Which gps

[Shog46]

Hi all, hope this is not a returning topic but can’t find any info on here.
I’m after buying a gps mapping device but don’t know anything about them I’ve read a lot of reviews on line but that’s just baked my brain so thought I’d ask for your opinions
which ones people are using, what your thoughts are and which you’d recommend

Thanks

 

[Dukeinlondon]

What's your favourite so far? I am using trailforks on my phone and it's great but on today I got scared the handlebar vibrations would get too much for the phone or the holder and that was distracting.

 

[Shog46]

What's your favourite so far? I am using trailforks on my phone and it's great but on today I got scared the handlebar vibrations would get too much for the phone or the holder and that was distracting.

I’ve been looking at the garmin edge 520 plus and edge 820 but there is so many mixed reviews
I’m wanting the device to have maps to help find new trails

 

[Baron]

In the same boat as you. Garmin does a lot more stuff that I will never use. TomTom for a bike would sell well if they did a small unit.

 

[flash]

If you want a cheap device how about a second hand phone in an otter case. Either a cheap data sim or tethering from your main phone (in a backpack??) will give you trailforks and maps without worrying about breaking your good phone. It's even possible to download some maps at home and cache them for use off line in Google maps. If you're like me you already have one or two in a drawer at home ready to go.

Personally, I use my Garmin 1030 (updated from an 800) as it also lets me use it as a display for my eBike data. However a phone with trailforks would be a better way to explore new trails.

Gordon

 

[Kev Henson]

i use a garmin 820, price is really good at the minute, plot routes using ride with gps and copy the tcx file to the garmin, if you want to use trailforks there is a iq app... see link there is a video showing how it works Trailforks

 

[highpeakrider]

I use an old iPhone and ViewRanger app, good for riding or walking

 

[khorn]

I use a Garmin 1030 mainly due to the map function when on exploratory rides. Big screen and last up to 10 hours with gps on. It also integrates with my Levo and I get modes and battery level shown on the screen as well.

Karsten

 

[breaky33]

Hi all, hope this is not a returning topic but can’t find any info on here.
I’m after buying a gps mapping device but don’t know anything about them I’ve read a lot of reviews on line but that’s just baked my brain so thought I’d ask for your opinions
which ones people are using, what your thoughts are and which you’d recommend

Thanks

phone and app called gpsies

 

[Akiwi]

I use an old Garmin e30. or my phone.
Here are some pro's and cons of the Garmin e30 over the phone. (Note, it is an older device)
Pro's.
1. Battery lasts 20 hours or so. It uses standard AA cells, so a spare set will keep you online for a looong time.
2. The display is always on, and relatively easy to read in bright sunlight.
3. It is waterproof. If it starts dumping down with rain, that's not a problem.
4. It is shock proof. If I have my phone on my handlebars while blasting down a rocky trail, I am always worried that it isn;t made for that sort of thing. The Garmin seems much more solid.
5. It is a Navigation device, therefore good for navigation. Compared to the phone you notice the GPS reception is better.
6. No reliance on Cell network reception

Cons. or where the phone is better.
1. Getting trails onto or off the device is difficult.
2. Changing a route while on the trail is not so easy. or causes the Garmin to crash sometimes.
3. Finding / sorting the trails you have on the Garmin is difficult.
4. No step by step vocal instrunctions like on Komoot (Left in 100m)
5. Sharing your trails either online, or with others is not as easy as with a phone.
6. Maps updates are difficult / can be expensive

There are probably heaps more, but these are the first ones I think of.

 

[Paul Mac]

garmin edge 800 gps | eBay

Why not just get a used Garmin?
I've been using my Garmin 800 for about 5 years now, it has never missed a beat. Some of the more recent Garmins are so feature rich, they can be very buggy.
I recently bought the 820 to replace my 800, but ended up taking it back as I actually preferred the 800.
Just a thought?

 

[Vilt]

I've used a lot of GPS devices. Garmin Montana, Garmin Oregon, Garmin 1030, Hammerhead Karoo.

But a battery case + smartphone beats them all. I have a Galaxy S9+, A 6000mah Zero Lemon battery case and a quad lock adapter. The screen is better in outdoors (OLED), the phone is way faster than any garmin and there is a multitude of apps that are perfect for cycling and navigation. (For Specialized: BLevo)

Some of the apps:
Locus Maps (My fav)
Komoot (runner up)
OSMAnd
Strava
GPSies
RidewithGPS

Maybe there is some objection against mounting a EUR 600 phone to the handlebars, but then again - garmin GPSs aren't cheap either and come with their own world of problems and limitations. I've tried the 'other side' and got a hammerhead karoo, but never again. The flexibility of being able to choose from so many very capable and well maintained apps for me outweighs many of the downsides of mounting a phone. It even connects to ANT+ hardware.

 

[BJep]

I researched this subject for about 6 months before I took the plunge and spent about £350 on a Mio Cyclo 505. And its now binned at bottom of my bike bag. Never use it. Totally annoying experience. Buggy, ridiculously slow to respond to touch screen instructions, difficult to load routes, sat nav instructions are hard to follow, screen not very easy to see- the list goes on.

I agree that an old phone is a better solution but thats annoying too- battery goes down quickly, and when using gloves in winter it just became too much faff.

I have decided I don't need a GPS device on my handlebars, with some reluctance!

 

[Shog46]

Thank you all for taking the time to put your suggestions across
Decisions decisions

 

[MarkH]

I've recently got a 520 plus but only just started using it. Got it displaying Levo modes and battery levels easy enough and so far so good. Not used it for mapping yet but planning to follow a loop in the Surrey Hills in a couple of weeks and will update then. Considered using a cheap phone but wanted some thing smaller.

 

[Bomble]

I use a Garmin 820. Not very intuitive to use, the touchscreen and reaction speed to presses are slow and laggy, it can be incredibly frustrating.
On the plus side it picks up a signal instantly and once going it is very good, battery life is excellent too. I tend to plan a route on my pc with Strava, export the gpx file to the Garmin and this seems the way to go for me.
It then involves the least amount of interaction with the Garmin as posssible lol.

 

[HikerDave]

I use a Garmin 820. Not very intuitive to use, the touchscreen and reaction speed to presses are slow and laggy, it can be incredibly frustrating.
On the plus side it picks up a signal instantly and once going it is very good, battery life is excellent too. I tend to plan a route on my pc with Strava, export the gpx file to the Garmin and this seems the way to go for me.
It then involves the least amount of interaction with the Garmin as posssible lol.

I bought my first Garmin eTrex many years ago and used it to map my local mountain bike trails; in order to share the trails I and a few other independent software developers (Foster and Jenson) came up with the GPX file format, developed by committee on Yahoo Groups.

Garmin was the first corporate adopter; when I needed a new job I went to Garmin where I’m still employed. I usually just ride with an older fitness watch, the 920xt on a bike mount, but sometimes with a 520 plus or whatever new device they are testing (can’t be specific here). I like buttons, so the 520 plus is my current favorite.

 

[khorn]

I have, as mentioned in this thread, a few Garmin devices and honesty they have been far from perfect but the reason why I will always buy Garmin is their outstanding customer support. First my 1000 started to hang during boot so without any discussion they sent me a new 1030 instead. Just recently my 520 would only last 3 hours on a charge and as 2 1/2 years old hence outside warranty, I contacted Garmin to hear if I could buy a new battery. The answer was a new 520 in the mail 4 days later. Again outstanding support.

Karsten

 

[Akiwi]

I bought my first Garmin eTrex many years ago and used it to map my local mountain bike trails; in order to share the trails I and a few other independent software developers (Foster and Jenson) came up with the GPX file format, developed by committee on Yahoo Groups.

Garmin was the first corporate adopter; when I needed a new job I went to Garmin where I’m still employed. I usually just ride with an older fitness watch, the 920xt on a bike mount, but sometimes with a 520 plus or whatever new device they are testing (can’t be specific here). I like buttons, so the 520 plus is my current favorite.

Hey Hiker Dave, that's fascinating. Nice to meet you here. Holy cow, i love forums where you get to interact with people like you.

 

[HikerDave]

Hey Hiker Dave, that's fascinating. Nice to meet you here. Holy cow, i love forums where you get to interact with people like you.

Out in the real world, I'm just another old guy tooling along on an eBike, but thanks.

 

[MattyB]

Really surprised nobody has mentioned the Wahoo Elemnt and Elemnt Bolt.

I looked at a few Garmins but they all seemed rather buggy and clunky to use; by contrast the Wahoo has been extremely reliable, seems to have very strong GPS pickup and integrates beautifully with the phone for configuration and mapping services. The screen is black and white so the mapping is not quite as clear I suppose, but to be honest it’s never caused me an issue on or off road. Highly recommended.

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt review - Cycling Weekly

 

[mintakax]

I've had the 520 plus for a while. I do like the display and how customizable it is. As for the maps, twice I've been semi-lost on unfamiliar trails with lots of forks and the "return to start -> taking same route" feature failed me miserably..... wasn't even close.

 

[corsair77]

I've had many Garmins over the years, most of which weren't bad but there were various things I wasn't happy with and a while ago I had a good look around and found the SatMap Active 20. Not cheap if you go for the top of the line with the full O/S map set, but you do then get 10k/25k/50k of the whole UK (or you can just buy whichever maps you want separately). It auto-switches between maps as you zoom in and out, the scrolling/zooming is much faster than any Garmin I've ever had, and there's lots of customisation on route lines to suit you (colours/widths/opacity) unlike most Garmins (which was something that annoyed me). Also, while it has a touch screen, there are also physical buttons for everything, which I find much easier to hit than a touch screen while you're riding.

It supports GPS/Glonass/Galilieo and rarely loses lock, and it has a very good screen and the 5000maH battery lasts all day if you don't have the screen on full brightness all the time. The only real downside is that it's not the smallest or lightest of devices, but you do get the impression you could ride over it and you'd just bounce off, and they sell Quad quick-release bike mounts which make it a doddle to fit onto your bars.

Last I looked, they were selling some refurbished Active 20s, and a friend bought one which looked absolutely brand new, fully tested, with a warranty, and quite a bit cheaper than normal. You'd need to add whatever maps you want as the refurbished ones only come with the world basemap AFAIK, but it would still be a good amount cheaper.

 

[GuyBerry]

I used a Garmin 820, buggy software and poor battery life. The 1030 is a lot better. For pure navigation I still prefer my old Etrex 30, it is more reliable. You can use a smartphone with a Quadlock mount, but hitting the floor could be costly as those things are not build for smashing to the ground.

 

[HikerDave]

I used a Garmin 820, buggy software and poor battery life. The 1030 is a lot better. For pure navigation I still prefer my old Etrex 30, it is more reliable. You can use a smartphone with a Quadlock mount, but hitting the floor could be costly as those things are not build for smashing to the ground.

I used to use a Garmin eTrex Summit and then a switched to a Vista C to get maps and USB. I also had some kind of Magellan but never really used it except to support that brand on my old 3D freeware mapping program (which I stopped supporting after I joined Garmin; little inconvenience to users because data in the program was stored as GPX and was usable with many other programs by then).

 

[gunshot72]

I recently bought a Garmin 1030 but it was dreadful so it went back. I use the Sigma Sport ROX 12. This is a higher end device with excellent training features. The mapping is spot on and uses Open Cycle routes that are constantly being improved upon by users.

 

[Shog46]

Thanks again for suggestions, do like the look of the sigma sport Rox but wandering as anyone used/using a Apple or other smart watch
Cheers

 

[Swissrider]

It depends what you want a GPS for. I use a Garmin 820 and I don’t like the touch screen for reasons already stated above but battery life is good, it shows time, altitude, speed and the battery life and mode of my ebike on the main screen, which is all I really need and it records my many aspects of my rides accurately. I like that it uploads all the information to Garmin Connect and to Strava automatically. For actual navigating a phone is much better as screen is bigger and easier to read and here in Switzerland the topo maps are free. With Swiss Mobility one pays a small subscription and then one can plan or download gps tracks to use on the app. Also one can use any number of good apps with open source MTB maps or OS maps. You do need a decent phone holder though and you can’t have it on all the time but if you only use it when you really need to it’s fine and will last all day.

 

[HikerDave]

Hi all, hope this is not a returning topic but can’t find any info on here.
I’m after buying a gps mapping device but don’t know anything about them I’ve read a lot of reviews on line but that’s just baked my brain so thought I’d ask for your opinions
which ones people are using, what your thoughts are and which you’d recommend

Thanks

As a Garmin employee, now that these priducts have been announced, I can say that I have been riding with the Edge 530 and occasionally the Edge 830. I prefer buttons, but the 830 is a little easier to use.

Both of these devices paired with the BLE / Bluetooth Smart on my Yamaha-PW-SE Haibike SDURO, which outputs human power and cadence. I paired heart rate at the same time, which resulted in an additional power / heart rate screen.

130 watts is a comfortable pace for me, 61 years old, usually peaking to around 200 accelerating; but I’ve hit 600 watts on the road coming home from my ride. I’m old and slow.

Around here in Arizona, trail routing has been good the times I’ve tested this (much easier on the 830 with touch screen)

 

[flash]

Thanks again for suggestions, do like the look of the sigma sport Rox but wandering as anyone used/using a Apple or other smart watch
Cheers

I've used my Apple Watch for recording rides to trailforks and Strava but not for navigation. Works perfectly for what I want it for and is voice controlled. I suppose I could use it for navigation as it's the cellular one but when wondering where I am I just pull out my phone for the larger screen.

Testing a Garmin 1030 at the moment as a replacement for my Shimano display. Also records well to Strava but no access to trailforks yet as I haven't installed the app.

Gordon