GPS unit best for Navigation

[Amac]

Hi guys,
I wanted to keep an eye out for a 2nd hand GPS cycle computer.
I have done a bit of searching and reading.....but, hey, there is a lot of information and units!
so I thought I would ask here

I currently use a Sat Map Active 10, which I originally bought for walking.
I use this with an handle bar mount, which works well, but it is quite big.

So I have an SD card with OS of GB 1:50 - 1:25 and street view
I can plan the walks on a pc and down load as a gpx file

So I am looking for any recommendations to keep an eye out for that:
Good for navigation
Can be planned on a PC and down load to the unit
I dont need much data - current speed - average speed distance traveled - total time.

Thanks for your help,
Alex

 

[HLaB]

Garmin's Edge 200/20/25, Wahoo do computers the Leyzyne Micro GPS, Bryton 15 and Holux GPSSport are ones that spring to mind.

 

[wajc]

Garmin's Edge 200/20/25, Wahoo do computers the Leyzyne Micro GPS, Bryton 15 and Holux GPSSport are ones that spring to mind.

The OP already has a sat nav with OS maps although he finds it a little on the large size, he's looking for good navigation from the new unit - I don't think he wants any of the above, at best he'll get a breadcrumb trail to follow.

I'd like to be more helpful to the OP but I'm the owner of a Garmin Edge 500 so I'm not best qualified to do this so will leave it to more knowledgeable people.

 

[HLaB]

The OP already has a sat nav with OS maps although he finds it a little on the large size, he's looking for good navigation from the new unit - I don't think he wants any of the above, at best he'll get a breadcrumb trail to follow.

I'd like to be more helpful to the OP but I'm the owner of a Garmin Edge 500 so I'm not best qualified to do this so will leave it to more knowledgeable people.

They say they don't need much data but yes the Garmin base model will just give them breadcrumb maps. They'll have to go to dearer models if they want full mapping. The edge 520 or 530 are the cheapest units that do that. The edge 1030 is their all singing and dancing unit. I think any Wahoo comes with mapping but b&w. Bryton and Holux do similar models to garmin but at a cheaper price.

 

[PaulSB]

The OP already has a sat nav with OS maps although he finds it a little on the large size, he's looking for good navigation from the new unit - I don't think he wants any of the above, at best he'll get a breadcrumb trail to follow.

I'd like to be more helpful to the OP but I'm the owner of a Garmin Edge 500 so I'm not best qualified to do this so will leave it to more knowledgeable people.

I can't comment on any of those except Wahoo which definetely offers mapping and guidance.

Personally I would get a Wahoo. I am comparing it with the Garmin 810 and I feel Wahoo is vastly superior. My Garmin was basically a poor overpriced device which lacked quality software and development. Garmin lived off being the only show in town for a long time and have now been caught out by Wahoo.

Saying the above I gave my son a Garmin Edge Touring. The small amount of time I spent playing with suggested it was a decent unit.

A Whoo will mean you can't use the maps etc. you already own.

You're going to get a million different opinions.

 

[abcd efg]

I can't comment on any of those except Wahoo which definetely offers mapping and guidance.

Personally I would get a Wahoo. I am comparing it with the Garmin 810 and I feel Wahoo is vastly superior. My Garmin was basically a poor overpriced device which lacked quality software and development. Garmin lived off being the only show in town for a long time and have now been caught out by Wahoo.

Saying the above I gave my son a Garmin Edge Touring. The small amount of time I spent playing with suggested it was a decent unit.

A Whoo will mean you can't use the maps etc. you already own.

You're going to get a million different opinions.

I started with an Edge Touring and while it took me (a tech dummie) a while to get to the point of using it properly, I thought it was a really worthwhile unit. Then, about a year ago, I read a review of the Garmin Edge Explore which promised an easier-to-read screen in sunlight so I bought one. This unit was very much better in many more ways than screen readability. If I go off route, deliberately, it pick up almost immediately I rejoin the route. It provides very much more information on the screen than the already large amount that the Edge Touring does. It is bigger than the Edge Touring, but it certainly doesn't get in the way of anything on my bars. Altogether, it is a first class bit of kit.

 

[Amac]

Hi guys,
Thanks for all your replies, I though there may be a few different views
But even so, you guys have narrowed it down a bit, so I can do some more in depth research.
The main features I am looking for:
To be able to l
plan the ride on a pc
Then follow it on the unit.
I have got used to the O/S maps, but I guess I dont need that level of detail , just enough to know where I am, how long till the next turn, where I am in the ride.
But at least you guys have given me an idea, of what to look out for.... cheers

 

[Amac]

I can't comment on any of those except Wahoo which definetely offers mapping and guidance.

Personally I would get a Wahoo. I am comparing it with the Garmin 810 and I feel Wahoo is vastly superior. My Garmin was basically a poor overpriced device which lacked quality software and development. Garmin lived off being the only show in town for a long time and have now been caught out by Wahoo.

Saying the above I gave my son a Garmin Edge Touring. The small amount of time I spent playing with suggested it was a decent unit.

A Whoo will mean you can't use the maps etc. you already own.

You're going to get a million different opinions.

Hi Paul,
which Wahoo model do you have?
Just so i can have a read up on it....cheers.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

@Amac
When it comes to GPS units there can be a lively debate - to put it mildly!

I'd always advise people to think of bike GPS in two parts;the first being the planning, the second the following.

It seems you are happy with your first stage - the planning.
In that case I'd focus on the formats that you can save your planned route in (gpx, tcx etc.) and consider the practicalities of getting that file onto your unit.

It may also be the time to consider a bike route specific planner (another lively debate!) as the mainstream ones will sync easily with mainstream units. Cycle.travel is my go-to planner. Others include RWGPS, Komoot, Strava etc.

As someone who bought a GPS unit specifically for navigation I'd make the following observations:

You'll be buying more than you need, so not a bad idea to think of the future and what feature you might like. For example, my current tour has been documented daily on Strava with photos from the road and has become quite valuable to me. I never thought I would be doing this.

Not all units can keep up with complicated routes in urban areas.

Not all units are suitable for charging from a dynohub, or have tricky or sensitive locations for usb connections if using a powerbank.

Not all units behave the same when going off course.

Visibility in bright daylight should not be a problem for most units, although I have found monochrome displays better.

Battery life is not the same across units or in the way they are used.

The quality of underlying maps varies from simple ones (Wahoo excl Roam) to more detailed (Garmin) with the option of other maps too. That may, or not be an issue for you. Personally, I don't need detailed maps on my unit. In emergency I have Osmand or Google Maps on my phone.

Finally, there is the trickiness factor. Some units/systems have more streamlined software for use.

Finally, I rarely recommend it but there is always the option of using a smartphone and appropriate app. Depending on the app it can be used totally offline. Even a dedicated smartphone and holder will probably work out cheaper than a second hand GPS unit.
While Osmand is clunky and has a steep learning curve it's something you can try for free and will do what you set out in your op. It has a battery saving mode so that it only kicks in when a turn is coming up.

Good luck!

 

[Amac]

@Amac
When it comes to GPS units there can be a lively debate - to put it mildly!

I'd always advise people to think of bike GPS in two parts;the first being the planning, the second the following.

It seems you are happy with your first stage - the planning.
In that case I'd focus on the formats that you can save your planned route in (gpx, tcx etc.) and consider the practicalities of getting that file onto your unit.

It may also be the time to consider a bike route specific planner (another lively debate!) as the mainstream ones will sync easily with mainstream units. Cycle.travel is my go-to planner. Others include RWGPS, Komoot, Strava etc.

As someone who bought a GPS unit specifically for navigation I'd make the following observations:

You'll be buying more than you need, so not a bad idea to think of the future and what feature you might like. For example, my current tour has been documented daily on Strava with photos from the road and has become quite valuable to me. I never thought I would be doing this.

Not all units can keep up with complicated routes in urban areas.

Not all units are suitable for charging from a dynohub, or have tricky or sensitive locations for usb connections if using a powerbank.

Not all units behave the same when going off course.

Visibility in bright daylight should not be a problem for most units, although I have found monochrome displays better.

Battery life is not the same across units or in the way they are used.

The quality of underlying maps varies from simple ones (Wahoo excl Roam) to more detailed (Garmin) with the option of other maps too. That may, or not be an issue for you. Personally, I don't need detailed maps on my unit. In emergency I have Osmand or Google Maps on my phone.

Finally, there is the trickiness factor. Some units/systems have more streamlined software for use.

Finally, I rarely recommend it but there is always the option of using a smartphone and appropriate app. Depending on the app it can be used totally offline. Even a dedicated smartphone and holder will probably work out cheaper than a second hand GPS unit.
While Osmand is clunky and has a steep learning curve it's something you can try for free and will do what you set out in your op. It has a battery saving mode so that it only kicks in when a turn is coming up.

Good luck!

Hi ya,
Thanks for all the detail, that is helpful as I try and understand all the options, and different units.
My Sat Map Active 10 works well....its just big...works well in towns as well.
Withe software with the unit I can plan routes on OS and Worldwide Cycle maps - then download as a GPX
Whilst I have got used to viewing the OS maps as I ride, I think I could cope with a more basic map on the unit, if I can uploaded a gpx file after planning it on the PC.
As long as the more basic map allowed me to see if I had missed a turn...

I do do not know much about Strava, I will have to find a demo version or in depth review, to work out what it can offer.
my current system with the Active 10 is good, as long as I can upload a a gpx file
You are right about the sunlight and the displays, so your tip with a B/W display is helpful.
That was a good point, I had not thought of as well, in an emergency google maps on the phone would help.
Cheers Alex

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Hi ya,
Thanks for all the detail, that is helpful as I try and understand all the options, and different units.
My Sat Map Active 10 works well....its just big...works well in towns as well.
Withe software with the unit I can plan routes on OS and Worldwide Cycle maps - then download as a GPX
Whilst I have got used to viewing the OS maps as I ride, I think I could cope with a more basic map on the unit, if I can uploaded a gpx file after planning it on the PC.
As long as the more basic map allowed me to see if I had missed a turn...

I tend to follow the school of thought "if it ain't broke don't fix it!"
It seems you're happy with what you have except for the size.
Again, Osmand is probably the closest phone app to your current setup that I am aware of. It has the (huge) advantage of working fully offline allowing you to change your route on the fly.

I do do not know much about Strava, I will have to find a demo version or in depth review, to work out what it can offer.

You can use a basic version of Strave for free. I have no interest in the performance features of it. For it to be useful though it needs to be able to take your ride data from your device. I don't know if your current device allows that.

That was a good point, I had not thought of as well, in an emergency google maps on the phone would help.
Cheers Alex

Google maps is incredibly useful, especially when you save maps to your phone - then all the data is available offline. A bit of research and saving places of interest for yourself increases that usefulness significantly. But you should never rely on it to plan a route in my experience.

 

[ade towell]

Will 2nd everything Hobbes has said above and he will know better than most, check out his adventures in the travelogue section - very inspiring and a great read.
I have been using Osmand on my phone for navigating the last few years and once you get your head around the slightly clumsy interface it has been good at getting me from A to B on a huge number of rides up to 100 miles. It also finds pretty good cycle friendly routes for you (much better than Google maps) and as mentioned you can have it so it only comes on just before you need to turn so won't eat up your phone battery too quickly. I bring along a small usb charger with me and find I never completely run out of battery even if I have the screen on throughout the days ride.
It's not as good in direct sunlight as a dedicated gps unit but you would have to spend a lot of money to get a gps unit with a screen as big and as high resolution for navigating - my fading middle aged eyes struggle with screens any smaller. (I have a Samsung A3 with 4.5" screen)
Cycle.travel is great for planning a route and creating a gpx which you then send to Osmand, but as I say for simply getting from A to B Osmand does a fine job by itself

 

[Amac]

Hi guys, just looking at Osmand on my phone now....two question If I may...
Can you upload a gpx file,? as I have a good few rides already planned out.
also, do you guys have your phone in a bar holder or something like that?
Cheers for the tips..

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Hi guys, just looking at Osmand on my phone now....two question If I may...
Can you upload a gpx file,? as I have a good few rides already planned out.
also, do you guys have your phone in a bar holder or something like that?
Cheers for the tips..

I find the simplest way of uploading a gpx file into OSMand is to locate the file in my file manager app, select it and choose the OSMand option.
You'll find that OSMand "remembers" your most recent files so after the first time I can open them from the Island app in the Dashboard view.

As to the holder I can't make any suggestions other than to search these forums or online. There are many options.

 

[Amac]

Cheers for that, I will give it a go....