GPS and cycle computers

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

berty bassett

Legendary Member
Location
I'boro
i use 705 and think its brilliant especially if your going somewhere you haven't been before as you can set the route in . i had the 200 but wasn't really up to what i wanted so it all depends what you are going to do on your bike - if you are thinking of touring maybe look at etrex as you can replace batteries although 705 has long battery life - about 12-15 hrs - if you want to record distance etc then 200 will do but i would have said if you can afford it get 800 then you have the best tool for the job
 

defy-one

Guest
If you tour regularly then the 800 is the way to go. I was in unfamiliar surroundings yesterday, and a quick stop with my phone maps soon had me back on track. So for now the 200 is ok for my needs
 

daSmirnov

Well-Known Member
Location
Horsham, UK
After 6 to 7 hours of riding (and routing) my Edge 800 battery was down to about 20%. With cadence sensor. So you might be able to squeeze a days riding out of it.
 

cbs

Well-Known Member
I am using a Bryton Rider 20, bought as an impulse purchase when my wife was buying her bike. Was £130 complete with the HRM. Disregarding discounts and cashback, it is comparable with the Garmin Edge 200, but with the ANT+ functionality that means you can link HRM, cadence and speed sensors.

I haven't tried the Edge 200 to be able to compare, so I can only give my impressions of the Bryton:

Firstly, it takes a little while to figure out how to operate it, and you really need to download the full manual from their site rather than relying on the included quick guide. I am pretty techie, and I found it a bit tricky, although I have heard that the Garmins are a bit like that too. Onec you have got the hang of it, most functions are pretty self explanatory, and it then seems to work well as on the bike. I have had one or two instances of it not starting to record the ride for a minute or two, but I think that's probably me not waiting for it to get a GPS fix. The centre of the display shows your speed, the top either the time, ride time or cadence and the bottom a selection of other info such as distance, heart rate, etc. You can either select these with the buttons or have them cycle through - I change manually and have found that is supplies all the info that I need during a ride.

Once back home, you can then plug the device into a PC and download the info into the usual array of maps and charts. The connection on the back of the device is proprietary (in order to keep the elements out I would imagine) so you need to keep the lead safe. The interface is rather clunky to be honest, and has a slightly unfinished air about it. I was not able to install it on a Mac, but it does work on my PC. You do get regular updates to the software and firmware though, so it looks like it is being continually developed. An example of the clunkiness is that you can't select from multiple rides on the device which ones to upload or delete, you have to do them all. Also, once you have uploaded and deleted, you have to unplug and reconnect for some reason, which looks like a kludge to me. I run a number of browsers on my laptop and upon reconnecting, it always tries to open Opera, although to be fair, that is probably a local issue. Having said that, once you know what you are doing, it is quite straightforward.

The information that it presents is pretty good, with quite a lot of detail, and the usual graphs of altitude, speed, heart rate, etc. There is also extensive analysis options, which I have not yet fully explored. You can export in a number of formats and I use the TCX to import my Bryton rides into Endomondo, which I used to use, so I can track my total mileage.

Overall, I am quite pleased with this little device, it seems more accurate than my iPhone and Endomondo and gives more info. The HRM works well and I intend to add speed and cadence sensors in the future. One thing to note is that the Bryton speed/cadence sensor is not a combo and can do either speed or cadence, not both. In theory, the device can support any ANT+ sensor and it specifically mentions combo sensors, so it should be possible to use another manufacturer's sensor. I am waiting on Bryton support to confirm this and will report back as and when I get the kit.

I started out whether I would have been better getting the Garmin, but now I am happy that my Bryton does all I need and has the extra ANT+ functionality to boot. Recommended!

Bryton also do equivalents to the Edge 500 and 800 which may be worth a look.

Colin

Edit - Just want to add that I am not affiliated to or employed by Bryton!
 

cbs

Well-Known Member
Thought I would post an update on this as Bryton have done a lot of work on their PC interface recently (December) and have addressed a lot of the issues that I found originally. Now when you connect the device, you get a pop up window that allows you to update your software and manage your data without having to go to the website. This way you can upload your rides from the device to the PC. The web site now has a button that uploads the data to the Bryton site either direct from the device or from the local PC. There is no longer any need to unplug after deleting and the overall feeling is that the interface is much less "beta" and more finished.

Some oddities remain like the inability to choose what rides to upload or delete, but this is not such a hardship.

My original HRM stopped working when the battery died - I replaced it but it would not pair any more. I took it back to the LBS, who sent it back, but after a couple of weeks waiting, they gave me a new one instead, which has been fine. However, my wife has a Wahoo! HRM that seemed to do the same thing, but when I looked more carefully, the instructions say to put a battery in upside down before inserting the new one, which shorts out the connections. When I did that, it started working again, so it looks like that one needed this to do a reset of some kind, and I wonder if my original Brtyon was the same?

So, still liking it, and just about to put it on a new bike that may arrive today (I am hoping). Here's to recording lots more miles this year!

Colin
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Seems like alot of messing about for not very much. I have a £25 Topeak which gives me all the info I need, plus if I needed more info I could use a free app on my smartphone. I think the days of dedicated devices are numbered unless they become ultra cheap.
 

cbs

Well-Known Member
Seems like alot of messing about for not very much. I have a £25 Topeak which gives me all the info I need, plus if I needed more info I could use a free app on my smartphone. I think the days of dedicated devices are numbered unless they become ultra cheap.

I wouldn't say it was messing around as such - yes it did take some getting used to originally, but with the interface improvements, it's now quite easy. I agree that apps on smartphones are now pretty good, but they do have some issues IMO:
1) Battery life - unless you have the display off on the phone, you will run it down pretty quickly
2) Mounting - yes, you might use the phone to record, so it can live in a pocket, but if you want to see your speed/cadence/HR/whatever, you'll need to put it somwehere in view, and that's a big lump of (expensive) kit flapping about on the bars. The Bryton on the other hand mounts neatly and securely
3) Accuracy - I have found that the Bryton is more accurate than the apps that I have used and it covers all of the information that I need in one place.

Just my view :smile:

Colin
 

lavoisier

Winter is Coming!
Location
Kendal Cumbria
Without a doubt my Edge 800 is one of the best pieces of kit I've bought. The Enduro pack with 1:50k Discoverer, HRM & Cadence Sensor.
When buying anything I always try to buy the thing that will not make me think about 'what the other one would of been like'. This ticks that box perfectly.

+1
 

Manguish

Well-Known Member
Personally i find the Strava app on adnroid more than sufficient.

I can then add a Suunto Ant+ usb device if i feel the need to upgrade to some Ant+ devices.
 
I've got my self an 800 just now (I only had a 305 when I made my OP's) but unless I'm exploring I still use my old 305, I like it size/ fit better ;) but I certainly wouldn't want to be without gps these days. Its a great fit and forget tool for me and lets me pour over stats when I'm in the mood and I like knowing exactly where I've been and building on that the next time ;)
 
Location
Pontefract
Seems like alot of messing about for not very much. I have a £25 Topeak which gives me all the info I need, plus if I needed more info I could use a free app on my smartphone. I think the days of dedicated devices are numbered unless they become ultra cheap.
There aint no smartphone thats ever going to compare with my Camera, they just arn't versatile enough, quality they can't compete, smart phone tracking isn't as good as a dedicated unit, and if it fails you lose the ability to do anything, including making a call. I for one am of the opinion, the correct tool for the job. If I go for a ride and have my camera, gps and phone, it's unlikely all will fail, and besides I didn't think a camera phone can match this for quality, and I am on about base image, not the final product.
_MG_8928_29_30-Edit-Edit.jpg
 

jim55

Guru
Location
glasgow
im swaying wether to get a garmin or not ,iv got a cateye strada double wireless (it has the cadence feature )and an iphone that runs strava
the cateye is without fault but obv it has no gps ,and for that i need to use the phone but strava kills my iphone battery and for that reason i was thinking get a garmin and sell my strada ,is it worth changing ?
 
Top Bottom