GPS Recommendations

[BobCochran]

Hi,

I’m wondering what would be a good GPS device to get for my bicycling?

Thanks a ton

Bob

[hozn]

For navigating or just logging your rides? If the latter, you definitely have more options (Lezyne, Cat Eye) whereas if you want navigation the choice is pretty much Garmin or Garmin.

Sent from my LEX727 using Tapatalk

[BobCochran]

@hozn 155865 wrote:

For navigating or just logging your rides? If the latter, you definitely have more options (Lezyne, Cat Eye) whereas if you want navigation the choice is pretty much Garmin or Garmin.

For both navigating and logging my rides. I’m a sad failure at reading paper cue sheets. It’s a matter of hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation for me. (Where is up and down? ) Some times you need cue sheets as well, but a lot of the times you can get GPS files to help navigate a route, and I like that. So that brings us to Garmin, right? The Edge 800 series I suppose? Excepting the Edge 820. The Amazon reviews for the 820 are pretty bad.

Since I’m deaf and cannot hear sounds from devices, visual inputs are very important to me.

Does anyone have suggestions?

Thanks a ton

Bob

[TwoWheelsDC]

If you can find an 800 or 810 used, that’d probably be the best bang for the buck. If you’re going to buy new and have the money, the 1000 is excellent overall.

[hozn]

I haven’t read the reviews for the 820, but bear in mind that when Garmin first releases a device, people typically hate it because Garmin software is pretty notoriously buggy. After a year or so things quiet down as they work out the glitches. So the 820 might be fine.

The 1000 is nice, but quite large (maybe not a bad thing) and battery is not great. But the navigation works pretty well. And the Bluetooth integration to who incoming calls and SMS is quite useful.

Sent from my LEX727 using Tapatalk

[LhasaCM]

@hozn 155865 wrote:

For navigating or just logging your rides? If the latter, you definitely have more options (Lezyne, Cat Eye) whereas if you want navigation the choice is pretty much Garmin or Garmin.

Sent from my LEX727 using Tapatalk

Actually, the navigation on the year 10 Lezyne models is pretty decent. I haven’t really used a Garmin to be able to say how it compares. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/hands-lezyne-computer.html looks to be a more knowledgeable review

[hozn]

@LhasaCM 155874 wrote:

Actually, the navigation on the year 10 Lezyne models is pretty decent. I haven’t really used a Garmin to be able to say how it compares. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/hands-lezyne-computer.html looks to be a more knowledgeable review

Yeah, I should have specifically said “maps”. The non-mapping Garmin’s can also do routing when loaded in from TCX. It looks like the Lezyne does a better job than the Garmins for that, though.

But with Garmin you can route without a smartphone, which can be useful.

I would be all for supporting Lezyne over Garmin, though, if it fits your needs. Need more competition in this segment.

[LhasaCM]

@hozn 155875 wrote:

Yeah, I should have specifically said “maps”. The non-mapping Garmin’s can also do routing when loaded in from TCX. It looks like the Lezyne does a better job than the Garmins for that, though.

But with Garmin you can route without a smartphone, which can be useful.

I would be all for supporting Lezyne over Garmin, though, if it fits your needs. Need more competition in this segment.

Very true. It also depends on the other features you’re willing to pay for. Bang for the buck, I think the Lezyne units put up a good fight.

[BobCochran]

@LhasaCM 155874 wrote:

Actually, the navigation on the year 10 Lezyne models is pretty decent. I haven’t really used a Garmin to be able to say how it compares. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/09/hands-lezyne-computer.html looks to be a more knowledgeable review

How interesting! I read DC Rainmaker’s post and then looked at the GPS manual for the devices. I have my eye on the Super GPS. Since I’m carrying around my phone anyhow, and the Lezyne device only adds another 76 grams…it might do the trick for me.

Thanks a ton

Bob

[LhasaCM]

@BobCochran 155878 wrote:

How interesting! I read DC Rainmaker’s post and then looked at the GPS manual for the devices. I have my eye on the Super GPS. Since I’m carrying around my phone anyhow, and the Lezyne device only adds another 76 grams…it might do the trick for me.

Thanks a ton

Bob

I’ll say – so far, I’ve been pleased with my Super GPS. (I got it back in December primarily so I wasn’t relying on my phone app/watch to start Strava during BAFS, which flaked out a bit too many times for my liking). A few comments (since there are some tradeoffs compared to the more expensive Garmin units) in case it helps, keeping in mind that I’ve never had one of the Garmin devices so I don’t have enough information to actually compare the two:
1. Battery life has been great. The most I’ve used it was yesterday (probably 7 hours out and about, with 64 miles travelled), and I still had 70% battery when I got home.
2. I like the ability to fairly easily customize the screens (both the number of data lines and what items are shown).
3. The altimeter is…not that great. Software updates have made it better since I first got it, but it still has a ways to go. (Less crucial: The thermometer, for that matter, is also a bit slow to react. It generally takes about 15 minutes of riding for it to get down to the correct outside temperature.)
4. Signal acquisition is pretty good and fast.
5. Screen visibility has been excellent, even in the deluge/hail/etc. that passed through Saturday afternoon. The toggle on/toggle off backlight works well.
6. The mount is a little tricky to get used to, but works well once you’ve gotten used to it. I’m not a fan of the included bar mount (held on with the usual elastic bands)…it seemed to work its way slightly loose over the course of a week, so I’d have to adjust and remount. I went ahead and got the forward mount separately, which has been much more secure.
7. As hozn mentioned: the Super GPS is lacking when it comes to “maps.” Navigation has worked well for me (though I haven’t used it a ton), including loading .tcx routes from the app. However, it does rely on your phone to give it directions, so isn’t capable of dynamically re-routing you (other than “as the crow flies”) on its own. However, it is easy to set a new destination or stop, or re-load directions, from your app on the phone.
8. When I first got it, the automatic upload to Strava when syncing the ride from the app failed about half the time the first time around (it always worked on a retry). With the last few updates (both app. and firmware), the ride uploading has been flawless.
9. The onscreen notifications for incoming calls/SMS/app notifications/etc. are nice.

Again – it really comes down to what functionality you’re looking to get out of the unit and, with the Lezyne, if you can accept its compromises in exchange for saving a bit of money.
-Chris

[BobCochran]

@LhasaCM 155889 wrote:

7. As hozn mentioned: the Super GPS is lacking when it comes to “maps.” Navigation has worked well for me (though I haven’t used it a ton), including loading .tcx routes from the app. However, it does rely on your phone to give it directions, so isn’t capable of dynamically re-routing you (other than “as the crow flies”) on its own. However, it is easy to set a new destination or stop, or re-load directions, from your app on the phone.

Thanks, Chris! I’m wondering how important it is to have a re-routing capability in the device. I’ll give that some thought. I imagine that if I miss a turn with a Super GPS, I would have to backtrack, find the missed turn, and restart the device directions from there? I will give this some thought. When I ride, I’m out to enjoy the scenery and make myself sweat, so I don’t mind getting a bit lost especially on a new route.

Thanks

Bob

[hozn]

I think the Super GPS sounds pretty great. Some of the drawbacks mentioned also apply to the Garmin — e.g. temperature is slow on Garmin too. Altimeter on Garmin sounds like same barometer technology, so that is probably subject to the same limitations (e.g. inaccurate when a front moves in).

I did a fair bit of routing on my Edge 510 or even 300 before getting the 1000 with maps. It definitely works — especially if you are replacing paper queue sheets. The nice thing about the mapping units is that you can see complex turns (e.g. sharp turn and then another turn) portrayed on the map. That is useful, though I typically (always) have my phone on me, so getting lost isn’t likely either way. Sounds like the Lezyne is nicer than the non-mapping Garmins anyway.

The real value in the Garmin is if you are cycling in completely foreign areas (alone), I think. I used it on travel and having the maps really added confidence and being able to use the GPS to navigate back to a start address when I realized my route was gonna make me late for work was really invaluable. But that is a pretty slim use case.

[LhasaCM]

@hozn 155895 wrote:

I think the Super GPS sounds pretty great. Some of the drawbacks mentioned also apply to the Garmin — e.g. temperature is slow on Garmin too. Altimeter on Garmin sounds like same barometer technology, so that is probably subject to the same limitations (e.g. inaccurate when a front moves in).

I did a fair bit of routing on my Edge 510 or even 300 before getting the 1000 with maps. It definitely works — especially if you are replacing paper queue sheets. The nice thing about the mapping units is that you can see complex turns (e.g. sharp turn and then another turn) portrayed on the map. That is useful, though I typically (always) have my phone on me, so getting lost isn’t likely either way. Sounds like the Lezyne is nicer than the non-mapping Garmins anyway.

The real value in the Garmin is if you are cycling in completely foreign areas (alone), I think. I used it on travel and having the maps really added confidence and being able to use the GPS to navigate back to a start address when I realized my route was gonna make me late for work was really invaluable. But that is a pretty slim use case.

I think where the Super GPS does well (both in practical terms and from a “good competition for the market” standpoint) is that, for the price of the Edge 20/25, you can get some (but not all) of the features of the more expensive Garmins.

[LhasaCM]

@BobCochran 155892 wrote:

Thanks, Chris! I’m wondering how important it is to have a re-routing capability in the device. I’ll give that some thought. I imagine that if I miss a turn with a Super GPS, I would have to backtrack, find the missed turn, and restart the device directions from there? I will give this some thought. When I ride, I’m out to enjoy the scenery and make myself sweat, so I don’t mind getting a bit lost especially on a new route.

Thanks

Bob

I’ll give it a shot on my commute tomorrow and let you know what happens when you ignore its routing instructions. I believe that it would show you on the breadcrumb map where you are vs. where you’re supposed to be, but wouldn’t give you specific cues/directions as to where you should turn next (since it only knows the route that was loaded and your GPS coordinates).

[BobCochran]

Chris and Hans — thank you both very much. I really appreciate your both taking the time to give me your thoughts on these devices. Especially since you both have so little free time to start with. So I am most grateful. Chris, thanks for finding out what happens with the Super GPS when you miss a turn. That will be quite interesting!

Bob

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