Garmin Edge 305 - Route Planning Help

[delb0y]

I currently use the wonderful http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/ route planning site for my 305 Edge. What's great about this site is that when creating a route whenever I click a point on the map a small text box opens into which I can type SO / LT / RT (or whatever abbreviation I want) and this instruction gets added to the GPX file. When I then import this file into the 305 as a Route (as opposed to a Course) and I'm out on the road I get an alert and a countdown before any of these waypoints and then the instruction SO / LT / RT appears on the unit. It's great. I don't need to be looking at the 305 all the time, it beeps, I look down and know whether I need to go straight on, left turn or right turn at the coming junction. It's actually one of my favourite features of the 305 and turns it into a great navigation tool

Alas, the aforementioned Marengo site is closing in May next year so I'm trying to find a site that does something similar. I've looked at Bikely, Biketoaster, Map my Ride, Rde with GPS, and Garmin Connect but none of them have this great feature mentioned above. They all create GPX files but without that option to add the free text abbreviation then I can't use this feature of the 305.

Anyone got any ideas on where I might get a similar Route feature for the 305 after May?

Many thanks,
Derek

 

[HLaB]

Ride With GPS does it automatically if you use a course instead, and you download it as a tcx file, import to training centre and sync with your 305 (I've just did it). Your 305 will automatically count down to the way points, I prefer just to use the map myself. You can use a route but it is limited

 

[delb0y]

Cheers HLaB, does the course automatically advise of the direction to take at the Waypoints? I just created a course / TCX file and couldn't see this data in there?

I hadn't noticed before that I can amend the auto-created text in a Ride with GPS file so this may replicate my existing Route methodology.

Kind regards,
Derek

 

[HLaB]

I cant get a GPS fix to check but I think on the course screen when it says x miles to next way point it also shows a picture of the type (eg a left arrow) but I prefer to use the map so can't fully recall.

 

[HLaB]

Cheers HLaB, does the course automatically advise of the direction to take at the Waypoints? I just created a course / TCX file and couldn't see this data in there?

I hadn't noticed before that I can amend the auto-created text in a Ride with GPS file so this may replicate my existing Route methodology.

Kind regards,
Derek

It beeps and displays the turn, there marginally late though it often doesn't beep till after you've turned, I think you can edit them making them premature in another package but I forget which one.

 

[delb0y]

Sorted!

Couldn't get Courses to give me any navigational help (other than a tiny breadcrumb map that you'd need to be a referee to see) but have managed to get Routes working using the GPX file generated from Ride With GPS. I figured the Comments field auto-generated by RWG would be too long for the 305 to display (it no doubt is) but didn't realise that there's an automatic Left, Right, Straight data field added to the file - and this is what is displayed by the 305 as I approach junctions. Perfect!!

Thanks again,
Derek

 

[GentlyBenevolent]

I used a RWG course on my edge 500 this weekend. I just clicked the waypoints and got turn directions with street names at each junction. I did have a few problems, but these were user-error. Make sure you don't click near junctions, and watch the two five minute route planning videos to make sure you avoid doing the same (the top two on this page: http://ridewithgps.com/help/Route-Planning)

 

[HLaB]

Glad you got it sorted. I prefer the tcx files. Despite RWGPS saying its for the 500/800 it works fine with my 305. There's not much you have to do. Draw the route, download the tcx, open training centre, switch to 'courses', select 'File>Import>All' and then click the 'send to device' button. It a bit slow but it eventually goes to a training screen were I just click OK and ten after another delay goes to a screen with all the courses on your pc and those on the Edge, you just transfer the files you need. Then on the edge go to training>course>name[????] and 'Do Course'. I followed it up to Oakham yesterday 30miles you get a breadcrumb trail to follow on the map and icons at key turns and road names if the map allows (does down south but not in Scotland, its just left, right, straight). The longest track I've followed is 130miles but IIRC the edge struggled with that.

 

[GentlyBenevolent]

The longest track I've followed is 130miles but IIRC the edge struggled with that.

Can you expand on "struggled"? I followed an 80 mile course at the weekend on my edge 500 and it seemed ok for the majority of the time. There were a couple of instances where the breadcrumb trail was slow to draw/stopped drawing for 30 seconds, and when I took a wrong turning and then got back on course it was slow to recognise that (again, about 30 seconds). Apart from the slow drawing, the mistakes were caused by me clicking too close to junctions and clicking in the wrong place - pretty much exactly what it says not to do in the help videos

Is it anything worse than that? I'd hate to be out on a very long course and get stuck.

 

[HLaB]

Can you expand on "struggled"? I followed an 80 mile course at the weekend on my edge 500 and it seemed ok for the majority of the time. There were a couple of instances where the breadcrumb trail was slow to draw/stopped drawing for 30 seconds, and when I took a wrong turning and then got back on course it was slow to recognise that (again, about 30 seconds). Apart from the slow drawing, the mistakes were caused by me clicking too close to junctions and clicking in the wrong place - pretty much exactly what it says not to do in the help videos

Is it anything worse than that? I'd hate to be out on a very long course and get stuck.

I've followed 80 mile courses before or similar a bit slow like what you describe but I think with courses that are too long it starts locking up, iirc it froze the whole length of Loch Tay for 15miles or so, but it could be clicking to close to junctions I'll bear that in mind in future

 

[ianrauk]

I've followed 80 mile courses before or similar a bit slow like what you describe but I think with courses that are too long it starts locking up, iirc it froze the whole length of Loch Tay for 15miles or so, but it could be clicking to close to junctions I'll bear that in mind in future

The 500 does have a well known problem with courses locking up if they are too long. Garmin are fully aware of this (you only have to check the Garmin Forums to see) but refuse to do anything to fix it.

It's the reason I also bought a 200.
I use the 500 for logging of rides, the 200 for following a course.

 

[HLaB]

The 500 does have a well known problem with courses locking up if they are too long. Garmin are fully aware of this (you only have to check the Garmin Forums to see) but refuse to do anything to fix it.

It's the reason I also bought a 200.
I use the 500 for logging of rides, the 200 for following a course.

I've the 305 but it probably suffers from the same problem

 

[ianrauk]

I've the 305 but it probably suffers from the same problem

Strange. Yet the 205 was fine with courses.

 

[HLaB]

Strange. Yet the 205 was fine with courses.

Could be its age , I'm hinting at a 800 for Christmas/Birthday