Hi

I’m fed up of having to stop and get my phone out at every track junction when I’m out exploring the countryside on my gravel bike. I generally use os maps app to draw a route and follow that on my phone screen which is usually stuffed in a pocket/ bag as phones thesedays just seem to be too big for bar mounting sensibly.

I have a garmin edge 800 that I used to use for ride data and to follow a route but the screen was so small and dark using maps was not easy, hence relying on the phone.

I think I just need to replace the garmin with a new model and use that for turn by turn nav.

Question is is the 830 worth the extra £100 for the touchscreen functionality? The touchscreen on the 800 was pretty rubbish.

How do you pan maps around on the 530 without the touchscreen? Do you need to? Can you do so easily if you do?

Does the 530 work well turn by turn on forest roads and bridleways etc following a gpx route?

Unless you need the training features, the Explore gets you the touchscreen (the 1030/Explore/830 ones are way better than earlier ones) for the price of the 530, with a bigger screen to boot.

I already have a garmin hr watch that I use for that stuff. I’ll take a look at those. Cheers.

The 530 is good to follow a pretty planned route – I’ve done a few road rides with it and it’s brilliant for that. The buttons are ok, but if the touchscreen on the 830 is decent I’d imagine that’d make for a better user experience scrolling around maps etc. I was stretching my budget to get to that though as my original plan was to pick up a 520 plus for a bargain.

Panning is a PITA on the 530. It’s fine for occasional use but if you are planning on getting lost it will become a chore. Basically you have to toggle between zoom, pan left/right and pan up/down. So you cannot pan left and up at the same time.

Having said that it’s perfect for following a pre-defined route, following Trailforks and using with gloves.

Used both, the touch screen is barely any better because the system is so clunky anyway. After having used both I went with a 530; you rarely need to look around the map much further than you are.

Some people do pan and some don’t; the OP should know from experience with the 800 whether they tend to need to.

Personally I do and I found the 530 was infuriating for that sort of usage. But as above, if you’re the “load a route, follow it, never deviate” type then it’s less of an issue.

I guess I’d want to use it to load a route, follow it etc. If I’m really lost or off route I’m happy to get out my phone with os maps app to see where I am etc.

I’ve struggled with the 800 as a route planner as it’s a ball ache getting routes on to it (has to be usb connection to imac) and the screen is useless for looking at a map and the touchscreen a joke. That’s why I just used it for recording the ride and relied on iPhone to do the nav on os map app.

Thing is iPhones get bigger and wireless charging means sticking mounts on the back is a pita and having then on your bars is a bit too much off road.

I’m thinking the 830 will be worth the extra few quid over its life. The explore seems a good option as well but it won’t display stuff such as hr from my watch? I need to do a bit more research.

My garmin 935 gives me my vo2max but I need to be running to get it to update. It won’t assess it on the bike. I can’t run at the mo as I have plantar fasc. So it’s bike or swimming. Will the 830 give as useful an indicator of vo2 max as the 935 ? I kn9w it’s not super accurate but it’s a reasonable relative guide.

Don’t want to hijack the thread but I was about to post something similar. I don’t know my way around the Peak yet so I end up repeating the same routes. I’ve got the guide book with the step by step instructions and I can take a picture before I leave the house but I still end up having to check my phone at every turn.

The twist is, I can get 40% off any Garmin product through work. I’m not bothered about heart rates or training I just want to load and follow routes in strange places until I learn my way around and can link trails together.

So what’s the best one to get for that purpose? And then, do I just need a supply of quality GPX files? Can you view Trailforks on the go, or do you need to load the trails in advance?

At risk of further thread hijack, I am also looking for a similar bike gps. I use os mapping software on my phone (Anquet maps/memory map) and would like a handlebar mounted gps (or possibly a watch) that either comes with os 1:50k maps or where I can upload my own app. (And the gps doesnt cost £500!)
Is this possible?

IMHO Wahoo are knocking Garmin out of the water at the moment. Check out the Roam, its an awesome bit of kit.

Look at the Oregon range.

The twist is, I can get 40% off any Garmin product through work. I’m not bothered about heart rates or training I just want to load and follow routes in strange places until I learn my way around and can link trails together.

So what’s the best one to get for that purpose?

Edge Explore. It cuts out most of the power / Strava / HR / bluetooth junk in favour of nav.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/611996#overview

They can create routes themselves – my older version has a “feature” where you tell it how far you want to ride and it generates 3 routes, often a sort of hilly / undulating / flat set of options. Or they can accept .gpx and .tcx files (from Strava, Ride With GPS, komoot and so on) and then they’ll just direct you round them.

comes with os 1:50k maps (And the gps doesnt cost £500!)

Not long ago I bought a used but excellent condition 810 with both City Navigator and OS 1:50k maps on SD card for £90. If you’re happy to live without the improved clarity and touch of the latest models then it’s a great device and a bargain. In fact for exploring new mixed terrain routes in localish areas I’ve recently found myself using it more than my Explore.

My garmin 935 gives me my vo2max but I need to be running to get it to update. It won’t assess it on the bike. I can’t run at the mo as I have plantar fasc. So it’s bike or swimming. Will the 830 give as useful an indicator of vo2 max as the 935 ? I kn9w it’s not super accurate but it’s a reasonable relative guide.

Mtb doesn’t give a VO2 max status, only running (not trail running) and cycling.

In order to generate a Running VO2 Max estimate, you must record a Run activity with heart rate for a minimum of 10 minutes above 70% of your max heart rate. Walking in most cases will not provide you with a VO2 Max estimate. Running VO2 Max can only be estimated when using the Running profile. The Trail Running activity profile will not generate a VO2 Max.
In order to generate a Cycling VO2 Max estimate, you must record a cycling activity with heart rate and power from a power meter for a minimum of 20 minutes above 70% of your max heart rate. It is recommended that this be performed on an indoor trainer to eliminate variables such as elevation change, drafting, and pacing. Cycling VO2 Max can only be estimated when using the Bike or Indoor Bike profiles. The Mountain Biking activity profile will not generate a VO2 Max.

Unless you need the training features, the Explore gets you the touchscreen (the 1030/Explore/830 ones are way better than earlier ones) for the price of the 530, with a bigger screen to boot.

This. The touchscreen works well, even in the pouring rain when wearing gloves.