on-bike navigation options

[jules21]

does anyone have advice on a good navigation option for on-bike use? before you answer, read on..

I broke my Garmin 510, which had breadcrumb navigation. This was pretty useful actually, so I might replace it.

In the meantime, I'm relying on my smartphone. This is proving less than satisfying. I am using Google Maps, which is very annoying:
a. I build maps in Google's MyMaps function (google.com/mymaps), which is good.
b. I am not only navigating regional routes, but primarily I am navigating city routes - i.e. finding a safe route through urban areas.
c. I am navigating with Google Maps, into which you can upload your MyMaps route.

Unfortunately, Google Maps is balls. The reason starts and ends with - it won't adhere to waypoints. So if you put in a 100km loop with 20 waypoints, Google Maps will ignore the way points and navigate you to the finish - using my example of a loop: "You have arrived". I haven't even started yet!

Are there any other non-subscription Android apps. into which you can program a route with waypoints, and which adheres to the route you've planned? i.e. navigates a route between each waypoint

The solution I've got with Google Maps is to navigate between interim waypoints, i.e. split your journey into numerous journeys, forcing it to take you from waypoint to waypoint. But in the city, this means pulling over every few minutes and programming in the next 'journey', which is balls.

Any ideas?

[familyguy]

I've used Maps.Me, which seemed to have done reasonably well guiding me around the back ways and non-road paths to a couple of places. Might be worth a look.

https://maps.me/download/

Jim

[LateStarter]

I replaced my 510 with a 520 and it has everything I need. My typical use is for following a downloaded RWGPS route of 100-300km on Audax rides and the 520 works perfectly for this. The breadcrumb overlays a reasonable OSM map. The non-touch interface (ie buttons) is why better than the 510 touch interface or the endless problems reported with the more expensive models. The 520 can use open street maps but the limited space means you have to use one of the extract sites that allows selection of "tiles" or an area boundary so the map file is kept small.

A recent (more expensive) 520 Plus is also available that has lots more free space and more on-device navigation routing but I don't need this.

[g-boaf]

does anyone have advice on a good navigation option for on-bike use? before you answer, read on..

I broke my Garmin 510, which had breadcrumb navigation. This was pretty useful actually, so I might replace it.

In the meantime, I'm relying on my smartphone. This is proving less than satisfying. I am using Google Maps, which is very annoying:
a. I build maps in Google's MyMaps function (google.com/mymaps), which is good.
b. I am not only navigating regional routes, but primarily I am navigating city routes - i.e. finding a safe route through urban areas.
c. I am navigating with Google Maps, into which you can upload your MyMaps route.

Unfortunately, Google Maps is balls. The reason starts and ends with - it won't adhere to waypoints. So if you put in a 100km loop with 20 waypoints, Google Maps will ignore the way points and navigate you to the finish - using my example of a loop: "You have arrived". I haven't even started yet!

Are there any other non-subscription Android apps. into which you can program a route with waypoints, and which adheres to the route you've planned? i.e. navigates a route between each waypoint

The solution I've got with Google Maps is to navigate between interim waypoints, i.e. split your journey into numerous journeys, forcing it to take you from waypoint to waypoint. But in the city, this means pulling over every few minutes and programming in the next 'journey', which is balls.

Any ideas?

A Garmin 520 might work. However, the 520 doesn't have touch screen and that is very irritating for me. Also I find the screen very difficult to read in strong light with the fairly flat angle it sits at on my bike. The whole display looks dark and the graphics on screen cannot be read easily.

[kb]

What sort of phone? You can usually add stops in Google Maps and even reorder them if you want.

[kb]

Sorry, just reread and saw MyMaps, don’t know that so feel free to ignore above if it makes a difference

[madmacca]

ridewithgps as an interim app solution.

Recent releases by Garmin offer some interesting possibilities at lower price points.

The 130 offers breadcrumb routes (but not full mapping).
The 520 Plus is a more fully featured headunit with mapping, but supposedly map rendering is slow and clunky (not sure whether this will be fixed with a FW update).
The new Edge Explore offers mapping and a good touchscreen, but without power meter support.

[RonK]

The new Edge Touring offers mapping and a good touchscreen, but without power meter support.

Shock, horror. I wouldn’t dream of going touring without a power meter.

[RonK]

Viewranger is an excellent smartphone navigation app. Check it out.

[g-boaf]

The new Edge Touring offers mapping and a good touchscreen, but without power meter support.

Shock, horror. I wouldn’t dream of going touring without a power meter.

Shock horror, what's the point of dropping power meter support when it has been there for ages? Why don't they also make a colour screen optional too. Perhaps even remove the display of speed and distance too - or make it an option you pay extra for? Or perhaps even have a surcharge if your route has more than a certain number of waypoints?

It's a rip off. USD$300 (from Garmin in the USA) for cut back functionality? Might as well just use a Smart Phone app instead of paying that much money.

I must say I've never much liked the navigation features on any Garmin I've tried to be honest.

[Dave_C]

I believe the NEW Garmin 520 Plus has full map directions like their bigger models. You would just have to be sure it is the Plus model. Unsure if there is a price diifference

[RonK]

Serious contenders about to enter the market are the new Lezyne Mega XL and Lezyne Mega C, particularly if they live up to the claimed battery life of up to 48 hours for the Mega XL and 32 hours for the colour model. And it is listed at a very attractive price point to boot.

Lezyne Mega GPS

Another very promising new entry is the SIGMA ROX 12.0. It is rated highly by Ray Maker. Way back I had a Sigma Rox 9.0 and it was one of the best bike computers I've ever owned.

Either of these could tempt me away from my Wahoo unless they deliver re-routable navigation for the Elemnt.

[Velt]

SIGMA ROX 12.0 looks pretty good, I've been considering it myself

[MichaelB]

I believe the NEW Garmin 520 Plus has full map directions like their bigger models. You would just have to be sure it is the Plus model. Unsure if there is a price diifference

It does.

I have one on test at the moment for BNA with the writeup coming soon. Also have the Varia 510 as well.

Nav capability is same as 1030 as far as I have found out. There are some small features missing, but so far so good. Usual annoying Garmin issues, but I rate it better than the 1030 (I HATE that touch screen).

If you have any questions re the 520+, feel free to ask

[hamishm]

Shock horror, what's the point of dropping power meter support when it has been there for ages?

Edge Touring has no ANT+ so no HRM, power, cadence. Actually it's obsolete anyway so I don't know why it was mentioned.

Same deal with the Edge Explore though which seems to be the current equivalent.

[madmacca]

Shock horror, what's the point of dropping power meter support when it has been there for ages?

Edge Touring has no ANT+ so no HRM, power, cadence. Actually it's obsolete anyway so I don't know why it was mentioned.

Same deal with the Edge Explore though which seems to be the current equivalent.

My bad - I did mean the new Edge Explore rather than the Touring. I've edited my post.

Explore does offer HRM, etc over ANT+, just not power.

[g-boaf]

Shock horror, what's the point of dropping power meter support when it has been there for ages?

Edge Touring has no ANT+ so no HRM, power, cadence. Actually it's obsolete anyway so I don't know why it was mentioned.

Same deal with the Edge Explore though which seems to be the current equivalent.

Even more obsolete Garmin devices have all of these and navigation and a reasonable touch screen. Touring or explore seems like a farcical marketing ploy and grab for money. Sell a fairly bare bones device at a fairly extravagant price with a name they hope will make it appeal to touring only riders.

[Velt]

Is the new Edge explore even coming to Aus? I don't think the previous ones did

[RonK]

The new Edge Touring offers mapping and a good touchscreen, but without power meter support.

Shock, horror. I wouldn’t dream of going touring without a power meter.

Shock horror, what's the point of dropping power meter support when it has been there for ages? Why don't they also make a colour screen optional too. Perhaps even remove the display of speed and distance too - or make it an option you pay extra for? Or perhaps even have a surcharge if your route has more than a certain number of waypoints?

It's a rip off. USD$300 (from Garmin in the USA) for cut back functionality? Might as well just use a Smart Phone app instead of paying that much money.

I must say I've never much liked the navigation features on any Garmin I've tried to be honest.

I couldn't really care less what Garmin do. I will never buy another Garmin device, one experience was enough.

But power meter and even hrm support on a touring computer is about as useful and desirable as tits on a bull.

[g-boaf]

Shock, horror. I wouldn’t dream of going touring without a power meter.

Shock horror, what's the point of dropping power meter support when it has been there for ages? Why don't they also make a colour screen optional too. Perhaps even remove the display of speed and distance too - or make it an option you pay extra for? Or perhaps even have a surcharge if your route has more than a certain number of waypoints?

It's a rip off. USD$300 (from Garmin in the USA) for cut back functionality? Might as well just use a Smart Phone app instead of paying that much money.

I must say I've never much liked the navigation features on any Garmin I've tried to be honest.

I couldn't really care less what Garmin do. I will never buy another Garmin device, one experience was enough.

But power meter and even hrm support on a touring computer is about as useful and desirable as tits on a bull.

Why do you even need a touring version of a bike computer at all? Just do a fully featured bike computer at a reasonable price that suits all purposes. More people might buy them too.

[warthog1]

Used my 1030+ for navigation for the first time yesterday on my gravel ride. Worked well and an improvement over my old edge 1000 that would be 8 or so years old, but it worked well too.
However the route has 2 loops in it and I wanted to go a different way than the course was created. I have rerouting suggestions turned on.
It doesn't give up trying to reroute. The beeps and chirps and text on the display soon became pretty annoying.
It has a pause button that I eventually pressed. I was worried that it would stop mapping altogether. No it didn't. It just paused rerouting. Should have pressed it earlier.
Going to turn that feature off.

[g-boaf]

I had previously used the navigation with a route I downloaded (on Edge 800) and somehow it decided to ignore that route and take a different one.

I gave up.

[warthog1]

I have used it multiple times on the edge 1000.
On the dirt though, with my gravel bike. There are multiple trails, tracks and roads out in the forests here. Didn't know where the hell I am going without it. Getting the hang of it better now.
It has never taken the wrong route.
The 1030+ just won't shut up unless you tell it to.
There are settings where it will reroute.
https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp ... DF4E6.html
Dunno how it picked another course

I make my courses on Strava and then sync them to garmin connect and the device gets them. Have 18 stored on it currently.

[foo on patrol]

Used my 1030+ for navigation for the first time yesterday on my gravel ride. Worked well and an improvement over my old edge 1000 that would be 8 or so years old, but it worked well too.
However the route has 2 loops in it and I wanted to go a different way than the course was created. I have rerouting suggestions turned on.
It doesn't give up trying to reroute. The beeps and chirps and text on the display soon became pretty annoying.
It has a pause button that I eventually pressed. I was worried that it would stop mapping altogether. No it didn't. It just paused rerouting. Should have pressed it earlier.
Going to turn that feature off.

You sure it wasn't your better half reminding that you haven't done something?

I've never used the mapping on any of mine yet, I just wing it when on the 29er if riding trails, just so long as I get back to where I started from. Probably should try it one day and then there's Komoot that you can use for plotting courses also.

Foo

[warthog1]

You sure it wasn't your better half reminding that you haven't done something?

I've never used the mapping on any of mine yet, I just wing it when on the 29er if riding trails, just so long as I get back to where I started from. Probably should try it one day and then there's Komoot that you can use for plotting courses also.

Foo

Foo

Could have been but that is part of the mental health benefit of riding my bike. I'm not listening.

Yeah I get out a bit of a way from home and it is a maze in some parts, particularly the Wellsford forest. No cars though. Sooo good.

I haven't tried or heard of komoot.
I'll have a look. Strava works as I open it on 2 pages and can copy or modify a route. It is linked to my Garmin connect, so just uploads when I sync the 1030.