GPS recommendations...

[Ming the Merciless]

Most Audax riders would, I think, turn the feature off.

Yep, route and course recalc turned off. Just alert if gone off route Or course.

 

[kingrollo]

Problem with asking this question is that views can get a bit tribal. Think Microsoft v apple , Apple v Android.

I've owned both Garmin and wahoo devices. Both serve my needs.

I would say the wahoo is easier to use and the interface is laid out in a more logical way.

That said when the time comes to buy again I don't think I will buy wahoo.

I find the auto pause notification annoying as it covers half the screen - at a time when you are most likely to want to glance at your stats - ie pausing at a junction.

I get the odd weird gps reading - the other day it recorded my top speed as 60mph !!!! - and some times it picks up the start point from a seemingly random location.

The other reason is that I feel any major advances in tech will come from Garmin and given that ANT+ development appears to have been stalled you could find yourself locked out.

 

[PaulSB]

Problem with asking this question is that views can get a bit tribal. Think Microsoft v apple , Apple v Android.

I've owned both Garmin and wahoo devices. Both serve my needs.

I would say the wahoo is easier to use and the interface is laid out in a more logical way.

That said when the time comes to buy again I don't think I will buy wahoo.

I find the auto pause notification annoying as it covers half the screen - at a time when you are most likely to want to glance at your stats - ie pausing at a junction.

I get the odd weird gps reading - the other day it recorded my top speed as 60mph !!!! - and some times it picks up the start point from a seemingly random location.

The other reason is that I feel any major advances in tech will come from Garmin and given that ANT+ development appears to have been stalled you could find yourself locked out.

I think you're implying Wahoo users would be locked out? Could you expand on this please?

My Wahoo connects via Bluetooth if needed so I wouldn't have thought ANT+ stalling would have an impact. That said I'm not really very sure what ANT+ is or does......other than connecting some devices in some way.

 

[kingrollo]

I think you're implying Wahoo users would be locked out? Could you expand on this please?

My Wahoo connects via Bluetooth if needed so I wouldn't have thought ANT+ stalling would have an impact. That said I'm not really very sure what ANT+ is or does......other than connecting some devices in some way.

A lot of latest developments from Garmin not only require a Garmin head unit but a particular level of head unit.

IMO the idea that everything will work because a device is ANT+ is begining to fade

Obviously that won't affect the functionality you have now. But future enhancements from Garmin may only work on Garmin.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I think you're implying Wahoo users would be locked out? Could you expand on this please?

Whilst I use Garmin (couple for cycling) and won't use Wahoo, Garmin certainly have shortcomings and to me seem to be getting increasingly "closed".

Good example is their Garmin Connect platform (pretty central to most of their cycling GPSs). Record a walk using eg Polar Flow app on a smartphone and try and import it (through the Garmin Connect import mechanism) and Garmin Connect refuses ... but manually edit the "Polar" entry out of the .tcx file and it will import. To me Garmin have closed-off their systems to competitors.

As well as cycling I'll sometimes head out on a walk (maybe 10 miles) but seems a waste of money to buy a Garmin GPS just to record the walk just to get it into Garmin's Platform so I use the Polar app on my smartphone which means Garmin won't take in the data = increasingly closed system.

For me, I don't like tying myself into specific company platforms. I avoid software that doesn't include some export/import to comminly available formats, etc. Can't be 100% but one thing you can be sure of is that all these companies primary interest is in separating you from your money and locking you into their "platform" is a major step in that direction and making you vulnerable to their pricing.

Different manufacturers will always leap-frog each other, different manufacturers will adopt new/improved technologies some sooner others dragging their feet. Avoiding being locked-in to one manufacturer gives you the flexibility, particularly as often you can't chose when you need a new device (eg old one dropped and broken, stolen, etc.)

 

[PaulSB]

A lot of latest developments from Garmin not only require a Garmin head unit but a particular level of head unit.

IMO the idea that everything will work because a device is ANT+ is begining to fade

Obviously that won't affect the functionality you have now. But future enhancements from Garmin may only work on Garmin.

Ah, yes I get it now. Thanks. For example my Garmin Varia might not connect to my Wahoo as it does now. There is already a development in this direction from Wahoo. The company has introduced the latest version of TRACKR radar. It offers many interesting features which I would love to have. All the standard features are available on just about any Wahoo unit....................the new sexy features only work with the very latest, new Wahoo units. I'm not about to buy a new Wahoo, the TRACKR does attract me but not enough to ditch my current head unit. It's a bit of a dirty move but an obvious one..................probaly a lesson learned fo Apple.

 

[PaulSB]

@nogoodnamesleft to avoid quoting your entire post. Yes, I agree except for the won't use Wahoo bit! I do recall your issues.

 

[kingrollo]

Living in the traffic dense West Midlands I would like to be alerted to road closures on my route .

Planning a route over about 20 miles inevitably means you will hit some road closures or diversions - wahoo will route you back on track but IME you end up back at the closure you were trying to avoid

 

[oldandslow]

Inclined to agree that I dislike the closed system thing, especially from Garmin. I'm locked into it for now, but maybe I should rethink.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Living in the traffic dense West Midlands I would like to be alerted to road closures on my route .

Planning a route over about 20 miles inevitably means you will hit some road closures or diversions - wahoo will route you back on track but IME you end up back at the closure you were trying to avoid

Back in 2017 Garmin's did the same, treated a route like a treasure hunt, you had to cover every inch of the route. The (gradually) things improved and it started routing back to route more sensibly. But recent releases it's reverted back to "Treasure Hunt" and keeps routing you back to the closure.

I've found with Garmin, software updates are like buying a lottery ticket, you may win. Trouble, although you purchased the device outright with your money Garmin still regard it as their's to do with what they want when they want. So avoiding software updates is difficult and a software update can do anything from bricking your entire device to even (rarely) adding a minor feature you might find useful. But select "Later" when asked about updates and it will later decide just to update without asking again (and choices offered are "Now" or "Later" (you have to close the dialog message without chosing either option to not update (until it asks again in a few days). Polite software update system that respect your choice offer "Skip this version". But that's Garmin's attitude.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Inclined to agree that I dislike the closed system thing, especially from Garmin. I'm locked into it for now, but maybe I should rethink.

For me there are different aspects to "locked-in" eg your data and history are "locked-in" hence I always keep my own locl copy of the ride .gpx file (and .tcx file) so I have the raw data, plus I automatically have every activity exported to (free) Strava (which I don't really use except as info is outside Garmin).

But these companies also gamify the activity and try and push you into forming "Social Groups" to "share your rides with", watch other group members, etc. Bit like your local pub, beer might not be great but all your mates are there so you keep going for social reasons. For me, I keep everything private, can't understand how anybody I know would have any interest in me doing yet another local ride. But the company is trying to create another reason why you feel you have to stay with their systems (and with them getting your money).

 

[oldandslow]

Yes, I agree, I keep records for my interest, but no-one else cares (except for the club mileage competition, but they want a monthly total, not chapter and verse.

It's particularly stuff like the gym and so on, where I can't share two ways without extreme workarounds at least. If I can't share my data for my use, then I may end up putting my data elsewhere.