Cycling UK Forum

Hey all. I currently have and use one of the Garmin Edge cycling units. It's a great bit of kit and gets lots of use.

Just wondering people's thoughts on them, do they take the fun out of exploring and "getting lost". Although still quite easy to get lost when following any sat nav!

I find that they actually encourage me to go to new places and get lost, especially in town. If sticking to paper maps and route sheets I would just take main, direct routes due to the faff of messing about with the maps, but with a GPS I am happy going all round the houses and discovering new routes.

Bought an Edge Touring in February. Use it on group rides so I can later trace exactly where we went. As a ride leader it saves having to stop to read the map in unfamiliar territory, having previously loaded the route.

Si wrote:I find that they actually encourage me to go to new places and get lost.

Do you use the Garmin maps or the openstreet map ones?

moultoneer wrote:Bought an Edge Touring in February. Use it on group rides so I can later trace exactly where we went.

It is perfect for seeing where you've been.

Do you use the Garmin maps or the openstreet map ones?

OS I believe.....I got it second hand and use whatever the previous owner put on it.

Si wrote:

Do you use the Garmin maps or the openstreet map ones?

OS I believe.....I got it second hand and use whatever the previous owner put on it.

If this is the Etrex 20 you bought from me then it has OSM.

tatanab wrote:

Si wrote:

Do you use the Garmin maps or the openstreet map ones?

OS I believe.....I got it second hand and use whatever the previous owner put on it.

If this is the Etrex 20 you bought from me then it has OSM.

Have had mine for a while and provisionally came with Garmin maps but have since updated to the OSM ones, which seem pretty good.

I got one this year. Great for seeing where you've been but I'm still struggling with some features.

1. You have to remember to turn it on! (My old cateye had a motion sensor to start it up). It's ok when you set out from home but I have twice lost data by forgetting after a meal break.

2. I tried to follow a route that I had put in. It was a circular route and it started trying to send me home after only a few miles.

3. The altimeter bewilders me. I keep setting it correctly but most of my ride data is below sea level. Need a snorkel.

I assume most of this is fixable in the settings, but I cannot find a simple practical guide to them.

It is great, but it should be easier to use.

pneumatic wrote:I got one this year. Great for seeing where you've been but I'm still struggling with some features.

1. You have to remember to turn it on! (My old cateye had a motion sensor to start it up). It's ok when you set out from home but I have twice lost data by forgetting after a meal break.

2. I tried to follow a route that I had put in. It was a circular route and it started trying to send me home after only a few miles.

3. The altimeter bewilders me. I keep setting it correctly but most of my ride data is below sea level. Need a snorkel.

I assume most of this is fixable in the settings, but I cannot find a simple practical guide to them.

It is great, but it should be easier to use.

1: Totally agree, it's soo annoying when your on a decent ride and realise you forget to hit start after you stopped. Have got another thread going about joining rides together!!

2: I normally have issues with it telling me I'm not on the route when I'm on the road it wants me to be!!

3: Have also had this problem with the altimeter. I think I reset mine and then it seemed a lot more stable. I also find if I turn it on a few minutes before riding, it "settles" down to the correct level. (Or what I perceive to be the correct level!!).

Not sure if the newer versions are easier to use, haven't had the chance to have a look at one!

I have the Edge with the OS Maps and a course is very hard to read as its colour is close to that of the A Roads,

2. I tried to follow a route that I had put in. It was a circular route and it started trying to send me home after only a few miles.

this is something I've read about - it tries to send you to the nearest point rather than the next or some such....caused me a fair bit of confusion first time I used it. I now use tracks rather than routes and that works fine. Alternately break your circular route into two: outward and return.

Good advice Si.
I use GPX tracks and hardly ever let my Garmin do any navigation by itself.

Create a track on BikeHike.co.uk and transfer it to your unit. That way, you get a pink line to follow, all the route info and distances and elevations, but no turn-by-turn directions. TBH, the constant navigation messages about turns drives me bonkers, and it's not that good either, so the pink line is perfect for me.

Someone once said, "Never trust anything that can think for itself."

Much more can be read about Garmin GPS units on YACF.

Mick F wrote:Good advice Si.
I use GPX tracks and hardly ever let my Garmin do any navigation by itself.

Create a track on BikeHike.co.uk and transfer it to your unit. That way, you get a pink line to follow, all the route info and distances and elevations, but no turn-by-turn directions. TBH, the constant navigation messages about turns drives me bonkers, and it's not that good either, so the pink line is perfect for me.

Someone once said, "Never trust anything that can think for itself."

Oh, mine did proper navigation round a GPX, don't onow of anything special gpsies does though...

Oops, sorry. Not clear enough.

My Edge 305 and my Edge 705 needed TCX files to create a line to follow. 305 produced a dotted line on the screen - it had no mapping capability. 705 had full mapping and produced a pink line on the map.

My Montana - full mapping on a huge screen - doesn't recognise TCX but only GPX to get the same effect. If I use GPX Route it recalculates and give turn-by-turn directions and not necessarily following what I've created. By using GPX Track, I get a pink line.

GPX Track is my preferred format for my Montana, and TCX for the 305 and 705.