Bike Nav Recommendations.

[Harril]

Hi All,

I am considering the Mio Cyclo 210 or the Garmin Edge Explore. Any one used either these?

Cheers.

 

[fossyant]

Edge Explore here - upgraded from an acient 705 and 200. Much easier to read the screen and it works with gloves on. Got my Explore for £130, so keep an eye out. Does everything most of us need, the only thing you don't get is power meter connectivity and some of the training programmes. Does what I need ! I didn't use the extras my old 705 had. Having a big clear screen was the best thing about the Explore.

 

[Harril]

Edge Explore here - upgraded from an acient 705 and 200. Much easier to read the screen and it works with gloves on. Got my Explore for £130, so keep an eye out. Does everything most of us need, the only thing you don't get is power meter connectivity and some of the training programmes. Does what I need ! I didn't use the extras my old 705 had. Having a big clear screen was the best thing about the Explore.

I can definitely live without those features, just need something that is predominantly a navigation device. Thanks for your input.

 

[fossyant]

I can definitely live without those features, just need something that is predominantly a navigation device. Thanks for your input.

I like mine. Also auto uploads via your phone to garmin etc. Text alerts or phone call alerts too.

 

[13 rider]

The most popular choices are Wahoo and Garmin and people seem to be in either camp . I'm in the Wahoo camp my bolt has been faultless

 

[PaulSB]

Wahoo.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I can definitely live without those features, just need something that is predominantly a navigation device. Thanks for your input.

I'd suggest to anyone considering a gps device to have a good think about what they want and how they intend to use it.

For example, you say Navigation, I immediately start thinking about:
Will I need the device to create routes or get me back on course?
If I do need it to create routes is that to an address/postcode?
What will I use to create routes such as cycle.travel, RWGPS, Strava etc?
Is my unit compatible with those?
Do I need Turn by Turn directions?
Will I need detailed maps?
Where will I use it? If I go abroad do I need new maps? Are they free? Easy to get?
Screen quality/display.

Then other general things to consider would be battery life, compatibility with charging on the go (powerbank/dynohub?), cabling, support.

Bike gps units are not the same as for cars. On a bike we "feel" a route far more than in a car so the quality of a route can be subjective. Very subjective. On unit route creation or re-routing can be variable because most units do not have the processing capability.

If you're not familiar with the world of bike gps units, you could do worse than try Osmand on your phone. A bit clunky to get a hang of, but a real good introduction to the world of gps. Figure out what's important for you, then pull the trigger on a dedicated unit with confidence.

Good luck!

FWIW, I'm not familiar with either of the units you mentioned.

 

[ade towell]

I'd 2nd this as good advice - I used Osmand on my phone for many years with great success - biggest issues once you've got your head around its slightly unintuitive ways are that my phone screen was hard to see in sunlight and also on longer rides battery life was a problem (50-100 miles). I used a small usb power bank to charge it whenever I had a little break but this winter the phone battery really struggled in the cold (it is 4 years old now) and I caved in and bought the Garmin Edge explorer for £125.
The screen is a decent size for my ageing eyes, you can see it clearly in the sunlight and I can run it for 4-5 hours with the screen on full time., it will last for days on battery save mode when it just comes on before each turn. (Osmand can do this too) The Garmin has its quirks - freaks out when you go a little off course (Osmand was pretty good for this), and you can't reverse the direction of your route very easily (another plus for Osmand) but other than that am happy with it. Seemed to be the best value out of the bike computers if navigation is your main need

 

[Harril]

I'd 2nd this as good advice - I used Osmand on my phone for many years with great success - biggest issues once you've got your head around its slightly unintuitive ways are that my phone screen was hard to see in sunlight and also on longer rides battery life was a problem (50-100 miles). I used a small usb power bank to charge it whenever I had a little break but this winter the phone battery really struggled in the cold (it is 4 years old now) and I caved in and bought the Garmin Edge explorer for £125.
The screen is a decent size for my ageing eyes, you can see it clearly in the sunlight and I can run it for 4-5 hours with the screen on full time., it will last for days on battery save mode when it just comes on before each turn. (Osmand can do this too) The Garmin has its quirks - freaks out when you go a little off course (Osmand was pretty good for this), and you can't reverse the direction of your route very easily (another plus for Osmand) but other than that am happy with it. Seemed to be the best value out of the bike computers if navigation is your main need

Thanks for this. phone battery life is the reason i've decided to go for a dedicated device. I'm leaning towards the Garmin Edge Explore, but the Mio Cyclo210 looks great value.

 

[T4tomo]

Hard to go wrong with a Garmin edge, model dependent on what features you value.. All of these devices are have quirky menu's and stuff that isn't initiative as invented by IT geeks, but once you get used to your specific model they work well.

 

[Harril]

I'd suggest to anyone considering a gps device to have a good think about what they want and how they intend to use it.

For example, you say Navigation, I immediately start thinking about:
Will I need the device to create routes or get me back on course?
If I do need it to create routes is that to an address/postcode?
What will I use to create routes such as cycle.travel, RWGPS, Strava etc?
Is my unit compatible with those?
Do I need Turn by Turn directions?
Will I need detailed maps?
Where will I use it? If I go abroad do I need new maps? Are they free? Easy to get?
Screen quality/display.

Then other general things to consider would be battery life, compatibility with charging on the go (powerbank/dynohub?), cabling, support.

Bike gps units are not the same as for cars. On a bike we "feel" a route far more than in a car so the quality of a route can be subjective. Very subjective. On unit route creation or re-routing can be variable because most units do not have the processing capability.

If you're not familiar with the world of bike gps units, you could do worse than try Osmand on your phone. A bit clunky to get a hang of, but a real good introduction to the world of gps. Figure out what's important for you, then pull the trigger on a dedicated unit with confidence.

Good luck!

FWIW, I'm not familiar with either of the units you mentioned.

I would like a device that has all those features, in a small case and solar powered!

I've been looking into dynohub tech recently, definitely worth considering.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

.... you can't reverse the direction of your route very easily

These are the kinds of small details I'd encourage people to think about.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

I can definitely live without those features, just need something that is predominantly a navigation device. Thanks for your input.

I have an old Garmin 810 and would be happy to update it with another 'Garmin'.

Features wise the Edge® Explore has all I'd need although the extra battery capacity of the 830 would probably sway me (upto 20 v 12 hours). Yes the 830 is more of an investment but my old 810 has lasted 8 years which is not bad for a piece of tech'; which for me would also be a consideration when justifying how much I am prepared to treat myself. The 530 is cheaper and also has 'upto 20 hours' battery life, I do find the 830 touch screen far more intuitive to use than the 530's buttons, plus the deal breaker on my 810 is that the power button has failed!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I would like a device that has all those features, in a small case and solar powered!

I've been looking into dynohub tech recently, definitely worth considering.

Not sure how serious you are on the solar charging, but even in touring mode with a large 3 panel charger on the back rack I wouldn't depend on it. Admittedly, this was a few years ago and tech has improved.

A dynohub is useful, but that will require a converter. Also, check if the unit is compatible with hub charging. Several years ago (so may be out of date) Garmin only supported one (rare & expensive) converter. Garmin units, especially, don't play well with hub charging, from what I've seen. A problem that can be solved by using a powerbank.

However, most gps units have more than enough power for daily rides.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I had a quick look at the Mio you like.

Touchscreen: Not a fan. Can cause problems if using gloves.
Maps: What maps are installed? How easy to get more if you want to take it abroad?
I read that it takes 8 hours of charging for 10 hours of use. For me, for touring use, that's a dealbreaker. I would definitely contact Mio directly and ask about hub charging if you want to go down that road.

Generally, it looks a nifty unit, especially for navigation with different profiles for different road types.
It will take gps files from other planners. However, it seems to require a connection to a PC for transferring routes to the unit. (That wouldn't suit me).
One thing I noticed is that different road types are displayed in different colours. Several years ago a Garmin I tried had similar. In NL, with quite a few roads/bike paths the screen was unintelligible at all but the highest zoom level. Again, tech has changed since then.