Navigation device or Smartphone?

[ColinJ]

Use voice prompts. Only have to stop if it's very noisy.

I have only ever needed the phone for navigation once (on my bike) when a group of us decided to take a shortcut on a forum ride. I just looked at the OS map and memorised the shortcut which eventually took us back onto the original route. I might take a look at OSMAnd anyway though to see what I make of it.

I have a second GPS kindly donated to me by Oldfentiger. It had been damaged by a leaking battery which rotted away a battery connector. I did a temporary repair to get it working again but I think the bodge will eventually fail so I need to do a more permanent fix. It has an OSM map of the UK so that would become my main GPS and my older mapless one could be used for backup.

 

[ianrauk]

I don' need to wait. I have the Bolt

Exactly my point and that's why Garmin are losing customers at a huge rate.

 

[steveindenmark]

Exactly my point and that's why Garmin are losing customers at a huge rate.

I am hoping it gives them a hard kick up the butt. Garmin needs to have navigation as good as Elemnt and Elemnt need to have the add ons Garmin has.

 

[mjr]

I am hoping it gives them a hard kick up the butt. Garmin needs to have navigation as good as Elemnt and Elemnt need to have the add ons Garmin has.

What add ons? And could they anyway? Don't Garmin jealously guard their Garmin-only add ons like that sinister Group Track shoot? After all, it's a way to punish any group riders who dare buy deviant GPS devices or try to use their phones with a non-Garmin app.

 

[Blue Hills]

Going OT a bit but I've found a big difference between Garmin bike products, that seem a bit poorly thought out and flaky and the outdoor handheld products which I can't fault.

Yes. Got to love marketing. The garmin touring thing which lots of folk complain about. As far as i can see costs a fair whack more and does less than my etrex20. Which i use for, er, touring, amongst many other things.
Must say i don't understand all the garmin criticisms on here but maybe that''s because i don't need one for performance riding and also have a strong resistance to hype.
My etrex20 has the odd quirk, but less than many products (or people for that matter) and generally I think it's great.
Which garmin do you use dogtrousers and for what?

 

[Ticktockmy]

When touring I use a Satmap Active 10 GPS, but I carry a paper map to cover my route as well, also on my phone I have the usual navigation Apps including Cycle meter. I personally like a paper map because unlike the small area of map shown on Electronic devices, the paper map allows you to see the big picture and work out any changes you might have to make to ones route.

 

[ColinJ]

I personally like a paper map because unlike the small area of map shown on Electronic devices, the paper map allows you to see the big picture and work out any changes you might have to make to ones route.

That is why I have 1:10,000, 1:25,000, 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 UK maps on my phone. I can still see (a smaller part!) of the 'big picture', but progressively zoom in for more detail if I need to. At 1:250,000 scale I can see an area approximately 15 kms x 8 kms; more like 20 kms x 11 kms if I wear my reading glasses. Typically that would be enough for 30-60 minutes of riding without scrolling the map. It wouldn't take a ridiculous amount of scrolling to cover a full day of riding for me.

When I first started with my GPS I used to print maps of my new routes to carry as backup. I stopped doing that when I realised that I never needed to refer to the maps in the first 7 years!

 

[Gravity Aided]

I started on paper maps, scale measurers, and lensatic compass, moved to GPS satnav(an old Magellan 2000) and went on to the pocket PC with satnav, but anymore,I can use the phone and offline and online maps to find out what I need to know, all of it, including whether the hotel or motel has rooms, where to eat, and if they have wi-fi. And I can use my lamp/weather radio/ generator thing to charge the phone up. I still use paper maps, though, when i can't get signal for the phone. The best back-up is an analog back-up. For so many reasons.

 

[The Lone Rider]

I use a Garmin Tourer Edge, no problems does what I want it to do, phone I use for a phone. Preference at the end of the day.

 

[PaulSB]

Must say i don't understand all the garmin criticisms on here but maybe that''s because i don't need one for performance riding and also have a strong resistance to hype

I’m the same and don’t really understand the criticisms.

When I first had an 810 I had a lot of problems with it freezing and/or shutting down. After doing a factory reset and carefully following the manual to set the device up I’ve had no problems.

My only comment would be is the menus don’t always contain the items I would expect.

 

[Blue Hills]

I’m the same and don’t really understand the criticisms.

When I first had an 810 I had a lot of problems with it freezing and/or shutting down. After doing a factory reset and carefully following the manual to set the device up I’ve had no problems.

My only comment would be is the menus don’t always contain the items I would expect.

Can your menus be rearranged/customised? - they can on my Etrex 20.

My 20 still freezes now and again. I have to take the back off and quickly take out and replace the batteries but it is no great problem.

Hell there's worse things that could happen than a 1 minute delay on a bike ride.

Very very occasionally (only happenned twice in the years I have had it) it does get screwed up and think it has lost all its routes and/or waypoints.

It hasn't - it has just got nervous about its indexing.

I just have to connect it to my chromebook (though could use a tab as well) - take the stuff off and then put it back on.

Then all is well.

I think it might be caused by a bad shutdown when the batteries are very low so if on tour I don't run the batteries to the absolute bottom/until shutdown.

In short I think it'd great and I'd recommend a reconditioned Etrex 20 to anyone for general purpose cycling. I also use it wandering around town. Much prefer it for my purposes than the race orientated things I have seen and which bike shops would rather sell you.

The only thing I would ever change it for is one of the larger hiking orientated but bike mountable units.

I don't want touch screen.

Wireless connectivity to an android tab would be handy but that's about it.

 

[John Peel]

i was just about to push the button on a Elemnt or Edge820

I bought the Edge Explore 1000 and what a waste of money that has been for navigation. Not being able to put in a full postcode was a big downer for me, only the are part of the postcode is possible with standard maps. It cuts out sometimes and if it doesn't cut out, it stops navigating and the screen stays on. It is OK for logging the mileage for the day and altitude and basic functions, but not as a navigation device. After 3 months through France and Spain, I found my iphone 5i much much better.

I don't use the Google Map app supplied with it, as that's a bit crappy too, but what I do at the start of each day is type Spain (if I'm in Spain) into the Google search box, then it brings up a link and picture to a map of Spain, I click on that and it opens up a map window, a little different to the Google Maps app, and so much easier. It will show a blue dot where you are, and offer up the option for directions. So I zoom in, pic a point on the map or enter a point in the direction box, stick my headphones in, put the phone in my handlebar box, and off I go.

Another benefit for me using this technique, is that I can go into the settings and pick a shop or campsite or whatever on my route, and it will divert me to that first before continuing on to my destination. It's much easier and better than the Garmin, and it wont cost you anything either. Battery life is less, but you getting more, and you can always just tap it into a battery bank like I do.

 

[nickyboy]

I started on paper maps, scale measurers, and lensatic compass, moved to GPS satnav(an old Magellan 2000) and went on to the pocket PC with satnav, but anymore,I can use the phone and offline and online maps to find out what I need to know, all of it, including whether the hotel or motel has rooms, where to eat, and if they have wi-fi. And I can use my lamp/weather radio/ generator thing to charge the phone up. I still use paper maps, though, when i can't get signal for the phone. The best back-up is an analog back-up. For so many reasons.

I love technology and use it to the fullest extent I can. However, if I was touring around Europe and was in countries where maybe I couldn't communicate so well and on roads I had no knowledge of at all, I would take a physical map. Particularly if I had a prearranged destination each evening

Almost certainly never need it as I would have my Garmin with Phone backup. But.....you never know

 

[Gravity Aided]

My 1990's handlebar bag has such a nice map pocket arrangement, seems a shame not to use it.

 

[JhnBssll]

I've pre-ordered a Hammerhead Karoo, not due to be delivered until Spring next year as I was a little late to the party so will be a while until I get my hands on it. Early reviews seem quite positive and it's cheaper than the Garmin alternative but we shall see.