‘Up front’ Phone mount

[HobbesOnTour]

On the fly is usually limited to something of the form "get me to ..."

I respectfully disagree

All my planning has been on the phone for the last three years and then some.

There is so much to be gained from a good navigation system that it is well worth the effort of figuring things out.

 

[vickster]

You can't do things like entering a postcode or address on the elmnt Roam (which I believe is the replacement for the original one that was just "Elmnt"), but you can do some on the fly navigation, using the "take me to" function, and also return to start.

It does have a colour screen and an actual map, rather than just a line, and all the directions I have ever seen have been the right way up. I can't think of a reason for putting it in a case, I'm not even aware of any case made for it. The computer is completely weatherproof, and sits in a similar mount to the Garmin computers (not *quite* the same, they are not interchangeable).

To do more complex route planning, yes they do expect you to do it in an app (it is compatible with most - Strava, RidewithGPS, Kommot, etc.), and it is certainly very much easier to do so, but then you are generally doing that when off the bike, in advance. On the fly is usually limited to something of the form "get me to ..."

Yes, but the OP doesn't want to plan (as per his other thread, he wants to route on the device like a car sat nav or I guess Google Maps).

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/why-is-cycle-navigation-so-complicated.288154/

There's no perfect on bike solution, but the first gen Elemnt certainly wasn't it!
He won't get the new all singing all dancing one for £50 as someone suggested doing (nor will he get a newer Garmin but they have had on device routing for a number of generations of device, my 800 did...but no bluetooth syncing to Strava...so I swapped to the Elemnt...the syncing on that was incredibly hit and miss too and Wahoo the company couldn't provide a solution due to a then failing of their app...so it got sold and replaced which an 830 which works just fine on the few times I've needed it to direct me somewhere...)
If I just want to check which way to go at a junction, I usually just get off the bike, get my phone out of the rack pack and look at Google Maps

Note...I am not an intrepid long distance cyclist however, and I can't be bothered to pre route either. Komoot or RWGPS is good for other peoples' routes which are simple to upload to the Garmin (I do in a blue moon). Not sure I've ever planned my own

 

[BoldonLad]

Appreciate that guys, but a decent Garmin will set me back nearly £300, which I don't have. What I do already have is a decent phone that can utilise apps.

Amazon will do interest free over 12 months

or

Garmin, are doing 0% over three months, via Klarna

 

[vickster]

Wait a month...as I said, there'll almost certainly be some Black Friday discounts flying around on these devices (Amazon, Wiggle, Merlin, Sigma, Halfords etc)

 

[Alex321]

I respectfully disagree

I did say "usually"

You are rather exceptional, as I'm sure you realise.

All my planning has been on the phone for the last three years and then some.

You haven't really had all that much choice though. I could do it on my phone, but prefer to do it on my PC, I can just see more at once.

There is so much to be gained from a good navigation system that it is well worth the effort of figuring things out.

There is.

 

[newts]

I have a Wahoo bolt 1, it has GPS & will work without being connected to a phone. If it is connected to your phone you can reroute mid ride on your fav phone mapping app (large screen makes it easier), send it to your device & carry on pedalling. There's always quite a few going cheapish secondhand online.

 

[Alex321]

I have a Wahoo bolt 1, it has GPS & will work without being connected to a phone. If it is connected to your phone you can reroute mid ride on your fav phone mapping app (large screen makes it easier), send it to your device & carry on pedalling. There's always quite a few going cheapish secondhand online.

That is likely to be true of the Roam 1 soon as well, since the new version came out recently.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

You are rather exceptional, as I'm sure you realise.

I'm really, really not.
If anything, I'm the poster child for "anyone can do this bike touring lark".
The only thing exceptional was making the decision and creating the time to do the "The big one". Not everyone has the choice or freedom to do that, especially at my stage in life.
My previous bike adventures are available to everyone.

You haven't really had all that much choice though. I could do it on my phone, but prefer to do it on my PC, I can just see more at once.

True, and I could see more on a bigger screen but ever since my first self supported adventure when I made my own maps (and laminated them!) only to wander of course when faced with the reality of what was around me I have avoided planning routes in any kind of great detail.

From memory both RWGPS and Komoot have different interfaces for mobile and computers. Someone used to a PC could find planning on the phone to be stressful.

As with most things the more we do something the better we get at it.

 

[steveindenmark]

One is a specific gps model , the other in your comparison is an entire manufacturer’s range. Unless you’ve tried the entire range of Garmin’s GPS then your statement is nonsensical.

I have owned about 7 models of Garmin. My current model is the Garmin 1030. When Wahoo came out I decided to try them. I have enough experience of both to make an educated comment

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I have owned about 7 models of Garmin. My current model is the Garmin 1030. When Wahoo came out I decided to try them. I have enough experience of both to make an educated comment

Which models of Garmin GPS have you had?

 

[steveindenmark]

Which models of Garmin GPS have you had?

I cant remember them all but I still have the Touring, Etrex (brick) 810 and 1030. I got the 1030 as a standby for the Wahoo Bolt. When Wahoo got on the scene, Garmin started to pull their finger out. But I still find the Bolt more user friendly and far easier to set up than the Garmin.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I cant remember them all but I still have the Touring, Etrex (brick) 810 and 1030. I got the 1030 as a standby for the Wahoo Bolt. When Wahoo got on the scene, Garmin started to pull their finger out. But I still find the Bolt more user friendly and far easier to set up than the Garmin.

Easy to setup without a phone?

 

[steveindenmark]

Easy to setup without a phone?

No. You need a phone or a computer to set them, up and download the routes. I have yet to go anywhere where this was not possible. I download routes before I leave home and do not need a phone when I get to the start of the ride. Garmin does have some advantages over the Wahoo. No doubt about that. But I have found the Wahoo more reliable than the Garmin. I never have any problem making routes on different apps and sending them over to the Wahoo. 100km+ routes go over instantly. I just find Wahoo so much more easier than Garmin.

 

[Sloth]

Aaaanyway….I’m pretty set on a Garmin Edge Explore 2.
I’m picking my bike up tomorrow and if the LBS does a decent deal I’ll get one tomorrow whilst I’m there, (they do stock them) otherwise I’ll wait and see what Black Friday brings 👍

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Aaaanyway….I’m pretty set on a Garmin Edge Explore 2.

Here's a quote from a recent discussion elsewhere from someone who tried to use their GPS in the way that you imagine. On a month long tour they relied on the unit to create as well as follow routes.

Out of those 34 days there was not one day where the 1040 got us to where we were going, so if your touring conditions includes relying on Garmin's course creation function I would strongly urge reconsideration. Some of the recurring issues included 1) an inability to determine location when in a building so we couldn't even plan the day's route without going outside (we ended up staying in hotels each night). Might not seem like a big deal, but why is it an issue at all-our phones/iPads never had a problem. 2) an inability to recognize street names, street numbers and occasionally even a city's name (try to enter Duren (sometimes spelled Durren), Germany. Why can't it suggest names based your entry? 3) Sometimes the created route was ridiculous, e.g. on a ride from Dordrecht, Ne to Den Haag, Ne., a distance of 28.5 miles per ridewithgps.com, the Garmin's proposed route was 60 miles. On those days when we did use the proposed route we had these issues: 4) trying to determine the initial direction can be difficult as the unit typically would say "head towards First Street" without indicating the direction to look for First Street. 5) When you need to stop to look closely at the map the map begins to rotate...and rotate...and rotate...and when it settles down two huge vertical lines (the pause icon) obliterates most of the map...and then the screen goes dark so you can't read it anyway. WTF!!! Does Garmin even test their products before they sell them for usurious amounts? Ok, that was a big one. 6) a couple of times the Distance to Next data went weird, the worst being as we were coming into Ghent, about 4 miles from our hotel, we stopped at a grocery store. While I was waiting outside with the bikes I noticed the Distance to Next now indicated 9363 miles. 7) Speaking of weird data screens, the Garmin kept changing them insisting I wanted/needed to see something called VAM. By the end of the trip I just let it track whatever it wanted and it settled on showing distance (twice!), VAM, Maximum Speed and Heading. (One) Distance and the Heading were the only two of the five data points I actually set it up to track.

A lot of the issues will relate to day rides as well.
Now, there's a whole lot of inexperience shining through and some issues could have been solved in the settings but it's a handy reminder that no GPS device works like a car Satnav. I'd have to do backflips in my car for the Satnav to change orientation when I stop

I'm not advocating for or against Garmin, simply pointing out the limitations of bike GPS units and the need for a good think before investing, a bit of playing around with settings to set them up properly and the recommendation to be familiar with a route planner that suits us. Not all routes are equal and I like to enjoy my cycling.