GPS for a bike?!

ARob

does anyone recomend GPS for a bike?

i've seen someone use memory map and then plot route onto a gps and after the ride upload. its really cute being able to see the route profile and what speed you did where!

has anyone used this and what did you think. is it more than a nice bit of shiny kit? or is there somewhere on the web you can plot your route and see the profile?

what model of gps would you recomend?

willbevan

I use a farmin forerunner 305 (i was a runner befoe a cylist), now it doesnt have mapping as such

but i use memory map to plot routes, then export those as gpx, put them into course creator, that over x degrees puts in a course point saying left, or right etc...

Now when i get home,i can see my splits, or use that cycle as the next course (onceiknow my way around ) to racemyself or ust look at my times,the profile of the cycle ,spit times, HR etc...

Simon Notley

If you don't want to invest in GPS (or even if you do), the best website for plotting routes and looking at profiles is bikeroutetoaster.com. There are loads of sites around that allow you to plot profiles by clicking a route on google maps, but this one uses the autorouting feature to save endless clicking.

As for GPS, I'd say it's still an emergent technology at the size and price that the cycling market demands. I have a Garmin Edge 305 and I enjoy it because I'm a geek and I like playing with technology and I accept that it isn't perfect. If you want something that you just turn on and it works with no manual or internet research need, then I don't think GPS can quite deliver just yet.

sloboy

I think it depends on what kind of riding you do how valuable it is. In my case:

- I mainly ride alone
- Prefer to do longish rides through the country lanes
- Like to go somewhere new whenever I can
- Don't like to keep stopping for a map check

For me, getting a GPS for the bike has been absolutely fantastic. It's easily my gadget of the century. I pre-plot routes on Anquet Maps and then follow the arrow on my Garmin Venture.

If I can bothered I can subsequently upload it to MotionBased.com, see it on Google Maps etc etc.

At the time (3yrs ago), this setup cost me about 225 quid, but it would be cheaper now and it has easily been more valuable for me than any other 200 quid upgrade on the bike could have been.

Garmin have their user manuals on the website so you can get a good look at what the various models do, and you'll see that the Edge series are focused on support for training whereas as the eTrex series are focused on support for navigation.

Not sure they yet have one that does absolutely everything, although the Edge 705 looks like it has more computing power on board than the Space Shuttle.

piedwagtail91

i've been using a garmin vista c for a few years and it's been great.i plan rides on tracklogs and also have garmin city select mapping in the gps as a basemap so that my planned ride overlays it. i use it mainly for following and logging some of my more complicated 100 mile/century rides, as well as any rides in places i've never been to before. for regular rides in familiar places i don't bother now.

willbevan

just noticed, ptobably been out a bit, but garmin have released two new versions of the edge, both with navigation capability

Edge 605 and 705, havnt really had a look at the specs, but its seems the 705 can talk to ANT power meteres

il_principe

That is so f****ing annoying, I bought a 305 a few months back and whilst it is a great piece of kit, the naviogation side was not great and was a pig to programme. The 705 looks absolutely ideal, if only i'd heard about it sooner!

AROB - wait for the 705, it's out in December.

sloboy

The 705 does look to be the ultimate bike 'puter. Until the next big thing, I suppose.

popette

I'm getting one of those (705) for christmas.
I like venturing out onto different routes but don't like having to stop and start all the time to read a map. Plus, I love gadgets.

il_principe

Yeah me to, birthday in Dec as well so I'll appeal to the girlfriend! Might be selling my edge 305 as a result, anyone be intereseted in that - bought it in Agust I think and have the Cadence and HRM monitirs as well.

GeorgeShaw

I love my 305 and, as I'm too stingy to buy prescription sunglasses, I'm too blind to be able to read a map on a small screen anyway. HR and speed are good enough for me, until I upload the data to the computer when I get back.

sloboy

Navigation's not by a map, George, it's by a flipping big arrow. The only trouble is that sometimes it's hard to see which end of the arrow is which, which is a bit daft !

RichTL

Ive just purchased a garmin 305 and am realy impressed with it.
With a little bit of messing around you can programme a route into it and follow it.
Would recommed you google 'Frank Kinlan' he has a blog with tutorial on how to programme a route into the Edge which worked fine for me.
Really inetersting blog as well.

DomT

Spoke to a chap on the Garmin stand at the Cycle Show and he mentioned that they'll be going on sale in January due to "problems" - didn't say what they were, but I guess Santa won't be delivering them to quite a few people!

sonicred007

What's the 605 and 705 going to retail for?

Cunobelin

I use two systems.

For training and commuting I use the Edge 305, which is fine, but lacks the mapping.

For touring I use an ETrex which allows the basic navigation tasks and also links with my PDA so I can record and alter routes with the Pocket version of Memory Map.

The Edge has some compatability issues with Memory-Map.