Does anyone use OSM maps instead of OS maps?

bails87

As per the title....

I want something more reliable than my phone for tracking/recording/directing my rides and I've spotted an offer for a Garmin 800 with 1:50k OS Explorer maps, but it's still about £90 cheaper to get the unit with no maps. Adding the maps afterwards costs about £200 so it could be expensive if I get it wrong.

So does anyone use OSM maps rather than OS maps? Are they good enough for off road navigation? They seem to be good enough for on road stuff, and there's even a routable version available so the Garmin can give you directions, but being usable off road is pretty important.

Is there anything significant on OS that's not on OSM?

I have seen the OSM maps, and used them for scouting out local rides, but I've no idea how complete the coverage is in more 'wild' areas of the UK.

benpinnick

OSM is great for finding local trails and singletrack, as people upload them and so they get on the maps. Take a look at Swinley forest ( search on openstreetmap.org for Crowthorne) for example, all the added single track is in blue. They're pretty lame for rights of way though, not because they're not on there, but teh coverage isn't 100%, and more importantly there's no standard markings, so you see all these trails and paths, but have no idea whether its a footpath, bridleway or byway - which sucks.

apreading

I got mine with OS maps really cheap at Christmas. Have recently downloaded the OSM maps with OS style display and can honestly say that they are all I am using right now. I have been on-road all year so far though. It may be that when I get back to some XC riding I go back to the OS maps, but my impression is that I may not need to.

Still glad I have the OS maps there in the background, but not sure if I will ever use them again.

bails87

apreading: Interesting.....

Where was it from btw?

stubs

They are useful but if you go into the wilds and rely on them I am afraid a dog walker will find your rotting corpse and you will be on local news.

Treat them as a free useful aid but dont be surprised if that track you are following at full speed suddenly turns into a cliff or a river.

apreading

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

Near the botom there is an 'experimental' section with OS style maps. I run the one without contours for less clutter, but have tried both. They are really good. I didnt like the other OSM maps I tried, but really like these.

bails87

Sorry, I meant where was the Garmin from, not the maps

apreading

Ah - mine was from Halfords. For some reason, they were doing them so much cheaper than anyone else in December, but they were permanently out of stock. So you had to catch a new delivery before it sold out hours later! Mine was £250 I think, with the OS maps.

bails87

apreading wrote:

Ah - mine was from Halfords. For some reason, they were doing them so much cheaper than anyone else in December, but they were permanently out of stock. So you had to catch a new delivery before it sold out hours later! Mine was £250 I think, with the OS maps.

Damn, that's cheap. They've got 20% off at Halfords at the moment, but that's still around £340 with maps.

freezing77

apreading wrote:

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

Near the botom there is an 'experimental' section with OS style maps. I run the one without contours for less clutter, but have tried both. They are really good. I didnt like the other OSM maps I tried, but really like these.

The maps you refer to are Openstreetmap.
I can't read.

diy

I use openmtb and its fine. Got my 800 from handtec last year. My mate has a plasma tv (PDA) sized nav with OS maps and 9/10 I can navigate quicker than he can.

http://www.handtec.co.uk/search.php?xSe ... r+products

I also just bought:
http://www.suntekstore.co.uk/goods.php?id=14003325

which I am hoping I can use as a battery extender given that the garmin one is £50. My edge managed about 11 hours of navigating and data recording on last years SDW, I've been mucking about with a cable attached to a single 18650. But the edge keeps saying the USB is connected to the wrong source. I think it might be 4.2v vs 5v required.

waby1234

OSM is crowd-sourced so if everyone on this forum goes on and digitizes their local routes then it would be fantastic! But obviously there are limitations, rights of way being one of those.

bails87

Thanks. I might skip the OS maps and get the bundle without mapping.

It's tricky to know if I'll need it until I use it I guess. Obviously I'd rather not buy it if I don't need it, but if I do need it I'd rather pay less for it by buying it as a bundle.

Decisions, decisions.....

Anonymous

OS maps are great for finding the nearest church steeple and official rights of way.

But otherwise OSM does have a lot of stuff and bits that OS don't. Volunteer based information though and for singletrack it tends to be official trails only.

OS maps I just buy the paper ones as far cheaper, especially for 1:25k scale (1:50k is not detailed enough really). WHSmiths BOGOF or 2 for 3, scan, print and laminate or similar. Only need a few maps for areas I'm interested in. Yeah, old school technology, but it's as much as I need for a very occasional check of the map or to compare with something on OSM. I don't follow a map while riding anyway, I follow the trails and look where I'm going! . Just a rare check on a map to reorientate myself if I'm in an unfamiliar area.

Though for singletrack, far easier to just follow someone who knows the trails. Maps don't show you that the trail is hidden beside a particular tree or bush.

bails87

I'm swinging towards the bundle with HRM and cadence (for the road bike...shhhh) and I'll use the OSM maps for navigation.

It should be fine, I can plot routes on bikehike using the combination of google and OS maps and put those onto the device, overlaid across an OSM map.

diy

I have cadence and HR on both my mtb and my road bike. The cadence sensors sell used for more than you pay for the bundle extra anyway. The HR and cadence sensor is definitely useful. The HR monitor is good for me being the only male in my family not to have had a heart attack yet. So I tend to use the alarm functions to keep me under 170bpm. I also use the HR as good test of the quality of training ride. Sometimes you can be taking a climb thinking you are working hard only to glance down and see your HR in the low 130s, which for me means I'm slacking.

Cadence also gives better accuracy of the device, since the GPS is used only to occasionally calibrate the speed.

handful

bails87 wrote:

apreading wrote:

Ah - mine was from Halfords. For some reason, they were doing them so much cheaper than anyone else in December, but they were permanently out of stock. So you had to catch a new delivery before it sold out hours later! Mine was £250 I think, with the OS maps.

Damn, that's cheap. They've got 20% off at Halfords at the moment, but that's still around £340 with maps.

Hi again bails87, spoke on your 'other thread'

Some info for you on the current Halfords price, only last week they had the Trail bundle for sale at £339.99 and the NUSMAY12 code took another 10% off the price bringing it down to £305.99 and quidco another 4% to £293.75. I'm looking forward to the end of their current fantastic 20% off accessory offer to end and I suspect the price will drop back again.

I'll keep watching this thread though becauseI'm still torn between OS bundle or performance but like you leaning towards the performance bundle.

bails87

Well, I ordered the Performance bundle from Amazon (cheapest place) so I'll use the OSM maps and I can always take a paper OS map out with me. It's good to have a physical backup in any case.

If Halfords did the Performance bundle then the price might have gone lower than the Amazon one, but they only do the OS bundle, or the one with HR, Cadence and European road maps. The Euro maps will bump the price up and I'll probably never need them.

handful: I'll try to remember to let you know how good the OSM maps are once I've had a few rides with them.

Briggo

I've tried using OSM maps on my old Garmin 605, wasn't very good imo. Bought the 800 with OS maps, bloomin awesome it is, use it for walking too and not once have I got lost.

The HRM and cadence sensors are a no brainer, as mentioned they help so much with training, annoys the hell out of me when I leave the HRM strap at home by accident. :evil:

apreading

Briggo wrote:

I've tried using OSM maps on my old Garmin 605, wasn't very good imo.

But that wasnt with the new OS style OSM maps on Talkytoaster - those are a game changer in my opinion.

bails87

Briggo wrote:

I've tried using OSM maps on my old Garmin 605, wasn't very good imo. Bought the 800 with OS maps, bloomin awesome it is, use it for walking too and not once have I got lost.

Well it's a bit bloomin' late for that!

I'm sure the OSM maps will be fine. I'll be plotting routes beforehand anyway, so can refer to an OS while I'm doing that.

Briggo

apreading wrote:

Briggo wrote:

I've tried using OSM maps on my old Garmin 605, wasn't very good imo.

But that wasnt with the new OS style OSM maps on Talkytoaster - those are a game changer in my opinion.

Got screenshot of it?

bails87

Screenshot of an 800 apparently. OS on top, OSM underneath.

apreading

http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/2012/02/osm-maps/

Briggo

I know which one I'd rather have and it aint the OSM.

apreading

Briggo wrote:

I know which one I'd rather have and it aint the OSM.

2 months ago, I would have said the same. If I was buying tomorrow I would still buy the bundle with OS Maps, just in case. But having actually used them both extensively, I am not sure that I will ever enable the OS ones again.

YeehaaMcgee

I've got a passing interest in this, since I plan on getting a Garmin Edge 800 at some point, but I really can;t make head nor tail of what maps work with what, or where to actually get them from.
Talkytoaster seems to suggest that the OS style maps don't work with the Garmin 800.
It's all a bit of a mess, isn't it?

bails87

Briggo wrote:

I know which one I'd rather have and it aint the OSM.

I'd rather have the OS maps so I had a choice of OS or OSM available.

But it comes down to value. I want mapping of some sort, not necessarily OS maps. I want the cadence and HRM for the road bike, is it worth the extra £90 to get all three? I hope OSM will be good enough that the answer is no.

Just like I'd rather ride in a £300 pair of Sidis than my £50 DHB M1s, and I'd rather have £1500 carbon wheels than my On One jobbies. But both of the former in those examples are good enough, given how much £££ I've got to spend.

stubs

I would say if your on the road or sticking to routes you download off the internet OSM is fine go for it. However its when your heading off piste that the worries would mean I will stick to Ordnance Survey mapping preferably 1:25k. I would rather rely on a professional cartographer than some open source stuff that isnt peer reviewed so to speak and could contain nastiness that will mean you die. I was lucky when I got my Garmin Dakota I picked up a cheap micro SD of OS mapping on ebay.

bails87

Like I said, I'll be routing stuff beforehand on bikehike, which uses OS maps, and if I'm somewhere that I'm unfamiliar with then I'll have a paper OS with me as backup.

Should be fine.

As a side note, Amazon are rubbish. Let me place an order, discover a problem with the credit card I've used (my mistake, hit the wrong key when typing the expiration date) but don't tell me. They even sent an email saying the order is complete and it'll be delivered tomorrow. It was only when I went on the order status to see if it was being delivered by Yodel (heard nothing but bad things) that I saw it said something about 'payment revision'. Now changed and the 'next day delivery' is expected on Friday...for an order confirmed on Tuesday :roll:


I blame Wiggle!

YeehaaMcgee

bails87 wrote:

Like I said, I'll be routing stuff beforehand on bikehike, which uses OS maps

I haven't tried bikehike in a looooong time, and didn't get on with it's rather clunky ways at the time, but did you know that Bing maps lets you plan routes on OS maps too?

EDIT:
Just checked out bikehike again, and still clunky, and still has issues showing OS maps.