Navigation/GPS Options and opinions....

[aserota]

Hi all,

Im looking to get a Sat Nav or GPS system which can be mounted onto my handlebars on my roadbike.

I normally have no problem navigating when walking or driving, but just seem to lose my way when cycling.

I know that the Garmin Edge 705 would work, with turn by turn directions (which i require), but i was also interested in a general car/motorbike satnav which i could mount on the bars instead.

Has anyone done the above or have any models that would be recommended?

thanks

 

[jimboalee]

Car/Motorbike SatNavs have about 4 hours battery life. The Motorbike one is weatherproof, car SatNavs aren't.

They are SatNavs. They are not data recorders like Garmin.

A Garmin will record your elevation above sea level, therefore you can analyse your climbing.

The Garmin Edge with a PowerMonkey has about 30 hours battery life. Enough to ride a 400km Audax.

The Garmin edge with a 16mb micro SD card also serves as a USB external drive on your PC to carry files, piccies and vidiclips, just like a USB memory thumb.

The only things the Garmin hasn't got are a phone, camera and headphone socket.

 

[aserota]

Well i think ill be going for a Garmin Edge over a car satnav due to the extended battery life.

When talking about navigation purposes only, is there any difference between their basic models and the 705, expect for the colour screen?

I already have cycle computers i use and the only use i want the garmin for (ideally) is as a sat nav

 

[fossyant]

There is another one - Satmap Active 10 - looks a cracking bit of kit with the OS maps...but here is the sting.......

Doesn't do all the bike stuff like the 705, has OS maps (off road), but they cost a fortune....£50 for a limited area..... but I'd hope road mapping etc comes as standard...

 

[andrew_s]

The other option is the Etrex Vista HCx.
It doesn't do the heart rate and cadence that the Edge 705 does, but on the other hand it runs 30h on a pair of AA batteries, and if that's not long enough you just put a spare pair in. The 705 (and powermonkey) need recharging from the wall.

 

[jimboalee]

There's a 'sting' with Garmin.

If you install Topo or CityNavigator which allow route plotting, the routes it plots are far from ideal.

There are junctions and areas around Warwickshire and the West Midlands that Garmin WILL NOT go


In the City of Birmingham, its fine.

I use my Garmin for Audax. ie, pre-defined routes that are constructed on a junction-to-junction basis.
Either on Topo, following the road, or MetroGuide which shows straight line stringers between turns.

Some AUK events take cyclepaths, so the stringer method us used.
It is set to 'Pedestrian - off road', so the route can be constructed to follow pathways and bridlepaths.

Only when the route STAYS on the road do I use Topo 'follow road'.


Confused? You will be when you see their instruction book --- What instruction book?

 

[Rob S]

There is another one - Satmap Active 10 - looks a cracking bit of kit with the OS maps...but here is the sting.......

Doesn't do all the bike stuff like the 705, has OS maps (off road), but they cost a fortune....£50 for a limited area..... but I'd hope road mapping etc comes as standard...

The Satmap does plenty of bike stuff...just not 'training stuff'.

The mapping is goods value as the 'limited area' for £50 equates to 15 Landranger maps (based on my area) which would cost over £100 in paper form and would need carrying. The half UK maps at £99 are even better value