the screen on all the time might cane the battery. Personally I usually have some idea of where I am going so don’t need it for every single turn, and I don’t really mind stopping to check whether I’m lost.
Ingenious! But I’m not sure what that gives your over standard Google Maps?
dave atkinson
caveat on the 520 above is
caveat on the 520 above is that it only has enough memory to store a smaller part of the UK at a decent resolution, the base maps are pretty average.
dave atkinson
do you actually need it to
do you actually need it to tell you the route instructions?
On my 520 (and previously the 1000, and before that the 810) I just:
- create a route
- upload it to the garmin
- go into the route settings, set to always display (yellow and purple work well)
- go into the display, set to night mode (easier to see the line)
- go off and follow the line
I’ve done 300km+ rides like this with only the barest minimum of faffing at awkward junctions
amazon22
If you’re not in a rush, the
If you’re not in a rush, the Wahoo Elemnt looks very promising but is delayed – expect April in the UK now realistically. Upload a route from Strava or ridewithgps and away you go for tbt.
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