GPS with DIY mapping recommendations......

[Richard Fairhurst]

No sign yet! They have a sign-up page for more details of their “Cloud API” (and I’ve signed up), but it’s still “coming soon”.

 

[Blue Hills]

+1. Have just got an eTrex 30x (the one that was advertised on here recently…) as my venerable Edge 705 (the third I owned) has joined the choir invisible. After over ten years of using GPX tracks and getting turn by turn the inability of the new one to do this (well, without metaphorically jumping through various hoops) is somewhat annoying. But, unfortunately, 'faster Edge 705 that takes AA batteries' doesn't exist. For the price I paid, I'll make it work for me. I certainly like the speed of startup, the performance improvements in use, and the fact that there is no risk of it being discarded as e-waste in a few years because the battery's conked out and I can't get a replacement. Most Garmins have those widely available, but the same cannot be said of certain other manufacturers…Hammerhead for one have failed to offer battery replacement themselves, or help users DIY.

continuing the garmin lovefest, i agree, particularly your "and the fact that there is no risk of it being discarded as e-waste in a few years because the battery's conked out and I can't get a replacement."
always amuses me when folk boast about the battery life of some device they have with a built-in battery. For of course it will be ageing/declining from the moment it comes out of the box. And it's a total non issue with an etrex. I got a 20 a few years ago and bought a second hand extra 20 and 20x a year or two ago as spares, so now I can forget the whole tech palaver and just ride. I use the 20x. It does have its oddities - somewhat slow processing can mean I can miss the odd junction at complex roundabouts on the first pass and now and again (rarely) it freezes but soon unfreezed. I just like its bog standard simplicity.
Decent quality low discharge batteries available from Lidl or, better, IKEA.

The fact that it's bigger than some I actually like - very handy as a hand-held when walking around, on public transport, wandering round London.
This place is great for free maps:
http://www.openfietsmap.nl/

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

Continuing the Garmin lovefest, i agree, particularly your "and the fact that there is no risk of it being discarded as e-waste in a few years because the battery's conked out and I can't get a replacement."...

There are quite a few Videos where the battery has been replaced on the 810, I don't personally know anyone who has done it mind you but it looks relatively straightforward. Mine is still OK after 7 years and on the rare occasion I do need longer I have used a powerbank

 

[Blue Hills]

There are quite a few Videos where the battery has been replaced on the 810, I don't personally know anyone who has done it mind you but it looks relatively straightforward. Mine is still OK after 7 years and on the rare occasion I do need longer I have used a powerbank

How long is the battery life though?
Poewerbanks aren't small and connecting them to devices on a bike can permanently damage USB connections.

 

[chriswoody]

I don't know about the 810, but my old 605 will easily last for 12 hours in the saddle and still have a bit left in the battery.

I tend to keep it on the computer screen mode, so it just shows current speed and a few other metrics, all in black and white, so it's low battery usage. When a turn is coming up, it will beep at me to warn me and then show a colour render of the map section covering the turn, which is more than sufficient for accurate navigation. I also don't run any other sensors so that also helps keep battery usage low.

On tour I will occasionally flick onto the colour map and follow it for a short while if there are a number of turns in a short space to make, however, even doing this I can comfortably make it through a long day on one charge. Then at night I'll plug it into the powerbank and charge it back up ready for the next day.

If and when the battery does finally give up, I'm planning on following one of the videos to see if I can't replace it. I figured it's got to be worth a go.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

How long is the battery life though? Power banks aren't small and connecting them to devices on a bike can permanently damage USB connections.

The "battery life" as in runtime of my 810 is listed as 15 hours, but don't expect that following a course; "battery life" as in lifespan I don't know as I haven't personally got there yet. l still have the original battery after seven years, it's not as good as it was when new but I will still comfortably get about 7 hours following a course with tbt directions on the map screen; longer if just using one of the data screens; to maximise I turn off Bluetooth and screen brightness to minimum yet it's still sufficient to navigate by.

If I needed I will carry a power bank in my bar bag, the USB lead reaches perfectly. Last summer I rode an 8 hour day using tbt on the map screen, mid way around the course I was down to 50% battery so I knew I would be pushing my luck just using the 810's battery reserve so I plugged in the Power Bank. When I got home it had charged back up to 100%, the Powerbank (a Goji G10PBWP17) itself has battery indicator with four LEDs so you know how much charge it has left; it had all four still lit.

I already had that power bank, I didn't buy it with this in mind, it's waterproof and robust but you can get them much smaller, lighter and cheaper, plus I have a USE Exposure light I could use as a powerbank if needed. Yes damaging connections could potentially be an issue, the way I look at it this is an old unit and I'm a bit less precious with it than I once was. I have had that power bank three years and only needed to use it once; most of my long days are on routes I know where I don't need the map screen permanently on, I can easily complete those rides without issue. I've seen a few who use a power bank to top up their device at a rest stop which would help minimise potential damage to the Usb connection.

If cheshirerob in the op is looking the buy brand new then modern GPS units are far more efficient, most of the local riders who like cycling long hours get home with more than enough battery still available. If mine ever deteriorates to state where the unit still works well enough in other respects apart from battery life then just like chriswoody I may consider replacing the battery myself, it does look quite straightforward and if the following video is anything to go by quite successful (click), although I wonder if there was an even longer lasting battery available; as when and if I did replace it that would be ideal.


Battery can be stored in bar bag

Or I can also use my top tube bag

 

[Ming the Merciless]

continuing the garmin lovefest, i agree, particularly your "and the fact that there is no risk of it being discarded as e-waste in a few years because the battery's conked out and I can't get a replacement."
always amuses me when folk boast about the battery life of some device they have with a built-in battery. For of course it will be ageing/declining from the moment it comes out of the box. And it's a total non issue with an etrex. I got a 20 a few years ago and bought a second hand extra 20 and 20x a year or two ago as spares, so now I can forget the whole tech palaver and just ride. I use the 20x. It does have its oddities - somewhat slow processing can mean I can miss the odd junction at complex roundabouts on the first pass and now and again (rarely) it freezes but soon unfreezed. I just like its bog standard simplicity.
Decent quality low discharge batteries available from Lidl or, better, IKEA.

The fact that it's bigger than some I actually like - very handy as a hand-held when walking around, on public transport, wandering round London.
This place is great for free maps:
http://www.openfietsmap.nl/

Indeed you can do a full weeks tour on just one set of AA and an etrex. Take a second set for a two week tour. If you mess up get spare batteries in virtually any shop or garage.

 

[cyberknight]

easy peasy to change the battery on the 800 /810 assuming you have the tools
https://www.subtel.co.uk/Battery-fo...BE49D0DX3-1000mAh-Replacement-bat-923091.html

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

Any indication when Wahoo will open up to other routing sites?
cycle.travel, for example (my fave)

I uploaded a route from cycle.travel to my Wahoo for the first time yesterday. A simpler process than I expected:

a) connect Wahoo device to a USB port on PC
b) download a saved route to PC (GPS / More download options / TCX course)
c) drag and drop TCX file from "download" folder on PC to "Routes" folder on Wahoo device (even if it shows as "unrecognised USB device" you should still be able to find the routes folder)
d) press sync on Wahoo device as per normal, new route will appear flagged "USB"

Used it today, turn by turn instructions worked fine.

Yes the RidewithGPS experience is smoother, but only after spending ages correcting the bizarre routing options it chooses.
Yes the Komoot experience is smoother, but only after spending ages waiting for the damn map to re-load every time you make the slightest adjustment to the route.

 

[carvelos]

I've used Viewranger for years, first on a Nokia running Symbian and then finally joined the Android world and transferred all my purchased map tiles over to the new phone. It's a great app and you can plot routes off or on road on your pc before synching them with the phone.
Have a look at their website for more info https://www.viewranger.com/en-gb
I use it for walking as well it's brilliant

 

[mikeIow]

Just on battery life: went out with some pals yesterday for a wee 25mile pedal.
Stopping to wave at some other pals en route (socially safe), & a coffee stop as well, meant that our (slow!) 2¾ hour ride took an actual 3¾ hours.
Despite all mapping/directions being on, with cadence gizmo linked up....the Wahoo Roam only used up 15% of the battery
Still learning with it (deliberately misleading it a few times just to see how it behaves), but really think it is a very decent GPS for bikes!

 

[Blue Hills]

I uploaded a route from cycle.travel to my Wahoo for the first time yesterday. A simpler process than I expected:

a) connect Wahoo device to a USB port on PC
b) download a saved route to PC (GPS / More download options / TCX course)
c) drag and drop TCX file from "download" folder on PC to "Routes" folder on Wahoo device (even if it shows as "unrecognised USB device" you should still be able to find the routes folder)
d) press sync on Wahoo device as per normal, new route will appear flagged "USB"

Used it today, turn by turn instructions worked fine.

Yes the RidewithGPS experience is smoother, but only after spending ages correcting the bizarre routing options it chooses.
Yes the Komoot experience is smoother, but only after spending ages waiting for the damn map to re-load every time you make the slightest adjustment to the route.

Interesting, but tells me that the wahoo is just the same as the garmin etrexs (tho i use a chromebook) despite its much vaunted wonders, and clever routing, which needs a data connection.

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

Interesting, but tells me that the wahoo is just the same as the garmin etrexs (tho i use a chromebook) despite its much vaunted wonders, and clever routing, which needs a data connection.

I haven't seen many claim that Wahoo's ability to plan its own routes on the device itself (or rather the companion phone app) is particularly good; in my experience it's not.

 

[Blue Hills]

I haven't seen many claim that Wahoo's ability to plan its own routes on the device itself (or rather the companion phone app) is particularly good; in my experience it's not.

Your take is interesting. I have seen plenty of such claims. Am pretty sure there are lots on here, from various cult followers. I have no personal experience of the routing, but it always seems a bit of a cheat to me for folk to sing the praises of the routing convenience if it does it by being connected to the world wide web. Kind of like folk claiming their toaster is better than mine as long as it's allowed to talk to Pluto.

Edit, cycle-travel's routing i find truly excellent.

 

[GoldenLamprey]

Interesting, but tells me that the wahoo is just the same as the garmin etrexs (tho i use a chromebook) despite its much vaunted wonders, and clever routing, which needs a data connection.

No, this is describing the workaround for sites not supported by Wahoo.

For supported sites, like Strava, Komoot and RWGPS, you just plan your route on the site. Getting the routes on the device is a simple matter of pressing the Sync button on the head unit and it imports all routes from all the supported sites. You need no knowledge of file names, filetypes, anything. To use a Chromebook analogy, it is the same as adding a bookmark on one signed-in device and it being available on another signed-in device (except you need to manually press a button with the Wahoo to do that sync).