Garmin Edge 500. Can I download courses?

mikeyh54
mikeyh54 Posts: 18
edited March 2012 in Road beginners
Hi everyone.

I have recently bought a new road bike for sportives and club rides. I also have a garmin 500 computer after reading several reviews. Some of these articles mentioned that you could download courses and save these to your Garmin 500.

Whilst I am aware that you can't set waypoints as you could to the 705 model, is it possible to plot a course on a computer and download this to the Garmin training center as a course which I can then send to the edge computer? If so, how do I do this.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Comments

  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    pretty ceratain the 500 doesnt have any mapping capabilities.
    you can set a previous ride to race against, but cant plot a route on your pc.

    your 500 will record where you have been and will plot that on garmin tc or equivalent when you connect to pc.

    still a brilliant device tho!
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Yes you can provided the course is saved as a .tcx file.

    Copy it to your Edge in the /GARMIN/NewFiles folder or use Training Centre to send it.

    If you want to know more then do some searches on the Garmin forums.

    redvision - no mapping doesn't mean no navigation.
    More problems but still living....
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    if you can why does the garmin site say you cant??!!

    https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID ... e#specsTab
  • Lou_m
    Lou_m Posts: 97
    But if you look at the extra images on the web site it shows a route and a distance and time to a mid point. Try www.bikehike.co.uk as i use that to download routes to my 305. Looking on the garmin forum it does appear that you can download routes to the 500.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    redvision wrote:
    if you can why does the garmin site say you cant??!!

    https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID ... e#specsTab

    The above information was based on a post by a moderator on the Garmin forums who has an Edge 500 himself (I have FR 310XT which is very similar in function).
    More problems but still living....
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    redvision wrote:
    if you can why does the garmin site say you cant??!!

    https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID ... e#specsTab

    Courses (compete against previous activities): yes
    I like bikes...

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  • johnmiosh
    johnmiosh Posts: 211
    It can be done, you will need to prepare the course as a tcx file; II find bikehike to be the best.

    Prepare a course using bike hike.
    Click download route
    File type tcx
    Give suitable tite
    Download to GPS unit

    Next time you turn on the edge 500, it will convert this to a fit file and load it in courses.

    When you run the course, it will auto scroll through your selected screens and add the course screens. Although you won't have turn by turn instructions, you will have a trail to follow, this is sufficient to direct you around junctions.

    I have had no problem using courses, but several users have had issues with courses over 2 hours long. See the 500 forum https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=219
  • vdu7x
    vdu7x Posts: 48
    I have had no problem using courses

    Glad to hear it! I'd read all those posts on the Garmin forum about the unit hanging whilst following a course that I've never used the option. I have a Satmap as well which I use but it's overkill really. Might give the course function a try then.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    sorry guys, i thought he was asking for a turn by turn guide.

    im a bit gutted now, i was advised by my lbs that the 500 had no mapping whatsoever and i ended up buying the 705 instead. whilst the 705 is awesome, i did like the 500 and wish i had gone for that now as im not really using the mapping on this one!
  • Hudster
    Hudster Posts: 142
    Why can I not get this to work? I create the route and put the tcx file into the Newfiles directory. When I turn on the GPS there is no courses and no history on the device. The device is brand new. What else do I need to do?
  • mikeyh54
    mikeyh54 Posts: 18
    I had the same problem to start off with and couldn't find any course history on the edge deviced despite saving the file as instructed.

    I saved the file as a tcx to my laptop first. I then had to drag the tcx file to the Courses folder using the training center program. Only then could I send this information from the laptop to the edge successfully. Otherwise it kept coming up with an error message.

    Hope this helps and thanks to the rest of you for your help.
  • Hudster
    Hudster Posts: 142
    I have downloaded the latest firmware and this now appears to have done the trick. Well, a course now appears. Not sure how easy it will be to follow a route but at least I can now plot one on the computer and get a breadcrumb trail to appear.

    I am still wondering if I want a 705. I love the small compact nature of the 500 and the fact that it's so much cheaper.
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    It's probably easiest to use Garmin Connect to create courses. Despite quite a lot on the internet re problems with courses, I've been fine with routes up to 50 miles. Haven't tried it beyond there yet.
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    2 years ago, when this thread was started, you couldn't use Connect to create courses!
    More problems but still living....
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    amaferanga wrote:
    2 years ago, when this thread was started, you couldn't use Connect to create courses!

    I realise that, but the thread came up quite high on Google so I thought it was worth updating for anyone that stumbles across it! Should have explained that but posted in a hurry! :)
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/

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