What Garmin?

DonDaddyD

OK basically I'd like to have a cycle computer with essentially SAT NAV (road maps) on it so that I can plan current/new and follow previously established routes.

Are Garmin the only company that does this. If so what Garmin range should I be looking at?

prj45

Go for the nuclear option and the Garmin Edge 705.

Don't buy it without bundled maps though, at a minimum City Navigator.

jonginge

prj45 wrote:

Go for the nuclear option and the Garmin Edge 705.

Don't buy it without bundled maps though, at a minimum City Navigator.

+1 I heart mine.
Jash, Lit (and numerous others on here, it seems) have them too. I got the road performance pack with City Navigator Europe maps. The maps worked in Surrey, worked in France: s'all good

lost_in_thought

JonGinge wrote:

prj45 wrote:

Go for the nuclear option and the Garmin Edge 705.

Don't buy it without bundled maps though, at a minimum City Navigator.

+1 I heart mine.
Jash, Lit (and numerous others on here, it seems) have them too. I got the road performance pack with City Navigator Europe maps. The maps worked in Surrey, worked in France: s'all good

+another one! And +1 for the road performance/city navigator packs. When in oz, I downloaded routes onto it, and it still performed perfectly despite not having the maps for there...

itboffin

Save the money buy yourself a couple of co2 units and a bling bling ineffective but small & uber light carbon mini pump then get out and ride your bike(s) :P

+1 Garmin

Underscore

If, like me, you are going to plan your routes in advance and review your ride afterwards but don't want your GPS to plan your route for you, you can do what I did, which is to download a version of OpenStreetMap to your device (and it's free - which is good provided the map is pretty complete in your location...). Mind you, if you're splashing out on a 705, why stop short of the pukka Garmin mapping?

_

Christophe3967

I've researched this as well and come to the conclusion that the Garmin 705 is the only game in town. I just haven't manged to convince the Financial Controller yet. :?

itboffin

NST+Ovi maps (nokia sports tracker) is the way forward that's if you have a nokia phone

Free as well.

DonDaddyD

I'm a Samsung mobile-phone man. That or an iPhone. Can't stand Nokia's.

Looks like its a Garmin 705, which I was afraid of... There has to be a cheaper (not Nokia) Sat Nav option. Tom Tom's for cars start at £100 for Peter's sake!

I wonder if I can attach a Tom Tom to my handle bars?

lost_in_thought

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm a Samsung mobile-phone man. That or an iPhone. Can't stand Nokia's.

Looks like its a Garmin 705, which I was afraid of... There has to be a cheaper (not Nokia) Sat Nav option. Tom Tom's for cars start at £100 for Peter's sake!

I wonder if I can attach a Tom Tom to my handle bars?

I did this with my car Garmin (306t) - it is OK, you have to be a bit careful over bumps etc.

Search 'tomtom handlebar mount' on google - I'm sure they make them.

Note: it also looks a bit stupid.

itboffin

for the iphone

http://trails.lamouroux.de/

roger_merriman

Underscore wrote:

If, like me, you are going to plan your routes in advance and review your ride afterwards but don't want your GPS to plan your route for you, you can do what I did, which is to download a version of OpenStreetMap to your device (and it's free - which is good provided the map is pretty complete in your location...). Mind you, if you're splashing out on a 705, why stop short of the pukka Garmin mapping?

_

ooh thats intresting, do all the garmins support OpenStreetMap? thought thats rather patchy, SCR trippers note it's pritty poor in the beacons bar the few tourist traps.

always_tyred

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm a Samsung mobile-phone man. That or an iPhone. Can't stand Nokia's.

Looks like its a Garmin 705, which I was afraid of... There has to be a cheaper (not Nokia) Sat Nav option. Tom Tom's for cars start at £100 for Peter's sake!

I wonder if I can attach a Tom Tom to my handle bars?

Or, you could put it in your back pocket to check when you get lost. Presumably you would roughly know where you were going.

The prob I have with Garmin is size (they are large, as bike computers go) and the fact that they are bike specific (which limits their utility as a HRM).

Personally, I'd go for a multisport watch (some of these are GPS compatible, so you can record where you go, and you can also get ones that have bike-sensor accessories) and get a bluetooth GPS for a phone. Most newer phones can have some form of mapping installed on them.

roger_merriman

so far i check os maps before and then when out and about assuming coverage i check where i am on the phone, but then i mostly am going to areas i know at least a little and am also one of those almost un loseable folk.

Jen J

I got the 705 as although I'm quite capable at map-reading, I didn't want to keep stopping and checking where the next turning was. I wanted something in front of me that I could put a specified route into and it would tell me whether to go straight on or left etc.

Anyway, it's all academic, as the one time I managed to take the 705 out and use it for directions, I ignored it for the first 15 miles, then decided to follow it for 10 miles until I realised it was taking me back to my first set point.

It did get me back home when I was about 12 miles away and had lost patience with my own random navigation, and just set it for home. So it did it's main job, I just need to work out how to get it to accept my route...

DonDaddyD

Jen J wrote:

I got the 705 as although I'm quite capable at map-reading, I didn't want to keep stopping and checking where the next turning was. I wanted something in front of me that I could put a specified route into and it would tell me whether to go straight on or left etc.

Anyway, it's all academic, as the one time I managed to take the 705 out and use it for directions, I ignored it for the first 15 miles, then decided to follow it for 10 miles until I realised it was taking me back to my first set point.

It did get me back home when I was about 12 miles away and had lost patience with my own random navigation, and just set it for home. So it did it's main job, I just need to work out how to get it to accept my route...

This is exactly what I want it for.

OK, so lets start talking numbers £££. How much, who tends to offer the best deal. What package should I be looking at?

Jen J

I'm too lazy to shop around, so just went with wiggle, after a brief check revealed their price was fairly similar to others offerings. This is their current deal

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Garmi ... 360035897/

antfly

If you are with O2 you get an xda for nothing,with superb gps and co-pilot live that talks to you and you can put memorymap on it too.Never get lost again.

il_principe

The Edge 705 rocks. I got the HR version, not bothered with Cadence. Also got the City Navigator SD card for UK/Europe.

Handtec have the best prices £261.05

http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/904/garmin-edge-705-heart-rate-monitor

Garmin SD/MicroSD data card - UK & Ireland £28.93

http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/838/garmin-sd-microsd-data-card---uk---ireland--010-10691-00-

Edited for VAT!!

antfly

Don`t you pay vat then?

Jen J

OK, so if I bring a laptop and the 705 on the trip in August, please can we have training sessions each evening so that someone can show me how to use it? :roll:

DonDaddyD

jashburnham wrote:

The Edge 705 rocks. I got the HR version, not bothered with Cadence. Also got the City Navigator SD card for UK/Europe.

Handtec have the best prices £227:

http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/904/garmin-edge-705-heart-rate-monitor

Garmin SD/MicroSD data card - UK & Ireland £25.16

http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/838/garmin-sd-microsd-data-card---uk---ireland--010-10691-00-

Around £250, now that's what I'm talking about!

Edit: Mr Jash, always include the VAT.

_Brun_

I got mine from pentagon gps. £340 with HR and cadence sensors, plus the City Navigator UK+Ireland SD card.

il_principe

Jen J wrote:

OK, so if I bring a laptop and the 705 on the trip in August, please can we have training sessions each evening so that someone can show me how to use it? :roll:

Yep, although we'll really need a wifi connection.

Sewinman

itboffin wrote:

NST+Ovi maps (nokia sports tracker) is the way forward that's if you have a nokia phone

Free as well.

I have downloaded this now - can you plan trip in advance?

Underscore

roger merriman wrote:

Underscore wrote:

If, like me, you are going to plan your routes in advance and review your ride afterwards but don't want your GPS to plan your route for you, you can do what I did, which is to download a version of OpenStreetMap to your device (and it's free - which is good provided the map is pretty complete in your location...). Mind you, if you're splashing out on a 705, why stop short of the pukka Garmin mapping?

_

ooh thats intresting, do all the garmins support OpenStreetMap? thought thats rather patchy, SCR trippers note it's pritty poor in the beacons bar the few tourist traps.

I believe so. A mate has the 705 and is running it with OSM maps. I've got an eTrex Venture HCx (I've already got a cycle computer which does cadence and HR, and wanted a GPS that was much cheaper and was suitable for use off the bike - for geo-tagging photos, for instance) and it works fine with that.

_