Garmin for cycling and fell walking?

Myster101

Just wondering if anyone uses a Garmin for cycling and fell walking? Currently have an Edge 705 which is great for the bike but not so good when I'm on the fells as the maps are poor. Can you get better maps (os ones) for fell walking on the 800 or 810 as I can't find them for the 705.

Thanks in advance.

sniper68

I have an 800 and it has OS mapping.It's on a SD card.It also has turn by turn Satnav type mapping for road use.
I don't use either but they're there if I wanted to.

reds99

Garmin 64s or similar, with a map off talky toaster. You can get a bike mount for it, though it is a bit big similar to an iPhone size.

Myster101

Thanks for the replys, guess what I'm really asking is It worth me upgrading to the 800 or 810 as a do it all or keep my 705 and buy a separate GPS for when I'm out on the fells?

StillGoing

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717383#p19717383]Myster101[/url] wrote:

Just wondering if anyone uses a Garmin for cycling and fell walking? Currently have an Edge 705 which is great for the bike but not so good when I'm on the fells as the maps are poor. Can you get better maps (os ones) for fell walking on the 800 or 810 as I can't find them for the 705.

Thanks in advance.

You can download OS maps to the 705. Try the DC Rainmaker site, I'm sure he'll have a link and how to somewhere. The one time I used my old 705 on a trail walk it worked fine with downloaded maps.

mrb123

If you have a Smartphone the Viewranger app is excellent for GPS mapping for use out on the fells. The app itself is free and then you can pay for exactly which maps you need. I would recommend a waterproof phone case if you plan to use it in bad weather!

wongataa

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717542#p19717542]Myster101[/url] wrote:

Thanks for the replys, guess what I'm really asking is It worth me upgrading to the 800 or 810 as a do it all or keep my 705 and buy a separate GPS for when I'm out on the fells?

You should be able to put your own maps on a 705 but I am not certain. Either way for Garmin devices OSM based maps are easily available and free. They are suitable for the fells and I use them when in the hills. Actual OS maps from Garmin aren't as good as they are harder to make out at higher zoom levels on the screen, they are bitmap instead of vector, have far too much info on for small screens, and are only available for newer devices.

The best outdoors GPS from Garmin is the GPSMap 64 series but they are quite big for a bike but a bike mount is available. The smaller Etrex series are better for both and I believe people who do long bike rides like them as the batteries last ages and they are easily replaceable AAs.

Personally I have a GPSMap 64S for when not cycling.

Myster101

Thanks again all, I've downloaded a map onto my 705 sd card after being on dc rain makers site which was an improvement on the Base map but it's still not great on the fells. I looked into buying an OS map but it said it was no longer available for the 705 (only 800 and newer). I love the 705 for cycling so if I could get an os map for it with Lake district fells on in decent detail then I'd be a very happy chap

Anybody know a source for OS maps for the 705? Don't mind paying if needed.

rolf_f

How bad are the maps on the 705? Surely, for fell walking you only need the map to cross reference against a paper map (and really, bottom line is the main thing is to know your ngr - the base map is just a luxury). There's no way I would want to be fell walking without a paper map both for fail safety-ness and the fact that no matter how good a GPS maps are, they are only good at telling you where you are - not where other things are which is the joy of paper maps.

Myster101

I always have a paper map with me when fell walking. What I'm wanting to do is use the 705 (or 800/810) while I'm out and about and hopefully not need the paper map which is in my rucksack. The maps aren't too bad but I'm wanting fell names and contours (which my 705 doesnt give). Maybe asking too much from what is really a cycling gps device?

As for telling you where other things are I can just scroll or use POI.

rolf_f

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717687#p19717687]Myster101[/url] wrote:

I always have a paper map with me when fell walking. What I'm wanting to do is use the 705 (or 800/810) while I'm out and about and hopefully not need the paper map which is in my rucksack. The maps aren't too bad but I'm wanting fell names and contours (which my 705 doesnt give). Maybe asking too much from what is really a cycling gps device?

As for telling you where other things are I can just scroll or use POI.

Not the same though is it?! I think that the touring folk often use Etrex's (since if you don't have a hub dynamo charging cycle GPSs can be a problem on tour) - I am sure you can get OS maps for those plus mounts. I would be reluctant to rely on GPS units without some secondary power source on the fells due to battery life.

Incidentally, I once used a Bryton GPS watch to log a hill walk. It did run out of power before the end but what I thought particularly funny was that there was no way to view your location on it. So if you did end up lost on a foggy moor, the watch would know where you were but you wouldn't!

wongataa

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717687#p19717687]Myster101[/url] wrote:

I always have a paper map with me when fell walking. What I'm wanting to do is use the 705 (or 800/810) while I'm out and about and hopefully not need the paper map which is in my rucksack. The maps aren't too bad but I'm wanting fell names and contours (which my 705 doesnt give). Maybe asking too much from what is really a cycling gps device?

As for telling you where other things are I can just scroll or use POI.

You can have fell names and contours with OSM based mapping data for the roads/paths/other features etc. You can get free talkytoaster maps of the UK with contours for Garmin devices. If you wish you can make your own maps with the features you want but there is a learning curve there.

Talkytoaster also provides maps that look more like OS maps for Garmin devices but you have to pay for those.

Myster101

Yea it's not the same but if I can get decent maps on my 705 then I'll have something that will not only let me know where I'm at and going to but all the rest of the data I'm after (I'm a data junkie :oops: ) like elevation, distance, time etc etc. My paper map will still be with me in case of emergencies but I'll be using the 705 for quick data checks and reference.

The battery life on my 705 is 15hrs so more than enough for me when walking (I live in the Lakes so it's always fully charged before I head out).

Laughing at your watch story, watch ok but you lost

Thanks Wongataa I'll have a look on talkytoaster and see if they're available for the 705.

tangled_metal

There's smaller walking GPS units than GPS64 units. Viewranger do walking GPS units that are smaller and more phone like. Even if do a 3g phone with mapping. Viewranger do bike mounts.

Satmap is possibly one of the best walking GPS units and can take OS maps plus bike mounts are.available for both the older Satmap 10 as well as the newer Satmap 12 unit.

TBH if you're walking with a ride either side then perhaps use a walking GPS. If only out for a ride use Garmin cycling device. If you're riding but find something diverts you into a walk then you're in a middle ground where nothing is going to be perfect, either walking GPS or suitable cycling GPS could work depending on your preferences.

I prefer paper maps though. Perhaps cycling GPS for cycling purpose and OS maps printed into waterproof paper, used in a bike map holder then take it for your walk.

StillGoing

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19717687#p19717687]Myster101[/url] wrote:

I always have a paper map with me when fell walking. What I'm wanting to do is use the 705 (or 800/810) while I'm out and about and hopefully not need the paper map which is in my rucksack. The maps aren't too bad but I'm wanting fell names and contours (which my 705 doesnt give). Maybe asking too much from what is really a cycling gps device?

As for telling you where other things are I can just scroll or use POI.

From a safety aspect always have the paper map on the body and not in a ruc-sac. If you have to ditch the ruc-sac because you become stuck in a peat bog or lose your footing crossing a fast flowing river and can't retrieve it, you've lost your ability to navigate.

Myster101

Hopefully got it sorted, downloaded a contour map from talkytoaster (thanks Wongataa). Will try it out soon and see how it goes.

Thanks for all the help/advice.