Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Psamathe »

RevDonkBonkers wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 7:32pm .....
I think what you allude to about a GPS being bad at handling deviations from a route is something that I have thought about. Ideally I'd like to pre-plan a route but be able to deviate from it if needed, without the GPS trying to reroute me onto it. I do have a big list of places I'd want to see, which I will use to plan my route.
....
When I first got my Garmin its handling of your going off-route was "poor". However subsequent software updates have improved it a lot and it is now what I'd call good.

When I had my Wahoo it didn't handle route deviations as it had no on-device route calculation capability. Garmin can work out a route back from wherever you happen to be back to your planned route and give you turn by turn directions there and as you continue off-route so it works it out again and again as you cycle along.

Ian
RevDonkBonkers
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Joined: 4 May 2021, 9:14pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by RevDonkBonkers »

Jdsk wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 7:45pm I'm currently using (!) a Garmin Edge 1000. Very pleased with it, and the biggest single improvement would be a longer battery life. On long days I recharge it from the USB battery pack at lunchtime.

Then the Edge 1030 came out... with longer battery life.

But if I were buying now it would probably be an Edge Explore:
https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/p/611996

That site allows you to compare models side by side.

Jonathan
Thanks Jonathan, I've looked at the Garmin site before but never utilised the compare function until now and it is amazing! Using the comparison function the Edge Explore does look like a good choice, thanks for your advice re this and re using the hub to charge the USB battery pack.
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Psamathe »

RevDonkBonkers wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 7:32pm ....
Just re this - I have no idea how these devices work, but I am presuming I could plan out one big route before I leave and split it down into 'days', but if I got to the end of one 'day' and still felt good I could just start the route for the next 'day' if that makes sense?
....
It's your project so you do it how you want. For myself I'd want flexibility, not so "cast in stone", more "looks interesting, I'll go through there ...". Had I pre-loaded such a long trip in pre-arranged day segments I'd more likely just follow the plan as to stop part way, restart next day, do a bit, stop, restart ... why? It's not hard to create the routes as you go along, particularly if you have some outline overview (list of towns, maybe sections of cycle route, maybe routes to avoid (e.g. busy traffic - but e.g. cycle.travel includes avoiding busy roads in many countries incl. UK).

But it each to their own. My very flexible way is quite possible but might not suit everybody.

Ian
philvantwo
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Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by philvantwo »

Don't buy the edge explore, terrible battery life. Sent mine back to Garmin twice and paid the extra for the edge 830.
I have actually owned one so I know what I'm talking about, ignore these consistent link posters.
tatanab
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Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by tatanab »

Jdsk wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 7:45pmThen the Edge 1030 came out... with longer battery life.
I have a 1030, bought to replace an 800 that kept crashing. 1030 bigger screen is nice, but there are "features" I dearly would like to be able to turn off (not possible). Virtual partner is there, like it or not; also the display changes to show you how far you have climbed a current hill. Fortunately I do not tend to follow preset routes and just use it to find restaurants and shops when needed. On the rare occasion I follow a route, all I want is the mapping info, not all the ancillary stuff that gets in the way. My last tour was in 2019, and it has not been used since then; just kept charged and updated.
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Psamathe »

tatanab wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 9:12pmI have a 1030 ...Virtual partner is there, like it or not; also the display changes to show you how far you have climbed a current hill......
(Off-OP's topic)
On mine (also a 1030) I have the "virtual partner" thing but it does not seem to do anything except a pop-up after a few miles saying it's gone. Also I don't have the display changes on hill - I don't remember switching it off as I've never seen it so might be options hidden. I create my routes on cycle.travel and on device so might it relate to how you are creating your routes?

Ian
RevDonkBonkers
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Joined: 4 May 2021, 9:14pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by RevDonkBonkers »

Psamathe wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 8:27pm It's not hard to create the routes as you go along, particularly if you have some outline overview (list of towns, maybe sections of cycle route, maybe routes to avoid (e.g. busy traffic - but e.g. cycle.travel includes avoiding busy roads in many countries incl. UK).
So using these devices I could plan a route for the next day without having access to wifi or a laptop for instance? I am planning on trying to get away from all that as much as possible (which I know is is slightly ironic in light of the fact I am considering using a piece of technology to do the trip...).
LittleGreyCat
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Joined: 7 Aug 2013, 8:31pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by LittleGreyCat »

philvantwo wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 9:09pm Don't buy the edge explore, terrible battery life. Sent mine back to Garmin twice and paid the extra for the edge 830.
I have actually owned one so I know what I'm talking about, ignore these consistent link posters.
My Edge Explore now has a very poor battery life.

However I can connect a power bank to it during the ride and that seems to work fine.

Noting that I haven't ridden like this in heavy rain so I've no idea how waterproof it is.

Edit: I assume that you want to see a map display on your screen?
Some devices only give you turn directions, but the Edge systems should display a map like the car satnavs.
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Jdsk »

RevDonkBonkers wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 9:22pm
Psamathe wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 8:27pm It's not hard to create the routes as you go along, particularly if you have some outline overview (list of towns, maybe sections of cycle route, maybe routes to avoid (e.g. busy traffic - but e.g. cycle.travel includes avoiding busy roads in many countries incl. UK).
So using these devices I could plan a route for the next day without having access to wifi or a laptop for instance? I am planning on trying to get away from all that as much as possible (which I know is is slightly ironic in light of the fact I am considering using a piece of technology to do the trip...).
You can. Either by asking it to plan the whole thing from start to end or by adding waypoints.

But I find it much easier to do most of the work in advance on a computer with a big screen and then import the routes.

Or to find someone else's existing routes from a website and import those.

Jonathan
Psamathe
Posts: 17648
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Psamathe »

RevDonkBonkers wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 9:22pm
Psamathe wrote: 9 Jan 2022, 8:27pm It's not hard to create the routes as you go along, particularly if you have some outline overview (list of towns, maybe sections of cycle route, maybe routes to avoid (e.g. busy traffic - but e.g. cycle.travel includes avoiding busy roads in many countries incl. UK).
So using these devices I could plan a route for the next day without having access to wifi or a laptop for instance? I am planning on trying to get away from all that as much as possible (which I know is is slightly ironic in light of the fact I am considering using a piece of technology to do the trip...).
Not all GPS devices have this capability.

On my Garmin 1030 I did that every day for a month: 2 month tour, Wahoo turned out useless and I gave up on it after 1 month so I stopped in Belgium and purchased the 1030 and rest of tour every day tomorrow's course created on the device without using internet and without online connection.

BUT you'll have Wi-Fi most of the time and creating a course on cycle.travel (using anything with a web browser) is easy and it's easy to download to the Garmin. On device capability gives you flexibility in case of no Wi-Fi or short on battery power.

Or do a few days ahead (online or on-device).

Ian
Jamesh
Posts: 2963
Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Jamesh »

Just go to Romford and pick up an out of date AA atlas from the newsagents and keep the bits with blue on simple!! :roll: :roll: :roll:

Ps if you haven't read the book above this will mean nothing to you!

May have been another thread sorry!

viewtopic.php?t=149208
Mike_Ayling
Posts: 385
Joined: 25 Sep 2017, 3:02am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Mike_Ayling »

You will need a paid subscription for Ridewith GPS
This will enable you to plan your rides on your desktop or laptop.
Then you can run it on your smart phone.
I don't believe that it uses your phone data because your phone is just acting a a computer accessing sattelites.
Using the app just to record where you have been uses very little battery, not sure about battery using the full programme for navigation

Mike
philvantwo
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Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by philvantwo »

All you need is a free to use Garmin connect account.
Richard Fairhurst
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Joined: 2 Mar 2008, 4:57pm
Location: Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

There are as many opinions as posters on this, but personally I'd go for a Garmin 520 Plus or 530 as the can't-go-far-wrong-with-that solution:
  • Affordable
  • Easy Bluetooth transfer from your routing site of choice (via phone)
  • Good battery life (I have an Edge Touring - the predecessor of the Explore - and a 520, and the Touring battery is terrible)
  • Enough memory for a decent basemap (which the original 520 doesn't)
  • Bounces if you drop it
If you later decide to go for something more expensive like a 1030 or a Wahoo then great, but the 520 Plus and 530 are the ideal starter models and I suspect for most people will be enough.
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
rareposter
Posts: 1987
Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 2:40pm

Re: Best bike GPS system for pre-planned tour around UK

Post by rareposter »

The best resource on the net for independent reviews is DC Rainmaker:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/

He's an industry-known technical tester.

There's been a few threads on this over the years - here's a summary I wrote on a similar question in late 2020.

I don't recognise the comments about Edge Explore battery life - mine will happily do 10hr days on full nav mode and have 30% left at the end. My older Touring was bad towards the end of it's life though so it's possibly an age of unit thing, battery deterioration.
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