Pale Rider
Legendary Member
I am leading a long group ride shortly so have bitten the technophobe bullet and bought my first Garmin to assist with navigation.
Route failure on my own is no problem, but one feels a heavy responsibility when it comes to the possibility of leading others astray.
I had a root around for advice on here and before I lost the will to live, I read the Edge Touring is recommended by a few of the regulars whose opinion on such matters I respect.
A special offer pack is on offer from Halfords for £140, so that's what I have.
Set up proceeded relatively smoothly, although I had to upgrade the ancient operating system on my MacBook.
My main requirement was to pinpoint me and my direction on a map, and the Touring does that.
It's unlikely I will bother plotting my own routes, but a gpx file for the long ride has been emailed to me and appears to have loaded correctly.
The Halfords pack came with two handlebar O-ring mounts and an outfront, handy as I can mount the gadget on my three bikes.
The pack also comes with a silicone cover, not sure of the point of that.
I've used the Garmin on three rides and it performs nicely, although I did lose the maps in the Lake District, possibly due to forest cover in Grizedale.
Battery life was a concern, having read stories of short life.
Garmin quote 14 hours, which might be a touch ambitious, but I've had it on for six hours or so and only used half capacity, so it should last for a long day in the saddle.
The supplied maps are basic, but seem accurate - I was impressed when it told me I was 'On Windermere ferry' when I was.
Much as I like OS Landranger, it's hard to justify another £200 to get them.
My new Garmin even made me smile when it moved into auto pause during a stiff climb.
I was still moving - clearly not as fast as Mr Garmin thinks I should.
Perhaps my expectations from a Garmin were not very high, but I would recommend an Edge Touring to anyone thinking of dipping their toe into the world of gpx devices.
http://www.halfords.com/technology/...al-edition-gps-cycle-computer-with-mount-case
Route failure on my own is no problem, but one feels a heavy responsibility when it comes to the possibility of leading others astray.
I had a root around for advice on here and before I lost the will to live, I read the Edge Touring is recommended by a few of the regulars whose opinion on such matters I respect.
A special offer pack is on offer from Halfords for £140, so that's what I have.
Set up proceeded relatively smoothly, although I had to upgrade the ancient operating system on my MacBook.
My main requirement was to pinpoint me and my direction on a map, and the Touring does that.
It's unlikely I will bother plotting my own routes, but a gpx file for the long ride has been emailed to me and appears to have loaded correctly.
The Halfords pack came with two handlebar O-ring mounts and an outfront, handy as I can mount the gadget on my three bikes.
The pack also comes with a silicone cover, not sure of the point of that.
I've used the Garmin on three rides and it performs nicely, although I did lose the maps in the Lake District, possibly due to forest cover in Grizedale.
Battery life was a concern, having read stories of short life.
Garmin quote 14 hours, which might be a touch ambitious, but I've had it on for six hours or so and only used half capacity, so it should last for a long day in the saddle.
The supplied maps are basic, but seem accurate - I was impressed when it told me I was 'On Windermere ferry' when I was.
Much as I like OS Landranger, it's hard to justify another £200 to get them.
My new Garmin even made me smile when it moved into auto pause during a stiff climb.
I was still moving - clearly not as fast as Mr Garmin thinks I should.
Perhaps my expectations from a Garmin were not very high, but I would recommend an Edge Touring to anyone thinking of dipping their toe into the world of gpx devices.
http://www.halfords.com/technology/...al-edition-gps-cycle-computer-with-mount-case
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