Hi

Complete novice and looking for help.

What i’m looking for is a on board computer with navigation capabilities. I’ve found some nice gpx routes but have no idea how to use them or what to use them on. Having only recently got back on my bike ive been doing mainly marked trails but would now love to get out in to the peak districts which is close by and try some other routes.

all advice much appreciated.

I use view ranger app on my phone to track rides. Routes can be imported / plotted.

Viewranger app here too. Might I also suggest you buy a paper OS Map of the area and learn how to read it if you don’t know already – a lifetime of enjoyment awaits. Also these days OS maps have a digital code which means you can upload the map into their excellent app which you can then use for route navigation and finding out exactly where you are !

Can second the os map app, got a map of the n York moors and remembered route in my head and used phone as a map as it was easier to get out of a pocket plus it gives you a marker showing where you are.

could try the os map route, been 30 years and many beers since i left the scouts but the mapping know how may still be rattling in my head somewhere.

OP I love maps and a big part of the fun for me in getting them out is it reminds me of my youth. The full os map data is £20 a year for whole country on phone/pad/computer. As an example here is a route loaded in. Viewranger works too but not with same map detail but you can follow a route and find your way about

EDIT: a proper gps device is the best but no need to spent £100s now, load up viewranger and a gpx and get out there, Peak district is fairly easy to navigate around

Another viewranger user here, it’s a fantastic app. I’ve got OS mapping of the south east on my phone which also means I can use it for route planning on their website – was only something like £10! Never seems to lose gps signal either so I get my rides all tracked correctly unlike some other things I’ve tried – I’m looking at you Strava!

We did a 4 hour ride on Sunday and it used up about a third of my phones power so not bad.

But also get a paper map, nice to spread out a whole area and look for routes, then plan it and put it into the app.

if i were to go down the bike computer route what models would people recommend for navigation use?

etrex 20/30 , dakota or oregon all work good for the on the bike nav.

Etrex 20 is great for navigating. Just need to buy proper maps for it though!

any one use garmin 520 – gets very good reviews.

up until this weekend i relied on a little pre-planning online and from guide books, a physical OS map and reviewing my strava logs after. I still carry the OS map and run strava (linked to wahoo tickr heart rate monitor)

i don’t like the idea of having my iphone on the handlebars.. so its tucked away in a waterproof case in the ‘media pocket’ of my camelbak.

i am new to “view ranger” and have used it a couple times over the last week and its great.

big win is that you can pre-download maps. its now a permanent part of my tool kit for finding trails. stopping and peeking isn’t too bad. I’m normally in a sub-section of a place i know so can’t go “horribly horribly wrong” (as a co-worker of mine likes to say).

all said and done, if i had the cash i’d spunk a couple hundred on a gpx planning/logging thing with proper OS maps built in. view ranger is awesome in itself, but planning is also good. often i can memorize if i plan ahead.

so all said and done.. whats the cheapest device that’ll run view ranger? an old android thing? i dont care about the phone part as long as can get the maps over wifi at home. looks like under 40 quid for an galaxy s3.

After this thread, and an airport conversation with my boss about HRMs I’ve now got the following set up.

£45 Wahoo Tickr HRM (from wiggle which I already had)
£20 Brand new Vodafone smart first 6 android phone (off the shelf at sainsbury)
£1 Bloke on eBay to unlock the phone (vodafone change £20!) which took 12 mins to get the code
£FREE Giff gaff sim card
£9 iPhone 4s topeak waterproof case (halfords in the sale)

I bunged 10 quid credit on the sim, but wasn’t necessary. I’ve barely used any in the two outings so far. note: did not sign up to a rolling plan.

I had to get a phone that support the HRM, and that needed a fairly new version of bluetooth.

So for £30 investment (plus the tenner on credit if you’re fussy) I’ve got a ‘disposable’ stem mounted device, with pre-downloaded maps (view ranger) and with strava showing me my heart-rate as I ride.

Much happier than risking my iPhone 🙂