GPS cycle computer for navigation - recommendations?

[ianrauk]

Bottom line is. After many poor Garmin devices I was ready to ditch their machines. I thought I should give them one more go with the Explore 2. It's the best decision I've ever made.
It does what it's suppose to do, its easy to set up, use and follow and the battery lasts for ever. It just works. It's like Garmin finally listened to the punters and put a machine together we wanted rather then using us as beta testers and hoping for the best.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yes, Garmin held all the cards, and by cards I mean the data. Not sure why Strava thought litigation was a good idea.

Probably something to do with their plans to go publicly traded. IPO was supposed to happen this year. Maybe it has and I didn't notice.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My understanding is that is/was the situation. But Garmin are increasingly throwing their weight around and trying to close of their systems as they try and take more of your money. eg Garmin Connect+ a subscription service looks like it's a Strava competitor and Garmin want your money going to them rather than Strava so I would not be surprised to see increasing constraints to try and encourage users to drop Strava and switch to Connect+. But that's just me guessing.

To be fair Strava kicked that off by trying to change their API agreements and claim the data was theirs. Garmin said hang on Strava, you get your data mostly from us via the Garmin Connect API. Then Strava complained when Garmin told them they must attribute data source to Garmin. Despite Strava telling third party developers they must attribute to Strava during their earlier API debacle. Of course in the EU and UK, we just say nope, the data is ours as per data protection act 1984, 1998 and later updates then GDPR in 2018.

Garmin Connect is entirely free and offers far more insight than Strava. Strava is just social sharing.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you don't need performance stuff/power meter etc

Oh it will also work with power meters, heart rate, cadence and radar; display and record it into activity file. Just cannot be used to follow a structured workout. Plus supports Garmin IQ which is brilliant.

 

[Mike_P]

I would dispute that. Perhaps if youre not bike computer savvy, then maybe, otherwise it's pretty simple stuff.

I don't have any problems with Wahoo Bolt but Garmins logic to the interfaces appear often to need a degree in weirdness to understand

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I don't have any problems with Wahoo Bolt but Garmins logic to the interfaces appear often to need a degree in weirdness to understand

I agree but as to whether it's a problem depends to an extent on use. Use it 3 tomes a week on an ongoing basis and you get and stay familiar with it so no problem. Use it rarely with long gaps between use and it van be harder and more challenging.

 

[Oldhippy]

@Mike_P that'll explain why I can use mine. 😁

 

[Dogtrousers]

Getting back on topic, here's the review from cycling uk

 

[rivers]

Very happy with my Coros Dura so far. Battery life is fab, maps are fine- haven't gotten lost following a route yet, map is easy to see/read/decipher between types of path/road/bridleway/etc, the beep is loud, so you can't miss a cue, and you can get voice alerts if you're wearing headphones (I wear bone conducting headphones when solo).
Can connect a variety of devices (power meters, hrm, radar, etc).
Previously used wahoo, Garmin, and lezyne.

 

[StuAff]

Dura is about to replaced- Coros themselves are out of stock & have confirmed a replacement will be released in the next few months. Retailers still have stock.

 

[Mike_P]

Been watching YouTube videos of the Edge Explore 2, at one extreme its the best thing ever for the price, at the other its a waste of money and being sent back for a refund. Does look less of a UI puzzle than a 530. Is everything tweakable using Garmin Connect or do some settings still need to done on it?