Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)
  • Offroad gps navigation device – What is available without bells and whistles?
  • kudos100
    Free Member

    I’m after a gps device that I can load routes onto and follow round, like a sat nav. I’m not interested in cadence, hr or any of the traditional cycle computer stuff.

    What is available that had a decent navigation system to use on the move, without all the other gubbins?

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    sounds like garmin edge tour is whats needed ?

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    Or look at the Garmin Forerunner 305 – yes more running orientated but with a handlebar mount actually makes a really good bike computer (has cycle specific mode) and more features than the Edge 200 and even the later Forerunner watches.

    Cheers

    Danny B

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    kudos100
    Free Member

    The edge and forerunner both seem like computers rather than gps mapping devices?

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    forerunner doesnt do mapping at all , cant see what good it would be

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    Actually the 305 does do mapping on exactly the same basis as the Edge 500 (and Edge 200 come to that). You pre load routes and it tells you to turn left, right etc when a turn comes up.

    OK it doesn’t have full moving map but has got me back to base camp when lost and is pretty good for navigation also.

    Full details of how to do it here

    OP – apologies, I slightly mis-read your post also. By mapping I thought you meant to record your ride so you could download and see where you had been.

    If you want effectively car type sat nav on a bike you can’t really do it without all the bells and whistles (although you do not have to buy all the sensors). Garmin 800 / 810 or a cheap phone with a mapping app (although note phone batteries tend to die rather quickly).

    Cheers

    Danny B

    uphilla
    Free Member

    Memory Map Adventurer? – or see HERE

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    @uphilla – like that muchly, well thought out.

    Issue for me (though may be not the OP) is that it won’t talk to Sportstrack so can’t log my rides afterwards.

    Cheers

    Danny B

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    dont do the memory map – really dont …. id rather not know where i am than have to fight with that crashy piece of junk.

    re 305 thats navigation – not mapping.

    dakota 10 ? Etrex ?

    kudos100
    Free Member

    Garmin 800 is out of my price range and has a load of stuff I will never use. Phone idea seems like an option.

    Memory map adventurer looks good.

    With downloading routes, do all companies use different maps/files etc or can you download maps for garmin and use them on a different device?

    Essentially what I am after is something that lets me download routes that other people have ridden and mapped, and then follow it round with an arrow or some other real time navigation.

    cheshirecat
    Free Member

    I use a Garmin eTrex Vista with OpenCycleMap on a micro SD card (free maps updated regularly). You can load routes and follow the map or an arrow.

    Mine has a limit of 250 points I think, the new eTrex units have a much higher limit, so I’m tempted to get a new one myself.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    do you really really need a map then

    afaik any of the garmins will follow a route and tell you to turn left or right …..

    my 500 and dannys forerunner do it ….

    dan1980
    Free Member

    Satmap active 10 with Bike mount?

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    @kudos – Yes, I think they all use different file formats but Garmin ones are reasonably easy to come by as they units are so popular.

    @t_r – I appreciate that but then neither does the Edge 500 and both will do what the OP wants.

    Essentially what I am after is something that lets me download routes that other people have ridden and mapped, and then follow it round with an arrow or some other real time navigation

    Assuming they can find the appropriate file.

    Cheers

    Danny B

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    The Edge 200 will also do this and can be had for £90 off Amazon and the like but note this thread regarding accuracy.

    Cheers

    Danny B

    kudos100
    Free Member

    do you really really need a map then

    afaik any of the garmins will follow a route and tell you to turn left or right …..

    my 500 and dannys forerunner do it ….

    I do want to have access to a map. The combination of a decent map and something that navigates me round is what I am after. The cycling features are secondary.

    As you can probably tell I don’t have a bloody clue when it comes to this stuff!

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    You are limited then to very expensive Garmins, not so expensive Brytons (which generally do not get quite as good write ups as Garmins but have no experience of them to give thoughts) or some kind of phone solution.

    Other option would be a Garmin Dakota – v similar to an 800/810 but cheaper (not much though).

    Cheers

    Danny B

    irelanst
    Free Member

    I use a Dakota for everything, bike, geocaching, running and walking. I don’t use the turn-by-turn navigation so I can’t comment on that (I don’t think my maps support it anyway). I just follow the arrow on the map.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    I was going to suggest a Dakota 20

    dannybgoode
    Full Member

    Just a note re: the Dakota’s – they don’t come with maps but these can be found open source for free.

    Cheers

    Danny B

    Esme
    Free Member

    Memory Map seems to be the Marmite of the GPS world – but I really like it. I’ve used it on Road Angels for several years, but the batteries were very poor, so now only useable in the car.

    I now have an Adventurer, with an “Extended Battery Kit”.

    twojumpers
    Full Member

    I have a Dakota 20 and its great for that. Get a microSD and a free opensource map from talkytoaster and you’re sorted. It used aa batteries too which I find useful rather than having to charge it before going out. We also use ours for cycling, walking and geocaching.

    headfirst
    Free Member

    Garmin 500 for navigation, then Back Country Navigator app with OS maps saved for offline use on my android phone for reference as needs be. You’ll pay A LOT more to get a GPS gadget with maps, and then the screen will be that small and hard to see in bright sunlight you’ll wonder why you bothered.

    The BCN app is the most expensive app I’ve ever bought at £7, but it’s by far and away the best value one ever! Access to all of OS’s UK mapping and zoomable too. All that for the price of one paper OS map, bloody marvellous!

    kudos100
    Free Member

    Garmin 500 for navigation, then Back Country Navigator app with OS maps saved for offline use on my android phone for reference as needs be. You’ll pay A LOT more to get a GPS gadget with maps, and then the screen will be that small and hard to see in bright sunlight you’ll wonder why you bothered.

    This sounds like it could be a good way to go. No fussed about having a map on my bars, quite happy to have it in my pocket on my phone.

    Then having a cheaper Navigation device on the bars for telling me where to go.

    Just to double check, all of the garmins with do navigation? No need for a fancy one if the 200 or 305 will do the job.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    This sounds like it could be a good way to go. No fussed about having a map on my bars, quite happy to have it in my pocket on my phone.

    In that case why bother with the electronic map, just use paper ones?

    I’ve an edge 800, mapping is OK for navigation, almost useless as a map though. It is significantly easier to follow than the breadcrumb trails on cheeper garmins, especialy where there’re several similar turnings in quick succession. I’d never go anywhere I wasn’t familiar with without a paper map as well (and more importantly, a compans and know how to use them together).

    The problem with your criteria is the processing power needed to run maps means you’re looking at £200+ minimum. The processing power to calculate speed costs a fiver. Hence there aren’t many made purely for navigation.

    irelanst
    Free Member

    The problem with your criteria is the processing power needed to run maps means you’re looking at £200+ minimum

    That isn’t true; the Dakota costs about £100 which is less than the Garmin 500 mentioned above and displays full colour maps and routes.

    clubber
    Free Member

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/home-made-gps-with-mapping-and-tracking

    A leftfield solution but I’ve got mine working and so far it seems pretty good.

    philwarren11
    Free Member

    You can load a route onto most garmin devices and it will tell you where to go. It wont show a map but will tell you when to turn left/righ etc…

    I use ridewithgps to create a course then upload it to my Garmin 405, i add some extra cue points prior to the turn and just follow it.

    Mintman
    Free Member

    I’m after a gps device that I can load routes onto and follow round, like a sat nav.

    I’m a fan of my Bryton 50 with Open Source Maps. Bought it for approx £150 from Merlin and I use it in exactly the way you describe (as well as looking back at how gnar I was/wasn’t). It links directly to Strava and allows me to knock up routes on bikeroutetoaster type sites as well as use ones directly from the Bryton website.

    Its not as good as the Garmin 500/800 systems and you need access to their webiste for uploading/downloading routes but its a fair bit cheaper. Whether its better or better value for money than the Dakota type systems described above I don’t know as i’ve no experience.

    Nevertheless I think they’re worth investigating.

    clubber
    Free Member

    Have Brytons got a solution for OSM then, mintman? IIRC that was an issue in the past.

    Mintman
    Free Member

    Have Brytons got a solution for OSM then, mintman? IIRC that was an issue in the past.

    I think the maps that came with mine are referred to as Bryton Base Maps which might be different from proper Open Source (im getting out of my depth now). All I really know is that they’re not full OS but good enough for my use.

    There is an option to buy with full OS but that was significantly more and I was on a budget!

    If my use of the term Open Source has been incorrect then I apologise in advance!

    clubber
    Free Member

    No worries 🙂

    OSM I’m referring to is ‘Open Street Map’ which is open source (and sometimes, also called Open Cycle Map which is a derivative)

    It does seem that the maps you’re talking about are actually OSM though.

    johnnystorm
    Full Member

    Garmin Dakota 20 is about £130 if you shop around (Handtec was cheapest when I bought mine)

    Proper Garmin OS maps can be had from a seller called “dazzler3695” or similar on ioffer.com for about 20 quid. They come in the proper packet, etc.

    This will let you follow .gpx routes anywhere you want to go and it will do road/car style sat nav to get to the start of your route if you have ride from where you’re parked up to the trail head. It can also display speed/avg etc while routing. You can also just use it as a bike computer.

    Just invest in some good AA rechargable batteries (2900 mah from 7dayshop.com) will easily last a full days ride if you’re sensible with the screen brightness. A handlebar mount is about £8 from amazon.

    captain_bastard
    Free Member

    I’m also interested in a new GPS, priorities for me are, proper OS maps, battery life and last all of the cycling functions

    just done a multi day trip with a borrowed Garmin 800, and to be fair, it was fine – screen was a little small (but i always carry paper maps to refer to), battery life was good, easily got a full day out of a charge, used a powerchimp to re-charge overnight.

    ir_bandito
    Free Member

    Memory map adventurer looks good

    It may look good, but it isn’t.

    I had one, actually, I had 5, each one a warranty replacement for the previous one. Failed due to not being waterproof, and the software crashes and th eonly to reset it is to take the battery out, which is a faff if you’ve got it mounted on the handlebars as you have to undo the tiny screws. Not easy with cold numb fingers.

    Now using a secondhand smartphone with no sim, running mmtracker. Cheaper and more reliable. (and has a camera included!)

    dmorts
    Full Member

    kudos100 I’ve been looking for something similar…. but it’s way down my to buy list and I’m not fully committed, some brakes are bit more of a priority, sold last set not bought new!… I think I’m going to go with a Garmin Dakota 20 and get some open source maps

    andermt
    Free Member

    It may look good, but it isn’t.
    I had one, actually, I had 5, each one a warranty replacement for the previous one. Failed due to not being waterproof, and the software crashes and th eonly to reset it is to take the battery out, which is a faff if you’ve got it mounted on the handlebars as you have to undo the tiny screws. Not easy with cold numb fingers.

    Now using a secondhand smartphone with no sim, running mmtracker. Cheaper and more reliable. (and has a camera included!)

    As has been said so far, MM seems to be a bit Marmite.

    I used MM on my iPhone for last 2 years and it’s been great apart from the battery life, about 2-3hrs max, personally I’d rather have a smartphone with full power in case of an issue than one with no power due to running maps for gps (I know your phone is not being a phone as well).

    I bought an Adventurer 2nd hand on eBay a month ago and I’m very happy with it so far, been able to copy all my OS maps across which was a must as I have a number of OS25 maps electronically (done using own maps subscription), no drop outs, lasts for hours (5 hrs walking at the weekend and only half way on battery icon so should last a days riding).

    Slightly lacking in intuitive menus especially when trying to save the route but once worked out it isn’t an issue.

    phead
    Free Member

    I use an etrex 20, picked it up for £80 in amazon sale, a quick hack and you can load any map in existence on it.

    superfli
    Free Member

    I use viewranger on my phone. Works on symbian, android and iphone.
    Works a treat. Os maps (at cost) or opencycle maps (free). I have national parks on os, which only cost £15 or so at the time (was years ago though), not sure o price now. Upload routes to follow with alerting, or just a track to view.
    Recent trip to long myndd, i borrowed an edge 705 with maps, but also mt viewranger. Viewranger was far easier to see where i was and where i was going. Screen on phone is just so much better in everyway.

    kudos100
    Free Member

    Garmin Dakota 20 is about £130 if you shop around (Handtec was cheapest when I bought mine)

    Proper Garmin OS maps can be had from a seller called “dazzler3695” or similar on ioffer.com for about 20 quid. They come in the proper packet, etc.

    This will let you follow .gpx routes anywhere you want to go and it will do road/car style sat nav to get to the start of your route if you have ride from where you’re parked up to the trail head. It can also display speed/avg etc while routing. You can also just use it as a bike computer.

    Just invest in some good AA rechargable batteries (2900 mah from 7dayshop.com) will easily last a full days ride if you’re sensible with the screen brightness. A handlebar mount is about £8 from amazon.

    I don’t really want to spend more than about £100 so, this sounds pretty good.

    Anyone got experiences with both the Dakota 20 and etrex 20?

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)

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