Is there a sat Nav for bikes?

[Crackle]

Ugh! I like being on a bike for the sense of freedom. Having some gadget telling me where I am would destroy the magic.

I'm with Dave here. I can see the benefit of them off-road, amongst forestry in particular, especially Satmap but on-road I'm still old fashioned. I put my handlebar bag on and stick a map in the folder. I far prefer maps, you see the whole picture, it's far easier to plan a route and you know it'll be right. Experience of satnav in cars tells me they're good for cities but hateful everywhere else.

No, see my previous post. It *adds* to the magic, because you feel free to explore all sorts of roads you might not otherwise whilst not worrying where you are. You get more time to look around and enjoy the scenery too.

I can partially see that but then the best 'exploring' I've done is just to ride a road and see where it leads me. Only when I get home do I look on the map to see where I've been.

The trouble with all these gadgets is they remove your natural instinct to read the road and the scenery, you become slaves to the machine. S'not what cycling is about for me, particulalry touring.

Bonj'll be along in a minute to mention reading moss on trees and aligning your watch with the sun

 

[davidwalton]

I'm with Dave here. I can see the benefit of them off-road, amongst forestry in particular, especially Satmap but on-road I'm still old fashioned. I put my handlebar bag on and stick a map in the folder. I far prefer maps, you see the whole picture, it's far easier to plan a route and you know it'll be right. Experience of satnav in cars tells me they're good for cities but hateful everywhere else.



I can partially see that but then the best 'exploring' I've done is just to ride a road and see where it leads me. Only when I get home do I look on the map to see where I've been.

The trouble with all these gadgets is they remove your natural instinct to read the road and the scenery, you become slaves to the machine. S'not what cycling is about for me, particulalry touring.

Bonj'll be along in a minute to mention reading moss on trees and aligning your watch with the sun

Have to disagree. I didn't spend over £300 on my unit and maps just as a toy. It has a real function, that of getting me about on roads I do not know, as well as getting me back when lost. As BM has also pointed out, it is also very useful for finding and directing you to things you need, like Cash Machines, Super Markets, etc.

As for having a map strapped to the handlebars in a bag, I can't. It would be on my chest, given that is where my handlebars are. However, even with a standard bike, to use a map you must stop every time. Doesn't that make you a slave to the map

Around where I am in Essex, the directions given by the unit have not been wrong in the time I have used it and I don't live in a Town, let alone a City.

You still have to read the road, and your eyes are not glued to the unit any more than another using a paper map. However, I don't have to stop to get directions. I don't have to stop to find my way anywhere. If you like getting lost and struggling to find your way, then do not buy one of these units. To me, that is no fun, and has nothing to do with cycling.

You can go off down any and all roads to see where it goes without looking at the unit if you want.

I see these units as advanced digital maps. They are there as a tool, nothing more, just like a paper map, but last longer, has far more features, and covers much wider area in far more detail.

 

[Crackle]

OK David, I'd forgotten you rode a bent, so yes, no room for handlebar bags.

I still don't understand why you need it for rides in the area you live though. My technique is simply to look at a map pick out a rough route, combine that with my knowledge of the roads I do know and then go out and ride it. I may not know every turn, sometimes I may have to pause and read the road signs, sometimes I have to go back on myself but then after a few times you know the route and the roads. It's all part of the process.

Now say longer day rides, I might carry a map for, I get it a bit more for that but then I tend to choose them in the country, not that many ways to go and if I have to stop to look at the map then it's part of the ride.

Touring, I don't think it matters at all. It's a different pace, chuck all gadgets for that and anyway it's one more thing to have to charge up.

I'm not unconvinced, just not convinced enough to spend £300 on one yet. I also maintain that using units like that, removes you slightly from real world observation. You get lazy and don't pay attention to where you are. It's the same with computers to an extent. I quite often don't turn my computer on and leave my HRM at home. It frees me from looking at the damn thing and chasing my own shadow.

 

[davidwalton]

OK David, I'd forgotten you rode a bent, so yes, no room for handlebar bags.

I still don't understand why you need it for rides in the area you live though. My technique is simply to look at a map pick out a rough route, combine that with my knowledge of the roads I do know and then go out and ride it. I may not know every turn, sometimes I may have to pause and read the road signs, sometimes I have to go back on myself but then after a few times you know the route and the roads. It's all part of the process.

Now say longer day rides, I might carry a map for, I get it a bit more for that but then I tend to choose them in the country, not that many ways to go and if I have to stop to look at the map then it's part of the ride.

Touring, I don't think it matters at all. It's a different pace, chuck all gadgets for that and anyway it's one more thing to have to charge up.

I'm not unconvinced, just not convinced enough to spend £300 on one yet. I also maintain that using units like that, removes you slightly from real world observation. You get lazy and don't pay attention to where you are. It's the same with computers to an extent. I quite often don't turn my computer on and leave my HRM at home. It frees me from looking at the damn thing and chasing my own shadow.

The only local roads I knew before I started riding were the ones I don't want to be on as a cyclists, ie. the big dual carriageways.

Instead of learning a route by map and hoping I get it right, I plan routes in to my unit and when I need to turn it beeps at me. The rest of the time, it has no significance to how I cycle.

There are a lot of minor country lanes around here. Some go somewhere, while others just stop.

I will never agree that getting lost is part of any process other than the desire to get lost.

On Sunday, I will be going out for the first time on a CTC group ride. Where that ends, I then need to get back home from, and I have no idea where the run ends. You would take a map, I'll take my GPS. I see no difference other than what I use is better.

Surely when touring, there is still the requirement to get to the next camp site, hotel, or place to eat, loo, etc. With a continuous life of over 24 hours on my unit with 2 AA batteries, 2 batteries should last at least 3 days, being on 8 hours a day. So for a week, I would need to have 4 AA batteries, and for 2 weeks 8. Takes up so much room, so can understand you not wanting to carry them. Instead, carry lots of different maps to cover the areas you are traveling in.

I have yet to see that I am GETTING lazy, especially as I have just started to cycle. If I were at my old place, I would not have purchased a GPS, as I knew that area very well. Here in Essex though, I don't, and I would rather be concentrating on my cycling instead of whether I may be getting lost if I don't remember to turn somewhere.

 

[Crackle]

The only local roads I knew before I started riding were the ones I don't want to be on as a cyclists, ie. the big dual carriageways.

Instead of learning a route by map and hoping I get it right, I plan routes in to my unit and when I need to turn it beeps at me. The rest of the time, it has no significance to how I cycle.

Got to admit I don't get that. How can you tell from a map how a lane looks. My favourite established longer rides where all picked by just exploring, remembering a lane I liked and designing my route to take it in. So you go past a lane that looks nice and you take it, see where it goes as opposed to slavishly following your satnav.

There are a lot of minor country lanes around here. Some go somewhere, while others just stop.

I will never agree that getting lost is part of any process other than the desire to get lost.

This is true of areas you completely don't know and aren't likely to get to know i.e. off somewhere for a day ride but even if you're vaguely familiar with an area, you know a road is going in the right direction by landmarks etc... It goes the wrong way and you take the next turn left or right which goes back in the direction you want. It doesn't take long to find your way around.

On Sunday, I will be going out for the first time on a CTC group ride. Where that ends, I then need to get back home from, and I have no idea where the run ends. You would take a map, I'll take my GPS. I see no difference other than what I use is better.

Ask someone? Local knowledge is better than a GPS anyday in my view.

Surely when touring, there is still the requirement to get to the next camp site, hotel, or place to eat, loo, etc. With a continuous life of over 24 hours on my unit with 2 AA batteries, 2 batteries should last at least 3 days, being on 8 hours a day. So for a week, I would need to have 4 AA batteries, and for 2 weeks 8. Takes up so much room, so can understand you not wanting to carry them. Instead, carry lots of different maps to cover the areas you are traveling in.

Oh good it takes batteries. So many have chargers. One for your camera, one for your mobile, one for your MP3 etc... And I use 1:250,000 OS maps in Britain for roads, easily good enough, 2 or 3 is the most you'd need. France I might carry more.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of them but everytime I try to justify the thought of one to myself I keep thinking it's not worth the cost.

Now I do know someone with the spatial awareness of a dead bat who'd probably benefit from one but she must not be named

 

[BentMikey]

Who said anything about slavishly following a GPS? That bit is no different to a map, because you could just as slavishly follow your pre-plotted route on the map.

The beauty of GPS is that you don't need to pre-plot anything, the GPS will route and re-route for you on the fly. This frees you up to take any road you like and enjoy your ride. That's still possible with a map, but there's a whole lot more figuring out required.

I don't understand the anti-GPS sentiment here. It's just a map after all, but a clever one that gives you far more information than a map ever can, takes some of the unnecessary load off you, and leaves you more free to ride and enjoy.

 

[Crackle]

Who said anything about slavishly following a GPS? That bit is no different to a map, because you could just as slavishly follow your pre-plotted route on the map.

The beauty of GPS is that you don't need to pre-plot anything, the GPS will route and re-route for you on the fly. This frees you up to take any road you like and enjoy your ride. That's still possible with a map, but there's a whole lot more figuring out required.

No, that's a good point but you still just can't take any road you like, you have some wits about you to know which direction it's going in but I take your point.

You still need a map though, whether it's on a computer or paper doesn't matter. Trying to plot a route on those little screens, seeing contours and village detail is nigh on impossible on a little screen.

I don't understand the anti-GPS sentiment here. It's just a map after all, but a clever one that gives you far more information than a map ever can, takes some of the unnecessary load off you, and leaves you more free to ride and enjoy.

I'm not anti-GPS, I just don't entirely agree with your reasons for having one and I disagree about it freeing you up. It's just something else that needs your attention, when I'd rather be looking up and around and enjoying my ride. In a similiar way, I don't always carry a mobile phone, don't stick music in my ears when I'm out and sometimes don't bother with a cycle computer.

It's the same as hillwalking in Britain. I've walked in some horrendous conditions and never got lost with only the aid of a map, a compass and occasional use of pace counting and yet I've come across many either with no map or consulting a guide book to see which way it says. Now I might well take a GPS on the frozen arctic tundra but I can't really justify one here.

I like the idea of them but I just can't justify one to myself, I accept that you can but just wanted to test my reasoning against yours, that's all.

 

[BentMikey]

Yes, I'm not getting your logic at all, so I'm not sure how your reasoning is testing out!

 

[RedBike]

I find mine invaulable for sportive / audax rides.

On sportives I blindly follow the signs / route directions with little to no idea of where i'm actually going or where I am. Then I miss a turn, or start to panic thinking i've missed a turn.

At this moment I switch the satnav on and tell it to take me to the next food stop / major point on the route (which i've pre-programmed in).

As soon as I see the direction signs / find myself in the notes I turn it back off.

 

[davidwalton]

BTW- I put together cycle routes on the PC using the MapSource software that comes with the unit, not on the unit. I then transfer that route via USB to the unit so I can then use it. My PC monitor is 20" which is just about big enough to see

Now, if I choose to go off route while on a ride, the unit will recalculate to the next waypoint I set to go via automatically, or if there is no way through then advise me to do a U Turn.

The unit it's self is not that much bigger than a large mobile phone, just thicker. It weighs next to nothing compared to everything else, and it is always there as and when I need it.

Sorry, but I am very glad I bought this unit. It has meant I have been able to FULLY explore many of the country lanes that I would have just past if I had to keep on checking a map......and when I need to stop for a break, I can ask it to direct me to the nearest eating place. Don't need local knowledge, or to bother anyone to find my way.

The cycle shop I intend to go to at beginning of next month, when I have some money, for a first service is approx 8.5 miles away, somewhere south of the A13 in some small road in Leigh-On-Sea. I would never of found it without an aid, and doing that by paper map would require many stops. With the GPS, no problem at all.

Apart from cost, I can not see the downside of a GPS that works fully as a road navigator, especially one where it is designed to work in the weather and will run on standard AA batteries that last a good 24 hours.

All depends on what your priorities are and how you make your justification on such expenses.

 

[Joe24]

Maps and GPS are just girlie. Do what i do and just go out and guess.
So far i havent taken a map out with me, but i dont really have anywhere to put one. But i have got alot of knowledge of the some of the main roads around here so i try and work out different ways.
I am thinking of getting a GPS, but not sure which one to get.
One thing i did look at was motorcycle ones. But i dont think the batteries last long on them. Good thing is they have street maps on them.
The reason i would like a GPS is so i could record the route of some of the club rides so i could do them again on my own and not have to worry too much about getting completely lost. Dont mind getting lost, but competely lost is no good.

 

[davidwalton]

Maps and GPS are just girlie. Do what i do and just go out and guess.
So far i havent taken a map out with me, but i dont really have anywhere to put one. But i have got alot of knowledge of the some of the main roads around here so i try and work out different ways.
I am thinking of getting a GPS, but not sure which one to get.
One thing i did look at was motorcycle ones. But i dont think the batteries last long on them. Good thing is they have street maps on them.
The reason i would like a GPS is so i could record the route of some of the club rides so i could do them again on my own and not have to worry too much about getting completely lost. Dont mind getting lost, but competely lost is no good.

So you are a girlie too

With many of the Garmin units, you can record your travels as tracks. Mine also gives me trip distance, avg speed, max speed, etc.

I did look at some designed for Motor Bike, but they are really designed to run from the bike battery rather than a couple of AA's.

 

[simoncc]

The best Sat Nav for bikes is to stop and ask someone the way. Low tech, green, always successful, sociable and very cheap.

 

[davidwalton]

The best Sat Nav for bikes is to stop and ask someone the way. Low tech, green, always successful, sociable and very cheap.

As long as you stop a local. Stop me, and I won't have a clue without my GPS.

 

[wafflycat]

And, as long as you happen to be in an area where there's plenty of folk about. Cycle in many rural parts and you can be cycling for ages without seeing anyone!