Garmin abroad and Strava Challenges

ne0sk

Two questions if I may:

1) Does anyone know if a Garmin (I have an Edge 500) will track me when I'm cycling in Cyprus? GPS will, i assume function, but wondering if the map data for Cyprus is sufficient?

Heading over in November to visit my mother and taking a bike this time.


2) If you join a challenge after it's start days, eg joining the September challenge today, will Strava add the rides you've already done and logged to this or will they be ignored?

Thanks

topcattim

ne0sk wrote:

1) Does anyone know if a Garmin (I have an Edge 500) will track me when I'm cycling in Cyprus? GPS will, i assume function, but wondering if the map data for Cyprus is sufficient?

My hunch is that it will track you anywhere that it can get GPS signal, and you will then be able to upload it to a map-based utility, such as Strava. I have the Garmin European City Navigator maps on SD card, and these allowed me to plot routes on bikeroutoaster and upload them to the Garmin so that I could follow roads in Cyprus. But while out on the bike, the search facility was useless - it didn't seem to have the locations of the larger towns, let alone the smaller villages.

ne0sk wrote:

2) If you join a challenge after it's start days, eg joining the September challenge today, will Strava add the rides you've already done and logged to this or will they be ignored?

Your previoulsy logged miles will be included. I have a friend who sniped the August MTS leader board of people I follow, by joining on the last day and jumping straight to the top.

kidfelt78

I took my Garmin 200 to Portugal (Algarve) and worked fine. I planned the routes via Garmin Connect and Google Street view before I left and all was well.

lostboysaint

kidfelt78 wrote:

I took my Garmin 200 to Portugal (Algarve) and worked fine. I planned the routes via Garmin Connect and Google Street view before I left and all was well.

Are you me? I've just got back from the Algarve and mine was fine as well! (205 though).

adamtaylor

The tracking should be fine. On my 800 I just uploaded Italy's map instead of the UK and all was good.

ne0sk

Thanks everyone

Rather than plan route I'll simply head out and explore the roads around the village my Mother lives in - a place called Polemi in the hills above Pafos. May head towards the Troodos or even the Akamas and down to Latsi.

wongataa

ne0sk wrote:

Two questions if I may:

1) Does anyone know if a Garmin (I have an Edge 500) will track me when I'm cycling in Cyprus? GPS will, i assume function, but wondering if the map data for Cyprus is sufficient?

Why would you think a GPS device would not work in Cyprus (or anywhere else)? The clue to the correct answer is in the name of the system - Global Positioning System.

ne0sk

Thank you for your kind input there wongataa. This is the first GPS device I've owned - and no, I do not have a smartphone.

Nice to see patronising users feel happy to target those on the beginners forum.

jaxf

Good question , as although it is a Global Positioning System, it can still get confused by suddenly finding itself in a different country. You can overcome this by a soft reset of your Garmin.

iPete

Top tip, turn your Garmin on a few days before you ride, it takes 5-10 minutes for my 800 to pickup a completely new location.

marcusjb

iPete wrote:

Top tip, turn your Garmin on a few days before you ride, it takes 5-10 minutes for my 800 to pickup a completely new location.

Yep - this also counts if you drive/get the train to somewhere even within the UK. Leave it outside for a few minutes to sort itself out. This stops any annoyance when you do want to set off and ride and it sits there trying to locate satellites.

My 800 takes far longer to do this than my 510 - but the same applies for both.

Tjgoodhew

^^^this^^^