Please convince me to buy the Garmin Edge touring GPS

bainbridge · Post by **bainbridge** » 28 Jan 2015, 9:04pm

In April we're cycling from Bristol across to Harwich, then down from Amsterdam onto the Rhine and probably as far as Bonn, then back.

It's £160 in Halfords with the out front mount and case, money buring a hole in my pocket and I needs that nudge to justify the outlay.

Please help!

Steveo2020 · Post by **Steveo2020** » 28 Jan 2015, 9:18pm

With the following caveats:

1. I haven't used that particular model (I have an Etrex)

2. It might not come with maps at that price. There are good ones available for free / small donations so that isn't a problem but it is a bit of a hassle an requires a degree of techiness

I would advise not hesitating for a second! Compared to riding with paper maps, I find following a track on the GPS an absolute joy. On that kind of trip it will be great and makes laney routes, which might otherwise be a nuisance, a breeze.

Cheers

tatanab · Post by **tatanab** » 28 Jan 2015, 9:34pm

It depends on how you want to tour. If you want to follow a track/route that you've determined before you go or perhaps the night before, then do it. If on the other hand you open the map and decide almost on the fly just which road you want to use (assuming the same destination) then it will be of limited use because you will still need maps to give you the big picture that you cannot see on the screen. It might allow you to use larger scale maps and then use the screen to fill in the detail. I have an Edge 800 which I use just for the times I get a bit disorientated and want the detail of where I am or where a particular feature is. The rest of the time I prefer maps.

It's a tool and it is up to you how you use it.

bainbridge · Post by **bainbridge** » 28 Jan 2015, 10:12pm

Thanks for your input, looks like I'll be taking the plunge!

Used an Android phone on a handlebar mount on the last tour and the battery ran out very quickly, plus the phone rattled about.

The Halfords deal looks like the best around at the moment.

RonK · Post by **RonK** » 29 Jan 2015, 3:07am

Poor choice. Search the forums and you'll discover the Edge Touring is lousy at navigation.

bainbridge · Post by **bainbridge** » 29 Jan 2015, 6:42am

RonK wrote:Poor choice. Search the forums and you'll discover the Edge Touring is lousy at navigation.

I've read mixed reviews and from what I infer the most derogatory ones are from people who don't appear to know the ins and out of how to use it.

Most people who advise it takes a while to get to grips with are very happy with it.

Navigation is exactly why I intend to buy it, care to advise what is bad about it?

Can you recommend an alternative?

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 29 Jan 2015, 7:34am

Have a search of the forum. There are a few threads on other forums as well. The Touring does navigate, but it'll only suit you if you're not fussy about which way it's navigating you, how easily you can read the map, whether you have alternative routes displayed, and so on.

I had one but it didn't suit me at all, so I bought the 800. Personally I would rather navigate with the 500 than the Touring (in fact I've navigated pretty well with even a 200) simply because the route you give it is the route it'll take you on. I didn't find that to be the case with the Touring, and it doesn't offer any way of seeing what you did plan. None of the Garmins are faultless when it comes to giving you turn directions from a pre-planned route, but the problem with the Touring is that it removes all of the other features that you can use to know when it's sending you somewhere you didn't want to go.

If, like me, you're the type to meticulously plan a route online and then follow it, I'd look at the other models. If you're the type who just wants to be guided from A to B it's probably rather better.

robgul · Post by **robgul** » 29 Jan 2015, 7:42am

Go for it - BUT have a look at Go Outdoors and see if they are still offering a bundled deal with the whole of the UK 1-50 000 OS map - that's what I bought ... can't remember the actual price but the mapping (on a micro SD card) worked out as being about a third of the normal cost.

We're off on a trip along the Moselle and Rhine in June ... I found some really useful maps that were a free download - haven't got the details to hand but if you PM I'll get back to you.

Oh, and Tweeks sell a handlebar mount for about 8 quid post free.

Rob

Post by **Mick F** » 29 Jan 2015, 7:57am

Try not to let a Garmin do any navigating for you.
Instead, construct your own route where YOU want to go by using any of the online mapping sites.
I like BikeHikeUk.

robgul · Post by **robgul** » 29 Jan 2015, 8:34am

Mick F wrote:Try not to let a Garmin do any navigating for you.
Instead, construct your own route where YOU want to go by using any of the online mapping sites.
I like BikeHikeUk.

I meant to say that in my post .... letting Mr Garmin direct you is seldom what you want .... create your own routes as Mick suggests and upload them to the gadget AND then make sure that you have the "tell me if I'm going wrong" feature switched off too!

Rob

honesty · Post by **honesty** » 29 Jan 2015, 9:05am

these devices are extremely good when following a route you have dictated in the past. Letting it do the navigation can lead to you being on busy roads you may not want to because of the algorithms used and the maps installed. Its worth downloading a route-able version of the OCM for example http://www.openfietsmap.nl/ which you can stick on a micro SD card. Finally its an internal battery which is USB charged, so just make sure you have a way of charging it up each night!

MGate · Post by **MGate** » 29 Jan 2015, 11:57am

Plus one for open street maps - don't wast your money on the OS version. Download onto micro SD and it works fine. Plenty of instructions on line.

As other posters have said - much better when you pre plan your route such websites as 'ride with GPS' and then put it onto the unit. However It will route based on your preferences so you can tell the unit to avoid main roads, ferrys etc... Its important to realise that there is more than one way of doing things - pre planning and importing the route onto the unit, or just asking the unit to go from A to B with it doing the routing, or just using it as a moving map. Pre planning works well as your average speed goes up not having to check maps every time you come to a junction - just follow the clear instructions that come up as you near the turn. Plus you can tell when the hills are coming up as it will show the elevation profile!

I wouldn't buy one and just set off though. Live with it a bit and get to know how to use it. Sort some training runs on roads you don't normally use so you start to learn its ins and outs. Seems pretty cheap from Halfords. I got mine from there too - really good service (I did try to buy it from a local bike shop). I got the edge 810, its been great.

Bonefishblues · Post by **Bonefishblues** » 29 Jan 2015, 12:21pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBSxAAJ_2SI

HTH

stewartpratt · Post by **stewartpratt** » 29 Jan 2015, 12:36pm

The Touring comes with OSM maps preloaded onto an SD card. No need to download.

RickH · Post by **RickH** » 29 Jan 2015, 1:51pm

Can the Edge Touring models navigate you along a route the you have entirely pre-planned (even if it is simply following a line on the map rather than turn directions)? I got the impression, from what others have written, that it would do at least some re-calculation.

With my old 605, I save pre-planned routes as "courses" & just get a pink line on the map that I follow (or not). I did actually use the navigation recently! Admittedly it was only about a mile & a half, but I wanted to get to the nearest train station on unfamiliar territory (to get back to the station where the car was parked). That worked OK.

Rick.

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