GPS Navigation - What are people using?

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

I've only ever owned Lezyne GPS computers since '17, was very happy with my Mega XL until it dropped out of my back pocket without me realising, now using a ~£26 bargain Super GPS from Chain Reaction.

Offline maps was a game changer on the Mega XL and Super GPS, in the past routing has gone crazy when my mobile Three sim lost connection.

There's a few brands on Amazon with lots of features for your money, including Coospo and iGPSport. Nearly bought one when the Super GPS deal came up two years ago.

 

[Psamathe]

I moved to Wahoo and have been delighted with the device. I would never risk my money going back to Garmin. I'm sure Garmin have great products these days but it's the risk factor. Why would I pay £3 - 400 for a product which might be poor? Especially when I can buy a Wahoo with confidence.

Maybe that highlights how much depends on personal experience. I would never trust a Wahoo device again after my 1st tour where I purchased a Wahoo device and mid-tour I would have thrown it in a canal except the store I purchased from said they'd full refund. Ended-up buying only alternative store in Gent (Belgium) had which was a Garmin 1030 and stuck with Garmin ever since.

Issues I had with the Wahoo discussed https://psamathe.net/wahoo-elemnt-navigation-review/. Multiple issues that made it unusable.

Ian

 

[yello]

Are Bryton still around?

 

[lazybloke]

Lots of fans of the Explore 2, i see. I've had one for nearly 2 years and have been mostly happy with it, the software for Garmins has improved no end since i had a 510. It's also much better value for money than the more performance-focused models.

But 3 gripes:
1) Bluetooth sync with the Garmin Connect app on my phone is painfully slow, and has been a common complaint of Garmin devices for years.

2) if i diverge from a planned route, it's slow to recalculate. And if I'm cycling during recalculation it can have a hissy fit and have to start again.

3) there's no digital compass/magnetometer, so it doesnt know which direction i'm facing when GPS reception is weak or if i'm stationary. That's rarely an issue in the countryside, but my recent "London lockdown" ride was VERY urban, and gps went a bit haywire a few times, particularly near Canary Wharf.

And my eyesight has worsened in 2 years to the point where the display options can't entirely compensate for the small screen size; i recently completed a ride wearing reading specs.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Regardless what device you use, the GPS is set a thankless task when you go off route.

It could just do what a car Satnav would do and recalculate to your destination, ignoring the rest of the route. But you probably don't want that.

Or it could backtrack to your last known on-track position, but you probably don't want that either.

So what do you want? Well, you might want to gradually converge on your original route. No, not that gradually! Converge quite quickly. No, no, you're backtracking. Not that quickly.

So it's hard for the GPS to know what you would consider good.

My 530 used to take the approach of just beeping and saying "make a U turn" repeatedly until I found my own way back on track. No, I didn't want that either.

 

[PaulSB]

Maybe that highlights how much depends on personal experience. I would never trust a Wahoo device again after my 1st tour where I purchased a Wahoo device and mid-tour I would have thrown it in a canal except the store I purchased from said they'd full refund. Ended-up buying only alternative store in Gent (Belgium) had which was a Garmin 1030 and stuck with Garmin ever since.

Issues I had with the Wahoo discussed https://psamathe.net/wahoo-elemnt-navigation-review/. Multiple issues that made it unusable.

Ian

I fully agree. I have read your thread previously and understand the frustration. I could write similar about the Garmin 830, though I did have two! I genuinely think you were unlucky but that's all I would dream of saying.

 

[yello]

When it's happened to me, I zoom out so I can see both the intended breadcrumb trail and my current location. As long as I'm alongside-ish of it, and not riding further away, I'm not too bothered. I'll aim to get back when a road appears to offer it.

But, yes, what's a GPS to do? It's only a computer program after all and not a thought reader nor situation assessor.

 

[HLaB]

I've not moved on from my 305 because I simply didn't want to pay the money for features I didn't need. I know it's an age old complaint, that applies in other areas too, but IF Garmin had the same model available today then I'd replace like-for-like. As it is, there's nothing in the current Garmin range that I'd buy, I'd look elsewhere starting with Wahoo.

😮My 305 (and that was a replacement) failed about 12 years ago. Of their current models my Edge 130+ is about the equivalent.

 

[Dadam]

No experience of any other brand but Garmin. I'm quite happy with the Edge Explore 2 so far. I upgraded from a 530 because I didn't need all the training stuff and the screen was a bit small for navigation plus the side buttons were really awkward especially while riding.

Route recalculation was also painful. It would say off course, make a u-turn... and first couple of times, like an idiot I tried to follow the instructions. Ended up u-turning several times and going up and down the same lane. It was slow to react and recalculate and the screen was often too small to see where I went wrong, for example a bridle path entrance on a junction with a couple of other roads. Zooming and panning on the device is too fiddly with the buttons.

I already had a Garmin watch so was used to using Connect phone app and it just syncs the routes easily. The biggest downside so far is you only get 3 profiles, Road, Off-Road and Indoor. So that's 2 profiles really as I don't do indoor. I'd created several profiles with a small number of screens for different rides. For example commuting, or e-bike ride (I don't want blank battery level and assist level fields on a non-assisted ride). It's clearly an artificial limit in software designed to make you get a more expensive device. But I can live with it, the device is really good for the money. I got it under 200 on Amazon in one of the frequent sales. I also got a silicone case which came with 2 glass screen protectors

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Regardless what device you use, the GPS is set a thankless task when you go off route.

It could just do what a car Satnav would do and recalculate to your destination, ignoring the rest of the route. But you probably don't want that.

Or it could backtrack to your last known on-track position, but you probably don't want that either.

So what do you want? Well, you might want to gradually converge on your original route. No, not that gradually! Converge quite quickly. No, no, you're backtracking. Not that quickly.

So it's hard for the GPS to know what you would consider good.

My 530 used to take the approach of just beeping and saying "make a U turn" repeatedly until I found my own way back on track. No, I didn't want that either.

Wahoo seems to (pretty well) follow "the fastest way to rejoin the route".

Often, this involves doubling back to varying degrees, rather than following "fastest way to get back on route whilst minimising extra distance as far as possible" which is what I'd do.

It's very useful in a city, less so in the countryside.

But it's fine, because it shows on the screen, and you can just follow an obviously better route that way if there is one.

The only difficulty is that your original route is shown as a grey overlay, and zoomed in, streets are also grey, which is... ...less than ideal.

 

[Dadam]

Regardless what device you use, the GPS is set a thankless task when you go off route.

It could just do what a car Satnav would do and recalculate to your destination, ignoring the rest of the route. But you probably don't want that.

Or it could backtrack to your last known on-track position, but you probably don't want that either.

So what do you want? Well, you might want to gradually converge on your original route. No, not that gradually! Converge quite quickly. No, no, you're backtracking. Not that quickly.

So it's hard for the GPS to know what you would consider good.

My 530 used to take the approach of just beeping and saying "make a U turn" repeatedly until I found my own way back on track. No, I didn't want that either.

It's a hard problem to fully solve but not too hard to mitigate by giving users more options in config screens. So for example different off-route strategies "route back to last on-track position", "rejoin route further on", "route to destination or next waypoint" with options for always, never and ask me. You could also even allow the user to re-order those options in priority.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It's a hard problem to fully solve but not too hard to mitigate by giving users more options in config screens. So for example different off-route strategies "route back to last on-track position", "rejoin route further on", "route to destination or next waypoint" with options for always, never and ask me. You could also even allow the user to re-order those options in priority.

Good suggestion. Although "to next waypoint" could give funny results, depending on how near/far the waypoint in question is.

You missed out "repeatedly tell user to U-turn, regardless of what direction they're going" which is what my 530 used to do. I've not noticed the 1040 doing that, but maybe I just haven't gone off course much.

 

[yello]

I will go to great lengths (literally) to avoid back tracking. Dunno why, there's almost a belligerence that grips me

 

[8mph]

For mountain biking I'm using a cheap spare phone with Komoot offline maps. For touring I've been using the spare phone and Maps.Me (offline) and have my usual phone with Maps.Me and Google maps. I generally keep the phones off the bike and just pull over to consult the maps.

If I'm touring on my road bike I sometimes download routes from cycle.trave to use Garmin Etrex 30

 

[geocycle]

I will go to great lengths (literally) to avoid back tracking. Dunno why, there's almost a belligerence that grips me

Me too. If I realised I’ve missed a turning just a few hundred metres down a road, I refuse to go back and often carry on for another km or so to get back on course!