Garmin Edge 800

asprilla

Am probably going to be tempted by one of these shortly but I'm trying to work out which one. I've looked on line and there isn't much in the way of info about exactly what mapping you get with which.

So, I've got the HRM and the speed / cadence sensor already I just want to know which maps I get with which package and if anyone knows how good they are. I want them for plotting routes in the Surrey hills and pottering around between Toulouse and the Pyreneese.

Any advice?

turnerjohn

basic package doesn't give you any maps but what you can do is go to http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm
and download the free map...its exactly the same as the one Garmin charge about £60 for and gives simple maping just like google style....works great.
Do a "map my ride" and upload as GXP file and the 800 will do the rest..simpliz

asprilla

Will that cover me for Europe as well?

turnerjohn

woops no sorry that site won't ! I'm guessing there will be someone somewhere with the extra maps.
You would need to perchase a French or UK map anyway as the one Garmin supply doesn't cover France. I'm guessing again around the £60 mark.

asprilla

Cheers for that, I'll have a look. In the mean time, anyone know what map options are in what bundles?

freezing77

Asprilla wrote:

Am probably going to be tempted by one of these shortly but I'm trying to work out which one. I've looked on line and there isn't much in the way of info about exactly what mapping you get with which.

So, I've got the HRM and the speed / cadence sensor already I just want to know which maps I get with which package and if anyone knows how good they are. I want them for plotting routes in the Surrey hills and pottering around between Toulouse and the Pyreneese.

Any advice?

Open street map covers the entire globe, pick your country/countries here
http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

cambs

I think there are basically two map options for the UK, either the UK OS maps or the European City Navigator maps which certainly are good enough for Surrey hills, haven't taken it abroad. The OS maps are more geared towards MTB-ers with more detail on bridleways and the like.

optimisticbiker

Asprilla wrote:

Cheers for that, I'll have a look. In the mean time, anyone know what map options are in what bundles?

The bundles either come with OS 1:50000 maps or European City Navigator.

OS 1:50000: these are routable both on roads and footpaths/bridleways, so good for emergency 'get me to...' but lack detail and are overly cluttered in built up areas as they are bitmap images of the actual OS maps. Expensive at around £100-120 but good value in the bundle.

European City Navigator: also routable, and more detailed in town, but lack the footpaths/offroad routing and some smaller roads outside the cities including many B-roads in the UK. The clue is in the name.. they are City navigators, so have enough detail to get around between cities on main routes. The European map set is about £60, UK only about £27

You have to shop around and compare prices to work out which bundle is best value. The Trail bundles contain the OS maps, the Navigator bundles the European city maps.

Remember the OSM maps are available for most of the world and are free... and in my view work better. The screen shots below show the OS Discoverer v the OSM mapping at both 200m and 120m resolution.

asprilla

Chers all; order placed for the base unit (£250ish from Handtec) and I'll use the OSM mapping.

bails87

I just did the same, the base map is very basic. A roads and motorways shown as straight lines, that's about it.

But OSM maps are definitely fine for on road use, in the limited experience I've had with them. On Monday I went MTBing in the Malvern hills. Downloaded a route from Bikely, ran it through bikeroutetoaster.com according to some instructions I found on the Garmin help forums (I'll share the link when I get home), and put it on the 800.

Once I was out there it was spot on, beeped when I got within a predefined distance of a turn point and the display showed a big arrow telling me which way to go. Even though the Malverns are so steep in places that it almost looks like one track is on top of another, and there can be 6 different paths splitting off at a single 'junction', it did a sterling job. I'm properly impressed with it.

Then, when you get home you plug it in to the computer, go on the Strava and Endomondo websites, click upload from Garmin and it just does it.

il_principe

I have the European City Navigator and it's very good. Can attest to it working in the Alps and the Pyrenees as well as all over the UK (B roads included), it even worked in Cyprus.

Wrath Rob

Il Principe wrote:

I have the European City Navigator and it's very good. Can attest to it working in the Alps and the Pyrenees as well as all over the UK (B roads included), it even worked in Cyprus.

+1

Though on occasion its been too good and routed me onto an unpaved road. When riding on 23mm GP4000s. Still, the 800 is by far and away the best piece of cycling related kit I've bought. Period.

optimisticbiker

Il Principe wrote:

I have the European City Navigator and it's very good. Can attest to it working in the Alps and the Pyrenees as well as all over the UK (B roads included), it even worked in Cyprus.

Interesting... when I played with a friends 800 before I bought mine (2y ago nearly) he had the UK City Navigator (as that was the then available bundle, EU mapping was extra) and we definitely found it lacking many of the smaller roads we regularly ride on and some of the B-roads.

The other reason for going the OSM route is that the standard NavTeq mapping has many anomalies and these can't easily be updated with the SD version of the map as supplied in the bundle unless you buy a new one. Whereas the OSM maps are updated regularly - I have personally corrected at least 4 mapping errors in my own locality and these were on the updated maps within 2 weeks. its nice to give back to the community!