Which Bike Computer?

baffled_pete
baffled_pete Posts: 13
in Road general
Planning a 5 day trip so need a decent sized screen that clearly shows directions/map etc and easy to use. Not interested in speed, cadence etc as too old for that now. Garmin seem to be best known but see there's Hammerhead and Wahoo as well. Any recommendations?

Comments

  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,500
    edited January 2022
    Do you have a smart phone?
    If it's just for one trip of 5 days then it may be worth looking at a good phone mount and use that?
  • brosondav82
    brosondav82 Posts: 3
    I don't actually like Garmin software. In order to get a normal route for a road bike on my Oregon 450, I need to turn on the car profile, disable toll roads and highways - and only then everything works correctly. I only found out after six years of operation, just when I had to deviate from the intended route.
    About reliability/fragility. Serious, protected navigator. Repeatedly fell on asphalt without consequences. But once, I classically slipped on wet cobblestones and fell sideways. I didn't have serious consequences, but the touchscreen was broken on the navigator. How - I have no idea, the navigator was fixed on the stem, didn't fall out of the mount, and, as far as I understand, didn't touch the stones at all ..
    Well, there was a phone, I was able to get to the point.
    Therefore, don't mix everything. The usual simple bike computer for speed-distance, a navigator for hiking, a phone for alternative maps and the Internet.
    Or, alternatively, a separate phone for use as a navigator.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,935
    brosondav82 said:

    I don't actually like Garmin software. In order to get a normal route for a road bike on my Oregon 450, I need to turn on the car profile, disable toll roads and highways - and only then everything works correctly. I only found out after six years of operation, just when I had to deviate from the intended route.
    About reliability/fragility. Serious, protected navigator. Repeatedly fell on asphalt without consequences. But once, I classically slipped on wet cobblestones and fell sideways. I didn't have serious consequences, but the touchscreen was broken on the navigator. How - I have no idea, the navigator was fixed on the stem, didn't fall out of the mount, and, as far as I understand, didn't touch the stones at all ..
    Well, there was a phone, I was able to get to the point.
    Therefore, don't mix everything. The usual simple bike computer for speed-distance, a navigator for hiking, a phone for alternative maps and the Internet.
    Or, alternatively, a separate phone for use as a navigator.

    Well the Oregon isn't / wasn't a bike computer.

    Garmin 530 and 830 have good reputations generally.
    I've had an 830 for a few years now and it is excellent.

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,272
    530 is excellent and the battery lasts between 30 and 50 hours of use, depending on settings... which should be enough for a 5 day cycling trip. Best to break the GPX files down day by day, to avoid having one massive file that takes ages to load on the Garmin.
    left the forum March 2023
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,423
    I have numerous friends that skipped ship from Garmin to Wahoo a few years back. I see them a lot on Strava with partly recorded rides, 'helicopter' segments, or reports of rides didn't record at all. I've had Garmins 500, 520, 820 with few issues. (I'd go for a 530 if I was to buy another today - touch screen 800 series is a pain with winter gloves)


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    I got a 530 for Xmas, and it's really nice. Does mapping, rerouting, somehow gets a breathing rate from the HRM, and the battery does last really long.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,805
    The 530 is the sweet spot in the Garmin line up IMO.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • ibr17xvii
    ibr17xvii Posts: 1,065
    Wahoo Bolt is excellent in every regard apart from the mapping which I find is pretty woeful TBH.
  • cheese_toastie
    cheese_toastie Posts: 35
    I have been using a Garmin Edge 830 since 2019 and it does work exceptionally well, battery life is great, the GPS tracking is excellent on 1 sec recording, loading and following routes from Garmin Connect or Komoot is simple enough and never loses connection to my heart rate monitor.
    I would definately recommend, the only down sides being the screen is smaller than the 1030 but still quite easy to read and the touchscreen isn't good with some gloves, okay though if not wearing gloves.
  • molteni_man
    molteni_man Posts: 444
    I’ve had a Garmin 530 for about 8 months now. Really pleased with it. Great battery life, reliable and the mapping is fine too. I’ve always been a Garmin user, but they have really got it right with this model.
  • navrig2
    navrig2 Posts: 1,844
    singleton said:

    Do you have a smart phone?
    If it's just for one trip of 5 days then it may be worth looking at a good phone mount and use that?

    Don't do this.

    The biggest drain on a phone battery is the screen and GPS both of which you will use on the bike.

    Most smart phones cost more than a bike computer.

    Most smart phones are more fragile than bike computers.

    In bright daylight (not even sunshine) a smart phone screen is difficult to see and read, especially when riding a bike so it becomes a distraction and hazard.
  • pete1336
    pete1336 Posts: 86
    I've got an edge 830 and am generally pleased with it. Biggest downside to me for this unit is it's navigation rerouting function when you go off course. It's pants!
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    pete1336 said:

    I've got an edge 830 and am generally pleased with it. Biggest downside to me for this unit is it's navigation rerouting function when you go off course. It's pants!

    It is best to turn off route recalculation with Garmin units unless you have the 1030 plus which has recalculation that works as people expect.

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