Garmin 705 throwing a wobbly

sampras38

i'll start off by saying I love my Garmin, and for the most part it's been a fantastic training tool. I've been downloading more routes of late from Bikely mainly, and wondered if anyone else had experienced any problems with routes they'd downloaded. I've had 2 60 milers go wrong on me recently, and on the last one it kept telling me to do a u-turn and even though I did, it struggled to get back on the route. I ended up just hitting the back to start button in the end out of frustration.

Have I been unlucky?

They were both simple GPX files put into the courses folder.

Bronzie

I've found it much better to use files in the .TCX file format - you access these these from the "Training / Courses" menu on the 705 and then "Do Course".

If you use BikeHike or BikeRouteToaster to plan the route, you can even set up turn warnings that make the unit beep 200m before each turn, and you can race a virtual partner based on the average speed you've input for your route.

If you are downloading GPX files, you can convert to TCX format using the GPSIES website, although you don't get the course warnings or virtual partner options with the converted files.

I got all this info from the FrankKinlan website which is really helpful - you'd never pick half of this stuff up from reading any of the product info supplied by Garmin.

Shezzer

I've had similar problems after creating my own routes on Map My Ride and downloading the GPX files on the Edge 705. Where there is a turn in a road I've found that the mapping software doesn't always know which way is to stay on the road and which is to turn off. I usually keep the mapping screen displayed so I can figure out which way to turn.

Also, on one of my earlier rides with the Edge, the navigation sent me literally in the opposite direction to where I knew I should be going. I followed the Edge's route and at no point did it warn me I was off course ... even though I knew I was. When I got home I uploaded the actual route and compared it to the planned route and I can see exactly where it went wrong ... but can't explain why it did this or why it didn't warn me I was off-route. I reported this to Garmin a few weeks ago but have not heard back yet. Since then, I usually carry a paper map with me as back up.

That said, I absolutely love the 705 and have discovered so much more of Shropshire's back lanes ... without having to stop at every junction to work out the route.

sampras38

Bronzie wrote:

I've found it much better to use files in the .TCX file format - you access these these from the "Training / Courses" menu on the 705 and then "Do Course".

If you use BikeHike or BikeRouteToaster to plan the route, you can even set up turn warnings that make the unit beep 200m before each turn, and you can race a virtual partner based on the average speed you've input for your route.

If you are downloading GPX files, you can convert to TCX format using the GPSIES website, although you don't get the course warnings or virtual partner options with the converted files.

I got all this info from the FrankKinlan website which is really helpful - you'd never pick half of this stuff up from reading any of the product info supplied by Garmin.

Hi bronzie, and thanks for the reply. I'm not too keen on BikeHike but I already use BikeRouteToaster for courses I want to plot from scratch, and for those I'll always use TCX files and plop them in the courses folder, as per the recommendations on the Toaster website. They seem to work fine. I've only experienced problems with a couple of downloaded GPX routes.

And I've also used FrankKinlan's resource and it's great.

Bronzie

sampras38 wrote:

I've only experienced problems with a couple of downloaded GPX routes.

I seem to remember seeing Frank Kinlan say he'd had trouble with GPX files also - something about the 705 having a limit on the number of waypoints in any one route.

I don't bother with GPX files anymore, just download as GPX, convert to TCX and away I go. You can import a GPX file into BikeRouteToaster, check it looks OK and then export to your unit as a TCX.

Sorry if I'm teaching you how to suck eggs by the way, but others may find the info useful.

sampras38

Bronzie wrote:

sampras38 wrote:

I've only experienced problems with a couple of downloaded GPX routes.

I seem to remember seeing Frank Kinlan say he'd had trouble with GPX files also - something about the 705 having a limit on the number of waypoints in any one route.

I don't bother with GPX files anymore, just download as GPX, convert to TCX and away I go. You can import a GPX file into BikeRouteToaster, check it looks OK and then export to your unit as a TCX.

Sorry if I'm teaching you how to suck eggs by the way, but others may find the info useful.

Nahh, your not teaching me to suck eggs and I'm very grateful for the info..;-)

McBain_v1

Are you all saying that a Garmin 705 is a good investment then :?: Did you get yours from the internet or was it store bought :?: They don't come cheap :!:

sampras38

McBain_v1 wrote:

Are you all saying that a Garmin 705 is a good investment then :?: Did you get yours from the internet or was it store bought :?: They don't come cheap :!:

I was very lucky and I got mine from a friend when I bought his Scott CR1 Pro. The bike was only a few months old and the Garmin was brand new with all the right maps etc. Been using it for over a year now and it's a superb bit of kit. They are expensive but imo well worth it, especially compared to other similar level products on the market.

GavH

McBain_v1 wrote:

Are you all saying that a Garmin 705 is a good investment then :?: Did you get yours from the internet or was it store bought :?: They don't come cheap :!:

I think it is a good investment if you plan on doing a lot of cycling to places you've never been to before and hence need some kind of direction. If you plan on using it merely as a cycle computer / heart rate monitor then it's way overpriced. As for price, there are a lot of different packages available and don't foret, if you don't need the HR function, theres always the 605 as well.

sampras38

GavH wrote:

McBain_v1 wrote:

Are you all saying that a Garmin 705 is a good investment then :?: Did you get yours from the internet or was it store bought :?: They don't come cheap :!:

I think it is a good investment if you plan on doing a lot of cycling to places you've never been to before and hence need some kind of direction. If you plan on using it merely as a cycle computer / heart rate monitor then it's way overpriced. As for price, there are a lot of different packages available and don't foret, if you don't need the HR function, theres always the 605 as well.

Agree with this, although a friend of mine has the 605 and really regretted not going for the 705 with the HR function. It's like everything though, it;'s good if you use it and not if you don't. I do a lot of long rides in areas I don't know so it's great.

fuzzynavel

sampras38 wrote:

GavH wrote:

McBain_v1 wrote:

Are you all saying that a Garmin 705 is a good investment then :?: Did you get yours from the internet or was it store bought :?: They don't come cheap :!:

I think it is a good investment if you plan on doing a lot of cycling to places you've never been to before and hence need some kind of direction. If you plan on using it merely as a cycle computer / heart rate monitor then it's way overpriced. As for price, there are a lot of different packages available and don't foret, if you don't need the HR function, theres always the 605 as well.

Agree with this, although a friend of mine has the 605 and really regretted not going for the 705 with the HR function. It's like everything though, it;'s good if you use it and not if you don't. I do a lot of long rides in areas I don't know so it's great.

I got mine to do my first 100 miler next month to a place I have driven to dozens of times using Motorways so I will be relying on the Garmin to guide me on quieter roads......been using it for training since January and I can thoroughly recommend it. The virtual partner has a knack of making me work slightly harder than I normally would so that I can beat my previous best. Expensive but well worth the money if used properly in my opinion

drumsmasher

I have experienced problems with my 605 when i have been faced with a closed road. The unit kept telling me to u turn even a further 22 miles down the course! I have not heard of the TCX files but will have a look at changing them on mine. I have e mailed Garmin direct and if i get a response i'll return to this post and add what they have said.

McBain_v1

Where is the best place to buy these gadgets then (wobblers not withstanding) - is it from the internet outlets :?: So far the feedback seems encouraging if you stick with the TCX file format

sampras38

drumsmasher wrote:

I have experienced problems with my 605 when i have been faced with a closed road. The unit kept telling me to u turn even a further 22 miles down the course! I have not heard of the TCX files but will have a look at changing them on mine. I have e mailed Garmin direct and if i get a response i'll return to this post and add what they have said.

From what I've experienced and now read, I have a feeling sticking with TCX files will fix your problem.

drumsmasher

McBain_v1 wrote:

Where is the best place to buy these gadgets then (wobblers not withstanding) - is it from the internet outlets :?: So far the feedback seems encouraging if you stick with the TCX file format

There are some good deals on Ebay (new from shops) but its just catching them right. I paid £160 for a 605 new and it seems to be really good value. Yes there are a few issues with it but the good points far out way the bad....until you are miles from anywhere and its bleeping saying "make a u turn"!! Hopefully the tcx. method will sort that. Good luck!

McBain_v1

Now before I get all excited about the prospect of getting one of these, does the software work with Windows Vista :?: I know that Vista is the spawn of Satan but it came with the computer that I bought and I haven't got the smarts to perform a downgrade to XP so I'm lumbered with it

Finbar Saunders

A lot of people use Sports Tracks, a third party software package. It is free to download so you could try it on your Windows Vista machine at anytime. Garmin Connect and Motion Based are both via browser and work for me with Explorer and Google Chrome.

sampras38

McBain_v1 wrote:

Now before I get all excited about the prospect of getting one of these, does the software work with Windows Vista :?: I know that Vista is the spawn of Satan but it came with the computer that I bought and I haven't got the smarts to perform a downgrade to XP so I'm lumbered with it

Yes, Vista is fine..I use it with my 705. I plot routes/courses using RouteToaster and monitor my progress using Sportstrack and Garmin Connect.

a_n_t

never had a problem with gpx files using mapsource, same maps so less chance of errors!

pjm-84

One word of caution. The garmin bike mount is not man enough to take on cobbles. I found out the hard way on Flanders but spotted it gone and managed to backtrack and recover it from a grass verge......

liversedge

pjm-84 wrote:

One word of caution. The garmin bike mount is not man enough to take on cobbles. I found out the hard way on Flanders but spotted it gone and managed to backtrack and recover it from a grass verge......

My experience is quite the opposite. Once its clicked into place its an absolute pig to get back out again (and yes I am pressing down on the release mechanism on the left).

pjm-84

No the issue is with mount. The mount is two pieces which gives you an option of mounting on the bar or the stem by changing the direction.

Once you've decided you put the cable ties through. This is where it broke. The "clicked in place" bit was still with the Garmin. It just both items were not on the mount on the bike. I had a nice hole to view the stem through though.

liversedge

pjm-84 wrote:

No the issue is with mount. The mount is two pieces which gives you an option of mounting on the bar or the stem by changing the direction.

Once you've decided you put the cable ties through. This is where it broke. The "clicked in place" bit was still with the Garmin. It just both items were not on the mount on the bike. I had a nice hole to view the stem through though.

Aha! Yes, it is a bit flimsy. Sorry.