GPS for bike rides?

MikeCheryl

Hi everyone

Very new to all this but am enjoying my learning curve.

I've used a sat nav for years in the car but wondered if there was anything that would work with bikes?
Be very handy if it somehow interfaced with Google Earth maps so you could see where your were and various route choices when on forest tracks etc.
Does such a bit of kit exist?

cooldad

Your phone.

MikeCheryl

My phone?
Its 1o years old and does txt and calls nothing else sadly.

Thanks

Chunkers1980

Garmin or a smart phone.

cooldad

New phone time.

MikeCheryl

This is a Google earth of our ride yesterday.


Is there anything out there that could produce an image like this and show our position accurately?
My phone works fine thanks so no need for a replacement, get all the calls and txt I need for £12 a month.

cooldad

A GPS unit or a phone with GPS.
As mentioned above.

felix.london

If you want to specifically see maps/routes directly on Google Earth then I'd say a new phone is your only option really. Even without using Google Earth if all you want to do is track routes then still a phone is really your best bet. There are countless apps available...time to join the 21st Century I think

felix.london

btw - if you use something like Endomondo all you need is a phone with WiFi & GPS enabled. You don't need a data connection activated when on the trail. All data can be uploaded when you get back to a WiFi zone i.e. will not make any difference to your current tariff

paulbox

These are probably the best cycling specific GPS units:

http://sites.garmin.com/edge/

Previous models can be picked up cheaper on eBay.

MikeCheryl

PaulBox wrote:

These are probably the best cycling specific GPS units:

http://sites.garmin.com/edge/

Previous models can be picked up cheaper on eBay.

Thanks, looks interesting!

cooldad

But at £3-400 not exactly a budget option.

MikeCheryl

cooldad wrote:

But at £3-400 not exactly a budget option.

But how much would a new smart phone cost me??? don't know best option at the moment.

MikeCheryl

felix.london wrote:

btw - if you use something like Endomondo all you need is a phone with WiFi & GPS enabled. You don't need a data connection activated when on the trail. All data can be uploaded when you get back to a WiFi zone i.e. will not make any difference to your current tariff

Can you tell me more about this option please? which phone do I need?

Thanks

Biggz

I think Endomondo runs on any Android or iPhone.

I currently run Strava on my Android phone and I'm worrying about battery life. I've only recently started cycling so my rides are short and battery life isn't a problem. That might be different if you cycle for a couple of hours.

Does anyone use Strava/Endomondo on a smart phone for a few hours without battery problems?

mcnultycop

MikeCheryl wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But at £3-400 not exactly a budget option.

But how much would a new smart phone cost me??? don't know best option at the moment.

£3-400, and it makes calls.

felix.london

I have a Galaxy Nexus and a Sony Xperia Mini Pro and can just about get a full day's riding out of either of them.

Also have a spare battery for the Nexus.

Think you can pick them up (Nexus) for about £300 these days and a spare battery for about £15. Great phone.

cooldad

Or a second hand phone for a lot less. As it is going to break when you crash anyway.

Biggz

I've not used this phone but its cheaper than £3-400. Google Nexus 4 £239 https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb

YeehaaMcgee

MikeCheryl wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But at £3-400 not exactly a budget option.

But how much would a new smart phone cost me??? don't know best option at the moment.

Mike has a point. A very good one. A smartphone is not a one-time purchase, it's going to cost you a ton. And it's not going to have stellar battery life.

cooldad

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

MikeCheryl wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But at £3-400 not exactly a budget option.

But how much would a new smart phone cost me??? don't know best option at the moment.

Mike has a point. A very good one. A smartphone is not a one-time purchase, it's going to cost you a ton. And it's not going to have stellar battery life.

Hence

cooldad wrote:

Or a second hand phone for a lot less. As it is going to break when you crash anyway.

YeehaaMcgee

How does that fix the battery life issue? Or the fact that it will still cost you to use it?

cooldad

Don't know - I just ride.
But you can turn all the bits off and don't need data etc. Most of the idiots I ride with use them and seem to manage. And if I am desperate to know info about the ride I can ask, although I am rarely desperate.
About riding anyway.

felix.london

cooldad wrote:

Most of the idiots I ride with use them and seem to manage

Jay76

Buy a 2nd hand Samsung galaxy S2 off ebay for around 150 quid.
Buy the extended battery for 20 quid off Amazon.
Run the Mapmyride (free app) mine tracked me for 7 hrs riding and I still have 1/3 of the battery left.

sofaboy73

depends what you want to do. if you're jsut looking to track your rides in terms of route, distance, time etc an app on your phone will be fine (have you though about going on contract to get a free smart phone?)

if you are wanting it for navigation purposes i would suggest getting a dedicated GPS unit. Like most things that are designed for a specific purpose , they will work better than an app on a smart phone, however the accuracy of them is far superior and i would never really on a smart phone for navigation 'off road'.

is use one of these

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/outdoor ... 63801.html

great bit of kit, comes with full UK OS nmapping, bateries last great (an are easily replacable AA's), water resistant (have dropped mine in puddels no problems) and they will take a fair beating unlike a fragile phone. if you shop around you can find some deals on them. If you do go for a handheld GPS, don't get a touch screen, it's a pain haveing to take your gloves off all the time to get them to work

MikeCheryl

sofaboy73 wrote:

depends what you want to do. if you're jsut looking to track your rides in terms of route, distance, time etc an app on your phone will be fine (have you though about going on contract to get a free smart phone?)

if you are wanting it for navigation purposes i would suggest getting a dedicated GPS unit. Like most things that are designed for a specific purpose , they will work better than an app on a smart phone, however the accuracy of them is far superior and i would never really on a smart phone for navigation 'off road'.

is use one of these

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/outdoor ... 63801.html

great bit of kit, comes with full UK OS nmapping, bateries last great (an are easily replacable AA's), water resistant (have dropped mine in puddels no problems) and they will take a fair beating unlike a fragile phone. if you shop around you can find some deals on them. If you do go for a handheld GPS, don't get a touch screen, it's a pain haveing to take your gloves off all the time to get them to work

aha now I like the look of that, thanks

coulddobetter

The budget option is good old map and compass.

YeehaaMcgee

coulddobetter wrote:

The budget option is good old map and compass.

Tis true. Also, the mountain rescue services tend to pick up a lot more people relying on phones for navigation, than those who still use maps and compasses.

coulddobetter

Learned a lot on duke of edinburgh scheme.gadgets are good but can fail . Then what?

YeehaaMcgee

coulddobetter wrote:

Learned a lot on duke of edinburgh scheme.gadgets are good but can fail . Then what?

You know, everyone who's ever had a gadget fail, will die.
Sad fact of life.