GPS for cycling

[daveireland]

I'd like opinions please on the best GPS for cycling. I've heard from various people who use Garmin Geko, but I'd like a map display as well. I've seen something called Gio 268 and 269 which look good, and come with a handlebar mount and good battery life. Any other suggestions? I guess it would be good if it could be carried on the top of a bar bag.

Thanks

Dave

[stutho]

'but I'd like a map display as well'  

Are your sure about this? As soon as you add a map to a GPS the price increases substantially.  The maps are often very poor quality and are unlikely to show much detail beyond the road level and very unlikely to show a bike route. (Unless things have improved since I bought mine.)  In short having a map can make a GPS less useful, counterintuitive I know.  

I have being using a Garmin Summit for about 4 years - It doesn’t have an in-built map however I use it in combination with a PC program called Fugawi (UK digital map) which allows me to input routes onto the GPS from a 1:50000 OS.  On of the nice features about the summit is that it has an in-built compass - most don’t.  It means that that it knows where you are pointing even if you are not moving, very usefully.  It also has an in-built altimeter but it is a bit of a waste of time.  The Summit was design with walking in mind

GPS and cycling are a match made in heaven.  It makes navigation so much quicker and replaces your cycle computer but NOT your map!

(The day you forget the map is the day you have to detour around a closed 5-mile section of towpath – ask me how I know this!)

Good luck

[woodpecker]

I use two GPS's.

The Geko 301 is great but it has less than 9hr battery life. Its small, light has compass and altimeter but no maps.

More recently I bought the Etrex Legend. Slightly larger but 36 hr battery life, colour screen and maps. A handlebar adapter is an extra option. No compass (unless moving) or altimeter - these are on a more expensive model.

Now both do the same in terms of telling you where you are, etc. Both interface well with a PC (USB or serial port). The map option was the most attrcive option of etrex, however it only accepts Garmins own maps which are useless in my view. So in reality this is not really a usefull feature - the provided loaded map will show you approx where you are and has major towns but little else -its very primitive.

However, buy a pc map software prog (I use Memorymap becouse its cheaper than others and readily available at most outdoor shops, it also comes with road maps as part of the package) and you have a great system. Plug the GPS in and its position is shown on the PC map. You can download saved tracks, routes or waypoints from the gps which appear on the memorymap or alternatively create routes on the PC and upload the way points/route to the gps.

I am a gps fan but I also use it when sailing so memorymap is best for me as it also supplies coastal and harbour maps. Memorymap also comes with a pocket pc program so you can download maps to a pocket pc, plug in your gps and have the maps available as well on your trips (but pocket pc battery life is an issue).

Some downpoints - they don't work under haevy tree cover so are useless in woods, etc unless you find a clearing. They like to be in the open on your bars or bar bag rather than your trouser pocket where reception is poor. Geko use AAA bateries (Extrex AA which hold more charge). Would recomend a mains/car battery charger with high power batteries (2500ma)else alkine usage will be high and expensive.

Bottom line is I love both but personally I think a lower spec one, which can record mulpitple tracks, is perfectly adequate. )a track is recording of where you have been - a route is a planned journey with waypoints.

[stutho]

After reading Woodpeckers reply (excellent by the way) I realised I forgot to mention that I download sections of OS map from Fugawi into my Palm.  I believe it is the only OS map source for the Palm (it also does pocket PC).  I have to say that Fugawi is not a very easy program to use.  All the info and functionality is there but it can be a pain to get it to do what you want.  If you don't own a Palm I would look to one of the other OS map sources just make sure it will interface to the GPS.

One BIG limitation on the Etrex Summit is that you can only have 500 way points programmed.  I find I use 100 to 150 waypoints per a day of cycling.

Woodpecker – How easy is Memorymap to use?

[woodpecker]

Before buying memory map I tried the demo versions of tracklogs and antiquet as well as memorymap. Tracklogs was by far the most intuitive to me but the cost was higher than memorymap.

Since having memorymap I have had little need to refer to instructions so I would say it is quite easy to use - the 3D view was harder to understand and work and I still think Tracklogs are better in this area.

Bottom line is I am happy with it and do like the pocket pc version which is very useful when away from home - the (free) road maps are also very usefull.

You can download working trial versions of all three packages and it is well worth trying them first if you are interested in them.

[freddered]

I'll copy my Garmin Geko 201 comments into this thread as an FYI to others......

Garmin Geko 201. Same size as mobile phone and has a bar-mount (although it works fine in Map-case of bar-bag and it totally waterproof).
Here it is on my accessory bar http://www.geocities.com/freddered1/bars.jpg . You can just make out the Arrow pointing the way to a waypoint. It points directly at a waypoint and also displays the (constantly changing) distance to it, this means you can tell in advance of an upcoming waypoint/turn. When you arrive at the waypoint it then points you to the next one, and the next one...until you reach the end of the route (that you plotted on your separate Map software).

I use Fugawi (Where the Fugawi?) Map software 1:50,000 OS on my PC to plot a route.
Upload the route to the Garmin and it points the way (along with about 100 other features like keeping a constant track of where you have been that you can download to PC later, ETA, altitude, Av Speed moving, Av speed overall.....etc..etc).
It's one of the best pieces of kit I ever bought, does exactly what I wanted. Doesn't replace a map (because it does not have a map display) but it saves a lot of time when following a route, it means you can keep moving quickly on country lanes without the usual stopping at every unmarked junction to figure out where you are.

Beware !! It's totally useless for cycling (in my opinion) without PC Digital Maps (but brilliant when used in conjunction). Beware, the cheaper Geko 100 can not synch with PC so it (in my humble opinion) useless for cycling.

Geko 200
£85 from Comet
£5 for PC synch cable off Ebay
Mapping s/w is epensive but Fugawi 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey, although not perfect, works well for me and is about 40 quid for a huge area (much cheaper than buying OS Landranger Maps for the same area and you can print off selected areas). You can also 'Fly'through the OS map in 3D Terrian view..check out those big hills in 3D.

Great toys, highly recommended.

[freddered]

Here are some additional observations:

- Fugawi is not as 'feature rich' a Tracklogs.  I've used the demo version of Tracklogs and it can be used for creating professional looking route documents.
- Fugawi lets you plot a route or a track very quickly and upload it to GPS very quickly
- Fugawi is fairly cheap.
- Fugawi is very easy to use I think, it just doesn't do a lot (But it does exactly what I wanted).
- The Geko 201 accepts uploaded Routes and Tracks from Fugawi.
- The Geko 201 permits up to 500 Waypoints but a maximum of 125 per route (this can be a problem on a long/complex ride)
-The Geko 201 permits up to 10,000 Track Points !!! This allows you to plot a Fugawi Track of virtually unlimited length/detail to follow and still allow you to enter waypoints for Pubs and so on.
-Battery life is poor(realistically 8 hours from a set of 800mah rechargeables) but carrying spare AAAs is no issue for my short rides.
If I was going away for any length of time I'd get a solar recharger.
- Map displays are either useless (on small GPS units) or consume too much power on a Palm/PocketPC.  
- Garmin Gekos are robust, totally waterproof and lightweight.  PocketPCs are normally none of these things.

If I had my choice again I would get the same device.  Only the battery life is against it but AAAs are light enough for me to carry spares.  Although I have a bar-mount for it, I choose to put it in my Map case on my barbag where it sits on top of an OS Map (printed from Fugawi).
Since the Geko provides live OS coordinate readings it is simple enough to interpret these onto a relevant OS map grid.

If you had any sort of DIY skills you could go to Maplin, buy a battery holder for AA, C or even D-cells and connect it to the battery terminals of the Geko.  It would jusy need a tiny hole in the battery cover flap for the power wire...at which point I can feel a "Powering a GPS via a Dynamo" thread starting.

PS.  The Geko has a threaded hole on the back so you can screw things to it (like shoulder/neck strap or a handlebar mount).  It would be very easy to mount it to the top of a barbag using this (via a backing plate of some sort for rigidity)

PPS.  I do not work for Garmin or Fugawi :-)
(I just love it when I find something that does exactly what I wanted)

[stutho]

Freddered:
...up to 10,000 Track Points! This allows you to plot a Track of virtually unlimited length/detail.

What an excellent idea - I have always just used routes, limited to 50 WP per a route on the Summit :-( And as a bonus the WP directory won’t be stuffed up with anonymous route points only the points of interest

Thanks for the tip.

PS I still find Fugawi very hard to use – maybe its me!

[daveireland]

Thanks for all your help and information on this one. Very useful. I'll keep you posted!

Dave

[daveireland]

Thanks for all your help and information on this one. Very useful. I'll keep you posted!

Dave

[marca]

Check out this site that allows you to map your garmin GPS rides on google maps, with an elevation graph:

http://www.softwarebrewery.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=gmaps.home

[JonHammond]

I assume 'Fugawi' is a reference to the mythical tribe of African pygmies, and their tribal cry when caught in lush grassland areas, where the grass grows right over their heads.

[stutho]

Yes 'Where the Fugawi'.
It’s almost funny the first time.

[DavidH]

This thread is rather old for a changing technology, and I wondered if anyone had any recent recommendations on GPS for bikes - in terms of the idea, and models. The cycling plus article this month seems to scratch the surface.

Its that time of year, plus I have a significant birthday coming up. Failing which there might be Jan sales...

[pastafarian]

Yes, definitely. I recommend the Garmin eTrex Vista Hcx: http://www.gpsw.co.uk/details/prod3551.html
It's compact and has good battery life. Some people think it has a non-intuitive interface, but I disagree. There are bike specific units like Garmin Edge but if touring is your thing you will appreciate the exchangeable AA batteries.

Although the unit is great, I can't comment on Garmin's topographic maps of the UK. The European road map (City navigator) is pretty good though.

Another interesting unit is the Satmap Active 10, which has topographic UK maps. It is said to have up to 50 hours of battery life, which is a lot, about twice that of the Garmin Vista. http://www.satmap.com/about.php