Gps info

[Scuba-phil]

Ok so I'm just looking to be educated here, a bloke at work has a gps cycling computer. He raves about it regularly. He says you can go on websites plan a route, connect to the gps and it tells you where to go.
What I want to know is, do all gps units do this, as I've been looking on eBay for second hand units and there is huge price difference between some models. So I was assuming there must be huge difference in the functions of the unit.
Please educate me
Thanks

 

[deanE]

have a look on this thread. Cycle GPS Advice

 

[kedab]

here's what i know - i've got a garmin edge 500 - the unit was about £130 (i think) but it doesn't come loaded with maps (it's a lovely cycle computer in its own right) but - if you want maps and therefore a full on gps unit, the maps are about £200 a pop...so there's your difference. the garmin does allow you to create routes on the net and then d/load them to your edge and it will then keep track of you on the course so, it is a gps unit in that regard...and i'll now leave my post before i start to lose my way with it

 

[Scuba-phil]

Ah thank you. With the likes of the garmin 200 does it display current speed?

 

[smokeysmoo]

Ah thank you. With the likes of the garmin 200 does it display current speed?

It sure does.

 

[Scuba-phil]

Kedab with yours if you go off route will it guide you back on again?

 

[ianrauk]

Ah thank you. With the likes of the garmin 200 does it display current speed?

Here's the Garmin 200 manual.
It will give you a very good idea what the 200 does.

 

[ianrauk]

Kedab with yours if you go off route will it guide you back on again?

If you go off route from the breadcrumb trail it will tell you. It leaves a trail of where you are going. So you can just follow the trail back to the route.

 

[Scuba-phil]

Thanks guys, got some reading to do now.

 

[rusty bearing]

Mrs Bearing got the Garmin Edge G800 bundled with maps. Expensive yes but very very good!

 

[lavoisier]

Mrs Bearing got the Garmin Edge G800 bundled with maps. Expensive yes but very very good!

+1 but I don't know how to use all the features yet.

 

[SteveBM]

I got the Edge 500 and a cadence monitor for Xmas and went out on my first ride yesterday. It displays all the ride information you could possibly want, in any display configuration you could possibly want it. It also gives a ton of analysis data when you get back and hook it up to your PC. I have been playing with uploading routes, using www.ridewithgps.com, and I have successfully uploaded a couple of routes to it. I haven't yet been out to see the route tracking in practice but the "breadcrumb" idea described above sounds just what I need.

My advice, fwiw, is go with the 500, it's flippin good

 

[ianrauk]

I haven't yet been out to see the route tracking in practice but the "breadcrumb" idea described above sounds just what I need.

It takes a little while to get used to, but once you do it works surprisingly well.
Just have to be aware on roundabouts and curved junctions as it's not immediately apparent what exit or junction.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

It takes a little while to get used to, but once you do it works surprisingly well.
Just have to be aware on roundabouts and curved junctions as it's not immediately apparent what exit or junction.

Ridewithgps will give you which junction i.e. 2nd exit, if you use sportstracks with the courses plugin expensive option, but you can also set it to give a warning before the junction, some web based app's do this, bike toaster I think, the problem with ridewithgps is it doesn't configure the virtual partner on the edge 500 properly, it seems to set the speed more suited for a car, not a problem in itself, unless you want to race the v.p. but as route planning goes it the best I have found.

 

[PpPete]

A lot depends if you want all the analysis and fitness training stuff.
If it's just navigation that is your main motivation have a look at the Etrex models. Although it has to be be said that even the older models like the Vista are fetching high prices.
I can load a complete Land's End to John o'Groats on one of those and it will "bleep" and tell me the way to go at every junction if I've planned it right.
They are bulkier than the Edge models but the battery life (on replaceable AAs) is outstanding.