Off road bike navigation 'puters?

Garmin Etrex which can be picked up second with https://talkytoaster.me.uk/ OSM installed.

The only negative I can find with my Etrex 20 is that it doesn't have an off route alarm other than that it's a great solid reliable piece of kit & using AA (lithium last even longer) batteries that last ages is another plus.

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt.
I love mine.
Dead basic but all you really need.

IMO you need OS maps.

Not sure what's the answer now, but I've an old Garmin 810 with loaded OS 50k maps.

More than happy with a cheapo android phone, quad lock and os maps.
Paper maps come with a digital code.

Thanks all will have a look at these options

Xc

If you go down the phone / quadlock route have a look at the OsmAnd app. You can download mapped areas for use when there is no phone signal & import a GPX file to follow a route. The only worthy pay for add on is the contours lines so you can see the hills on the map. I use the Etrex for following a GPX and OsmAnd for when I'm not using the Etrex and I just want to check out a map of where I'm at / going.

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt.

I follow a few pros on Strava who use this. Substantially cheaper than the Garmin I use.

I haven't used one myself but have only ever heard good things about it. And, professionals...

IMO you need OS maps.

Definitely. Laid out on the kitchen table. Unless you've got eyes like a shithouse rat & can see a titchy screen (in comparison to an OS map).
Then you can transfer it your device.

Another plus for an Etrex (35, in my case) with Talkytoaster maps.

Plan your routes on Garmin Basecamp ( if you have a laptop/pc) then download to the Garmin.

Ride your bike, and respond to the beeps which indicate that the a turn prompt has popped up on screen.

It takes a little while to get comfortable with the process, but it's worth the effort

@zippykona, is that in addition to your 'normal' phone?

Does it it require you to be on any kind of plan, or can you just stick a SIM in it?

I've got the Wahoo Element Bolt on one bike and a Garmin Edge 530 on the other, had broken the Bolt and have had to do a permanent fit to the bike, hence the second unit.

Without doubt, the Bolt is better than the 530, i'm really starting to hate the 530 with the messing about you have to do for zooming in and out, or panning the map, the Bolt also has more detail for areas i use (FoD, Gloucestershire, etc), wish i'd just avoided the 530 deal i got now!

The original elemnt has a larger screen, which could help while offroad.

The Garmin Explore is really good. Big screen, easily readable. Replaced my 705 with this and road/off road nav is really good.

Whichever Garmin or wahoo fits your budget

But with os maps app on your phone as backup for that crucial decision point

Whichever Garmin or wahoo fits your budget

and as big a screen as you can afford

I use my phone and Komoot.

@doris5000 I use a separate phone with no sim. Neither OS maps or Strava need it as you will have ideally downloaded the paper map.
I find it easier to follow a route on OS maps.I use a mac and on strava I find the route I want to pinch then press download gpx. It has to be someone you follow.
On OS maps I go to routes, then upload GPX...hey presto there it is on your phone.
I am a complete computer numpty and have never managed to make a proper device work.If I can do it, anyone can.

Does it do GPS location then? Is that any good?

I was under the impression that with phones, GPS could be a bit patchy if it wasn't supported by using a mobile phone network for location?

I do the same as @llama. You only need *accurate* maps on your bars, for the *detail* get a decent screened smartphone with OS maps on it. Back Country Navigator lets you download the whole country in OS 1:25k and is a £20 one off purchase.

I had OS on my Garmin 810 & Dakota and they could get a bit crowded when trying to get a good look on the move. I switched to a Wahoo which is good but monochrome and only has ROW marked, so not all fireworks, etc are there. Fine, so long as you have the smartphone with OS for when a fork in the road ain't clear.

I've just upgraded to an Edge Explore and the stock maps are a decent compromise on detail and clarity.

@doris5000 I've never not been able to know where I am. Don't ask me how it works,it just does!
It's some sort of Motorola power.

I use a Garmin Edge Explore and create routes using www.plotaroute.com

I find plotaroute to be excellent. It's free software but if you pay a small annual fee you get a few extra features including automatically downloading routes you create to your Garmin device.

I really like the edge explore, will replot a route to get you back on track if you go off course much as with a car GPS but using any trails it can find.

Thanks again guys I hadn't realized you can use a phone without a Sim contract
Will look at this too

Cheers

Another thing with the Edge Explore, and the Garmin Connect mapping, it does have the heat maps on Connect - this is really useful -plotted some great 'road' routes for me in North Wales (where we have a caravan) down some of the tiniest back lanes that I'd never have used - even through a farm yard and over a 'cattle bridge' to get over the A55 expressway. Same goes off road, the heat maps are there to assist.

So easy with Connect too, as it will auto sync with the Explore once the explore connect's to your phone.

The Explore is a cut down version of the bigger Garmins - it's sub £200 (got mine for about £145) and it does everything bar the power meter connections and the training options, both of which I never used with the 705. It's way ahead of the old 705 in terms of being able to rely on the navigation.

For me, I just downloaded OS maps app onto my iphone, and i've 3D printed a mount to attach to bars. If you have reception you just stream the maps as you go, if not you can download parts of the map before hand. Using the app (or on the web browser) you can plot routes and save as GPX files which you can then follow. I don't see the point in buying another electronic device when your phone already has a better screen, is more powerful, can do just about anything you need, and I'll be taking it with me anyway.

you go down the phone / quadlock route have a look at the OsmAnd app. You can download mapped areas for use when there is no phone signal & import a GPX file to follow a route. The only worthy pay for add on is the contours lines so you can see the hills on the map. I use the Etrex for following a GPX and OsmAnd for when I’m not using the Etrex and I just want to check out a map of where I’m at / going.

Pretty much exactly my setup. Osmad is the only app I have ever payed for, bought contour lines and unlimited maps as I was traveling a lot at the time where as now the default 5 would do me.

I plan gpx on aa computer with a 43" screen, still not as good as os map on the floor. Also have used cycle.travel as a starting point. I have a Garmin etrex gps2 and osmand. Both offer automatically routing but the routes still need checking. Cycle.travel is probably the best "automatic" routing device but still needs checking.

The other easy way of getting aa good route without spending time plotting one is to copy off one of the many gpx sharing sites. I just Google "gpx mtb <town /area>". That will usually through up a few suggestions, and the route can always be tweaked but give a good starting point.

Plan your routes on Garmin Basecamp

Is there any advantage of using Basecamp over Connect when plotting routes?

Thread hi-jack.

I was wondering....

...is there a setup which would work on phone, on a device on my bars for longer trips and on a watch for occasional use.

I was thinking it is nice to have:
- some simple tracking of miles, maybe how hard I was working (watch when walking, commuting, paddling)
- simple navigation through being able to save a route and/or tracking of route (bars device)
- more detailed navigation and maps (phone + data).

Is there any advantage to heading into one brand / ecosystem ?

Similar to zippykona for me but don't have separate phone....moto g7 power, decathlon xl smartphone bar mount (used this on route of Megavalanche this month and didn't budge!) and os maps app (paper codes for free download) or OsmAnd

The Explore is a cut down version of the bigger Garmins – it’s sub £200 (got mine for about £145)

Just a note as a new Edge Explore 2 user, the battery life on the 2 is waaaay better than the 1.

My wife has the 1 and on the same ride I came back with something like 88% battery and she was well under 50%

Is there any advantage to heading into one brand / ecosystem ?

This is the Garmin system. I don't know if you can track rides with Garmin Connect whilst navigating on your phone, but you don't need to when you have an Edge.

In the past they have made some really ropey software, but I have to admit now it's pretty good. I have a Forerunner 245, an Edge 530 and an Edge Explore 1 which I am planning to keep as backup for ultra rides. I use the Forerunner and Edge all the time, and they work together really well. They sync each other's stuff and stats all the time, and the 245 is small enough to wear all the time so it tracks stats even if I am not specifically recording something. Very pleased with it all.

Similar to zippykona for me but don’t have separate phone….moto g7 power, decathlon xl smartphone bar mount (used this on route of Megavalanche this month and didn’t budge!) and os maps app (paper codes for free download) or OsmAnd

Was the phone holder you used called Triban? Quadlock dont do one for my Pixel XL3a sadly

I found a limitation of Garmin yesterday, I had a GPX saved on my phone that I wanted to transfer to the Garmin, I couldn’t get it to open in Garmin Connect without an internet connection.

Do other makes allow you transfer from phone to computer without internet?

Quadlock dont do one for my Pixel XL3a sadly

The universal mount is what I use and is faultless.

Similar problem to phil5556 above; I've a new V2 Bolt which I cannot seem to get to uplift routes from the phone, even when paired on their app. I could really use some advice or pointers, if anyone knows; I've routes downloaded into the phone's storage but there doesn't seem to be a means to lift them across. Phone is a newish Xiaomi.

Do other makes allow you transfer from phone to computer without internet

This is why I keep a small usb OTG connector on my keys, just need to make sure I have USB whatever cable for whatever item I am carrying

A few thoughts

As far as I know there are no systems which know which the uk rights of way are. You have to sort that out your self. Have plotting a gpx before you start

On an Android phone the cheapest way of getting back OS maid off line on your phone if “back country navigator”. You buy the app but can “cache” unlimited maps on your phone

I use a Hammerhead Karoo 2. It doesn’t annoy me that much. It has a good screen and base map. It sinks to a website rather than your phone. It syncs via Wi-Fi or you can fit a sim

@highlandman mine is only an issue without an internet / data connection on the phone. With internet it works faultlessly.

I have found that if you have a Komoot route saved for offline use on your phone that it will transfer to the Garmin without internet, but you can't create a route in Komoot without internet so still needs some forward planning.

Yeah, I've got some published routes for areas well away from home, uplifted from t'internet as gpx files and now sitting in the phone,storage. I'd like to use these for nav in unfamiliar territory, which is essentially why I upgraded my phone and bought the Wahoo unit. The notes in the Elemnt app on the phone suggest it should be easy to copy the file and drop into the app, which will then auto shunt it across to the bolt on their bluetooth pairing. But when I go to the gpx file in the phone's storage, there seems no way to actually move the file. frustrating...

@highlandman In the Elemnt App go to tabs at the bottom of the screen, select Workout. Then Routes > Import File. Of course the Wahoo unit needs to be on and connected via Bluetooth first.

If you go down the Wahoo route, get the Elemnt Roam - bigger screen is much better once you get to an age where reading glasses have become a way of life. Especially when get a quick look over rough ground at speed 😗