I smashed my Holux GPS last week and so now I am after a replacement. I use my Gps for navigation not tracking and need something to do that job. I am not after anything fancy but I need it to-

– Be small and bar mounted. I don’t want anything as big as a Garmin Etrex.
– To be able to navigate routes I put into it. It must be able to follow me as I ride rather than needing me to pan. This doesn’t have to be posh- a line on a screen will do.
– Chargeable by USB
– Be ideally under £100
– New or secondhand

I have seen the Garmin Edge 500 on ebay for around £100. Will this do what I want? Some look fake, is that a common occurrence? If so will the fakes do what I want? Alternatively are there good alternatives where I am not paying for a big brand name?

Thanks

The Garmin Edge 200 does all of that. You should be able to get a new one for around £80.

Are you sure? Just looked at it on bike discount and it says you can add rides from other connect users. What I do is create a route then import it, usually ones not available elsewhere, then follow it on screen. Can it do that? If so it’s ideal.

cannot comment on that garmin but even my ancient Etrex lets me add my own routes so I would be amazed if an new unit wont let you.

I assume if it can upload routes then you can do them from numerous sources

200 can’t do navigation, it’s a posh GPS cycle computer really.

You need the “edge” series so that’s Touring, Touring +, 800, 810, and 1000.

Edit; although at a push the 200 and 500 will do bread-cumb following, so you can load a route into it, and follow that, it won’t do turn by turn. Never used a garmin 200 500 for navigation so can’t comment on how well it does, they’re not designed specifically with that it mind.

200 can’t do navigation,

pretty sure the one I had could do breadcrumb type navigation following a GPX.

edit: see:

http://velogps.com/garmin-edge-200-turn-by-turn-directions/

ninja edit…

sorry 😆

The edge 200 does do navigation and loading routes onto it is dead easy – it’s breadcrumb navigation though, so just literally a line you follow without a map.

This doesn’t have to be posh- a line on a screen will do

Does that fine.

I’ve used it well enough but it can be a bit tricky especially off road. 500 is the same, it’s better than the 200 but still no maps.

You need to go to the 800/810 or touring series to get mapping to navigate properly. If you don’t want any sensor compatibility, just navigation then the edge touring is the cheapest way to do it new. Edge 800 second hand should be findable for around £150 and that will give you everything but you’ll need to use 3rd party maps unless you can find a second hand one with the OS Maps or City maps (depending whether you’re road/mtb).

Just buy another Holux? (GPSport 260)

It does all of the things you asked for – more than happy with mine.

As above, 200 does breadcrumb navigation and you can plot a route on a computer and download it no problems. If you look online there’s a lot of reports of the breadcrumb trails disappearing on the 500 (similar story to some of the later Garmin running watches), but the 200 works absolutely fine. It’s exactly what you are after.

Just to add I’ve been following Garmin breadcumbs for running and cycling for years and have never had a problem – the beauty is in the simplicity and you won’t get the issues reported of the more advanced Garmins around auto re-routing, it trying to take you over fields/down the motorway etc.

Excellent, I will go for one of those. While the Holux was good it is pretty big and the mount very clunky.

Slight hijack, when you guys say breadcrumbs, does the Garmin give you an arrow at the junction or a picture with the turn you need to take?

a dotted line you follow its not turn by turn on the cheaper models

We used a 200 to navigate us round a route the other week. It gives you an alarm really quickly when you go off route, so better than my very basic Geko which just shows the little man wandering away from the breadcrumb line.

There was a suggestion that you could get the ‘arrow at a junction’ display in another thread a couple of weeks ago, but it’s not explained in the instructions.

I found the breadcrumb was fine almost all of the time.

I got the “off course” chirrup if I just hadn’t checked for a while and made an assumption, or at roundabouts with more than 4 exits! Bit tricky to tell, sometimes – best to decide which exit’s in the right direction on the approach, rather than to try and check when you’re already on the roundabout.

And to be honest, the same would be the case with the turn-by-turn directions!

Although if you’re in a town with the signals bouncing around, knowing the name of the road you’re supposed to be turning into is very useful.