[kinderje]

My trusty Garmin 500 is on its way out and I need help deciding what to get next. Not being rude but please don’t suggest Wahoo, Bryton etc as I am happy with Garmin.

I want to use navigation but can’t decide between 530 and 830 – is the 830 touchscreen worth the extra expense?

Also, any views on Edge Explore? I haven’t got a powermeter or cadence sensor so are the 530/830 not really worth the extra expense, or is the battery life of the Explore not as good?

TIA.

 

****UPDATE****

 

Thanks for all the advice I finally took the plunge and bought an 830 – managed to use my wife’s NHS discount and got one for £260. Now to start plotting routes and downloading them?

Topic

[Sriracha]

One, (only one?) benefit of a

janusz0 wrote:

One, (only one?) benefit of a Garmin, is that it’s easier to use in the rain wearing gloves

… whereas the phone gives you a weather forecast ?

[matthewn5]

I love my 520 plus, the

I love my 520 plus, the navigation is excellent and the screen is clear and easy to read. Navigation counts down to turns with plenty of warning. You can create your own routes in Garmin Connect on a PC, and sync them in a flash from the Garmin Connect app on your phone. Texts from my beloved appear on the screen as I’m riding (yes, I like that feature :-*. All in all, a bit of a learning curve to start with, but it’s been a great experience and leads me along routes I’d never have been able to find otherwise.

Yes, the rerouting is a bit slow, but frustratingly it’s always right when it tells me to make a u-turn :))

[janusz0]

DCR was fairly impressed with

DCR was fairly impressed with the Sigma Rox 12.0 when it came out.  I wonder if anyone here is using one and how yo’ve found it.  Also, are there any rumours of a upgraded Rox?

[janusz0]

Unlike a ‘phone, my Garmin

Unlike a ‘phone, my Garmin may ‘lose’ all the satellites if I stop for a pee.  If my ‘phone does this, I’m kept unaware of it.

If my ‘phone recalculates the route, it must be near instantaneous.

One, (only one?) benefit of a Garmin, is that it’s easier to use in the rain wearing gloves

[janusz0]

Well, they’ve never issued a

Well, they’ve never issued a fix for the software on my Garmin, so it may lead you in circles or stubbornly claim to be recalculating the route for the next 20 minutes, by which time your Garmin is hot and the battery is nearly flat.  Is the software in the latest Garmins the same?

Hilariously, when it gets the rerouting right, it may still involve cycling another mile or more down the wrong road, to find a suitable place to do a U-turn!

[IanMSpencer]

Never had a problem with my
Never had a problem with my 800 in the rain, though I do have a screen saver layer on it.
It’s about 8 or 9 years old. The battery on my original started given up after about 6 hours, but this similar aged replacement which hasn’t been used since 2014 is now doing its job (aside from a weird software glitch where displaying turns out randomly pops up another turn).

I’m not sure I’d trust the Hammerhead to be working in 10 years time from my experience with Android device obsolescence.

[mike the bike]

Flâneur wrote:

Mio is OK (not sure what model you mean, I had a 505) but it has its fair share of glitches and the rerouting is shocking.

Mine is the 210.  Very basic but I’ve found it almost completely reliable when re-routing.  It certainly has never sent me back to the last place I was on the route!

It has, on rare occasions, dropped the satellite signals but I guess they all do this.

[wycombewheeler]

zeeridesbikes wrote:

I can echo this too. The rerouting on the Garmin is terrible. Just keeps telling you to ‘make a u turn’ The battry life on the 830 is incredible though and generally very relaible. I swapped in for a Karoo 2 a few months ago and aside from the shorter battery life its much better for my needs as I use the navigation a lot. 

Also you have the option to use the buttons or touch to move the data screens when riding which is great. 

Yes it seems to want to take you back to the last place you were on route, rather than directing to the nearest place you could get back on route.

It’s a bit of a dilema – have turn by turn instructions set to on, and get annoying directions when you are knowingly detouring from route

OR

have turn by turn off and don’t get any warning of an upcoming turn.

[kinderje]

Everything still works okay

Everything still works okay it’s just that the battery life has started to plummet – a 4 hour ride now uses about 75% of the battery

[kinderje]

The amount of time I’ve had

The amount of time I’ve had my 500 – yes I would

But I do like Garmin as I’ve had no problems with it.

[zeeridesbikes]

Karoo 2 also has a version of

Karoo 2 also has a version of this too. Works in much the same way. 

[zeeridesbikes]

I can echo this too. The

I can echo this too. The rerouting on the Garmin is terrible. Just keeps telling you to ‘make a u turn’ The battry life on the 830 is incredible though and generally very relaible. I swapped in for a Karoo 2 a few months ago and aside from the shorter battery life its much better for my needs as I use the navigation a lot. 

Also you have the option to use the buttons or touch to move the data screens when riding which is great. 

[Flâneur]

Chris Hayes wrote:

I’d take a look at the Hammerhead Karoo II if you have the budget.  It’s on a different level to the Garmins you’re considering, though a bit bigger.  I’ve found the touchscreens on the Garmins I’ve owned less than reliable…and the screen / map resolution less than adequate.  With the HKII you get iPhone level resolution….

Hammerhead would also trade in the OP’s G500 for £45 – not sure if the OP would consider that as value or not…

[Flâneur]

Mio is OK (not sure what

Mio is OK (not sure what model you mean, I had a 505) but it has its fair share of glitches and the rerouting is shocking.

[Flâneur]

Secret_squirrel wrote:

I have a similar dilemma.  Want a better navigation device than my Lezyne Mega XL.  Stuck between 530,830 and Hammerhead 2.   Reason the Hammerhead sneaks in is I’ve seen multiple reviews stating the auto rerouting sucks on the Garmins. 
 

Anyone care to comment?

Can’t comment on Garmin’s rerouting (beyond the fact that it was one of the reasons I sent a Garmin unit back as not fit for purpose) but I’ve found the Karoo 2’s rerouting to be impeccable, and it occurs in almost real time.

[Author]

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