Cycling UK Forum

Hi all,

Im planning a LEJOG trip in June with friends, having looked into the route we wondered if there is a sat nav which can be used on a bike where you key in your chosen route beforehand and it can direct you easily whilst you're pedalling away (taking away the hassel of a big map)? Does this (or similar) exist or can anyone offer advice as to the best way to navigate en route?

Basically

GPS

and

Maps

& Plenty more info on this forum

Agree.
It possibly depends on what you want it for. Just for navigation, I believe eTrex is great.
If you want more, like a fitness device as well, the Edge 705 will do it too.

does the e-trex actually know about the roads? My 305 doesn't so I have to use another web site (e.g. www.bikehike.co.uk) etc and upload it as a 'course'.
This works OK but is just a crumb trail - if you get lost or want to do a different way it can't re-route.
I have done 75 mile reliability rides like this and it's OK - not sure about leJog - would require a lot of preparation.

The 705 however is a full Sat Nav, but then you need to work out how to follow specific roads and not take the shortest/ quickest main road.

And always have a map - they are great if your battery fails or your GPS falls of it's mount on a fast descent and breaks (like my mates one did)

Be sure to get City Navigator on DVD so you can install it on your PC. Plan your route using City Navigator / Map Source on the PC and upload it to Garmin 605/705. The Garmin will then give turn by turn directions at each junction on your route.

Easy to do in advance and works brilliantly.

Routing on the fly is a bit more variable but if you set the routing option to Bicycle (or Car and Avoid Highways) and set destinations not more than 30 miles away it can work OK.

The Garmin eTrex Legend HCx is what I use, in combination with the City Navigator map for the UK. The unit costs about £140, plus the map. Plan your route online, then download the .gpx file to your PC for uploading on to the GPS. Then you just follow the purple wiggly line on the map on the GPS screen. You might need to break the route down into one route per day - or something - I'm not quite sure for a multi day tour.

patricktaylor wrote: Plan your route online, then download the .gpx file to your PC for uploading on to the GPS. Then you just follow the purple wiggly line on the map on the GPS screen.

Why not use Mapsource (Garmin's PC software) to plan your route? - it doesn't have the world's greatest user interface, but it's very quick to plan a route and you still have to use it to upload to the GPS anyway.

If you prefer Autoroute, then there is a good utility (ITNConconvert) to convert from .axe to .gdb files, but I tend to use Mapsource most of the time.

My (old) Legend has a maximum of 50 points per route, which is OK for routes up to 100km or so, longer routes need to be broken up into stages.

philg wrote:

patricktaylor wrote: Plan your route online, then download the .gpx file to your PC for uploading on to the GPS. Then you just follow the purple wiggly line on the map on the GPS screen.

Why not use Mapsource (Garmin's PC software) to plan your route? ...

My MapSource map is too basic for route planning and I don't know what I can do about that, other than buy another City Navigator on CD (I haven't checked whether the CD version can be installed in MapSource).

My MapSource map is too basic for route planning and I don't know what I can do about that, other than buy another City Navigator on CD (I haven't checked whether the CD version can be installed in MapSource).

Ah - you must have the version on SD card then?

Loading CN from CD/DVD is straightforward, and Mapsource will pick it up automatically - try Mr Google?

PS - Have you tried loading the maps back from the GPS to Mapsource - it's an option, though I've never tried it.

philg wrote:... Have you tried loading the maps back from the GPS to Mapsource - it's an option, though I've never tried it.

Yes I have. It didn't work. I think it threw up a 'locked' message or something similar.

i'll second the vista hcx.It does everything that you could want as a tourist. I have garmin city select mapping on the pc. it's better to get it on dvd/cd then it will install on a pc, sd cards won't. paln your ride using the' track' tool. you can have up to 500 trackpoints,when you get to 500 points , save it and plan another section.send it to the gps as a saved tracklog. do this until your ride is complete. i find 500 points is enough for a days ride.
Go to the tracklog screen and select each of your sections, tick show on screen for them all. choose a colour you like and that is easy to see on screen.
when it comes to doing your ride all you have to do is switch it on and follow the line. it will follow it for you and warn you of turns if you want that option.
i plotted a 6 day tour of italy for some clubmates like this and it seemed to go well for them.

I construct routes on www.bikehike.co.uk and download them to my Mac as gpx tracks. I then upload them onto my Edge 705.

I have "City Navigator® Europe NT – UK/Ireland" on the 705, it wasn't available as a CD, just a download that is unlocked to my unit only. I have it stored on my MicroSD card and on a CD for safekeeping.

The CD I have cannot be used as such, but if I screw up with the 705 and delete things I shouldn't, I can at least restore my maps.

patricktaylor wrote:

philg wrote:... Have you tried loading the maps back from the GPS to Mapsource - it's an option, though I've never tried it.

Yes I have. It didn't work. I think it threw up a 'locked' message or something similar.

That's curious!

When I had City Select (at ~£180 ) it came with 2 licenses to allow use on 2 GPS units. But the software ran unlicensed on any PC, you just couldn't upload to non-licensed GPS units.

In the end though I found CS too bloated for the meagre 24MB storage on my Legend (no SD card in those days), so I obtained (cough) a copy of Metroguide, which is more space efficient, and use Metrogold to restore the auto-routing.

There is a hack online to get the SD card maps onto a PC. Once on to a PC you can convert them to use on a Mac.
http://www.velorider.co.uk/wp02/?p=68

It may infringe the T&C's of Garmin so it's up to you. However you can at least back up your card data.

It all looks very expensive to me. I mean you can get a new car satnav with bike mode for £35. Just a shame about the battery life being crap. I don't know how I would cope with garmin etc as I need glasses to read. I can't see my bike comp very well on the move.