Search found 1148 matches

by Bez
8 Jun 2019, 11:17pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question
Replies: 15
Views: 4126

Re: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question

OK, just tested it.

Created a route starting a few miles to the north of here and ending a few miles to the south, passing the end of my road. Downloaded the route and waited for a GPS fix, then started the route. At this point it asked me whether to navigate to the start of the route; I declined. It calculated its directions, then popped up the "off course" notification. Then I set off down the road, towards the route. When I got to the end of the road I got the "course found" notification, then when I tuned out of the road and onto the course I got the correct next turn at the top of the screen, just as it would be had I arrived at the same location having ridden the first half of the route.

So… all good on that front.

The caveat, of course, is that I currently have an Explore and not a Touring, but: (a) I'm pretty sure the Touring and all other Garmins I've had before have all behaved this way, and (b) I don't think Garmin's navigation has changed much since I started using it nearly 20 years ago, so while it's possible they behave differently, I think it's vanishingly unlikely.

Are you on the latest firmware? A factory reset and a firmware upgrade/reinstall might help it behave better (although it's less likely it'll fix the battery life issue… that might just be a tired battery).
by Bez
8 Jun 2019, 8:59pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question
Replies: 15
Views: 4126

Re: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question

I think when they say “Please be advised that there is no way to start a course half way through” there may be a bit of confusion.

You can’t get it to calculate the navigation from the halfway point as such; it will always think you want to start at the beginning and will calculate a route accordingly.

However, I don’t think that means it won’t do what you want. When it has a GPS lock and the route, it will figure out you’re not at the start and will ask whether you want to navigate to the start. Say no. Then when you actually join the route I’m fairly certain it will figure out where you are and pick up the turn directions from there.

If I get a chance I’ll do a test to make sure :)
by Bez
7 Jun 2019, 3:19pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question
Replies: 15
Views: 4126

Re: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question

It sounds very much as if you have a duff copy of the Touring. Among other Garmins I've had a Touring, a Touring Plus and an 800 (all essentially the same thing) and haven't had the problems you've had with any of them. I used to consistently get at least 9 hours if I was using the map screen all the time and around 11 hours if I was on the data screens (using TBT navigation in both cases, with the map popups for junctions). In fact the only problem I ever had, as far as I recall, was that one of the Tourings once forgot all its settings and I had to reconfigure it. Other than that I found the Touring to be a very trustworthy piece of kit.

I used the Bolt (to all intents and purposes identical to the Elemnt, which I also tried a year later, but had issues with the accompanying iPhone app to the extent where it was literally unusable) some time ago and found that whilst some things were very well executed, for me the navigation wasn't a patch on Garmin's implementation. My experience and subjective opinion, for what it's worth, is here:

https://mashing53.cyclyc.com/wahoo-navi ... or-failed/

Some of its shortcomings are—to a greater or lesser extent—addressed by the Roam (eg it has the ability to point you back to your course when you deviate) but not all. I kept my Touring, and later upgraded to the Explore, which is an excellent unit, markedly better than previous Garmins in many areas. Since then I've tried the 530 and realised how much easier life is with the touchscreen instead of buttons (note that the Explore's touchscreen is light years ahead of the Tourings, and the usability of Wahoo's button interface is generally significantly better than Garmin's… also I found the Bolt's buttons more responsive and easier to press than the Elemnt's).

If budget is a major issue then I would perhaps consider a secondhand Touring to replace your own… chances are for about £80 minus whatever you can sell yours for you'll be able to double your battery life and probably rid yourselves of the other bugs, and at worst you could just resell it for the same. But I realise that probably doesn't seem an appealing option when you happen to have a lemon :)
by Bez
7 Jun 2019, 10:48am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question
Replies: 15
Views: 4126

Re: Wahoo Elemnt - simple question

I believe so, but I've not used a Wahoo for a while so can't check for sure. But the main reason for my comment is that I'm fairly confident that this also works fine on Garmin devices. (I also use RWGPS, and used the Touring/800 for a long time; FWIW I'm now on the Explore, which suits me very well.) In what way do you find it fails?

Note that TBT guidance is handled very differently by the Elemnt/Bolt and the Touring (or other map-enabled Garmins). The Elemnt just uses course points, which need to be pre-populated by RWGPS (there is an option where you can turn this on or off) and the map data is purely visual—the navigation is actually breadcrumb navigation, it just looks like proper TBT; the Touring generates its own directions from routable map data.

If you're interested in Wahoo and want navigation, I'd suggest the Roam as a better option than the Elemnt or Bolt.
by Bez
4 Jun 2019, 7:24am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Mobile Plan- Europe? Need assistance!!
Replies: 3
Views: 304

Re: Mobile Plan- Europe? Need assistance!!

Can you get someone to post a UK Sim out to you? It’ll work in all those countries for no extra cost. At least, as far as I know most or all do: I use Giffgaff, who list all those countries.

https://www.giffgaff.com/roaming-charges
by Bez
3 Jun 2019, 10:31am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Train Portsmouth (ex Ferry) To London With Bike
Replies: 7
Views: 999

Re: Train Portsmouth (ex Ferry) To London With Bike

Two types of train on that line. One has 5-car units, of which cars 2 and 3 (or 3 and 4) have 3x dedicated bike stands. The other has 4-car units, of which car 2 (or 3) has an area with foldable seats which is designated for two bikes (but takes more).

If you get on at Portsmouth Harbour you're first on, so you shouldn't have a problem either way. And if you're travelling all the way to Waterloo you don't need to worry about peak times either: it's only boarding and alighting with a bicycle between Guildford and Waterloo that is disallowed (but even then, normally tolerated).

I wouldn't bother with Clapham, it restricts your choice of trains considerably.
by Bez
24 May 2019, 2:42pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Route suggestions - Northern France
Replies: 23
Views: 2409

Re: Route suggestions - Northern France

Why take the car? There’s good riding to be had near most of the ports—and bikes normally roll off first on arrival, plus it’s cheaper and (IMO) less hassle. Where are you sailing from?

Edit: Just noticed you mention the tunnel; I guess that implies Dover/Folkestone… I tend to only think about the western ports. Not sure what there is round Calais :)
by Bez
13 May 2019, 11:17pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Which Garmin model?
Replies: 25
Views: 1736

Re: Which Garmin model?

thelawnet wrote:Well because the Edge Touring is only £185, and appears to be further up the range. Also with Garmins starting around £100, anything more than £200 (which I'm sure it will be soon) seems excessive.


As noted above, that's the Edge Explore, not the Touring. RRP £220 last time I looked, though available for less. (10% off is commonly available: I paid £198 for my Explore and I've just paid £234 for a 530.)

The Explore and the 530 are quite different. For example:
- the 530 supports profiles
- the 530 has far greater support for sensors and training data
- the 530 has much longer battery life
- the Explore has a (superb) touchscreen while the 530 has buttons

The support for training data means the 530 covers a market that the Explore pretty much can't, and while there are plenty of people (like me) who don't care a jot for training data, it's undeniably a sizeable feature set which isn't on the Explore. Personally, the compelling difference is the battery life: £40 to double it, and to get it into a range where it'll cover a properly big day out with no external power is good value. YMMV.

Also as noted, £100 Garmins (or similar) are quite different beasts. You can get a bike for £100, but you wouldn't call a £200 bike excessive ;)
by Bez
12 May 2019, 12:17am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Which Garmin model?
Replies: 25
Views: 1736

Re: Which Garmin model?

Not sure how £260 is "ludicrous" for the 530. (I've got one on order, admittedly with 10% off via DC Rainmaker; it seemed pretty good value all things considered. The big selling point for me is the supposed battery life, which if you're riding across Canada may be important.) To me it seems more ludicrous to pay another £90 just to have a touchscreen instead of buttons and the ability to look up a street address or a POI.

To be honest the modern ones (with the exception of the 130, depending on your requirements) will all do navigation fine. The Touring (or 800, virtually the same device) mentioned above is fine, they're cheap if you can find them secondhand and they're relatively reliable, though the resistive touchscreen isn't amazing, visibility in bright sun is poor, and you'll be lucky to get 10 hours out of it.

I wouldn't—er—touch the earlier capacitive touchscreen models (eg the 820) but the touchscreen on the Touring is excellent: works with thick gloves and in the rain. I think the 1030 uses the same screen and expect the 830 is just as good. The Touring again only manages 10 hours; or 14 in battery saver mode, which is in principle fine but seems a little buggy in practice.

The eTrex models are also viable for bike use. A bit bulkier, but some prefer the AA batteries.

The Wahoos are quite different beasts. The Elemnt/Bolt don't have true turn-by-turn navigation or mapping (they rely on cue points in the downloaded file, and the map is purely a visual underlay), and while the Roam does, my reading of the reviews so far is that it's very idiosyncratically implemented, and will work better or worse depending on where you plan your routes. Also the Wahoo navigation has some quirks and limitations that I personally struggle to live with, but not everyone sees navigation the same way.

If you're intending to use the device to plan routes for you then I'd say they fall into three categories: Garmins with "popularity routing" (more likely to take you on routes which are more frequently cycled on by Garmin users), Garmins without, and the Wahoo Roam. (To be fair there's also the Sigma Rox 12.0 and the Hammerhead Karoo, but they're pretty niche options.) I'd see those as being in descending order of the level of faith I'd have in them, but I'd be cautious at best about any of their ideas of a great cycling route.

I'd like to know what phones are getting 24 hour battery life while navigating… I've managed something close to that before by jumping through a lot of hoops, but assuming we're talking about properly navigating as well as recording a ride with reasonable accuracy, I've not used a phone that would get even close to that.
by Bez
12 Apr 2019, 5:34pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Visiting Mont St Michel…?
Replies: 4
Views: 676

Re: Visiting Mont St Michel…?

I‘ll be sure to remind my 9 year old boy of that, he’ll be thrilled ;)
by Bez
11 Apr 2019, 7:00pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Visiting Mont St Michel…?
Replies: 4
Views: 676

Re: Visiting Mont St Michel…?

Circumstances dictate we’ll be there midday in the school holidays, I’m expecting a degree of misery ;)
by Bez
11 Apr 2019, 3:33pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Visiting Mont St Michel…?
Replies: 4
Views: 676

Visiting Mont St Michel…?

Planning on taking my 9yo son on a mini tour next month. We'll be going past Mont St Michel on our first day so we might as well have a mooch round it. I've been past it a few times in recent years but haven't been on the Mont itself since 2005, since when things have changed quite a bit. I'm aware there's a silly ban on bikes in May (last time we just locked up at the foot of the hill).

We'll be on the tandem with luggage so I'd quite like to leave it all somewhere fairly secure while we wander round. Looks like the only official option is to lock it to a metal hoop on the mainland, which isn't so bad, but while there are apparently baggage lockers it seems they've been closed down due to terrorism paranoia. Because everyone knows that if terrorists can't rent a convenient lockable box they'll not bother blowing stuff up. Anyway… I'd prefer not to leave the bags unattended but (other than a small one with the valuables in) I ain't lugging them around either.

I'm thinking maybe I'll try persuading one of the local restaurants to let me park it if I buy lunch, but has anyone else visited recently and found any more reliable measures? (Other than avoiding the place completely, of course.)
by Bez
2 Apr 2019, 12:53pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: 2.4W dynamo hubs
Replies: 72
Views: 3574

Re: 2.4W dynamo hubs

Ah yes. Doh! Thanks.
by Bez
2 Apr 2019, 12:36pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: 2.4W dynamo hubs
Replies: 72
Views: 3574

2.4W dynamo hubs

I realise that on the face of it this question has an obvious answer (which probably already appears on the forum, but the search function is no help here), but…

Will a 2.4W hub adequately power both front and rear LED lights?

I ask because these hubs (eg the 2N35) seem to be available at much lower prices than the 3W hubs I've always bought in the past.

Additional details for context: it'll probably be used with a Cyo Premium and some sort of Topline rear, on a touring tandem (so the additional drag and weight of an entry-level hub isn't really concern, but output at very low speeds when climbing perhaps is).

If not, no biggie… might just take the battery route anyway, given that it'll only see occasional use and the front wheel already has a perfectly good conventional hub in it.
by Bez
12 Feb 2019, 11:31am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Simple Question: Is anyone else fed up with having to be PC ?
Replies: 188
Views: 9379

Re: Simple Question: Is anyone else fed up with having to be PC ?

roubaixtuesday wrote:On Health and Safety, since the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974...


Playing devil's advocate, that graph doesn't actually tell you much without seeing the previous years. Take road casualty data as an analogy: if you showed the casualty rate starting with the point when seatbelts became a legal requirement, you'd see a nice downward trend. But actually the seatbelt laws caused a step change upwards in casualties, and the downward trend was already established. I suspect the HSWA wouldn't suffer quite so much from the Peltzman Effect, but nonetheless: data can be hugely misleading without context.

kwackers wrote:If it results in PC fatigue then it is a huge problem. When words rather than intent become the issue then all it does is alienate people and make them think "PC brigade".


But we need to separate two things. One is the setting out of guidance (or stronger) by some entity—an employer, the law, or whatever—to influence or control how we interact with others; and the other is an individual's reaction to how you interact with them. The anecdote in this case is the latter, and when a single specific person is upset by a single specific thing you say, it's totally inappropriate to think this is "The PC Brigade" at work; it's an opportunity to seek an explanation as to how you've upset them, and to fold that into your interactions with others in future.

For sure, there are times when you feel like however you phrase something you might cause offence. And that's how it is. Everyone is an individual, and there is no single Universally Approved Dictionary which every single human being signs up to and agrees to find entirely benign. These are nuanced matters with no single answer; something which those who see the world in (dare I say it) black and white struggle to grasp.

Fundamentally, like much of life it all relies on Rule Number One, "don't be a dick"—whether that's by stubbornly using abrasive language with no care for others' reaction, or being offended and then refusing to help genuinely interested people understand why.