garmin... or smart phone?

[joanna]

I currently have neither - well, i've got a phone, but not a smart phone. I'd love to be able to track my cycling (distance, time, cadence etc) and also to have the ability to view a map, and to be able to see whereabouts I am. I've had a few instances recently where I've become lost, and actually had to stop a cyclist who whisked out his iphone and went directly to googlemaps to help me out. (I actually don't mind getting lost - it's a great way to get to know the area - but not all the time!)

I love the idea of the Garmin Edge 800, but not it's rather hefty pricetag. So I was wondering if there are phone alternatives? To get a smart phone would obviously have more benefits than just to map my ride, so I could just about justify the expense.

I'm new to online mapping etc, but understand that you can save, download previous rides etc, and that there are facilities to view distance/time etc like I've mentioned.

What would be a better buy?

 

[siadwell]

Both have pros and cons.
A smart phone has the advantage of not being a one-trick pony, but you will need a mount if you want to be able to see the screen whilst riding. There are lots of apps for tracking your rides, most of which are free unless you want more advanced features. I use Endomondo and Strava, but my favourite (possibly because it tends to show higher average speeds than the others) is BikeBrain. This also has the advantage of being able to cache maps before you head out (useful if you're in the wilds with no signal). For the moment, I'm happy sticking with my smart phone as it does the trick for me with zero outlay.
Garmins etc are obviously specifically designed for the job in hand so will include a mount and have better battery life and perhaps ergonomics. I think there's a thread discussing the merits of the Garmin Edge Touring somewhere on here.

 

[john59]

A lot will depend on how long you ride for and also what weather conditions. This is where a Garmin will excel, long battery life plus waterproof. You’ve also got your planned route in front of you, so no stopping and getting your phone out.

A smartphone is a useful device, I carry one, but I wouldn’t like to have it attached to my handlebars suffering all that vibration. Plus the battery life is a compromise and it’s not waterproof.


John

 

[uclown2002]

All roads lead to Garmin.

Thread closed.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I started using strava on a smartphone (iPhone) before I had a Garmin. I ended up buying a Garmin... (and subsequently a new smartphone as well when the iPhone died on me)... then updating the Garmin to a better model for the cadence and hrm....

Garmin is the answer... just which one depends on how you ride and if you need to know where you are at all times. I am quite happy to follow my nose and can always find my way home, so the Garmin Edge 200 was great to start of with, except it did not do cadence and hrm which I subsequently wanted, so I now have a Garmin Edge 500. If I am really lost, I can always ask for directions or follow road signs, they often lead to somewhere I can find my way home from... but I don't mind not knowing exactly where I am. If you have to know where you are at all time, then you may want a different model Garmin...

 

[cyberknight]

I use a very basic smartphone , £50 ish that does all i need it to and has maps if i get really lost and use a garmin edge 200 to record my rides .

 

[LimeBurn]

I couldn't be without my Garmin now but then again I'd not be without my smartphone either, both have their uses.

 

[Keith Oates]

The Garmin is the one to get if cycling is your priority and they are good but having said that they can also suffer from faults at times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jack smith]

I use strava on my iphone 5 on an Topeak stem mount, solid mount and it can do cadence heart rate mapping distance average speed ect, then if your ever lost pull up google maps type in your postcode and it will talk to you and direct you with arrows just like a sat nav but the one big downfall is battery life, I turn off my cellular (keeps signal and gps running) and the battery life extends dramatically though. And with the Topeak mount if your ever stuck on the dark you can flip it right up and use your smartphone As a front light, this has saved me on many occasions.

 

[Kies]

Garmin 200,500 or 800 if you want to track your rides, how much data you want will determine which model you buy.
I would buy a smartphone and keep it charged for looking at maps and ringing someone in an emergency. Then buy a Garmin.

Edit: i'll be selling a Garmin 200 on here later today (coincidence i promise) as i bought a Garmin 800

 

[Nicola10]

For some reason my iPhone 5s just doesn't seem to work with Strava, it starts to record the ride and the. After a couple of minutes it just stops? When I had my Samsung galaxy with 3 this never happened but since changing to O2 and the iPhone it's been total rubbish. Any ideas where I'm going wrong?

 

[Mo1959]

For some reason my iPhone 5s just doesn't seem to work with Strava, it starts to record the ride and the. After a couple of minutes it just stops? When I had my Samsung galaxy with 3 this never happened but since changing to O2 and the iPhone it's been total rubbish. Any ideas where I'm going wrong?

I'm not much of a technical whiz but wonder if you have the phone set to not allow apps to run in the background or something? Sorry, can't think of much else.

 

[Cold]

For some reason my iPhone 5s just doesn't seem to work with Strava, it starts to record the ride and the. After a couple of minutes it just stops? When I had my Samsung galaxy with 3 this never happened but since changing to O2 and the iPhone it's been total rubbish. Any ideas where I'm going wrong?

Might be worth deleting it from the phone and then downloading it again.

 

[Easytigers]

I started out with my iPhone but got really frustrated with the battery life and how often it didn't pick up parts of the routes or segments on Strava. Really happy with the Garmin 200. You can get it relatively cheap and it does have a breadcrumb trail map function which is ok if you plan your ride ahead (also carry my phone though just in case I get really stuck/lost)

 

[NormanD]

I use my old galaxy ace (these can be bought on ebay for £25) and the Ultimate tough waterproof case, using the Endomondo app ...works great and has decent battery life too .. you can extend the battery life by buying a power pack for all day riding ..but if there are any problems, then I can just slot my other phone in and use that