Dedicated GPS v mobile phone.

I use an old galaxy s5 for following routes on OS Maps. I nick the routes off strava and can upload and download easily.
The only time I’ve had a proper garmin I couldn’t figure out how to make it work.
Think I’ve shaken my s5 to death and in need of a new device.
Is there a modern gps that is as easy to use as a mobile phone that doesn’t cost a fortune? I can get a new Xiaomi for £69.

I’d go for a Motorola Power G8. I’ve one and it lasts ages. They can be bought for £109.

I’ve currently got a Gamin 130 and it’s been great but it only has bread crumb navigation. I’ve also had a Garmin Touring but that was very buggy.

The price is the factor. To get a dedicated device with maps and a decent screen will be at least 3x the price of a phone and the phone will still do loads more and is much easier to interact with. Battery and robustness are against it on the phone but I’ve not found those to be a big issue, and that’s starting with a second hand phone.

I’d go for a Motorola Power G8. I’ve one and it lasts ages.

^^^this…. albeit i have a G7 Power; been using it with the OS app for couple of years now and can’t see me going back to a Garmin or the like. Bloody brilliant phone for the money. If it had NFC it’d be perfect but credit cards aren’t heavy

The price is the factor. To get a dedicated device with maps and a decent screen will be at least 3x the price of a phone

A really cheap phone, maybe. A Garmin edge explore does what you say for under £200.

Yes, exactly. My bike phone was £50. Does OS maps, Strava, kamoot, trailforks, alpine quest, etc. Touchscreen with pinch zoom too

How are these ‘phones in the rain?

Seems fine. It’s supposedly weatherproof, although I suspect sticking it on the front of a bike is beyond normal use.. Been out in the rain plenty of times, although I rarely ride when it’s really chucking it down. Only issue is it messes up using the touchscreen.

One thing where a walking gps excells is being daylight readable in bright sunlight

OS maps add a bit onto the cost though.

I’ve been using Back Country Navigator on my phone to navigate for years and while it’s ok it has it’s problems. I don’t like the idea of mounting a £600 phone on my bars so I was forever stopping and starting to get it out of my pocket to check I was on the right track. Phone touch screens become unusable when wet. Battery life can also be a concern on big days days out.

Last week I bought a Garmin Edge Explore for £149 and used it at the weekend to ride from Kirkby Steven back to home in the Aire Valley. It was great, easy to sync a GPX route from my phone, could see the screen in bright sunlight, touch screen worked in the rain and the battery lasted 10+ hours in battery saving mode navigating and recording the route for Strava.
I wish I’d got one years ago.

Only issue is it messes up using the touchscreen.

A major failing for me.

OS maps add a bit onto the cost though.

Ive just been building up the digital maps having bought the paper version and using the code provided…no subscription and the majority of the time i user local maps

How are these ‘phones in the rain?

Fine for me as using a Decathlon phone case/mount xl

Do not get a Xiaomi – a mate got one for his daughter and it’s hilarious to compare the families’ GPS routes.

I got a Wahoo after killing my last bar-mounted phone in a minor tussle when a tree stepped out in front of me. It’s way better than using a phone and paired with a wheel sensor gives accurate distance measurements.

On a related point does anyone know if any of the Garmin watches are any good for navigation? Or too small and fiddly.

Battery life can also be a concern on big days days out.

Put it on airplane mode. 7 hours using OS app when necessary in mountains equates to roughly 10% battery usage, it’s Bluetooth and wifi that eat the battery.

Blackview 5900 here. £150 iirc and appears to be ‘me’ proof and waterproof. Strava and Maverick GPS navigation are my apps of choice for hiking and biking.

I’ve thought about a dedicated GPS unit a few times, but can’t get past the fact that I’ll have a smart phone anyway, the battery on this would last longer than any gps, its waterproof and shock proof and maverick GPS navigation app is free and caches os explorer to the phone for offline use.

Last week I bought a Garmin Edge Explore for £149

Where was that from?

the battery on this would last longer than any gps,

Absolutely this.

On a related point does anyone know if any of the Garmin watches are any good for navigation? Or too small and fiddly.

Never tried it, my instinct solar does a basic line follow from a gpx, which is good as an extra layer with map/compass and my phone.

Plenty of our running club train for ultras with Garmin watches, but you’re talking fenix series for that, so not cheap.

Last week I bought a Garmin Edge Explore for £149

Where was that from?

Amazon but they’re back up to 189 now

I’d get an Edge Explore – and I did. Tougher than a phone, works in the rain, it’s a dedicated device designed for the job. And stuff like the charging port is covered so it doesn’t get mud in it. No faffy ugly case required. And it’s small and neat whilst being very effective.

It’s great and is superb value for money, I paid I think £180.

One thing where a walking gps excells is being daylight readable in bright sunlight

The Edge screen is I think the term is transreflective meaning sunlight shines through it and reflects back. So in direct sunlight I turn off the backlight altogether if I want to save battery and I can still see it perfectly well. Not sure if phone screens do this.

Another dedicated-GPS-phone user here. Currently using Samsung Galaxy S7 Active that was £50 off ebay. Can get two long days out of the battery easy. Viewranger with OS maps. No problems with rain. Yes, you need to wipe the touchscreen but I assume the fancy GPS devices with proper maps have touchscreens as well, so same problem?

Garmin watches are any good for navigation?

You can at a pinch, not fabulous though. I wouldn’t want to rely on it solely. If you’ve a rough idea of where you’re going it’s OK.

Can someone talk me through the process of putting a route on an Explore?
I pinch a route off Strava and have downloaded the gpx on my Mac book and into os maps. Where do I go from there?
On my phone it just magically appears in OS maps.

Also, I run my galaxy SIM free will the Motorola’s work without one?
I can also set my galaxy so that it doesn’t lock. Can I do the same with the Moto?

Not sure if phone screens do this.

They don’t really need to, but in general, yes you can. As I said up there, turn off bluetooth and mobile data, phone will work for days.

For people using phones
– how are you mounting it?
– what app(s) are you using?

I have a Garmin 820, but I wouldn’t really recommend it. Fiddly and frustrating.

Plug your Garmin into your PC, open up the Garmin Device, open the folder ‘New Files’ and drop the GPX file in there. Done

I mount my phone with a quad lock universal kit. It is brilliant.

Put it on airplane mode. 7 hours using OS app when necessary in mountains equates to roughly 10% battery usage, it’s Bluetooth and wifi that eat the battery.

Yeah, but for bike use, you generally want screen/gps on all the time. Possibly bluetooth too for a HR monitor.

Yeah, but for bike use, you generally want screen/gps on all the time.

I use an Oregon and always have Battery Save mode enabled. That blanks the screen after a few seconds. Not sure why I’d want the screen permanently on but your use may be different.

ANT uses less power than Bluetooth.

FWIW I typically get 15-17 hours from a pair of rechargeable AAs.

I’ve used dedicated GPS devices for many years (since before I had a phone) so I guess I’ve just got very used to them. I can see the attraction of using a 2nd phone though and have often thought that Garmin should offer an App for Google/Apple phone users, though pricing might be an issue as it would affect hardware sales.

Yeah, but for bike use, you generally want screen/gps on all the time.

I use an Oregon and always have Battery Save mode enabled. That blanks the screen after a few seconds. Not sure why I’d want the screen permanently on but your use may be different.

Aye, maybe it’s different in parts of England where there’s all sorts of paths you can and can’t ride, but up here I’ve never felt the need to always have it on, even in massively condensed places like Tweed Valley or the likes.

ANT uses less power than Bluetooth.

There aren’t very many phones that do ANT+.

I need the screen on a lot as I’m following routes which tend to have lots of turns.

On a related point does anyone know if any of the Garmin watches are any good for navigation? Or too small and fiddly.

Navigation on a Fenix6 Pro and general riding functionality is similar to the Edge devices – you can plan routes and send then via Garmin Connect and it will do turn by turn navigation with prompts etc. The screen is much smaller, and interacting with it isn’t so easy (eg. zooming/panning the map) as there’s no touch screen. They work perfectly fine as a watch that can be used as a bike computer, but if the primary aim is a big map and navigation then the edge is probably better if you aren’t fussed about using it as a watch!

There aren’t very many phones that do ANT+.

Exactly.

Switched from a Garmin 800 to my Iphone last year, using memory map, a Quad Lock mount, a lanyard and a rain cover

Great for navigating and easy to upload new routes. Typically get 10 hours when its on airplane mode

Cannot see me ever going back to a specific GPS type device

The Edge Explore is great for the money. I also have a 200 and 705, but got the Explore for Christmas. Much easier to read the screen, especially for those of us that are short sighted and now find close up difficult. Really clear. Navigation works really well to after planning routes in Garmin Connect.

The phone stays tucked away in the rucksack. The Explore is a cut down version of the big units – just doesn’t have the training and power meter connectivity.

” Can someone talk me through the process of putting a route on an Explore?”

Upload the gpx file to Garmin Connect.

Turn on the Edge/whatever and open the Connect app on your phone.

Find the route and click “send to device”.

The device and phone sync and the route is now on your GPS.

Another Edge Explore owner here, it is a better tool for the job of tracking and navigating on a bike (IMO). But I understand why people wouldn’t necessarily want to pay out for something as specific as a bike GPS device…

If you do go down the phone route, think about how you mount/carry it (assuming you want to use it on/near the bars or top tube).

I’ve done the whole using a phone as a cycle computer thing in the past, and the best thing I found for carrying it was a bar-top mounted map bag with a big old (touch screen compatible) waterproof map pocket on the top.
I had a clip on, weather tight phone wallet for a while, but that just didn’t last, they actually need to be a bit more robust than you might think.
A stick on Garmin style quarter turn mount is also an option for a phone/case but beware the relative bulk of a phone makes it quite vulnerable compared to other devices.

I still have the bar-top bag, it’s got useful capacity for tools, spares and other stuff and the Garmin can fit in the map pocket (as can an actual map). It would still make for another useful touring/bikepacking type bag.