looking for the equivalent of sat nav for the UK trails.

basically want to upload gxp files and follow the routes

can’t be arsed with stopping to read a map all the time.

whats best?

Incoming recommendations for every bike sat nav available. I’ll start – garmin edge 810.
Edge 5x series hasn’t got enough space for lots of maps and I find the 10x series to big. 8x is about right, 820 is probably better than the 810 but in the stw way I’ll recommend what I’ve got.

As above – Garmin Oregon.

However, be aware that you won’t get spoken turn-by-turn instructions on off-road routes the way that a car sat nav does.

Can I hijack this thread and ask for recommendations for the best phone app for the same? I’ve tried ride with gps, bikehub and plain google maps so far, with mixed results.

can’t be arsed with stopping to read a map all the time.

Somewhere between Loch Garry and Loch Eigheach there’s a Garmin GPS Map 62s that would do the trick!

Might take a while to find it admittedly 😳

any basic garmin edge or other brand that gives you a bread crumb trail when you upload a TCX file. Then zoom out to around 100 meters.

I have a Garmin 800 and have disabled the maps and just use the breadcrumb trail as the maps provide too much detail to read when riding and the route itself becomes indistinct amongst all the contours, tree symbols etc. My Garmin 800 may be particularly bad on this point as the trail defaults to a dull purple – there’s no way that I can see to change to florescent yellow or something more visible.

I speak from experience on a January ride a couple of years ago when using the mapping I took a wrong turn around Kingley Vale and added an extra 4/5 miles of wet chalky hell, resulting in me having to call in the cavalry early.

Garmin Edge Touring, I bought one for the exact same reason and it’s spot on.

Few setting changes from ridewithgps set it up nicely –

Navigation specific settings for your Edge Touring.

Click the Wrench Icon on the main menu of the unit.
Select Routing Options
Change Routing Mode to Cycling
Change Calculation Method to Minimize Distance
Ensure Lock On Road is set to Off
Enter Avoidance Setup and disable all (keeps the unit from changing your pre-planned route based on its own map data)
Change Recalculation to either Prompted or Off (Important!!! If you lose GPS signal or go slightly off course, recalculation will usually short cut you to the end of your route. You almost never want it, so we set it to Prompted).
Course Turn Guidance must be OFF. This feature only works when the device recalculates the route, which you don’t want if you are using a TCX route.
Off Course Warnings is Enabled. Venture too far away from the route and the device will let you know.

My Garmin 800 may be particularly bad on this point as the trail defaults to a dull purple – there’s no way that I can see to change to florescent yellow or something more visible.

It’s easy – When you select the course you want to follow press the spanner icon.

If the SATMAP Active 20 delivers, and eliminates some of the bugbears of the Active 10/12 (bulky bike mount, screen could be better in bright sunlight, replaceable covers easy to scratch and let water underneath) it could be a very good option. I like the interface and software.

Apart from the bulk, I much prefer my Active 12 to the Garmin 820 I use for road biking.

Someone might *cough* have an Edge 800 for sale in the classifieds 🙂

Phone apps… OsmAnd is a candidate, but I’ve found it buggy, especially on my older phone. Others swear by it. MyTrails is worth a look, a bit old school but quite capable, maybe Back Country Navigator too.

Generally you won’t get turn alerts on any device for off road routes unless you manually create cues at the planning stage, so it’s usually a case of resorting to follow-the-wiggly-line navigation, combined with off-course alerts.

There are plenty of apps that can display a GPX track, but I have recently been using Locus. This has a voice navigation option which tells you to turn left and right. For me this is good on road rides where it can shout directions from my back pocket.

It might get a bit annoying on a twisty mtb track, and it is limited in that it has no route info about other tacks, so can’t say ‘straight over’ or ‘2nd exit’, as it doesn’t know about them.

It’s easy – When you select the course you want to follow press the spanner icon.

Pretty sure you can change the colour of the route when you are reviewing the entire route on the map, but when you are actually following the route it defaults to purple which can be difficult to see. I’ve just tried it, changed the colour to bright green, but still get a purple trail to follow.

How battery hungry are these devices?

How battery hungry are these devices?

V good these days. My Garmin 800 charges via USB cable and easily retains enough power for a full days riding…when not in use it seems to hold onto power for a long time but I usually give it a charge overnight before a ride (or at least I did – injured at the moment)

Wahoo Elemnt will be my next purchase.

Can I hijack this thread and ask for recommendations for the best phone app for the same? I’ve tried ride with gps, bikehub and plain google maps so far, with mixed results.

Premium version of backcountry navigator and download the bing OS maps onto your phone so you don’t need a data connection when using it. Works brilliantly.

Haven’t OS just released a cheap version of their mapping for phones? Think it’s something like £25 a year you can download maps for offline use, map trails etc.

Of the Garmin Edges you don’t need anything above the Touring. Expect to be frustrated and annoyed by it.

A Garmin with a bigger screen (see Oregon above) will be easier to follow but is a big lump attached to the bike.

Wahoo element looks promising.

If you don’t need the training functions of the Edge range there are plenty of options.

I have a Garmin Etrex 3.0 (a slightly higher res. Etrex 3.0X has replaced it in the Garmin range) which works really well, although the screen size is smallish. It works well as a bike GPS to also as a handheld and is highly customisable. It also takes removeable batteries (but is a bit on the bulky size); battery life is amazing.

Garmin also now seems to be selling an Edge Explorer 1000 which looks like a beefed up Edge Touring (pretty expensive though).

2nd for the eTrex 30 here. Buttons are much better than touch screen in muddy gloves.

Install Openstreetmaps from Talky Toaster.

Small screen is only downside.

Just bought an Oregon though some can report back on touchscreen use.

Touchscreen on the Oregon is fine. A screen protector is obviously a good idea. I tend to run it in low power mode (screen off). If running with the screen on then locking it stops it randomly changing in the wet 🙂

The size of it hasn’t been an issue and I like that it runs off AAs.

For the hijack looking for an app – Viewranger is worth a look.
I have used this for a few years and found it reliable although I don’t tend to use it as a turn-by-turn but more as I would a map – where am I, where next, and what is that interesting thing on the hill?

scotroutes, can you turn off the warning that tells you the screen is locked and you should tap the power button to unlock it?

I had a frustrating hour or few the other weekend with raindrops constantly triggering the warning and obscuring the map.

“Screen is locked…”

“I **** know! It’s locked because it’s raining and I don’t want it messing about with the display!”

any basic garmin edge or other brand that gives you a bread crumb trail when you upload a TCX file. Then zoom out to around 100 meters.

Depends where you ride, on the Yorkshire moors where you don’t have too many paths that’s not bad, but anywhere there’s a high density of paths it’s a very frustrating way to operate.

To continue the theme of recommending what you have the Edge 1000 is excellent, although if you really do just want to navigate then the Oregon may well be better.

I’m in the same position as the OP. But if just “breadcrumb” directions work the best in real life, are the very basic Edge 20/25’s any good?

Pretty sure you can change the colour of the route when you are reviewing the entire route on the map, but when you are actually following the route it defaults to purple which can be difficult to see. I’ve just tried it, changed the colour to bright green, but still get a purple trail to follow.

You can definitely do it. I’ll have a play around with mine tonight as I can’t remember exactly how.

Depends where you ride, on the Yorkshire moors where you don’t have too many paths that’s not bad, but anywhere there’s a high density of paths it’s a very frustrating way to operate.

yep i guess so…I ride the south downs so its basically long stretches of bridle way that usually diverge to other bridleways at nice big right angles. Pretty quick to spot a wrong turn plus the off course warning on the Garmin helps so never had the issue with the breadcrumb trail …i can see how it might be trickier if you have more complex systems of multiple trails diverging at narrow angles. My point is more about being able to process all the info a tiny on screen map is throwing at you, as well as following the route, whilst moving and trying to keep your eyes looking ahead etc.

You can definitely do it. I’ll have a play around with mine tonight as I can’t remember exactly how.

If you can figure it out let me know! Then I’ll give the mapping a go again. BTW I have the free OSM mapping on my Garmin, so there’s maybe better/clearer mapping available if you want to pay

I’m in the same position as the OP. But if just “breadcrumb” directions work the best in real life, are the very basic Edge 20/25’s any good?

They do work well, but not great in certain circumstances – I had the Edge 200 as my first GPS unit – “a cycle computer but better” was what I wanted to buy, rather than a full blown navigation device.

The breadcrumb on a blank screen works well for 90 degree turns in 300yds, following the track round a curve type situations, but if its trying to decide between the middle or left fork of the junction ahead, under the trees, or should I be on the left or right of these parallel tracks, you’re short of context.

The other time you really suffer is changing plans. No problem at all if you follow that 25 mile route round dartmoor and don’t deviate from it, you’ll end up back at the car. But if you want to cut off a loop, or need to bail to a road, you’re getting the map out. Whereas something like an Oregon can be a genuine map replacement. You can zoom out and change your route, or head out on a mountain walk or a bike ride with no route stored, just following your nose or a rough plan.

Obviously you can’t replace the large area view with all the detail that you need a map for. Planning the best route from a to b over 30 miles is something you can’t do with a 2 or 3″ screen.

But if you want to cut off a loop, or need to bail to a road, you’re getting the map out.

Agreed…and that’s what I would do somewhere like Dartmoor or anywhere remote or mountainous – take a map and compass (which I am familiar with from hillwalking) for those change of plan or direction confirmation situations. Use the GPS to get an OS grid reference, see where you are on your map and navigate your way from there. Horses for courses – I’m old skool and I like maps.

Use the GPS to get an OS grid reference, see where you are on your map and navigate your way from there

But if your new route is any distance at all, you’re doing that all with the paper map: Stopping regularly, bag off, map out, checking, back on the bike. Your GPS unit can’t help you much if it shows you is a breadcrumb of a route you’re not following.

I like maps too, but when I’m on the bike I like them waterproof, small, on the handlebar where I can read them on the move, and with all the aids available. (but not that sort!)

I have had Satmap, Garmin 800, 520 and now the Elemnt.

Satmamp was too big
Garmin 800 was fine for training but a proper pain to get routes onto for navigation
520 good for training but not really a navigator
Elemnt is much better for getting routes onto. Its black and white if that bothers you. Probably my favourite overall.