After getting very lost again in the black mountains yesterday I think a gps would be a good idea. I am interested in a garmin edge but im not sure what maps I will need. Are the basic garmin ones good enough for offroad navigation or do I need to invest in the os package ? cheers
Bike Forum
garmin users , advice please
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Posted 6 months ago #
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Not quite sure on map packs, I think I've got the OS ones and they're perfect for off road stuff, as you'd expect.
One thing to watch out for is that some Edges are pretty handy for navigation, others aren't. The 305 for example isn't really a navigation tool, it's a training tool. Pretty useless for following a route, even on road.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I got very lost with a Garmin
and now my gf will not step foot on the Black Mountains again lol
Posted 6 months ago # -
thanks , I was thinking of a 705 . Any other recomendations ?
Posted 6 months ago # -
It's in this months mbuk that if you buy an edge 800, it's another 199 quid for full UK 1:50000 mapping, surely it's not as much as that, is it?.
Posted 6 months ago # -
it's another 199 quid for full UK 1:50000 mapping, surely it's not as much as that, is it?.
Could be, that doesn't seem completely unreasonable. Dunno why you'd want the full UK mapping though.
Could be worth giving garmin a call and having a chat.
Posted 6 months ago # -
That was my concern - do people just buy the areas they intend to ride then?
Posted 6 months ago # -
I've navigated successfully in unknown areas with a garmin geko with the actual OS map as back up.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I use an Edge 705 for the road, but bought a Dakota 20 with full OS 1:50k for off-road use. I like the fact it uses AA batteries, meaning its more suitable for multi-day trips.
Posted 6 months ago # -
its 199 to buy the os maps as a sepperate purchase.
If you want them, get the " explorer" package with your gps which includes them for £50Posted 6 months ago # -
The Edge 800 is the unit you need that is the bike specific.
You can buy the unit without maps, but the base unit mapping is not very useful, if you buy it in the trail bundle pack with the 1:50,000 OS maps it works out considerably cheaper than buying the two separately.
The OS maps are £199 on there own, cheaper than buying all the paper maps i think.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Another vote for the Edge 800 with OS maps. I also have a Dakota 10 (bought for geocaching) which I've loaded with Open MTB maps - they're a bit confusing - I find it hard to see what's a track and what's a road, but guess I'll get used to it.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Seriously thinking about an 800 for Xmas from the mrs. The range of different bundles seems a bit confusing and not very well described even on Garmins own site.
Afaik there's the basic one but I've no idea what maps it comes with, the trail one mentioned above with the OS 1:50k maps (any with 1:25k maps?) then a couple of versions with the HR strap and cadence/ speed sensor. I know that won't fit my Whyte anyway what's best package overall for most of the folks on here with one?
Originally wanted to use my iPhone but all the cases seem poo, wahoo one seems to fly off the stem at smallest bump and still no sign of their extended battery (since I want to ride my bike for more than 20 minutes at a time). I saw the iBike one in the apple store which has Ant+ along with an extended battery built in but it's f*%#ing massive obviously longer and wider than the iPhone but it's about 2 inches thick as well! And to top it off the version with the battery is £280
Posted 6 months ago # -
I manage fine with a Forerunner 305, which is very similar in functionality to the basic Edge devices.
It can be a bit more of a faff as they won't take plain GPX files, they have to be converted into CRS (course) files which you can load on, and rather than "navigating" it's following a course that it thinks you've done before. Not a big issue, you get the route as a black line, an arrow that shows where you are and the direction you're headed in and a breadcrumb trail behind. You can zoom in and out (I normally go for 30m or so for MTB, 100m for road unless it's a long fast descent), and if you go too far off course it beeps at you. Only gets confusing where trails fork and you might go 20m down one way before realising you wanted the other.
For grabbing someone else's route to follow or plotting something out on the computer I find it fine. The only time I'd feel I'd want maps would be to see possibilities for cutting short or extending rides by changing the route a bit - mine is no use at all once you stray from the course.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Someone is selling an new Edge 605 with mapping, £150 in the classifieds. Same as the 705 but without HRM, cadence and wireless transfer thingy.
I've had one for a couple of years and wouldn't be without it!Posted 6 months ago # -
I love my 705 but would never go anywhere 'serious' without a paper map. I destroyed mine in an OTB incident once and was glad of the the paper.
Posted 6 months ago # -
For off road use you will need the maps, but the garmin 800 can be quite useful as a compass and to track where you have gone.
Considering selling mine, it's a garmin 800, with europe map (have been using it for road riding.) a cadence thing and hrm.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ownload the open street maps FREE maps for your Garmin - they're great with the one caveat that some areas aren't as well mapped as others but IME I've not found a problem yet. You can obviously look at them online to check that they map the areas you want well enough before using it in the wild.
Oh and just because it's called 'street map', it's still got contours and trails/footpaths/bridleways/etc. In fact I've found locally (Bristol) that OSM is better than Garmin Topomaps for offroad detail
Posted 6 months ago # -
Oh and you don't actually need 'mapping' - I managed just fine for 5 years on my old Garmin Etrex H which just showed a line that you followed to follow the route that you uploaded.
Posted 6 months ago # -
If its purely for navigation,then you should consider the Satmap aswell.Excellent mapping with a choice of OS 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 and lots of areas.You can get full GB,1/2 GB,counties and national parks.Often wins best in test.
Posted 6 months ago # -
how do I know if my mapping is 1:50,000? I have GB topo v2 with no paper work.
taPosted 6 months ago # -
Try going into;
Tools; system; map;map info select map
Should then give details of enabled maps.Posted 6 months ago # -
The 605 is a very good bike computer that records where you've been. Not great as a navigation tool. Very disappointed with mine - I don't really think it's up to off road navigation (I find it worse than my old ETrex Legend). Would not buy again - I'd get an Edge 500 for the times i need a bike computer and a bigger screened GPS for when i need navigation.
the 800 might be better?
Posted 6 months ago # -
I have an 800 that came with UK wide OS 1:50,000 (as recommend by ST a few issues back). Its OK but you need a paper map as back up. Although screen is necessarily small so as to fit on bars the OS maps are what we are used to (right?). Whether it records distance and height gain accurately is another matter and the hrm is hopeless. I doubt I will buy another but for now its a fun gadget.
Posted 6 months ago # -
The 605 is a very good bike computer that
records where you've been. Not great as a
navigation tool. Very disappointed with mine - I
don' t really think it' s up to off road navigation (I
find it worse than my old ETrex Legend).really? odd. I've found mine great for off-road navigation. how come?
Posted 6 months ago # -
+1, the 605 is excellent, especially if you draw your routes in a separate program. Don't use the garmin topo software or the 605 itself! I wonder if this why Simon doesn't get on with it?
Posted 6 months ago # -
Whether it records distance and height gain accurately is another matter and the hrm is hopeless
What's wrong with the HRM? I am considering getting an 800 for training purposes with the added bonus of mapping when I ride in an unknown area.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I've navigated successfully in unknown areas with a garmin geko with the actual OS map as back up.
+1. love the geko.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I wonder if this why Simon doesn't get on with it
I've posted on this before. I use tracklogs to plot the path I want to follow. On the Etrex there was no mapping - just a line on a screen - but the 'navigate track' function would show your position relative to the track, distance off track, and arrow pointing in the direction you should be heading. It seemed to cope very well with even complex tracks including figure 8's.
The same approach on the 605 doesn't seem to work. There is no 'trackback' function - you can use either 'navigate route' or 'follow course'.
Navigate Route uses routes rather than tracks. Routes have a restricted (and low)number of points in them - the 605 'interprets' your track to make a route. When i try this it gets very confused - it cant know where junctions are so it joins fairly random points and is impossible to follow.
Courses *should* work better but my experience was that the sensitivity to you being 'off course' is far to great so under tree cover when the GPS thinks it is less accurate it would frequently beep 'off course'. Unfortunately it doesnt give any info on how to get back to it. Nor did it give clear guidance at a x-over on a figure 8 route. This is clearly aimed at road riding where you're trying to beat your time over a specific loop that you know (it has the option of showing a 'ghost' rider for you to race). Turning the wrong way at a junction on road the 'off course' would be useful. On a tight bit of singletrack through the trees it's not.
The final option is just to 'show track' on the map. I use OpenStreetMap for mapping - this is fairly crowded with detail and the screen on the 605 isn't up to it. Theres not enough contrast to see the track on the screen - i've tried different colours without any success.
I found I get lost, and have to get the OS map out, a lot more often with the 605 than I did using the eTrex when trying to follow a route. On the other hand, if *not* trying to follow a route you can work out where you are without getting a map out sometimes using the OSM on the 605.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Think the new Edge 200 has a 'get me out of here' option and will retrace your steps if you get seriously lost but fairly minimal mapping apart from that. Think it does 'breadcrumb trail' tracking whatever that is...
Posted 6 months ago # -
Whether it records distance and height gain accurately is another matter and the hrm is hopeless
What's wrong with the HRM? I am considering getting an 800 for training purposes with the added bonus of mapping when I ride in an unknown area.
The Garmin HR strap is not the best I believe, but here is a solution, I have not tried it yet, as I have not got an 800 yet, but I've had the polar straps for over 5 years without problems
Hope it helps
Dave
Posted 6 months ago #
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