maps on Garmin?

[zill]

How do people find the maps on the Garmin 810 or 1000?

How do they compare with Google Maps? Which would you prefer to use?

[Aushiker]

If you are referring to the basemap that comes with the Edge, well they are not great but then they are not designed to be detailed maps. You need to either purchase maps such as the Garmin ones or download and install OpenStreet maps. I have gone with OpenStreet maps which work fine for me 95% of the time.

DC Rainmaker has a useful page on doing the install.

Andrew

[Eleri]

I have the Garmin maps on my 800 - same maps - and I have Australia city maps and Europe city maps. The work just fine in cities. Less useful out in the middle of nowhere, but then you won't get Google out there either.

Most of the issues I have come from the Garmin software which chooses the route for you. It has preferences that are hard to override out in the field. For instance, it doesn't give you route options which would be better. It will just decide a route based on your preferences - i.e. no main roads or whatever.

[il padrone]

I have the Garmn eTrex30, not the same as the 800 of course, but maybe you should check the settings. I have hardly used the routing function as I'm more than happy to plot out my own route and just use the Garmin for the map and the precise location that it provides (I am a geographer so navigation is not any sort of problem for me).

But slowly I am discovering different aspects to the Garmin. In the settings menu you can select for routing and then choose either car/motorbike, bicycle or pedestrian. This will give you a more relevant route choice for your mode of travel. If you really want to choose a specific route then just map it out on bikely, bikemap, strava etc, and then save the gpx file and load it into your Garmin and set it as the route choice.

[Eleri]

I have the Garmn eTrex30, not the same as the 800 of course, but maybe you should check the settings. I have hardly used the routing function as I'm more than happy to plot out my own route and just use the Garmin for the map and the precise location that it provides (I am a geographer so navigation is not any sort of problem for me).

But slowly I am discovering different aspects to the Garmin. In the settings menu you can select for routing and then choose either car/motorbike, bicycle or pedestrian. This will give you a more relevant route choice for your mode of travel. If you really want to choose a specific route then just map it out on bikely, bikemap, strava etc, and then save the gpx file and load it into your Garmin and set it as the route choice.

I do know about those settings. I've used the routing function when I'm somewhere unfamiliar without a map and just want to get somewhere. However, unless you know that you NEVER want to go on a main road then don't choose the bike route because it will take you on a circuitous route to totally avoid main roads. On the other hand, if you pick a different option you never go on bike paths. There's no choice offered.

I do upload routes too and that's fine. However when I've been travelling I haven't always had a computer so that's a bit hard. I think with the 810 and the 1000 you can upload from a mobile which is a bit more useful.

[zill]

I'll probably just stick with a smart phone (mounted on the handle bars) and use its map while riding!

[il padrone]

Make sure you have an extra battery handy, or a dynohub to keep the charge up. GPS kills phone batteries quick. No real worry if you're only out for 2-3 hrs, but on an all day ride your phone will be flat before you finish.