Do these work as navigators?
It seems you can import GPX files, but for road routes, does the screen info actually help point you down the right street?
What do you lot use for 'turn-by-turn' navigation for long (unfamiliar) road routes?
(Don't want to use smartphone, or paper maps).
Am I better off saving up for an 800/something else?
It does work, and I use it quite a bit.
You don't get streets or any sort of map as such, you just get a wiggly track line to follow, but it is usually sufficient to work out which way to go at junctions and turnings. I do however take my iphone so I have a backup street map just in case I need it.
Only thing I don't like about it is that the two default data fields on the course view are fixed and are pretty useless (distance to track and time to finish I think.)
If you really want a proper streetmap to follow then the 800/810 is the one to go for.
Thanks Blobby - really good to hear.
So, at a roundabout, for example, you reckon it gives you enough info from the 'wiggly track' to know which exit to take...?
Yup. I make occasional errors at really fiddly junctions though.
I used a edge305 for years. It has the same kind of breadcrumb trail line to follow as the edge500, it was fine 95% of the time. Occasionally I would take a wrong turning if two roads were at similar angles (think 'Y' type junction) but you'd realise within about 100 metres and double back so it was only ever a very minor inconvenience.
I currently use a Garmin Oregon for navigation. For pre planned routes the full maps are not really necessary and the colour screen is harder to see in bright sunlight than the black and white screen of the 305 (and edge500). The only time I find it particularly useful is if I decide to change the route mid ride for some reason, then having easy access to the OS map is pretty handy, but this is such a rare occurrence that I could easily live without it.
I did the same with my old Etrex (eg follow the line, no mapping) and as above, except for the rare situation where you have two roads/trails that go almost the same way, I never went the wrong way.
I've used both and whilst you can follow a route on the 500 if navigation is one of your main uses I'd save up for the Edge 800 and get one with OS maps as it's so much easier to follow a route on.
The other great thing about the 800 is getting it to do routes on the fly either navigating you to a village, post code, back home, point on the map, etc which you can't do with the 500.
So, at a roundabout, for example, you reckon it gives you enough info from the 'wiggly track' to know which exit to take...?
If you use a website like [url= http://ridewithgps.com/ ]ridewithgps[/url] to program the route, it will have flags at each junction, e.g Left, Right, 3rd Exit etc.
These instructions are only as good as the site which provides them though!
Most of the time they are pretty accurate, but it is worth checking over the route as you program it to make sure any key junctions are properly labelled (and that it hasn't missed any out!)
The last time I used that site it also sent you the wrong way around a roundabout.
It works fine. Carry a paper map for emergencies. Takes a while to gain confidence in the directions, but if you have a reasonable sense of bearing (NSEW) then even heading off course isn't so hard.
If you can live without HR, cadence, power and accurate ascent profiles, the Garmin 200 does the same thing. I've also found that the 200 is faster to start up, easier to read and less prone to dropping the course/signal.
(I bought a 500 after the 200 for the extra ANT+ features)
The last time I used that site it also sent you the wrong way around a roundabout.
Seen this as well. It' very specific about location when plotting the route. Too large a scale and it can put you on the wrong side of the road.