Took my new Edge 530 out for navigation purposes on a two-day ride. Coped OK first day once I got used to its little quirks. Day two I wanted to change the route completely, and sketched out a new .gpx using bikehike on my mobile browser. The phone is properly paired with the Garmin, so I thought it would be easy to sync it using one of the apps.

How on earth do you get it into the Garmin? The ‘Garmin Explore’ app says that the 530 is ‘unsupported’ (wtf?), (also re-did the route on the explore app’s route creator, but no dice) can’t see anything on Garmin Connect, or the device itself which would allow me to import it. Am I missing a trick, or is there no way to do this? Perhaps using Strava?

To add a GPX I usually open the file with Garmin Connect, It asks a few questions then shows the route on a map. With the route showing I have the option to “Send to Device” from the three dot menu. Have you added the 530 to Garmin Connect? My devices are listed under Garmin Devices in the Garmin Connect app. At the next sync it appears on my device

I’ve no idea about bikehike. I use Komoot for route planning. It syncs with Garmin Connect so that anything I plan appears as a Course there. Connect syncs to my 530 and the Course magically appears there in the Navigation menu. It’s all very seamless. So, the question is, how does bikehike send it to Connect?

As above, or map it in RideWithGPS and download the app onto your Garmin.

Is there a bikehike app available on ConnectIQ?

Ah, that works, thanks, I was looking for a button within the app that would allow me to upload a gpx. Any idea why the route creator in Garmin Explore is out-of-bounds for my 530?

Does anyone know of any third party route creator apps that play nicely with Garmins (ideally with OS mapping..) EDIT: A couple of answers to that already.

I use Garmin Connect for route mapping – it has a ‘heatmap’ so quite useful for plotting ride-able routes (on and off road) – used extensively when out near my caravan – although one route went up an incredibly steep hill that I’d ignored on the elevation plot as I put the route together (my fault), and another route that took me through a farm yard and over a cattle bridge over the A55 (was rideable on 25c tyres).

I’ve never quite understood the Explore app. It has never supported any Edge devices, perhaps due to a difference in the Course/Route structure. However, it doesn’t support my Garmin Oregon either.

Thanks all, didn’t know about Connect IQ, so I’ve got RidewithGPS on there now, which is syncing nicely.
The interface itself isn’t particularly intuitive, but once I worked out how to get rid of something called a ‘grit score’ off the display, it seems to chug along quite happily.