GPS: Garmin Etrex. Utterly confused

[dodgy]

There are free maps with contour details, so it's not really a problem. Topo is not aware of most non-arterial routes and will try to route you via main roads as it isn't aware of that quieter option nearby. There is no need to set up lots of 'avoids' with City Navigator. These days I plan my routes on bikehike since they started supporting the gpxx (note - gpxx NOT gpx) format. This means you can create a routable ride on bikehike and export it to your Edge and have a full routable (turn left on acacia avenue, turn right on the high street etc etc) route. Plus you can see the elevation profile before you download.
Also, if you find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings and want to re-route somewhere, all that pre-planned work you did with Topo on your PC is for nothing. There is no way to plan a route on the Edge itself that avoids hills etc, so I'd much rather have the proper road mapping product on my Edge.
You seem happy with your choice though, so who cares

 

[jimboalee]

Yup dodgy, were both happy, so no need for tit-tat slanging

I find Topo knows as much as any other routefinder. It's supported by NAVTEQ.

I have full confidence that if I ask for the shortest route to any town, village or city, the unit will plot me a route that doesn't go out of the way.

I have most of the bike shops in the West Midlands on my 'Home' .gdb.
The Edge 605 will take me the shortest route to any of them, from any of them.
In fact, some of the roads I thought were the shortest (before Garmin),
are now redundant because Garmin has shown me a shorter route.

 

[Cullin]

GPS Track

Hi,
If I want to make a track on or off road, you can hand draw it in with Mapsourse, when you have done, just save it as a .gpx file, you can then send this to your gps.
I hope I have understood what problem you were having and hope this helps.

 

[samid]

Re Topo vs CityNav difference - speaking from my own experience here, for a particular region (in Canada, near Toronto where I live) - Topo simply did not know that a particular route was a highway, and tried to route me via that road - while CityNav knew that, and respecting the "avoid highways" option, plotted me a different route avoiding the highway. Interestingly, the Topo DID know the roads that I could take - apparently, it simly lacked the knowledge that a particular road was a highway.

As for the notion of "highway" - last year, my eTrex Vista HCx loaded with CityNav routed me from Ashington to Edinburgh, and it looked as if it knew perfectly well when A1 became off-limits to bicycles. At least it directed me off A1 at exactly the roundabout where the "no cycles allowed" sign appeared on it, and led me along A199 (IIRC) after that.

 

[jimboalee]

I guess no piece of electronic gadgetry is perfect.

In the days before SatNav, we used to plot the route on a large sheet of paper with the road system printed on it.

Nowadays, even with Garmin Edge and Topo GB, I find it worthwhile viewing and memorising the large sheet of paper before going anywhere I'm unfamiliar with.

After asking for a route on the Unit with Topo GB, its also worthwhile zooming out to see if the route is in the general direction of the destination. Luckily, Topo GB has behaved itself up to now.

With electronic gadgetry that might be suspect, ( Touch wood 'cus Edge 605 hasn't let me down yet) it's worth using a bit of brainpower to formulate a contingency plan. Sadly, this apears to be a dying art.

 

[samid]

With electronic gadgetry that might be suspect, ( Touch wood 'cus Edge 605 hasn't let me down yet) it's worth using a bit of brainpower to formulate a contingency plan.

FWIW, I wholeheartedly agree. I for one would always want a paper map in addition to the GPS if I expect to actually need it (as opposed to just taking it along for fun).

 

[NickM]

every time I read a GPS thread it puts me in doubt about whether to get one. I don't mind mapping routes but it does seem a long way from plug and play technology.

I would agree with you, but for the fact that I got Tracklogs too. The combination works well for me (create track on Tracklogs, squirt down wire into GPS, follow compass arrow either by "trackback" on yellow GPS or by "navigate" on Legend). I have no interest in learning a lot of ins and outs - I just do it the same way each time.

Mapsource (and other non-OS mapping software) is only worth using for Europe, AFAIAC. And then a paper map is really needed for route planning anyway, because Mapsource doesn't distinguish between B-type roads and farm tracks.

And auto-routeing falls into the same category as spell-checking for me - that is, Nick Knows Best!

 

[NickM]

...I for one would always want a paper map in addition to the GPS...

...with Tracklogs you can print off a custom map for the ride

...although that isn't much help if you live in Canada

 

[samid]

...with Tracklogs you can print off a custom map for the ride

...although that isn't much help if you live in Canada

It depends ... My only tour so far was from London to Edinburgh, and my 2nd one - in 3 weeks - is going to be in Scotland

 

[Greenbank]

For map backup just buy a cheap 1:250,000 road atlas (often available at pound shops for, no surprise, £1) and tear out just the appropriate pages.

I needed about 8 A3 pages to cover my route from London to Edinburgh. Luckily they didn't have to venture out of the ziploc waterproof bag they were stuffed in.

 

[NickM]

...my 2nd one - in 3 weeks - is going to be in Scotland

If you stick to the Highlands (or the Southern Uplands) navigation is a piece of cake - there aren't many roads to choose from, and junctions only come along about 3 or 4 times a day

 

[Greenbank]

If you stick to the Highlands (or the Southern Uplands) navigation is a piece of cake - there aren't many roads to choose from, and junctions only come along about 3 or 4 times a day

I did the B709 all the way from Langholm to where it branches of to the B7007 to go towards Edinburgh more directly. 53 miles on one road (albeit with a little jink on the A72 through Innerleithen) but it is a pretty spectacular road to cycle along.