G P S?
- Thread starter mrmeana
- Start date
I've used my original Etrex (no map display) as insurance to keep from getting lost when exploring new routes. You can just turn it on and let the Etrex make a "breadcrumb" trail as you ride. Then, when you get good and lost, turn around and follow it back to the start. Battery life is an issue if your leaving GPS on all the time.mrmeana said:Has any one used any GPS Equipment for tracking their rides,I have just bought a Etrex venture & am trying to use it would like to know if any one has downloaded any details and used it in stead of a map?Tar MRMEANA
Or, you can set a waypoint as you leave the start, plus mark key turns with waypoints as you go. That way, you can turn off the Etrex, knowing you've got the waypoint info if you need it to navigate back.
Or, you can download waypoints in advance from a route you build on map software: I use Delorme Topo 5.0. You'll need the Garmin USB cable to connect the Etrex to your PC and transfer the route waypoints.
I have a slightly different approach - I bought a Navman GPS receiver for my iPaq, which is basically just an accessory back that clips on & off when required (see www.navman.com). It comes with road nav software that's fantastic in the car as it has voice instructions so you're not always looking at the thing rather than at the road. If I'm out exploring on the bike, I simply fire it up and mark my start position, saving it as a "Favourite". When I get truly lost, I can call this up and it will calculate the route back, usually to my car. It doesn't leave a breadcrumb trail though.mrmeana said:Has any one used any GPS Equipment for tracking their rides,I have just bought a Etrex venture & am trying to use it would like to know if any one has downloaded any details and used it in stead of a map?Tar MRMEANA
The really neat thing though is that other companies provide software that allows me to load Ordnance Survey maps (in the UK) AND digital nautical charts e.g. those from the Admiralty. As I ride a mountin bike and sail, these are both quite useful. When I'm using it on the bike, the limited battery life is a bit of a drag, ut instead of using it to continuously track my progress, I instead just use it occasionally to check my position. The display also isn't fantastically goo din strong sunlight, but then again we don't get much of that in England so it's never really been a problem.
Long story less long - it gets my vote as an all round useful device - I seem to recall paying about 150 gbp on top of the price of my iPaq.
Cheers
Mike
I've been using a Garmin Geko for some time, works quite nicely both for tracking where I've been and as a cycle computer. It gives me real max speeds, which my cycle computer doesn't seem to do (it only samples every 20 seconds or so, quite silly). There are several packages such as Delorme Topo that let you download your tracks and show them on the map afterwards.mrmeana said:Has any one used any GPS Equipment for tracking their rides,I have just bought a Etrex venture & am trying to use it would like to know if any one has downloaded any details and used it in stead of a map?Tar MRMEANA
The Forerunner series also is a good fit for cyclist. I have used the Forerunner 201 and am now using the 301 on my bike. Not only does it give me my heart rate and other usefull information but it too drops the bread crumb trail should I need to get back to where I started.
GPS sits on my handlebar, just like a cycling computer. Has a map on the screen, which I don't have to stop, and unfold to read. It collects data (speed, avg. speed, max speed, trip timers, altimeter, and odometer), just like a cycling computer. Extra batteries do fit easily in a jersey pocket, or saddle bag. My GPS has never failed in the five years I have used it. I take it from your response that you don't have a computer on your bike. You actually measure the distance traveled by physically measuring it on the map. Then you calculate your ride data using a pencil, and paper. I mean come on, it's the 21st century. If someone wants to use the technology, it's available for them. How did you reply to this thread? Maybe you mailed your response via USPS, and then the moderator typed your response in for you. Oh, and by the way, since you don't like wiz bang, show pony stuff. The Pony Express is delivering this response back to you. Might take weeks to arrive, depending on where you live.HotLips said:
Can I replace my cycling computer with a GPS? Do regular units accurately measure the speed you're traveling (not just average speed)? I'm looking at GPS so I can plug in routes so I don't have to keep stopping and pulling the map out. I imagine I'd carry paper backup for a while, but it'd sure be nice if I could get rid of the computer
The speed seems to track my regular cycle computer very closely, the only issue I can think of is that if you're under heavy tree cover, or up against steep hills, you may lose signal.Bob N. said:
Hi bob n.Mrmeana here sorry for late reply been on hols.Iuse a ETREX venture & use tracklogs software,I can track routes as i go or route them 1st on computer and up load to venture.When you download tracks from venture you can give instructions & print of maps after you can also up/download tracks from various web sites that other people have done.I would not leave home with out it.[www.tracklogs.co.uk,www.gpsroutes.org.uk]just a couple of sites to look at.
I almost always have my GPS clipped in between my aerobars on my rides. The mount that comes with Garmin machines wasn't good for my oversized handlebars, so I had to jimmy up a connector that fits between my aerobars (though Profile Design sells one, I'm just cheap.) I definitely always had it with my on my mountain bike before some mechanical failures junk heaped it.
I road 80ish miles today, and using my GPSMAP 60CS from Garmin, I had good coverage the whole time in pretty mountainous and dense foliage areas. My eTrex Vista is what I usually use for my riding though, and I like it because I can track lap times a lot easier post-ride.
VW
I road 80ish miles today, and using my GPSMAP 60CS from Garmin, I had good coverage the whole time in pretty mountainous and dense foliage areas. My eTrex Vista is what I usually use for my riding though, and I like it because I can track lap times a lot easier post-ride.
VW