Garmin GPS Device Discussion (for cycling).
- Thread starter Trebz
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Re:
I keep looking at the Garmin 800 and I can't help but think of it as being an amazing device:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/sports/ ... 69043.html
Pricey but amazing.
I keep looking at the Garmin 800 and I can't help but think of it as being an amazing device:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/sports/ ... 69043.html
Pricey but amazing.
Trebz":2kykh03i said:
Garmin Edge 705 with HRM, cadence and Southern UK trail maps.
Had it 5 years - approx 7000 miles on it, approx 2500 off-road miles plus Turbo trainer miles.
Used across a few bikes, some of which have cadence sensor etc.
Opinion: Its just been pretty faultless in terms of general operation. Probably software 'crashed' 3-4 times, Batt ran for 14 hours yesterday with perhaps 1/4 left, and handled 75 miles of offroad without complaint. Broke 2 bike mounts for it (£10 each) but one was fitting a bike to a bike rack, so not like an operational issue. 'Sat-Nav' pretty good but slow to use. Think I hit a limitation putting a large GPX route in it recently, but this is the 1st time that has happened. The interface is obviously 'old' now so not as easy to use as newer units, but holds lots of info / lots of options in use as all data screens can be defined for your use.
Picking up Satelites can be a little bit sketchy at times, the Altimeter also not always on its best behavior (usually when the weather changes quickly or leaving a warm house into cold weather), little bit fiddly to use but I think this was a 2007-2008 released device, so its not new. Swapping bikes not very intuitive (or automatic) but not a chore. Switching it on, pressing, start, stop is typically about all the complication you need once you have a few options set as you like.
Yes, seems to work off-road really well, not had any faults, I know some older units were prone to bouncing the internal battery and resetting, but this hasn't happened on this one.
Value for money? I guess if compared to a decent smartphone, which can take calls, emails and play games, perhaps they come out as a bit expensive considering the Garmin is a single use device. But, when I bought it, the reason was because there were very limited and basic apps that would do that sort of thing on a small number of smartphones, which would run out of battery quickly, especially with GPS switched on. Yesterdays ride was with someone using a smartphone and we took a portable batt charger for his phone, so some of the same things remain, the apps just got better.
Garmin Connect software seems not a stable as its rivals but thats a web thing, not the GPS.
I Would buy another one if I needed to replace it. Rarely go on a bike ride without it. Don't use it around town or for 'work' rides.
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Have a look at Memory-Map devices too. They are OS map based, pricey.
Their GPS TX3 has just been released. Or go mad and strap the 7" display S7000 ;-)
Have a look at Memory-Map devices too. They are OS map based, pricey.
Their GPS TX3 has just been released. Or go mad and strap the 7" display S7000 ;-)
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Garmin Forerunner 305: I use it for running and cycling, quite impressed, HRM function works well, using it to navigate is "ok" however creating your own courses is easy enough online, or just download one of the many gpx courses available online. Recently it's been playing up and although charging still, it won't connect to my PC :x
So I've been using Strava on my android phone, the "segments" and leaderboards do add a bit of fun/challenge into things, although I've not used my phone for navigation as yet. And the price of the Bluetooth HRM to use with Strava seems steep, so I havent used the HRM aspect of it yet.
Garmin Forerunner 305: I use it for running and cycling, quite impressed, HRM function works well, using it to navigate is "ok" however creating your own courses is easy enough online, or just download one of the many gpx courses available online. Recently it's been playing up and although charging still, it won't connect to my PC :x
So I've been using Strava on my android phone, the "segments" and leaderboards do add a bit of fun/challenge into things, although I've not used my phone for navigation as yet. And the price of the Bluetooth HRM to use with Strava seems steep, so I havent used the HRM aspect of it yet.
I've got a FR610, works pretty well. Use it for running and riding with HRM, footpod and speed/cadance sensor.
Takes a whiel to find the sattellites, but otherwise pretty good.
I use it also to upload to strava for all the segment shenanagans.
Thinking about getting a bike device, trying to decide betweeen a 510 and a 1000.
Takes a whiel to find the sattellites, but otherwise pretty good.
I use it also to upload to strava for all the segment shenanagans.
Thinking about getting a bike device, trying to decide betweeen a 510 and a 1000.
I've been using an edge 605 for about 6 years, few grumbles with it when it was new, mainly relating to incompatibilities between the firmware and various bits of software. Once that was sorted is been flawless. Using open source maps now, so I can keep up to date, they also have far more detail than the garmin navigator or topo maps.
Missus has a forerunner 405, much the same story, except no mapping.
I've just ordered an 810 bundle, and paid less than the 800 up there
Missus has a forerunner 405, much the same story, except no mapping.
I've just ordered an 810 bundle, and paid less than the 800 up there
Chopper the ex Copper
Alpinestars Fan
One thing I have discovered both with cycling and with the SAR work I do, is that dedicated GPS units don't work as well as cellphone apps in dense tree cover. This is because phones gather secondary position data from the local cells, so while they're not as accurate as dedicate multi channel GPS kit they can be useful.
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I have the Edge 800 with OS maps loaded. Great for navigating new routes, you plot them online then transfer them to the device.
