Garmin edge 205

gunny_bedford

Hi

Just got hold of an edge 205, and trying to get to grips with it. Would like very much to be able to map routes and then input them onto the edge to follow.

I have tried the bike toaster site, and managed to create 1 route, save it to my computer (Mac) and then import it to the edge via the Garmin training center( i used the .TCX file is that best ???) however all other routes i have plotted for some reason the training center software now states that it is an incompatible file and will not import it why???

Also i mainly will be using it to do cross country routes, so is there a good way to make cross country routes?? from what i can see bike toaster etc are mainly road biased??

I would like to be able to plan routes with waypoints that will give me directions etc turn left /right etc. Bike toaster seemed good, but as stated for some reason i cannot import the routes into the training center anymore. My main computer is a Mac but i do have windows on a laptop, any help would be appreciated as i am getting a bit frustrated not being able to plan and plot my own routes!!!

rhext

Use mapmyride.com to enter the routes. Export as a .tcx file. Import as a course via training centre. I had to upgrade my copy of training centre (available free from the Garmin web site), in order to make this work.

I've not yet cracked the cross-country route plotting problem. Mapmyride will let you draw straight lines between waypoints and follow those, but the map database does not contain bridleways etc. I suspect that, if you want to plot off-road properly, then you'll probably have to invest in Memorymap or similar Ordnance-Survey based product.

gunny_bedford

I would appreciate it if someone could possibly explain why the TCX files i am making with bike toaster will not load into my garmin training center ?? i am using the latest version of training center. It keeps on saying it is an invalid file ??? i am making routes that are a mixture of autorouting and plotting my own routes and directions when i deviate of road is that the problem, should it only be all autoroute ?? please help this is now beginning to P*** me off big time :evil:

magliaceleste

Unfortunately the TCX format is unique to Garmin, so it's possible that third parties just haven't implemented it properly. Garmin also have a habit of changing the format used by Training Center (a shonky piece of software if ever there was).

I know you don't want to hear this, but try download a trial version of Tracklogs, I think you'll find it's a revalation and really opens up the usefulness of the Garmin 205/305.

gunny_bedford

Thanks ive downloaded the trial software it looks good some questions if you dont mind

1. as i understand the 205 only support 100 waypoints per route ? so if i click away following the contours of a track/path does every click count as a waypoint, or is it only the waypoints that i actually make on the route that count ??

2. Once you have made a route and downloaded it to the 205, does the route give you directions ie when you approach a junction does the edge give you a warning and for example tell you to turn left, right etc ?? is that done by waypoints ??

3. does the 205 support all the symbols that you can add to the map??

sorry for all the questions, but as yet i have not used the edge to actually navigate a route, what i want to do is basically define a route and at the relevant points have the edge tell me turn left, right etc, but i am not sure how this is done? i know some people follow the "breadtrail" route that can be seen, but i would rather be made aware when a turn is coming up, can tracklogs do this?? it would help if you could download your home area for the demo version, it would help to see if you like it !!! dont fancy driving to yorkshire from kent to try a route out on my 205 !!!!

SteveR_100Milers

Gunny, I had exacly the same frustration as you did when I got mine (205). Truth is the TC software is really utter sh1te, and I had to download thet latest version of the Garmin webiste to work properly in the first place.

I would recommend you try mapmyride.com. It's fail;ry easy to use (takes a bit of time to update the routes on your PC when plotting them) but its a doddle to save them and import into your garmin. TIP save them as .crs files (not tcx) onto your laptop ready to import into your garmin device via training centre.

Great thing about mapmyride is you can use it to plot a route following roads, which when you use the course on your Garmin shows as a solid line to follow, as in a basic satnav. You dont need weaypoints or markers, as you simply follow the track, it really is that easy. I am about to plot a ride in Holland next week where I hhave never cycles before, and have no idea of the local geography, so I'll let you know how good it is when you are 1000% dependant on it, especially in a built up area. But based upon my experience of it so far, I am pretty confident I'll find the hotel at the end of the ride....
If you need any help on using mapmyride let me know, glad to do so.

mdg1157

Once you've plotted your route in mapmyride, save it as a crs file. Then import it into training centre, where you can see the basemap of your route.

Yoou can then work out where junctions etc are (zoom the map in) and add a coursepoint (turn left etc, but make sure you put the correct direction in!!)

load the course onto the edge, hit do course, and as you follow the black route line, the coursepoints you put in will flash up on the screen, giving you the direction to go. It helps if you plot the coursepoints in a hundred metres or so before the junctions etc

I've done qiute a few like this where I didn't know the roads, only coming unstuck once where I had put in a left instead of a right!! (but it tells you you are off course anyhow!)

Hope this helps a little

gunny_bedford

Thanks for the help guys, i now know about course points, couple of questions


can course points be added to routes or only courses ?

what map are you using on the training center?? i dont think i could work out turns etc on the training center base map especially cross country, as it hold absolutely no details !! why cant they link it to google earth or similar !!

can you add course points in map my ride thus solving that problem in the first place !

willbevan

you can add course points in mapmyride, I find bike route toaster in that respect is better, as it will put a course point at every turning (well typically unless its little back roads that its not sure which is the main road lol)

Thats how i get everywhere as i dont like using the route functionality...

SteveR_100Milers

You don't *need* course points when using the mapmyride route. The direction of the route to follow at junctions is obvious! Just zoom out ohe device if you want to see them in advance (so as to be able to anticipate junction turns on busy roads for example).

willbevan

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

You don't *need* course points when using the mapmyride route. The direction of the route to follow at junctions is obvious! Just zoom out ohe device if you want to see them in advance (so as to be able to anticipate junction turns on busy roads for example).

You get the same output from bikeroutetoaster in that respect, oh and you don't have a distance limit for each autoroute as you do in mapmyride (find that anoying :oops: )

My two pence is that i would recomend anyone have a play with course points, unless of course you have a new 605/705.

Not saying you havn't used course points, but from my limited experience meeting other bike riders and runners that have a 205/305 they havnt even used them,the course points in my case takes away the need to keep looking down at the map to often and maybe adjust the zoom... just glance down, oh 2 miles to the next turn... glance down again, oh 1 mile, then regular checking etc.

Now i have used the compass and the zoomed in map of the route, but i find they both arnt as informative. :roll:

The compass well doenst show you till you arrive at the turn and can easily miss it and dont know which way you need to go till the last moment, okay at T Junctions you are joining a main road, but can let you down if your on the main road for example. :?:

The map I find you need to change the zoom in and out, and doesnt give you a good idea of the distacne, one thing i do like about the map though, is you can see when your zoomed in if you have a sharp corner coming up like a 90, or a hairpin which has saved my arse on a couple of occasions. Mind you zomming in and out with my lack of balance on a bike is probably more dangereous

Anyway just my 2p

daniel_b

Gunny Bedford wrote:

what map are you using on the training center?? i dont think i could work out turns etc on the training center base map especially cross country, as it hold absolutely no details !!

Gunny, you can work out where the turns are, another helpful member gave me the method, but it is does take a fair while.

The only way to do it is to have the TC route outline, alongside the Mapmyride route outline, and zoom into simlar amounts on both, that way you can see on mapmyride where a road junction is, a cross raods for example, and then match it up on the TC route - sounds tricky, but once you start, your moving the same kind of distance on both maps, so it isn't all that bad.

Dan

Danky

Hi all

just happenned upon this thread in a desperate attempt to make more use of my Edge 205! I've been playing around with Training Centre (rubbish!) and Map Source (a little less rubbish) with a variety of mapping and logging websites (Road Runner Sprts ~ traininglog.roadrunnersports.com, Bikley.com, GPSies.com) and am frankly bewildered!

This, I should add, is from somebody who works (admittedly not in development) in the software industry. Can it really be that difficult to get something to work properly?

Don't get me wrong, I love the Edge 205, from a cycle logging point of view it's excellent, and given all of the info available from it, I would not go back to trad cycle computers.

However, I was also hoping to be able to use it for simple navigation, so was really pleased to see that it offered this function. So far, so good ... what I didn't notice was the limit to the number of points you can use in a route. So for instance, I dilligently created my route in Bikely, saved as GPX, transfered to GPSies and uploaded directly to the 205.... didn't notice the warning about route truncation! Damn, noticed it half way along a new route, typical!

In desperation, tried using the single waypoint feature and navigating one at a time, but that's not ideal!

Which is where I found this thread (sorry for rambling!). Great, Toaster sounds ace, and so does the ability to be able to create courses too (I'm only just getting my head around the differences between courses, tracks, routes, etc ... if anyone could explain these simply, I'd much appreciate it!).

Not wasting any time and following the advice of the above posting, I created a new course and then went to the Summary page and attempted to save it as an appropriate format. Noticed that there was an MBCRS (Motion Based Course) option, so tried that, then attempted to import into GTC ... no joy! Okay, tried the TCX, ... error recognising format in GTC, hmmmm. GPX, of course (as it were) will only send over the route rather than the course, hence an import of 225 route points, no good either. Attempting to reimport the TCX / CRS into GPSies also brings it in as a route .... :evil:

Running out of both patience and (to be honest!) time with this! Am I right in thinkning that Garmin don't offically publish the formats for the TCX and CRS file types? I only ask because a quick glance at them reveals that they are in fact just text based XML type files, so I wouldn't have thought that it would be too difficult to adapt to any changes that Garmin might make?

Sorry for the moan, I just see this every day in my job, so it's a little disappointing to be up against the same types of issues in my leisure time.

As I have said, I love the Edge 205, and I am quite sure that I will percivere, mainly because i'm a glutten for punishment!

cheers

Danky