Hello any thoughts on best gps unit for mountain bike and road bike – purely navigation do not need or wish to have all the cadences average speeds heart monitor etc etc money is an object but if best is really expensive then happy to save what is required to get a decent unit and system

Satmap

Satmap, but wait for the Active 12 coming soon, better, higher res screen.

Am I right in thinking that the SatMap only displays raster maps and doesn’t have turn by turn routing abilities?

It’s possible to pick up a Garmin Etrex 20 for under £140 which, although having a what would appear to be a much smaller screen, can do turn by turn routing (including with the free OSM maps) which might make it a better navigation option (the Etrex can also be set up to display a really useful trip computer); it also appears to be cheaper than the SatMap as cost is mentioned as an issue.

I haven’t used a SatMap, so don’t know how the Active 10/12 would compare directly with the alternative Garmin units but I would have thought that an Etrex 20 or 30 (I’ve got a 30) would be worth considering alongside the SatMap.

The satmap looks huge!! Can it be handlebar mounted?

It is a big unit and yes it can be stem/handle bar mounted

The screen does look huge compared to my Garmin Etrex; they also have a special offer on the bike pack (£235 instead of £300) although I still think that the Garmin range is worth a look too as many will do turn by turn routing which might be useful of road cycling/touring.

you can get a etrex 30 for <£140 from Go Outdoors by price matching the one Handtec.co.uk sell

screen size is small but it uses AA batteries

I bought my Etrex 30 direct from Handtec and they were great to deal with and really quick dispatching. The SatMap deal does look great though and the screen is huge! There should be a number of units that meet the OP’s needs.

I like the look of the etrex 30 cant see if it has an out front bike mount option thanks for all the input everyone

Your phone? I use mine when I want easy nav (i.e. leading a group). I do have qct maps (memory map) of the whole country though, which can be expensive.

I use the MMTracker app on a Sony Xperia Z, which is good because of the large screen, decent battery and weatherproofness. And 1 device weighs less than lugging two around with you!

Am I right in thinking that the SatMap only displays raster maps and doesn’t have turn by turn routing abilities?

Yes, but then it’s designed as an off-road navigation tool, so it’s questionable whether you need that. Personal preference I guess. I

t is a big unit, but the pay-off is that the screen is also significantly larger than most other GPS units or phones, so you get more context when you’re looking at the map. It uses Ordnance Survey mapping. Yes it mounts on the bars. It’s very water resistant, but not 100% waterproof as in, say, kayak use, you can buy an additional waterproof case.

The screen protector thing that clips over the LCD screen scratches really easily. Best option is a matt screen protector film mounted directly on top of the actually screen and lose the screen protector.

Phones are good, but seem to eat power fast in GPS mode.

I’ve seen the Active 12 in the flesh and the screen is much sharper with high res mapping, looks great also has a faster processor and Bluetooth I think.

I have an Etrex 20 and it’s great for navigation. I also have an Edge 500 which is useless, but then it’s not designed for navigation.

The Etrex still has your basic cycle functions: speed, distance, average, etc. And it also has automotive mode which I quite like, and displays your speed on the same screen. I’d highly recommend it. Have ridden in all weathers and I have no complaints whatsoever. Very robust.

Garmin Edge Touring ?

I’ve just got one for £180 from Halfords (at the moment with discounts.)

Does turn by turn navigation, will search on postcode and shows POI’s, etc ..

Also comes with their cyclemaps showing road, offroad and cycle paths, etc …

Seems to me to be the most like car satnav out there.

(ie. Get me somewhere via this kind of route, and show me each turn)

Thank you all have gone for the garmin touring with sram mount

I can vouch that the Etrex can survive popping out of its mount (user error) and bouncing down the road at 35mph with just minor scuffs to the rubber…

I have a satmap I don’t use with bike mount, waterproof case full uk mapping etc
Drop me a line if interested. Email in profile