Garmin

[All uphill]

I am learning about all this, too.

My first step was to install the cycle.travel app on my phone and then plan a few routes while sitting at home drinking a cup of tea.

I'd then go out for a ride using the phone as a map to follow my route.

Then I realised GPS on a phone doesn't need a phone signal - amazing.

Now I have a cheap (£60) sim free phone on my handlebars and let it guide me.

Maybe one day I'll buy a dedicated device...

 

[fossyant]

I am learning about all this, too.

My first step was to install the cycle.travel app on my phone and then plan a few routes while sitting at home drinking a cup of tea.

I'd then go out for a ride using the phone as a map to follow my route.

Then I realised GPS on a phone doesn't need a phone signal - amazing.

Now I have a cheap (£60) sim free phone on my handlebars and let it guide me.

Maybe one day I'll buy a dedicated device...

It's the difference in battery life and robustness of a dedicated unit. You aren't killing the phone battery just in case you actually need to call someone or take photos.

 

[Psamathe]

All very useful thank you. So, if I wanted to do the Rebellion Way or the C2C for example I find them online and send to the Garmin?

When I've done set "Cycle routes" I've used them from cycle.travel (which has a vast number of routes available and you can create your own and say to adjust to set cycle routes by pressing a button. I keep raising cycle.travel but mainly 'cos it's the site I use and it has the features I need and use.

Reason for not using eg CUK's route is it's one bit big long track with no campsites or accomodation stops or detours. Reality is when riding such routes you start from off-route at campsite/B&B, ride to the route, ride for a day but then leave the route to go to the overnight stop. The to and from somewhere to sleep is good to have navigation. Sometimes you might need to detour into a city to buy something specific (eg pharmacy or moire gas) and having navigation to the store can make life a lot easier in an unknown place.

So I use a web site to split the route into day sections with accomodation at each end.

Ian

 

[Dogtrousers]

Maybe one day I'll buy a dedicated device...

That's another option you might want to consider @Oldhippy

You could use an app in your phone instead of buying a GPS. There are various options.

The downsides of this are: Your phone is vulnerable and exposed to the elements on your handlebars (GPSs are designed to handle this); It will burn through your phone battery more quickly and if you have an emergency and really need your phone, you could be stuck.

The upside is it's cheaper.

 

[Psamathe]

The downsides of this are:

Visibility of screen in bright sunlight - I find a GPS unit a lot better than my phone in some lighting situations. But when following a route part of the benefit from having a GPS is you can spend your time looking around as the scenery, etc. and only glance at the GPS when it makes a few beeps and displays eg "turn left is 300 ft".

Ian

 

[Alex321]

I have a Garmin Edge Explore 2, a brilliant little unit that once you get over the initial learning curve is a great GPS unit with brilliant battery life.

My personal opinion is that both Wahoo and Garmin make fantastic head units these days, the current crop of Garmin Edge units are easily comparable to the current Wahoo units and rather than a straight Wahoo vs Garmin it should be a case of what features do you want and base your decision from there. One of the reasons I explicitly went with Garmin was because for the most part, I don't need to use my phone with it which given that I ride in a lot of areas without phone reception is a blessing.

But that is equally true of Wahoo units.

You need to connect them to the phone at some point after the ride, if you want to upload your rides to Strava/Kommot?RidewithGPS or any similar sites. But the only time you need a phone connection on the ride is if you want to plan out a new route while you are out.

I went with the Edge Explore 2 over the 540/840 because I don't need or want all of the training stuff that comes on it. The possible downside to the Explore 2 is the touchscreen. I prefer that, but many won't, especially because it's hard to use with gloves on.

Indeed. I would not want a touchscreen device mounted to the bike. As you say, not easy with gloves, and tend to not work that well when wet.

 

[Oldhippy]

Lots to look at and research. Thank you, I could you tube all this I'm sure but it all seems more 'real' opinions from the CC gang.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Indeed. I would not want a touchscreen device mounted to the bike. As you say, not easy with gloves, and tend to not work that well when wet.

You're right to be cautious. I have a Garmin 1040 and while it is OK in the wet, and OK with gloves it can still get confused by sweat drops (or nose drips in winter) and recently I was in a mega heavy downpour and it went berserk. Yes you can lock it in the event of a monsoon, but it's still not a great situation. So it's OK most of the time but not perfect.

 

[Psamathe]

Are all routes already 'programmed' on it or do you put start point and end point?

I use two ways depending on what I'm doing.
If on cycle tour each evening I'll put in when I'm camped right now and then where I want to camp tomorrow and it'll create a route.

If I'm following some "official" route eg Eurovelo 6 or La Velo Francette then different ways depending on circumstances.
eg sometimes I'll take the official route and "Delete before" where I'm camped right now, decide how far to ride next day and "Delete After" that point (then drag the start and end to campsites/accommodation - and that's the route for the day.
eg start point where I want to start from, end point where I want to end (on or close by route) and select "follow cycle route" and it only uses roads/tracks that are part of the official route.

Note that many "cycle routes" are not just one route eg Eurovelo 6 have multiple "options" in places, eg there is more than just one Rebellion Way. Most systems (including on device Garmin route creation) allow you to add "via Points" along your route so the path it creates goes through those "via Points". Allows you to manually detour your route if you need to.

nb in terms of complexity: OP has registered for this site, uploaded their Avatar, got to grips withn the "Like" mechanism, etc. and to me that suggests more than adequate computer skills to do all this stuff. There will be a short learning time 'cos you need to find which buttons to press, what they do, etc. but same as a learning curve with using this forum.

Ian

 

[PaulSB]

Personally I wont touch Whaoo again. Badly let down mid-tour by one (that said the shop had warned me they were useless). https://psamathe.net/wahoo-elemnt-navigation-review/ I did get a complete refund from the shop I purchased it from.

Ian

I've read your review and you clearly had a terrible and frustrating experience. I fully appreciate your antipathy towards Wahoo.

I would make two comments. First I think you were desperately unlucky to purchase one that was badly faulty from the outset. Wahoo would have instantly replaced this free of charge had you been in the UK and able to wait a few days. There are 200+ people in my club, I know one who had a problem with a Wahoo - it didn't give the turn instruction until about 30 metres after the turn. Wahoo replaced it.

My second point is I feel your comments about processors, infrastructure etc. are wide of the mark. Yours was a faulty one. The only time one needs Wahoo infrastructure are for optional device updates and optional map updates. The rest of the time it's between the phone, the device and the mapping site.

Just to stress I fully understand your view.

 

[PaulSB]

Indeed. I would not want a touchscreen device mounted to the bike. As you say, not easy with gloves, and tend to not work that well when wet.

One reason I choose Wahoo over Garmin is the touch screen. Sweat, rain, gloves were all a problem with my Garmin. Wahoo have good, positive buttons.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I have a Garmin Edge Explore 2, a brilliant little unit that once you get over the initial learning curve is a great GPS unit with brilliant battery life.

My personal opinion is that both Wahoo and Garmin make fantastic head units these days, the current crop of Garmin Edge units are easily comparable to the current Wahoo units and rather than a straight Wahoo vs Garmin it should be a case of what features do you want and base your decision from there. One of the reasons I explicitly went with Garmin was because for the most part, I don't need to use my phone with it which given that I ride in a lot of areas without phone reception is a blessing.

I went with the Edge Explore 2 over the 540/840 because I don't need or want all of the training stuff that comes on it. The possible downside to the Explore 2 is the touchscreen. I prefer that, but many won't, especially because it's hard to use with gloves on.

With the Explore 2 you do need a Garmin account, but that's no big problem, you will also need the Garmin connect app on your phone. You also need to sync whatever ride creation software you are using with Garmin, again, it's a one time deal and simple to do. When I first switched the Garmin on I plugged it into my computer and it needed a big update that took a while, but after that I rarely attach it.

With routes I create them on Ride With GPS, then "pin" them. All I then need to do is open Garmin connect on my phone, switch bluetooth on and the app syncs with the Edge Explore 2 my route pops up and I'm ready to ride. It takes more effort to type and explain it that actually do it, it really is seamless and then my phone goes off and into a bag for the rest of the day.

One last thought was I was really taken aback by how small these modern GPS units are, when you are used to the bigger phones we have these days. The Explore 2 is bigger than the Edge 540/840 and to be honest the screen is only just big enough for me!

Is that a subscription feature? I use RWGPS but have got by on the free version up to now, I'll fork out for the paid version if I need to.

Edit:

I just thought of something, on my eBike the head unit has a USB out for charging a device. I'll have to plug the Garmin GPS into it and see how much it affects the range.

 

[mustang1]

Garmin might make good GPS systems for airplane, but when it comes to bike computers, although the hardware looks good, I find the usability of Wahoo to be far superior. It had less functions but what functions it does have work really well.

The only time a wahoo does not work well is if it's just been launched, then you have wait 6-12 months for the bugs to be ironed out. But since the current Wahoo completed have been out for a while, your ok there.

 

[chriswoody]

Is that a subscription feature?

I've just had a quick look at their subscription plans and it looks like it's available for free users as well.
here's a screen grab of the desktop version of their site, the pin button is in the top left.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My personal opinion is that both Wahoo and Garmin make fantastic head units these days, the current crop of Garmin Edge units are easily comparable to the current Wahoo units and rather than a straight Wahoo vs Garmin it should be a case of what features do you want and base your decision from there.

Very much this. I'm a Garmin user (for about the past quarter century), but as a bit of a geek I try keep informed on what's available. The fact that there exist happy users of both brands (and users who have had bad experiences of both) is evidence for this.

For basic use you're unlikely to be disappointed with either.