Bike computer for nav that will be better than a phone?

I use a Garmin Edge Explore. I plot the routes in Strava (needs paid membership) and they automatically appear on my Garmin next time Strava, Connect and my Garmin sync.

Edge Explore is £144 on Amazon for a renewed one at the moment. They are literally as new but in a less fancy box.

You can download gpx files from a website and transfer them with the Garmin App, Komoot, etc. The Garmin itself, and the Garmin Connect app will generate random routes based in the distance you wish to cover or you can draw them waypoints.

I have just got the new Beeline Velo 2 and tried it out today for the first time. It's very good for navigation although mainly based around roads and bike paths.

You can import a gpx as well so I'm sure that means it'll do off road routes, but I haven't tried myself yet.

They are only £80 which seems like a steal.

Komoot an iPhone and a Garmin 810 in my case seems to work ok. Komoot is a bit finicky when drawing routes. the turn by turn is nice though. Saves stopping and checking phone all the time.

I like to use OS maps app as that's better for plotting routes using the prow network etc but in my case I'm then needing to convert files and mess about getting it uploaded to the Garmin.

Hammerhead Karoo 2. Draw the route on their Dashboard (or on your route planner of choice and pin/star it and push the sync button). Next time you start the Karoo it will update any routes you have added/ or changed. It is also possible to build routes on the device if you wish.

Another vote for the Edge Explore here, though I only use it for road rides. It's simple and effective, though the touch screen and UI are a bit laggy.

My favourite feature is the route generator, just tell it the distance you want to ride and it will auto-generate 3 routes for you to pick from. Great when you get a block of unexpected free time and you just want to get straight out and ride.

Edge explore is great for nav. You can plot routed on the device although it's a bit fiddly but that's because the device is small necessarily.

Edge explore user here. Plot in OS or download box from web and import. Works well. 530 has better battery life and more training info if you need it.

Edge Explore fan here too.... You can link it to trailforks and other sites, select a route and "send" it to your garmin account. Then it's on there as a route to follow!

Only pain is the need to open garminconnect on your phone if you want it to sync the ride back to strava etc.... I would have thought the system would automatically do this once the ride was finished (that's how the Wahoo system works)

 I would have thought the system would automatically do this once the ride was finished

It should - all Garmins do that if the link to Strava is set up right. Something is wrong with your set up.

Only pain is the need to open garminconnect on your phone if you want it to sync the ride back to strava

Yeah all my Garmins sync automatically. Something's up there.

Agreed. Finish ride, it all syncs and notifies me that Garmin connect and Strava have updated

I find the Wahoo bolt good. Has one for four years and no real problems. Battery still lasts ages.
Tempted to get a colour one or a Roam.

Could be a power-saving setting on the phone? My old Huawei was mad keen to shut things down in the background to help save battery life.

This reminds me of another thing I like about my Edge Explore. If the phone is connected it reads out the directions on my phone.

Any of the group from Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Wahoo, Lyzene Hammerhead will do what you want. All of them have mapping interfaces which allow you to design routes, and download them to head unit most use Open Street mapping, so off road is sometimes "best guess" although to be fair, it is getting better. Most will upload to a 3rd party app, some of them even have their own (Garmin) so you don't need even that.

Decide what features you think you'll need (colour, touch screen, price, size, and so on) and choose accordingly.

DC Rainmaker is always the best site for both reviews and comparisons for stuff like this, I'd start there https://www.dcrainmaker.com/

I use a Garmin Edge ExploreWahoo Elemnt Roam. I plot the routes in Strava (needs paid membership) and they automatically appear on my GarminWahoo

Another Garmin Edge Explore user/Fan here, but battery life is not great IMO; 6-8 hours if you use powersave mode from the start of your ride, which means screen off and tap to wake, so probably less than ideal if you are trying to follow off-road routes.

My work around is having a small power-bank hooked up as a range extender, but it's a bit Heath Robinson as a solution and TBH the unit should have more run time having been sold as a navigation/touring type GPS...

So I guess what I'm saying is, the edge explore is great for the money, but buy an edge 530 if you can...

If you are willing to have the screen off on a phone and tap it to wake it then you'll easily get more than a day out of it. You'll get a big screen and compatibility with a huge range of mapping apps for a lower price than the cheapest dedicated unit. You also get full internet connectivity for routes, etc. TBH I'd start there and if you find any short comings then look to swap it for a dedicated unit at some point once you know what you need and like.

Another Edge Explore user here - bought because I had no need for or interest in any of the performance stuff loaded on to the rest of the Garmin range.

As mentioned, it's a bit clunky at times and (like most units) has its foibles which you just have to sort of learn but it'll generate it's own routes or work off routes created on an app.

Komoot (which personally I can't stand) or Strava are the best phone apps for actually creating a route and Strava's mapping now includes icons showing public routes created by others so you can nick those.
You may need to send it to Garmin Connect before you can send it onto your device but you'll get them there somehow.

but buy an edge 530 if you can…

Or if you're not interested in all the Garmin gubbins like Grit and Flow, then the 520 Plus is cheaper, but a bit smaller and has a little bit less battery life, but does everything else perfectly well.

So I guess what I’m saying is, the edge explore is great for the money, but buy an edge 530 if you can…

I have both and the Explore is miles better for navigatiin due to the ability to easily pan and zoom the map to orientate yourself. A far bigger faff on a 530 due to the lack of touch screen; to the point I just give up usually. I get 8-10hrs from my Explore which is enough for most things.

I used to be a Garmin fan but got fed up with the terrible battery life on my 830. I've owned loads of versions over the years.

Bought a wahoo bolt v1 2nd hand off here and loved it. Upgraded to the roam but to be honest I didn't need to. The only real difference is it can re route you if you go wrong. The bolt needs to be done via your phone but I always found I could manage with the map on the bolt.

Battery life on a wahoo is amazing and the phone interface is great.

Thanks for all the replies, I’ll check through and digest them and try and decide if it is actually what I want.

Tbh in my mind I’d imagined something more like this https://www.twonav.com/en/gps/cross

Which isn’t really what all the bike computers are actually like, and looks like £300+ once I’ve bought some maps.

TBH I’d start there and if you find any short comings then look to swap it for a dedicated unit at some point once you know what you need and like.

Yeah I think I’ll do this and revisit once I find it doesn’t do what I want I think. I’ve got an old iPhone 6S that I’ll get some mapping apps installed on to test out. And get a quad lock case.

iPhones battery will die too quick for my liking, especially mounted on a quad lock out front. Wahoo Element Roam user here, really intuitive, and I’m useless when it comes to gpx files etc. I reckon I can get 18 hours from my Wahoo on one charge.

Garmin fenix 5x user for 3 years.

Negatives;

Screen is small.

Memory only big enough to store 50 turn instructions, then after that you just have to stay on the red line.

Positives;

Its a smart watch you get to use all the time, not just when you go out for rides.

Really smart mount on your handle bar.

Battery in nav mode easily lasts 12hrs.

Tiny battery so charges on no time from dynamo or power bank.

I've navigated the SDW, KAW and from Southampton to Glasgow using it on its own. Don't feel the need to get a dedicated device.

@cobrakai that is an option but tbh I have an old Vivoactive that does everything I want from a watch.

How do the various units work with turn by turn instructions if you're just following a GPS track which might not follow any actual paths etc on a map?

Another Garmin Edge Explore user/Fan here, but battery life is not great IMO; 6-8 hours if you use powersave mode from the start of your ride, which means screen off and tap to wake, so probably less than ideal if you are trying to follow off-road routes.

On mine, the power save mode is almost guaranteed to make the unit freeze and require the route to be reloaded. The battery life is better than indicated because it will keep running at 0% for an hour or two. Beware when charging that just because it says 100%, it doesn't mean it's fully charged.

I have a bryton 750 which i bought because it had a big screen and was easier to see with my aging eyes.I have started using it for off road navigation which was never the intention but i have started to do some bikepacking.Uptil now its worked well and the battery life is good even on full brightness all day.The turn by turn instructions half the battery life though so i don't bother with them.just another option to throw in the mix

How do the various units work with turn by turn instructions if you’re just following a GPS track which might not follow any actual paths etc on a map?

Er not sure, I've not noticed it doing anything, it obviously can't tell you to take a left fork if it doesn't know there's a fork.

On mine, the power save mode is almost guaranteed to make the unit freeze and require the route to be reloaded.

Your software is up to date yes? I've not had that issue on my Explore, I did on my Touring though which let's face it was hard to love.

Er not sure, I’ve not noticed it doing anything, it obviously can’t tell you to take a left fork if it doesn’t know there’s a fork.

Tbh turn by turn wasn't something I was wanting / cared about but it seems like most of the computers are built more for that than just following a line - so really will work better on roads etc when they can do turn by turn?

I guess in an ideal world I need to try one and see.

My edge explore does do turn by turn offroad. When I used it in Thetford Forest where the tracks had a name it used those or other told me to turn left onto "trail". In The Surrey Hills/Thetford the trail names appeared on screen but I don't recall them being spoken to me. This is with my phone linked so it talked. With the phone disconnected I assume that would just appear on screen.

Your software is up to date yes?

Yes, latest version installed. I don't usually use it but needed it on a long audax, and was delighted when it froze at 2am in Snowdonia.

so really will work better on roads etc when they can do turn by turn?

It works off road too, because it uses Open Streetmap and most trails, at least around here are on there.

Another call out for Hammerhead Karoo 2 - Ive had the Garmin edge 1000 and I prefer the navigation on the Karoo2 and general behaviour of it.

I recently used my Explore following two off-road GPX routes I’d downloaded. Worked really well, but wasn’t out long enough for the battery run time to be an issue.

Much easier to follow than on my old 810.