Fed up taking wrong turns using Trailforks on my phone and have decided to get a dedicated bike GPS. Having never owned a GPS I have to say I am baffled by the choice. Features I would like:
- something small
- base map
- happy with black and white screen
- good battery life
- interfaces with Strava
- under £100
I like the look of the Lezyne Super GPS. Anyone have one of these?
Thanks for any help.
Mapping on the lezyne isn't basemap type - it's only a breadcrumb trail
Having not spotted your penultimate sentence before beginning to type this reply, https://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-computers-gps-hrm/lezyne-super-gps-cycle-computer/11346427.html
Had one for ~2 years, lots of features for the buck, last year the navigation (re-routing if you deviated off route) went wonky during their regular firmware updates, but they sorted it around Xmas. Loads of battery life and storage space, can have up to 8 fields per page if you are a data-holic, can do "live segments" if you have Summit (Strava) Analysis pack (albeit it is not so good if you only beat your PB by a few seconds, times can be adjusted once you upload to Strava). Also has ANT+ and Bluetooth for pairing.
About the only thing it really lacks is offline mapping, which the newer Mega XL does https://www.merlincycles.com/lezyne-mega-xl-gps-computer-115033.html for ~£50 more.
Thanks.
'Breadcrumb' I don't really understand. Say a GPS does not have a basemap feature, and you load say a GPX route, is this route overlaid on any sort of map or does the GPS readout basically just show you the path ahead only with no geographical features?
does the GPS readout basically just show you the path ahead only with no geographical features
This.
How is the lezyne battery life when using the GPS features?
Ok thanks. I suppose if you have your mobile with you you can always look at a map on that for reference should you need it so maybe basemaps are not so important. Hmmm.
can you get both on one unit ie a base maps with a route highlighted on top of it?
That super gps Lezyne looks pretty reasonable for the price. I’ve got a micro gps but haven’t tried uploading a route into it yet (I think Lezyne needs a fit file rather than gpx?). For the money my gps is ok - although I picked the one that is mounted on a watch strap rather than the bars in a half price sale in cRC for £50.
My suunto watch does breadcrumb trail which I found surprising useful. The off route vibration was handy and it even handled us not doing a 1 mile down to the shore and back to this point without a fuss. Only two issues, not so easy to glance at (as you have to remove your hand from the bars) and I think 9 hours would be the battery limit (with the optical HR turned off). For 99% of my rides this would be perfect. However planning some big days (SDW single and double) which would be beyond it.
The more expensive lezyne claims 48 hours but would be interesting to know if that's with Bluetooth hr turned on.
The Super GPS can easily do ~24 hours, I had a few rides last year where the unit would freeze up when I approached one specific corrupt live segment, I would have to wait until the following day to charge up and use again.
Sorry for the slight thread hijack, but what are people using for Lezyne mounts? I don't like the standard rubber band or the "out front" one, but I've struggling to find an alternative. Are there any?
I'm using the standard mount, didn't see the point in spending ~£15 on the "out front" mount, given my Cube is hardly a shining example of aero geometry with its 202mm headtube. The lock mechanism between the mount and unit is rock solid and the double rubber o-ring hasn't been any issue for me over two years.
Used Garmin 200 will do breadcrumb preloaded routes and may be all you need. It’s also stupidly reliable, being a dumb unit that does not talk to anything except via its usb mini cable.
Garmin Etrex (2nd hand maybe) & TalkyToaster maps.
I used a breadcrumb-only garmin edge 200 for a few years. Really good upgrade from a standard wheel magnet bike computer (which is what it was for me) but it was frustrating at times not to have more information - small roundabouts with multiple exits at odd angles - quite often turn up the wrong one, only to be turned back by the off route alarm. Trail junctions with multiple options leave you in the same boat, parallel roads or trails, you might think you're right but you're not.
Biggest drawback is not being able to change route - if you need to find a road in an emergency, cut the route short because of a change int the weather/fitness/injury/mechanical.