What would the fine people of STW recommend for a turn-by-turn nav system for riding? I’ve started to get more in to “natural” routes rather than trail centers, but have spent most of my riding with other people. I want to start riding more, but that means a lot of my riding will be on my own. My problem is, I’m not 100% sure of the routes etc, so would like to be able to grab .gpx / .mmo file, and stick them on a device (whatever that may be) and just follow the turns where needed from that? I’m looking for a cheap solution if possible. I use an android phone, so maybe an app?
Thanks all,
Sam

Cheap solution = map and compass 😛

Ha, I was actually thinking that. I have Memory Maps, and plan my routes on there, was thinking of just printing off the map with the route overlay on it. But being in the age of tech, was thinking I’d do well to look at electronic solutions 😛

Not being melodramatic or a luddite/smartar5e but if you’re heading into the hills, particulalry alone, a map and compass and the knowledge to use it is the by far the best solution.

You’re unlikely to disappear, never to be seen again but missing the best descent/having to ride round to the car on the road, in the dark cos your phone ran out of battery and you dropped into the wrong valley……..etc etc

I can use a map and a compass. I’m not saying I can’t. I was in the Army and spent the last 10 years walking up and down the mountains (I live in the Lake District) and I will carry a full OS map with me when I go.

What I’m meaning is something I can glance at (down on the bars say) with an arrow going >> in 100m’s or something along them lines? See what I mean? Rather than going having to stop and get the map out if I’m unsure. 🙂

like the rescue services say, “just cause you have a phone / sat nav, that does not mean you can navigate”

Maybe try the viewranger app but take a proper map and compass with you as well.

If you’ve already got memory map then you can get an official mobile version for android and use the same maps, or the unofficial MMTracker which will run older maps. They won’t give you turn by turn but you’ll quickly see if you’ve strayed from the GPX. I mostly use viewranger as it is a better app but you’ll need to buy the OS maps again or use free ones (Like open cycle map, which is OK)

Never really got the map/compass thing. Its certainly a handy back up in the wilds but not really a useful option for day to day biking. Better to have a back up battery for your phone 🙂

Cheers nickjb! That’s perfect thank you 🙂 I will try downloading them now and see how it looks, should do the trick though 🙂

Fair enough, App as an addition to, rather than instead of. Dunno, I’m a luddite!

thestabiliser – Member
Fair enough, App as an addition to, rather than instead of. Dunno, I’m a luddite!

Ha – sorry. I should have maybe been a bit clearer 🙂

Yes – It would be foolish to rely on just an App. I wouldn’t trust that alone. I fully agree a map and compass is the most reliable thing.
Just be nice to have a “quicker” option so I can carry on with the leg spinning. 🙂

Edge 200 is £80 or so and fine for following the line on a GPX. You’ll pay at least half that for a bar mount and waterproof case for your phone, and it’ll still drain its battery like crazy as you ride around with the screen on.

There’s no real “turn by turn” for offroad stuff but it’s quick at noticing you’re off course and beeping at you. Mostly where you need to turn it’s pretty obvious from the shape of the line. If you’re familiar (or get familiar) with some GPX editing tools you can add some notes to the track for specific direction (eg. “stile on left”, “fork right” etc).

Map & compass are great for backup, sorting out the quickest way home if something breaks, etc but having a device on your bars that shows you that you’re on track and roughly where the next turn is, beeping if you go wrong, is a godsend and saves a lot of faffing.

Road style turn-by-turn doesn’t really work so well off road as it’s hard to judge where the turns are. Bits that look straight on the map can turn out to be junctions on the ground and vice-versa. But if you are happy just following a line on a map the Garmin Edge 800 works well. You can zoom in and out as required and it pretty soon lets you know if you’ve gone off course.

I guess if I was out all day on my own in properly remote areas I might pack a map and compass too, but for 99% of rides I’m comfortable enough with the Garmin as I also have mapping on the phone and the chances of both failing is pretty small. Probably about as likely as losing a map.

Cheers Simon I will have a look at that option now as well 🙂
I admit a device away from the phone is probably best, as having no battery on a phone in the middle of no where is not an ideal situation!

Ive a garmin edge touring which seems to be the best ‘turn by turn’ for off road use. Although ive found the maps that it comes with arent particularly accurate when using the automatic circular route function – it has a preference for taking you on the road rather than lots of off road. For example a 15 mile ‘ off road ‘ route will be 11+miles on the road with limited off road.
Im thinking of upgrading to full OS maps but at almost the cost of the unit itself im not sure of the worth.
For downloading a route and following it though its great.

Garmin eTrex for me (old Vista HCx), and pop OpenStreetMap maps on it, along with GPX tracks/routes of where to ride.
Running off AA batteries instead of internal one charged over USB is a bonus.
OS map or similar stays in the backpack (only needed it once in Scotland to help verify the best way to cross a bog).

Have successfully navigated a route in Slovenia by making the wiggly trail on a non-mapping etrex match up with the same wiggly shape on a photocopy of a bike route (more road than MTB, but needing at least tour tyres).

Could I put the maps I currently have (Memory-Maps full UK) on the eTrex Andy? I see them units are very cheap also!
And AA batteries is a bonus, as a few spares in the back weigh nothing and would always be handy! Just staying on a line is all I need really, I use mmaps to plot the routes and common sense on a trail will show you where the route (bridleway etc) actually is, so it’s just when there is a turn / fork that it would be good to see it’s either slight left, slight right. So even a squiggly line would work!

Tulip Navigation System.

You need an accurate cyclometer and a waterproof writing system.

Plan route beforehand and break the complex junction sections into a “left at T junction, 600m Right Fork, Bridge at 300m, Singletrack right 400m…. ” etc. this is broken into a symbol form you can interpret quickly. Zero the cyclometer after the major junctions so the distance countdowns are accurate.

Secure the piece of waterproof paper with your route to your forearm or bodge some bigger board to your stem. Works but requires practice to be slick. Batteries not required!

Don’t know about the other Garmins but I know you can get a decent turn-by-turn on an Edge 500 by putting the gpx file into bikeroutetoaster and telling it where you want it to give you directions.

Haven’t used it off-road yet but works well on road and I don’t see why it wouldn’t work off-road as long as you set it up right.

Thank you all – Just managed to bash my memory maps on the phone, loaded the maps and a couple routes, and it looks like that will work as an (in the bag backup), and I’m about to order a Garmin eTrex as they are cheap, run on batteries, and will work for the purpose I need.
🙂