GPS with DIY mapping recommendations......

[Joffey]

I have a Edge 530 and it's fantastic. I do my routes on Strava and they upload directly to the device.

if you don't use the Strava maps function then Garmin Connect is a decent enough option for routes.

My mate has a Wahoo and it uses Komoot for routes - says it's gash and has now paid for Strava so he can use that instead.

 

[Joffey]

Any Wahoo which fits your budget and route plan on RWGPS along with several other sources.

The Wahoos are simple to set up and, accurate, good battery life and in my experience to date completely reliable. I can't say the same about the various Garmins I've owned.

Have a look at the reviews before rushing down to your LBS. The Wahoo is a far superior product.

And i'm not going to go down the Wahoo v Garmin route but the same friend who has a Wahoo has had multiple issues and will be going back to Garmin when he replaces his Wahoo.

The honest answer is Wahoo and Garmin both work but some devices have faults and if you are unlucky enough to get a dodgy one you'll hate it. I can't speak for Wahoo customer services but I have dealt with Garmin many times and they have been flawless.

In the last Edge units were a bit buggy but with the 530, 830 & 1030 they have excelled.

 

[PaulSB]

Hmmm I had better have a look first then, never really heard of wahoo for this application, apart from the smart trainers. Then again I've not been looking until now.

Thanks for the info 👍🏻

If you're not familiar with Wahoo you should investigate. As @Blue Hills says Wahoo owners are a bit fanatical but not without justification. The benefits I perceive are:

• Wahoo is run from an app on your phone - this is in terms of set up, selecting pre-planned routes, changing pages etc. It's very simple and intuitive. The device obviously does the recording and guidance work
• Setup is simple, each time you make a change in the app it is immediately reflected on the device. This allows the user to easily view the impact of changes. Garmins have very complex menus with, to my mind, much of what one needs in rather odd parts of the software. There is nothing intuitive about a Garmin. I feel the approach Garmin took with software leads the device to a tendency to tie itself in knots and is primarily why I failed to use one adequately
• Wahoo is run by purpose built software while Garmin appear to have adapted and bolted bits on to software originally designed for another purpose
• Battery life
• Screen clarity
• Route selection
• Route monitoring - check on your phone were you have been where you're going and able to see variations if wished
• Coloured flashing lights across the top and down the side of the device to indicate a variety of key points

I've owned two Garmin 810s over a period of four years. In that time the device never ran entirely the way I wished, this I feel was partly due to a lack of competence and understanding on my part but also a significant failure by Garmin. Selling a a device which a reasonably intelligent individual is unable to master is ultimately an unsuitable product.

Should you chose to buy a Wahoo there are three available the Elemnt Bolt, the Roam, the Elemnt. I have the Elemnt which is discontinued from the official range but can still be found for sale. Several friends run the Bolt very happily, I only know one person with a Roam and he is perfectly happy with it. The Roam has two features I'm not keen on - a colour screen which I find difficult to read and a re-routing feature which I'm always nervous of after poor experience with Garmins. I chose the Elemnt because it had the larger screen, this was deciding factor. A black and white screen is a key feature for me, it has very good definition and is easy to read.

Hope this helps. I fully appreciate it is each to his/her own

 

[ianbarton]

If you're not familiar with Wahoo you should investigate. As @Blue Hills says Wahoo owners are a bit fanatical but not without justification. The benefits I perceive are:

Agree with all that. I have had two Garmins in the past. The first one was fine, but didn't have mapping. The second one did have route mapping. However, at that time you had to buy the maps. Routing was iffy. On a local ride, it would tell me I was off route and do a U-turn on a stretch of road several miles long with no turn offs. The blue line on the map was correct and I wasn't off route. On longer routes it had a habit of crashing and sometimes losing the data when restarted. This was a problem to the extent that I carried my Etrex 20, which is very reliable, to record the route.

My Wahoo Elemnt has been reliable in terms of routing and not crashing. When the battery failed they posted me a new one the same day I logged the fault.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I would echo the Wahoo experience, but I can’t compare to Garmin.
RWGPS planning to the Wahoo has worked flawlessly, taking us without issue from Dieppe to Paris, and other, more local routes too.
I do planning on an iPad and have had no issues.
It’s worth a look at least.

Same here, Wahoo Bolt with planning on RWGPS (which is excellent). I have had some minor issues with the Bolt (the feature where a friend can follow your progress live doesn't work well on my App), but for navigation it's perfect.
I do tend to pinch other people's routes on RWGPS and just load them straight in or adjust them a little, as opposed to designing from scratch.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

If you want to stick with Garmin then the 530 is a very well received device.

Many stick with a brand they have been happy with; I totally get that, Garmin still deserve to be a popular choice although Wahoo have also become very popular and rightly so, they are impressive. There are others, Bryton, Lezyne and Hammerhead, are three that spring to mind.

As for planning and following a course software evolves and there are quite a few free options, you'll generally find one that you like then only change when one you get frustrated when one of the free features that you have been enjoying is moved to their premium version that you then have to pay for. Popular course planning software that all have a free version include Komoot.com, mapmyride.com, alltrails.com, ridewithgps.com, as well as Garmin Connect.

In 2020 I normally use the free version of www.alltrails.com (was GPSies) to create the course and add to my old Garmin 810 via usb, unlike Garmin connect their software navigates roundabouts and one streets correctly as the former shares routing with runners so may not; overriding these on route can be annoying for both rider and GPS unit, if frequent enough the latter may even crash; annoying the rider even more! I've found www.alltrails.com quite user friendly, a course is intuitive to plan, then edit if needed. The user experience is very similar one of the most popular which is www.ridewithgps.com, but with the added bonus that you can add your own notes in the form of a 'waypoint'; like 'café', 'bikeshop', a feature that is no longer free with ridewithgps; hence my switch to Alltrails. One handy feature I like is you can toggle between 'hiking-cycling-driving' when creating, so you can switch to 'hiking' if you want to take a shortcut over a footbridge for example then back to driving if you want to stay on roads. There are two cycle focused modes, 'Bike touring' may include a smooth trail where as 'Road biking' will be on paved roads and paths that support bicycle access.

I've been using the Garmin 810 since 2013 and I am still enjoying it now in 2020. I bought it as a small neat device to enjoy planning a course on my laptop, then following that course on my 810 and for that role it has proved ideal. Garmin connect course planning is still poor and way behind the free competition, something I have always found baffling as well as frustrating.

I have no intention of updating as it still does all I want it to, arguably quite impressive for a piece of tech' now 7 years old! I updated my blog in 2020 as in many ways that review is as much a Janet and John review instructions for myself, but in the context of this thread the updates were about what free route planning software I enjoy using with it; for far more extensive reviews DC Rainmaker is very thorough. If I was buying one now the new Garmin Edge 530, 830, 1030 and the older Explore would all be a consideration although the latter has been left behind a bit interms of battery life. For me the clear winner being the 830, the 1030 is a bit too big for my liking and the 830 I find far more intuitive to use than the 530; the latter effectively a button version of the 830 which is far more swipe screen, that said it would not take long to get the hang of the 530 plus it would save a money and work better when wearing gloves.

Would I still buy a Garmin? Yes definitely; for sure like most tech' it can drive me around the bend instead of navigating me around it but when it works, as it does do most of the time, then I have to confess even though I am a bit of a technophobe I do love it!

 

[Richard Fairhurst]

Worth noting that Garmin have opened up their "direct connection" mechanism to allcomers, whereas Wahoo only permit it for Strava, RWGPS and Komoot.

That means that if you use another routing site, it'll wirelessly transfer routes to a Garmin device (via Garmin Connect), but getting them onto Wahoo requires a couple of extra sites.

 

[ianbarton]

I've been using the Garmin 810 since 2013 and I am still enjoying it now in 2020. I bought it as a small neat device to enjoy planning a course on my laptop, then following that course on my 810 and for that role it has proved ideal. Garmin connect course planning is still poor and well behind the free competition, something I have always found baffling as well as frustrating.

The 810 is the one I have, but don't use anymore. As I said above the main reasons I gave up with it were crashes on longer routes and not too brilliant routing. Also, I am a Linux user which meant I had to go through a couple of extra steps to upload/download rides and firmware updates. It works for you, so as you said why buy another model.

 

[si_c]

Edge Explore - all the mapping features but without the training plan and power meter stuff (which most of use don't use). Ideal for general use, and about £180. It's a paired down 1030. Next biggest screen after the 1030

Another 👍 for the Edge Explore - it's a fantastic device. The screen is great for mapping - full colour with lots of visibility and a good size. The 530 is a much more feature rich device with lots more options and sensors for measuring things - specifically it has a barometric altimeter and temperature sensor which the Explore doesn't and it supports more advanced sensors on the bike such as a power meter. Coming from the 130 though I'm unsure of how important these things are for you.

The explore does have a much simplified UI which is a huge advantage and overall in terms of offering a well priced, well featured device with excellent navigation though you can't get much better.

 

[Blue Hills]

Looking again at your post @cheshirerob , if you like to pre-create routes before setting out I would very seriously consider the Garmin Etrex 20/30 series (now the 22x/32x series I think though I haven't checked out the new models in detail. Economical, very tough, reliable once you get through the admittedly somewhat quirky front end. Continuously updated free maps, run off AA batteries which can be rechargables. No chance unless you are a real buffoon of running out of power on a ride. I have ridden very long night rides on mine with prepared routes.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

The 810 is the one I have, but don't use anymore. As I said above the main reasons I gave up with it were crashes on longer routes and not too brilliant routing. ...

Agreed yes I found that as well; over time I did learn how to minimise it doing so to the point that I personally find it acceptable. I now download the route from whatever planning software then upload via USB. Previously I had tried to download a route onto my laptop from an alternative site, import that route into Garmin Connect so that I could then Bluetooth that onto the unit, that way I wouldn't need a USB lead plus it appealed that I'd have a back up of the courses for holidays and tours when I don't have my laptop; it was following these routes that I had issues.

It is a shame that Garmin Connect route planning is so poor as going off course to stay legal at roundabouts and one way streets can also cause the unit to crash; I live in a London Suburb so that is quite a common issue for me when riding locally. At the time they made a big thing about Bluetooth connectivity which was free feature with Garmin connect and normally a paid for feature with other route planning sites. Downloading from whatever site the course was created and then uploading via USB has proved to be quite successful mind you, even if it is a workaround to upload a well planned course which was then stable enough for my liking that I wouldn't need to do if Garmin Connect route planning was as good as it should be; with their financial clout it has always baffled me that it isn't.

 

[StuAff]

Looking again at your post @cheshirerob , if you like to pre-create routes before setting out I would very seriously consider the Garmin Etrex 20/30 series (now the 22x/32x series I think though I haven't checked out the new models in detail. Economical, very tough, reliable once you get through the admittedly somewhat quirky front end. Continuously updated free maps, run off AA batteries which can be rechargables. No chance unless you are a real buffoon of running out of power on a ride. I have ridden very long night rides on mine with prepared routes.

+1. Have just got an eTrex 30x (the one that was advertised on here recently…) as my venerable Edge 705 (the third I owned) has joined the choir invisible. After over ten years of using GPX tracks and getting turn by turn the inability of the new one to do this (well, without metaphorically jumping through various hoops) is somewhat annoying. But, unfortunately, 'faster Edge 705 that takes AA batteries' doesn't exist. For the price I paid, I'll make it work for me. I certainly like the speed of startup, the performance improvements in use, and the fact that there is no risk of it being discarded as e-waste in a few years because the battery's conked out and I can't get a replacement. Most Garmins have those widely available, but the same cannot be said of certain other manufacturers…Hammerhead for one have failed to offer battery replacement themselves, or help users DIY.

 

[cheshirerob]

Thanks to you all for the info and advice.

If anything there are too many options now, I was anticipating a clear winner 😄

 

[StuAff]

Thanks to you all for the info and advice.

If anything there are too many options now, I was anticipating a clear winner 😄

As you are learning, GPS (as so many things) follow Keith Bontrager's maxim about wheels: 'Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick two'. No one device does everything for all use cases, unfortunately…

 

[mikeIow]

Worth noting that Garmin have opened up their "direct connection" mechanism to allcomers, whereas Wahoo only permit it for Strava, RWGPS and Komoot.

That means that if you use another routing site, it'll wirelessly transfer routes to a Garmin device (via Garmin Connect), but getting them onto Wahoo requires a couple of extra sites.

Any indication when Wahoo will open up to other routing sites?
cycle.travel, for example (my fave)