Currently using an old edge305 on the bike and a new forerunner 310xt running. I use routes on the 305 when out on the road and it chirps when I approach a waypoint and points me in The right direction. Its a hassle to make routes tho, involving exporting from whatever mapping site and converting in basecamp and if I go off course or have to change, having g no base map means I’m more or less on my own

Halfords are doing the 800 with 1:50k UK mapping for just under £300 (and I’ve got gift vouchers burning a hole in my pocket) but the question is how useful is it going to be at guiding me round a pretty defined road route? And can it do turn by turn mapping (I think that requires additional mapping but not sure)

If you navigate to google and type in “Garmin 800 manual” you’ll find all you need to know

This is a good post for showing what the 800 can do:http://frank.kinlan.co.uk/garmin-edge-800/dummies-guide-to-the-garmin-edge-800/

To save you reading it though, yes it will do what you want. You can even use free maps from places like talkytoaster (I use them and they’re great, no hassle at all). You just plot a route on bikehike or bikeroutetoaster and clock the ‘send to garmin’ option.

You can use Garmin Connect and BikeRouteToaster to plan the routes ahead of time too.

That’s just what I needed thanks Bails. The manual I downloaded is no use beyond attaching the thing to the bike!

So is the GB Discover OS style map that comes with it “routable”?

So is the GB Discover OS style map that comes with it “routable”?

The GB Discoverer map includes a hidden routable layer. This is separate from the OS map, and only includes roads. So it can give turn-by-turn routing along roads, but not along any paths or tracks etc.

Excellent! Buy it button pressed!!

Sorry to hijack, but could Craig W explain this hidden layer and how to access it as I’m really struggling with the os map view only.
Cheers

You dont access it directly it just allows to route on road only. Track only off road

Bigshep

If you go into the map settings you can put it into ‘automotive’ mode and it will only display the routable portion of the map similar to a car GPS.

I use this for road riding and stick to the OS north up for off road

If you get one have a look on scarletfire.co.uk there’s some decent info regarding the settings coz the default ones aren’t much help