Bike computer for mountain biking

[Belsyde]

99% of routes will be in scotland on mountain routes or similar, usually remote, and wondered if anyone had any recommendations on best GPS computer. I have a Garmin 520 which is obv not great. Was looking at edge explorer2 but thought i'd see if anyone had thoughts and experience?

Many thanks

 

[RickBullotta]

In my experience, particularly when riding new trail systems in remote areas, a smartphone with Trailforks or similar apps are superior to anything I was able to do with a Garmin Edge or Garmin Watch. I use a QuadLock mount for my iPhone and have had zero issues even with a few crashes. And it has been on some legitimately scary terrain.

 

[Shark58]

thoughts and experience?

Garmin Edge 1040.
Has superior GPS over Edge Explore 2 and larger display. Includes TrailForks capability and uses highly accurate Garmin enhanced OSM maps.

I gave one to my wife for her birthday and it is so much better than her old Explore, her iPhone with Komoot and my Bosch Nyon 2.

 

[Arethustra]

I use a Garmin 1040 (big display for bad eyes) as I’m not a fan of exposing my stupidly expensive iphone to any crash related shenanigans (that's just me, others do it and it works well for them…ymmv).

Trailforks is ok but I find that planning the route in Komoot and uploading it works well for me. I also use All Trails to do the same thing - I'm in the US so not sure how well that would work…I took a quick peek at Scotland on AllTrails and the map support looks pretty solid (the rides looked awesome) so that may be a good option for.

I use the Garmin pretty much for display only and go back to the phone for any real navigation planning/replanning…I find it’s better to have the route downloaded on my phone as the Garmin is not the best when it comes to drilling into alternative routes or looking at the bigger picture.

I also bring along an Garmin Inreach mini if its super remote (especially if I'm solo) but I'm paranoid like that.

Hope that helps!

 

[RickBullotta]

I use a Garmin 1040 (big display for bad eyes) as I’m not a fan of exposing my stupidly expensive iphone to any crash related shenanigans (that's just me, others do it and it works well for them…ymmv).

Trailforks is ok but I find that planning the route in Komoot and uploading it works well for me. I also use All Trails to do the same thing - I'm in the US so not sure how well that would work…I took a quick peek at Scotland on AllTrails and the map support looks pretty solid (the rides looked awesome) so that may be a good option for.

I use the Garmin pretty much for display only and go back to the phone for any real navigation planning/replanning…I find it’s better to have the route downloaded on my phone as the Garmin is not the best when it comes to drilling into alternative routes or looking at the bigger picture.

I also bring along an Garmin Inreach mini if its super remote (especially if I'm solo) but I'm paranoid like that.

Hope that helps!

Keep in mind that Trailforks on a smartphone is a completely different experience than downloading from Trailforks to a Garmin. 10X better on the smartphone. At least.

 

[kla456]

Garmin 1040 for me also (big display) and am also in Scotland. I have difficulty with Garmin+Komoot to begin the route or to get to the start. Phone is useful for this, or a careful study the start area on the home computer.

 

[p3eps]

I had the Edge 800, 810, 820, 830 and now the 840 solar. I'm a garget freak!
The 830 was a huge leap up from the 820 due to the Trailforks integration.

The 830 to 840 was a waste of time really, and the Solar function is practically pointless. I could get the same extra battery gained by solar on a 3 hour ride as plugging it into the wall for about 2 mins. Apart from the buttons on the side, there's no advantage to it (for me anyway).

Anyway - like you, I'm in Scotland and sometimes travel to mountains or trails I've never been to before.
Before travelling, I look on Trailforks for routes or trails that I want to try. I've done a few pre-defined ones that others have created, but Trailforks also allows me to "draw" out my own ride, by basically tracing the path I want to take with the mouse. I can then save it to Trailforks, and download it on my Garmin using the integration. I read reviews of trails, and try and make a route that incorporates all the ones I want.

Yes, the Trailforks on the Garmin is somewhat limited compared to the phone app... but what it does allow is turn by turn navigation of the route I've laid out. I've explored miles of the Glen Tanar estate near Aboyne by making up random routes and following the Garmin. It means I don't need to stop and take my phone out to check whether I'm turning left / right at the crossroads. It flows really well and gives advanced warnings of where I'm going, and also shows the climbs as I approach them and how long / steep they are (that might be a new feature in the 840?).

The other cool thing about Trailforks on the Garmin is that you can be riding along a landrover traick / fire road, and notice a trail off to the left / right on the map that you would never have seen otherwise. I found quite a lot of really good 'hidden' trails this way. Again, unless your cycling with your smartphone in your hand or on your bars, you wouldn't get that info.

I've been in the Garmin ecosystem for a long time now with Golf "Approach" devices and bike "Edge" devices... which is why I'd struggle to move to something else.

 

[ianiention]

Keep in mind that Trailforks on a smartphone is a completely different experience than downloading from Trailforks to a Garmin. 10X better on the smartphone. At least.

I used phone and app, attached to handlebars. This broke the image stabilisation part of the phones camera, Samsung ultra, making the main lens unusable. Not going to do the same with new phone.
Currently carry phone in rucksack and have to stop every now and then to memorise the next section, not ideal.

 

[eDirt]

Garmin 1040 here too, primarily for the datafields. Bigger display lets me display 7 so even my old eyes can read them. (Speed, distance, elevation gain, heart rate, cadence, gear, battery%, range) I use the Garmin for cues if following a route but the map display is crummy compared to a phone.

Best app for route planning Is Ridewithgps especially for MTB/gravel. It’s the only one I’ve found that displays surface type (paved/unpaved). Links with garmin and easily uploads route.

If I need to display an actual map on a ride I put the phone on the bars and use the GoMap! app. It displays open street map data and gives many background options including in my case local state aerial imagery taken when the leaves are off the trees so you can see through to trails and roads under the canopy, unlike crappy google maps taken in full leaf summertime.

 

[Aushiker]

The 830 to 840 was a waste of time really, and the Solar function is practically pointless.

Being in Australia ... the solar works quite well. DCRainmaker and Bikepacking.com seem positive about it as well but then they do not have Scotland's weather

 

[ianiention]

Being in Australia ... the solar works quite well. DCRainmaker and Bikepacking.com seem positive about it as well but then they do not have Scotland's weather

That's true, in the UK we get about 12 minutes of sun a week

 

[p3eps]

Being in Australia ... the solar works quite well. DCRainmaker and Bikepacking.com seem positive about it as well but then they do not have Scotland's weather

Ok - I’ll rephrase that.
For ME, it’s pointless. Not just because of the +4 mins battery over a 3 hour ride… but the fact that my rides are only ever max 4 hours anyway. The battery lasts 20+ hours fully charged (I think). I generally charge it every 3 or 4 rides, so I’m never in a position where I really need that extra 4 mins.

I guess if you were going on a bike packing adventure, every little helps.

I ended up changing my Garmin Approach S60 golf watch to the new S70 at the beginning of this year. The S60 battery was ‘just’ enough for 2 rounds… however if 1 was a slow round, it would die near the end of the second. Having a solar face gathering a few extra mins might have been enough.
I played 5 rounds without charge in Florida in April, and the battery on the S70 was still at 40%… so no worries there anymore!