Open Maps instead of Garmin?

[livpoksoc]

So I gave in and bought a new Edge 530 as an upgrade from my ailing 520.

Thinking back to when I first got my 520, I seem to recall downloading some Open Maps because it gave better detail than the pre installed maps from Garmin. The limit being it would only cover a certain geographical area that I selected as opposed to the pre-installed (Europe??).

Anyway - question is, is it necessary to do that again with the 530? Or have Garmin upped it's game and supplied more detailed base maps since the 520 gen?

TIA

 

[Hacienda71]

Pretty sure the 530 has proper mapping. The 520 had very little memory so only shows major roads so you rely on a breadcrumb trail most of the time.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Looks to have OK mapping

Open maps have more detail though i think.

 

[Blue Hills]

Maybe garmin mapping has improved since my last experience of it, but in any case I see no reason to use it.
I'm perfectly happy with this OSM-based mapping.
http://www.openfietsmap.nl/
I use that plus OSMand+* on an android tablet for seeing the bigger view.
I can download my gpxs onto the tablet as well for offline viewing.

* Maybe not the ultimate test of map detail/data, but a root around OSMand+'s breakdown of POIs shows that brothels have their own classification. Don't know if garmin offers that.

 

[Tribansman]

I use that plus OSMand+* on an android tablet for seeing the bigger view.

How long does the battery last when navigating with that? I'd imagine not that long with the large screen?

I've thought of doing something similar but have been put off by the faff of making it waterproof and charging on the go. My Wahoo's maps are good enough for navigating even in cities, not detailed for landmarks or points of interest, but just sufficient. And as I get around 12 hours battery life and it recharges dead quick, I've stuck with that.

I'm thinking I'll need a larger screen in time, but battery technology and value for money will hopefully have moved on somewhat by then and the holy grail (for me at least!) of full colour mapping with good detail and 24hr battery will be a reality!

 

[Blue Hills]

How long does the battery last when navigating with that? I'd imagine not that long with the large screen?

I've thought of doing something similar but have been put off by the faff of making it waterproof and charging on the go. My Wahoo's maps are good enough for navigating even in cities, not detailed for landmarks or points of interest, but just sufficient. And as I get around 12 hours battery life and it recharges dead quick, I've stuck with that.

I'm thinking I'll need a larger screen in time, but battery technology and value for money will hopefully have moved on somewhat by then and the holy grail (for me at least!) of full colour mapping with good detail and 24hr battery will be a reality!

sorry - should have made clear - I don't use the tab on the bike when riding - though I know you can get handlebar mounts for tabs. The battery on my humble lenovo tab lasts a good time - it's only 7 inches, which I much prefer to larger tabs. I use the tab for looking at the big picture when not actually pedalling. Have also in the middle of a ride manually copied previously marked POIs etc from tab to garmin. OSMand will talk you through directions, but I don't like that - don't use.
If you want full colour mapping with 24 hour battery life (tho not the biggest screen) I would get an Etrex 20/20x.
I use a 20x on the bike - works fine - have cycled rides of 150 miles with it - much of it in the middle of the night.

 

[Pale Rider]

I'm not very impressed with my Garmin Explorer for the usual Garmin reasons.

But it does accept charge from a powerbank while on the go, which extends the 10-12hr life by another six hours or so.

Some Garmins don't like being charged while in use, although doing a top up at a lunch stop would take care of the longest day rides.

Some audaxers like devices which take AA or AAA cells, meaning they can take spares and/or pick some up at a 24hr garage or shop.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'm not very impressed with my Garmin Explorer for the usual Garmin reasons.

But it does accept charge from a powerbank while on the go, which extends the 10-12hr life by another six hours or so.

Some Garmins don't like being charged while in use, although doing a top up at a lunch stop would take care of the longest day rides.

Some audaxers like devices which take AA or AAA cells, meaning they can take spares and/or pick some up at a 24hr garage or shop.

my take on garmin is to avoid anything with a word description - explorer, touring, whatever. I see the words as marketing, promising problematical features. Or performance related stuff. You can explore and tour with a map, so my approach is to use the garmin as an electronic map. I can do the exploring/touring myself.
You can use etrexes on extended tours without recourse to mains. When you can't charge the AAs from a mains supply you can charge powerbanks from a hub dynamo and charge AAs from the powerbank.
The "usual garmin reasons" from stuff I have read/heard relate to the more expensive units bike shops try to flog.

 

[Tribansman]

I think I'm in the 'avoid garmins' camp, mainly as the three or four I've used don't pass the crucial test of seamless usability.

The maps are a bit of a faff but the most irritating thing as that the screens are laggy and can take ages to load of reload when the map is really detailed. Add in intermittent reliability issues, especially with connectivity, and the frustration they cause renders them pointless. I want a GPS device to make my life easier and the navigation, especially when tired, quick and fullproof.

I can see the appeal of an etrex for a long tour, esp the AA battery functionality, but the etrex I've had a play with was again a frustrating device, slow, map freezing issues and lacked any kind of wireless connectivity.

Which is all a rambling way of saying I think my Wahoo Element Bolt and a very good power bank is the best option for me, albeit without the detailed maps. But then if I want more detail for a particular area or to check something out, I always have my phone with me with Google Maps, and if I was heading out into the sticks, it's got just about enough memory available to download OSMand and a map of Europe.

 

[fossyant]

The Garmin Explore (new model) is very good for both on/off road mapping and route following, and that's using the standard garmin supplied maps which are the OSM Garmin Cycle Map - which actually uses the open maps. Also has Trandline data which shows tracks/roads used by cyclists.

 

[fossyant]

I used Open Street Maps (MTB) on my Edge 705 which was a big improvement.

 

[Joffey]

The Garmin 530 is very good for following routes. I create the routes on Strava and they magically appear on my Garmin. I have also used the 'navigate to start' function when cycling in Kent when halfway though a course. It took me a different and quicker way back which was great.

The maps are detailed enough for most uses and even include POIs now.

I have used Garmin for 6-7 years back from the Garmin 200, 510, 520 and finally the 530. I have to say I am experienced with Garmin issues but the 530 seems to have finally addressed 99% of them.

It's a fantastic head unit. You can also charge it on the go!

 

[Milkfloat]

Going back to the OP - the 530 has pretty good mapping, in fact the Garmin Cycle Map is largely based on OSM which in Europe at least is pretty good. Your experience will be like night and day from the 520 - it makes all the 520 problems and solves them. Storage for mapping, free mapping updates, battery life, better ConnectIQ support and resolves the annoying bugs. On top of that features like ClimbPro are really useful too.

 

[Pale Rider]

I think the Explorer is supposed to be a budget colour screen device, no heart monitors or whatever else they load onto their more expensive devices.

Sounded right up my street, but I cannot get the damn thing to work simply.

I could list any number of glitches, including refusing to reverse a route and deciding I was in Salzburg - the residents of the former pit village of Murton would have found that one amusing.

None of these are a huge problem in isolation, but the constant drip, drip of snags makes the device all but unusable.

It's last wobbler was refusing to turn on, although I did get it fired up eventually.

It has also never liked shaking hands with my MacBook, more frustration and time wasted pushing buttons over and over when two or three presses should have done the job.

My guess is that despite being theoretically Mac compatible, the Explorer would work better with Windows.

The Garmin Explore (new model) is very good for both on/off road mapping and route following, and that's using the standard garmin supplied maps which are the OSM Garmin Cycle Map - which actually uses the open maps. Also has Trandline data which shows tracks/roads used by cyclists.

Mine must be about six or seven years old by now.

Perhaps a new model would be better, but having been bitten once by Garmin I'm reluctant to go back for another dose.

 

[fossyant]

The new Explore does everything the 1030 does except power metres and the training stuff, which is stuff most of us don't need.