[Jeroen0110]

Hi there,

I’m sure there are plenty that swear by a garmin but I can’t warrant spending yet another £80 on a gadget, plus holder, plus the faff of uploading plus charging etc yawn yawn.

I’ve been using my iPhone and recently switched to cycle meter for the purpose of seeing how fast I’m actually going.

I want to replace the crap top tube bag I have with a proper stem mount so…. Recommendations please!

Or am I about to get gunned and told to buy a garmin?!?! :/

Topic

[Yorkshie Whippet]

Garmin as I refuse to ride
Garmin as I refuse to ride with a phone after crashing and destroying the phone in my back pocket. As for uploading, I do that every other week as I’m not that bothered. Usually do it when route plotting anyway.

[andyp]

Garmin, for the simple fact
Garmin, for the simple fact that I don’t want my phone anywhere near me when I’m on the bike.

[2 Wheeled Idiot]

Garmin, for the simple fact
Garmin, for the simple fact that I don’t want my phone anywhere that it will easily get scrapped in a crash or where all the elements will hit it first….
Also battery life and reliability is better on a Garmin.

[Jeroen0110]

tjm160 wrote:Great thread

tjm160 wrote:

Great thread Jeroen, thanks.

My missus is slowly getting into cycling. I’ve consequently just bought her a HRM/Cadence Sensor and a year of Strava Pro. She doesn’t mind the Garmin (but presently has to borrow mine), but is more keen on using her iPhone. From the little I can find on the web, she appears to need an Ant+ dongle and then, because she has an iPhone 5, another dongle to fit the Ant+ dongle into the iPhone. Is that the solution you are using Jeroen?

I’m personally not convinced of the double dongle solution. So, before shelling out on them and two handlebar mounts (one for MTB and the other for the RB), it would be really good to hear from someone (or even several people) who are using the solution successfully. From the responses in the thread so far, there doesn’t seem too much support for the iPhone solution and those that do use, don’t seem to be using with HRM and Cadence sensor.

Not sure about the cadence and heart rate sensors, not sure they will add very much value to my enjoyment rides. If you are training then yes, I suppose they will. Not for me though.

Currently I have a roswheel top tube bag for the iphone 6, which proves to be semi-crap really as my knees bash the thing from time to time, so have to cycle relatively o-legged. Disastrous on climbs.

I am leaning towards a quad lock for the stem, but hearing (and agreeing with) everyone on battery life I need a solution which also caters for my spare battery back. Perhaps charge up in the back pocket for 30 mins or so during the ride? unsure…

I tested the “turn off all data” thing during my morning commute and in 40mins still used 20% battery. It’s really the screen that drains, not so much the auxiliaries such as wifi, data bluetooth, but I imagine BlueTooth additions will not help matters.

Any other quad lock users here to share their experience/ride times or am I really going to have to fork out for a garm????

[tjm160]

Great thread Jeroen, thanks.
Great thread Jeroen, thanks.

My missus is slowly getting into cycling. I’ve consequently just bought her a HRM/Cadence Sensor and a year of Strava Pro. She doesn’t mind the Garmin (but presently has to borrow mine), but is more keen on using her iPhone. From the little I can find on the web, she appears to need an Ant+ dongle and then, because she has an iPhone 5, another dongle to fit the Ant+ dongle into the iPhone. Is that the solution you are using Jeroen?

I’m personally not convinced of the double dongle solution. So, before shelling out on them and two handlebar mounts (one for MTB and the other for the RB), it would be really good to hear from someone (or even several people) who are using the solution successfully. From the responses in the thread so far, there doesn’t seem too much support for the iPhone solution and those that do use, don’t seem to be using with HRM and Cadence sensor.

[rnick]

I’ve just bought a Garmin
I’ve just bought a Garmin Edge Touring Plus – very disappointed with it as a navigational / route planning device and that’s despite a 50% discount offer. The Garmin Connect / Express route planning web site is rubbish. In terms of ease of use – it’s the Polar opposite to an intuitive Apple / Android device.
However…the battery life is good, it’s waterproof and comes with a nifty mount. I still take a phone with me however….if nothing else to find out where I really am when the Garmin has a moment and taken me of course.
I’d borrow one from a mate for a few days and see how you get on with it.

[BrokenBootneck]

try this
try this https://www.ibattz.com/product/mojo-refuel-aqua-s you would need the quad lock mount though as well.

I went for a garmin though

[pablo]

iPhone for short rides is
iPhone for short rides is probably passable and in many ways better garmin Nav can be clunky. For long rides I,d choose Garmin all the way you don’t want to be 50 miles from home have a major bike problem and find you have a flat battery.
If you want to add sensors to your bike you really need Garmin because of ant+ you can get Bluetooth Low Energy ones but the choice is much less.
I’ve got to be honest I don’t think either is the ideal just works solution but Garmin would edge it for me.

[WhatWouldJesusRide]

I’ve using my iPhone on my
I’ve using my iPhone on my bike because it does a lot more than a dedicated GPS unit and does it better.

The only benefit I can see of a dedicated GPS unit is the great battery life, which can be improved for the iPhone by using an external battery.

I’m using a very small handlebar bag for the battery, [15,000 mAh]. Without the external battery, my iPhone gives me a max of 1hrs 40mins and over 5hrs with it.

I’m using the [url=http://topeak.com/products/PanoBikeAndRideCase/ridecase_mount_rx/]RideCase Mount RX[/url] attached to the stem and the [url=http://topeak.com/products/PanoBikeAndRideCase/weatherproof_ridecase_bn_case/]Weatherproof RideCase[/url].

So far I’ve had two heavy crashes. The iPhone & Topeak gear have survived unscathed.

I’ve tried a number of cases, all of which I’ve sent back due to them being, well, crap.

[Jeroen0110]

quad lock = £25 vs garmin for
quad lock = £25 vs garmin for £80…. and you’d need the phone anyway. any other stem/bar mounts worth considering before making up my mind!?

[CXR94Di2]

Phone apps are great even
Phone apps are great even better than garmin and will last 6+hrs if you want to record your ride but only if the screen is off. If you use a phone for seeing route and other data it is pitiful in duration. That is why every cyclist moves over to garmin and alike.

[dafyddp]

I started with an iPhone but
I started with an iPhone but switched to Garmin too. Aside from battery life, the simpler LCD screen is way more visible in strong sunlight and pressing with buttons is easier than poking a screen if you’re wearing gloves. I have a basic Edge 200, which displays key info (current speed, average speed, distance) and provides sufficient navigation for long distance rides.

[Bazza155]

My Garmin 510 is linked to
My Garmin 510 is linked to the iPhone via bluetooth and will upload to Garmin Connect and Strava at the end of a ride, plus you can connect via USB. Do you have cadence,speed sensors & HR strap…are these Ant+ or bluetooth? If Ant+ then you need another add on for your iPhone. For me, iPhone for calls in emergency and Garmin for biking data.

[KiwiMike]

To replicate the
To replicate the functionality a phone gives you requires purchasing the colour touch-screen 810 or 1000 Garmins. And you still need to take a phone for phone things.

If you have a spare £250-odd, sure, get a Garmin. Otherwise, with a quality mount like Quadlock, maybe using the Universal mount + a 3rd-party case like an Otterbox, Lifeproof or my fave, the Uncommon Safecase, you are sorted both on- and off-bike. Which, let’s face it, you need to be as well.

With judicious management (turn off WiFi, mobile data, turn down screen brightness, turn off screen unless using it for navigation that minute) you can get 18+hrs from an iPhone. Or carry a small extra battery and go for days. The Topeak one is genius and does 2.5 charges from flat for an iPhone 5. It will run an iPhone in full-brightness always-on all data-on for 16hrs and still leave you with 100% battery.

There’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to the Garmin-vs.-Phone conundrum – just what works for YOU and YOUR riding needs, TODAY.

[Jeroen0110]

I’m definitely for the 1
I’m definitely for the 1 solution fits all. Hearing everyone on battery life but I’ve used it for hours on end with little problem, if you turn off 4g and wifi you do seem to get a long way. Won’t get maps up in a hurry if at all but you can’t on a basic garmin either surely…

However still open to the idea of a garmin, what is it just a USB hookup to of to upload data? And how much data does it store, does it need to be connected to a pc after every ride?

What are people paying for a 200, about £80 plus another £20 for the mount?

[Author]

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