Garmin Edge Touring - "Tap to go back"

[Binkyboy]

"Tap to go back" on the screen of the Garmin Edge touring model.

What on earth does this mean and is supposed to do?
Anyone know?
It just sends mine into chaos.

[F70100]

I only have limited experience with this gps. I have seen this screen come up when "navigating" (i.e. following a planned route) after a missing a turning. I must admit, I don't usually tap as simply turning round and regaining the route gets things back up and running.

Hope this helps.

[Godlykepower]

I've just bought an Edge Touring, but only been on one test ride with it. I only went around town for 8 miles or so. My choice of the 3 suggested routes it gave me, tried sending me up a big hill, which I couldn't be bothered with, so I hit the "tap to go back" button, thinking it would just take me home, but it didn't, I think it is like a re-routing option if you don't like the road you are on...it will take you on another road that will match up with the original route you had planned.

I think, but am in no way certain.

[Mick F]

Not had a Touring, but had an Edge 305 and an Edge 705.
The units had a function to "go back to start".

Could it be that?
It was designed so you could get somewhere, then follow your track back home by the same route.

[bohrsatom]

On my edge 800 "tap to go back" appears when navigating a route/course. It removes the turn-by-turn navigation prompt from the display (the zoomed-in map with your turn highlighted) and returns to the previous screen.

[Binkyboy]

Many thanks, chaps.

By trial and error I have now deduced that the message only appears when approaching a turn on the map view and the screen zooms in automatically.
By tapping the screen when the message appears, the screen reverts back to the previous view. After a few moments it automatically zooms in again.

There is a "Go back to start" (or similar name) function that will take you back to the start of that particular ride, but that requires many key presses to find and select it.

Why on earth Garmin sell this product with such poor / non existence instructions I don't know. Yes, I have downloaded the "Help" files that it came with, but they are rather basic and certainly don't mention this subject.

Now I have to find out why it decided to switch itself off this morning, 20 miles into my ride but with 71% battery life left!

[RickH]

Now I have to find out why it decided to switch itself off this morning, 20 miles into my ride but with 71% battery life left!

My Edge 605 has turned itself off a few times - maybe 3 or 4 since 2008 so I'm not counting it as a big problem & on restarting it has been back showing the loaded course that I was following. I realised that it was being caused by pressing a button to change screen/zoom & then doing another action before it had completed the first, i.e. multiple zoom actions or trying to scroll through screens too fast. If I let it redraw then do the next action it is fine. Could it be like this with later models? Were you doing anything similar at the time?

Rick.

[Binkyboy]

Now I have to find out why it decided to switch itself off this morning, 20 miles into my ride but with 71% battery life left!

My Edge 605 has turned itself off a few times - maybe 3 or 4 since 2008 so I'm not counting it as a big problem & on restarting it has been back showing the loaded course that I was following. I realised that it was being caused by pressing a button to change screen/zoom & then doing another action before it had completed the first, i.e. multiple zoom actions or trying to scroll through screens too fast. If I let it redraw then do the next action it is fine. Could it be like this with later models? Were you doing anything similar at the time?

Rick.

No, I hadn't touched it for probably 20 mins as I had been chatting to a friend and I knew the route anyway. I am still trying to learn it and am only using on my own patch that I know like the back of my hand.
I tried all the buttons, but zilch. I had to turn it on again via the main on/off button. It had lost the couple of miles I had travelled in that time. I could tell that by the distances recorded on the "before" map and the "after" one.

I am aware it goes to sleep if stationary for a while, but other than the usual short traffic stops this had not been the case.

I can't say I'm that impressed at present. 5-6 out of 10 so far.

[MGate]

Had my first ride out with a Garmin 810 yesterday. Deliberately picked a route that I wasn't familiar with. Was trucking along thinking "if I'm watching the map all the time I can't see my HR speed, data, the weather, the temp, my avg spd..." and all those other essentials for a touring cyclist! Then the map changed and went to a fixed view of the next 'manoeuvre' with a countdown. At the bottom it said 'tap to go back'... mmm back to where? Turns out to be the previous screen.

So as an experiment I left the unit on a 'data only page' showing speed etc, then when I came up to another direction change the screen changed to the next manoeuvre screen with a map and arrow showing where to go and a countdown to the junction, and when I'm through the turn, returned to the original screen. Pretty useful.

The experiment was to blindly follow the route we planned and it work very well - much quicker than checking a map or phone or stopping at every junction...

[Binkyboy]

I had a problem with mine today, but think it was finger trouble.

I was following a pre-programmed route from my pc using a GPX file that I know is fine because others have used it.
All went well for 40mls until I ignored the "Turn Right" instruction and turned left instead. It's just another way around the block, so no problem really.
BUT the Garmin kept telling me to GO BACK all the way home (I knew the way) for the next 25mls.
Yet it always knew exactly where I was.

I know there is an option for "Off Course" warning and also one to "Automatically recalculate".
I assume mine must have been set to "Off Course" warning.
I now think it can't advise if you are "Off Route" and then automatically "Recalculate" at the same time - it has to be one or the other, and you need to set that before you start the ride.

I'll have to check with a ride around the local streets tomorrow when I recover from today's winds!

Why can't Garmin explain this in their on-line instructions?

[Binkyboy]

I had a problem with mine today, but think it was finger trouble.

I was following a pre-programmed route from my pc using a GPX file that I know is fine because others have used it.
All went well for 40mls until I ignored the "Turn Right" instruction and turned left instead. It's just another way around the block, so no problem really.
BUT the Garmin kept telling me to GO BACK all the way home (I knew the way) for the next 25mls.
Yet it always knew exactly where I was.

I know there is an option for "Off Course" warning and also one to "Automatically recalculate".
I assume mine must have been set to "Off Course" warning.
I now think it can't advise if you are "Off Route" and then automatically "Recalculate" at the same time - it has to be one or the other, and you need to set that before you start the ride.

I'll have to check with a ride around the local streets tomorrow when I recover from today's winds!

Why can't Garmin explain this in their on-line instructions?

I have now deduced that it can EITHER recalculate, OR advise "Off Course". It can't do both.
When setting the machine to follow a course, you get the option (by scrolling down on the options page) to automatically recalculate, OR to give "Off Course" warnings.

If you select the "Off Course" one, and go off course it will tell you that you are off course, then set about getting you back to the point where you left the route, not your final destination. If you do go back to the point where you left the route, it will then carry on following the route, unless you go off again, in which case the whole thing is repeated. I suppose this would be useful if you were following an Audax where there are hidden controls, and you MUST follow the correct route all the way round.

If you select the "Recalculate" option and you miss a turn, it will initially tell you to do a U Turn, then shortly after, recalculate a new route to your final destination from where you are at that point. I should think this is the most popular version.

The above only seems to apply when following a course. It doesn't give the choice if simply going to a destination. It will keep recalculating as you go along.

None of this is explained in the very poor instructions that come with the machine (but that you have to download anyway!)

STOP PRESS !!
I'm now not so sure about the "Off Course" bit, having just repeated the little test around my village. It certainly flagged up and "Off Course" message, but when I tapped the screen, it went on to recalculate!

Does anyone know of a site where it is all explained? Garmin seem to just want your money and then leave you to figure it out yourself!

[Binkyboy]

I had a problem with mine today, but think it was finger trouble.

I was following a pre-programmed route from my pc using a GPX file that I know is fine because others have used it.
All went well for 40mls until I ignored the "Turn Right" instruction and turned left instead. It's just another way around the block, so no problem really.
BUT the Garmin kept telling me to GO BACK all the way home (I knew the way) for the next 25mls.
Yet it always knew exactly where I was.

I know there is an option for "Off Course" warning and also one to "Automatically recalculate".
I assume mine must have been set to "Off Course" warning.
I now think it can't advise if you are "Off Route" and then automatically "Recalculate" at the same time - it has to be one or the other, and you need to set that before you start the ride.

I'll have to check with a ride around the local streets tomorrow when I recover from today's winds!

Why can't Garmin explain this in their on-line instructions?

I have now deduced that it can EITHER recalculate, OR advise "Off Course". It can't do both.
When setting the machine to follow a course, you get the option (by scrolling down on the options page) to automatically recalculate, OR to give "Off Course" warnings.

If you select the "Off Course" one, and go off course it will tell you that you are off course, then set about getting you back to the point where you left the route, not your final destination. If you do go back to the point where you left the route, it will then carry on following the route, unless you go off again, in which case the whole thing is repeated. I suppose this would be useful if you were following an Audax where there are hidden controls, and you MUST follow the correct route all the way round.

If you select the "Recalculate" option and you miss a turn, it will initially tell you to do a U Turn, then shortly after, recalculate a new route to your final destination from where you are at that point. I should think this is the most popular version.

The above only seems to apply when following a course. It doesn't give the choice if simply going to a destination. It will keep recalculating as you go along.

None of this is explained in the very poor instructions that come with the machine (but that you have to download anyway!)

STOP PRESS !!
I'm now not so sure about the "Off Course" bit, having just repeated the little test around my village. It certainly flagged up an "Off Course" message, but when I tapped the screen, it went on to recalculate!

Does anyone know of a site where it is all explained? Garmin seem to just want your money and then leave you to figure it out yourself!

From what I can now see, the "Off Course" option simply blanks the screen and displays "Off Course" at the bottom of the screen. Tap the screen and it comes back to live and will then recalculate to get you back on route, but not necessarily back to the point where you went off course (depends how close you are to that point).
So it simply says that you have gone off course, and carries on recalculating anyway. If you rejoin the original route it will tell you "Back on route" or similar wording.