GPS and Bicycling

I searched the archive and didn't see anything about this.  Does anyone use a GPS unit while biking? 

 

I admit to being kind of confused by the different kinds of units.  I know that there are turn by turn units that give directions,  hiking units, and then bike computer units with GPS built in.

 

Would it be feasible to have a unit that could do geo-caching and bike computing together?  Perhaps even offer some turn by turn functionality.

 

Anyone use these?  What kind?  How do you use it? What should one look for when purchasing GPS devices?

 

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on May 18, 2010 at 1:06pm
Hey Larry:

Is your Garmin waterproof or for that matter does it have all the other features you were looking for? I'm looking for something for touring but I wouldnt need it for at least a couple of years so I'm going to research the heck out of it now.

Larry Mysz said:
A lot depends on what GPS features are important to you. I didn't want one for local riding, but did want something for touring.

For me, the key features were finding routes to points of interest, like campgrounds, motels, restaurants, or convenience stores. I also wanted mapping and route finding capability to get around detours or to get unlost. Long battery life was important, as was a weatherproof case. Features like cadence, heart rate, or calorie consumption weren't of particular interest.

Phone based systems wouldn't work for me because I got out of cell range too often.

I settled for a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, a small hand held unit with handlebar mounts that runs 25 to 30 hours on a set of AA batteries.
Permalink Reply by Rico on May 18, 2010 at 1:53pm
I have to agree with Peenworm, Cardiotrainer for the Android is an excellent product I use it everyday. It also aggregates all of your rides and tells you the total amount of miles over a set period of time.
Permalink Reply by S on May 18, 2010 at 2:47pm
Not Nathan Fillion (aka Paul) said:
Hey Larry:

Is your Garmin waterproof or for that matter does it have all the other features you were looking for? I'm looking for something for touring but I wouldnt need it for at least a couple of years so I'm going to research the heck out of it now.

Paul, if you're not going to pick up a gps unit for a few years, I'd suggest forgetting about it until a few months before you plan on buying it. Most of the information and details you discover now will probably be out of date by the time you're ready to buy.

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 18, 2010 at 3:23pm
Not probably, definitely, ridiculously out of date - especially in a couple years. It's crazy how fast the tech industry moves. Like computers, electronics are best researched when you're in the market for them.

S said:
Not Nathan Fillion (aka Paul) said:
Hey Larry:

Is your Garmin waterproof or for that matter does it have all the other features you were looking for? I'm looking for something for touring but I wouldnt need it for at least a couple of years so I'm going to research the heck out of it now.

Paul, if you're not going to pick up a gps unit for a few years, I'd suggest forgetting about it until a few months before you plan on buying it. Most of the information and details you discover now will probably be out of date by the time you're ready to buy.

Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on May 18, 2010 at 4:02pm
That's my plan, Thanks!
Permalink Reply by Michael A on May 18, 2010 at 4:23pm
could someone post a ride recording from the android so I can compare it to a garmin? This is a garmin from saturday

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/33382009

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/31601763
Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on May 19, 2010 at 4:35pm
Hi Paul,

Yes, it's certainly water proof to soaking from rain. The case is pretty well sealed, but I don't know if you can drop it in the lake and expect it to still know where it is. The screen is scratch resistant, and it's shock resistant. There are some tour reports and forum posts at CGOAB ( http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ ) reporting it survived dropping off the handlebars ... Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. It has all the features I was looking for, so I've been happy with it.

I would say if you want something now, the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx is a pretty good choice. If you're not going to use it for a couple of years, then wait like some other posters suggested. GPS technology is changing fast, and it's a pretty good bet that the units available in a couple years will cost less, be more flexible, and have more features than the ones available today.

Not Nathan Fillion (aka Paul) said:
Hey Larry:

Is your Garmin waterproof or for that matter does it have all the other features you were looking for? I'm looking for something for touring but I wouldnt need it for at least a couple of years so I'm going to research the heck out of it now.

Larry Mysz said:
A lot depends on what GPS features are important to you. I didn't want one for local riding, but did want something for touring.

For me, the key features were finding routes to points of interest, like campgrounds, motels, restaurants, or convenience stores. I also wanted mapping and route finding capability to get around detours or to get unlost. Long battery life was important, as was a weatherproof case. Features like cadence, heart rate, or calorie consumption weren't of particular interest.

Phone based systems wouldn't work for me because I got out of cell range too often.

I settled for a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, a small hand held unit with handlebar mounts that runs 25 to 30 hours on a set of AA batteries.
Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on March 24, 2011 at 9:21am

I've been using AllSport GPS on my Android for a couple of weeks now. It automatically syncs your ride to their site; you choose to make it public or not.

Also using the Pandora app when I ride on the LFP.

So now I don't have to take my Garmin or iPod; two less things to deal with.

 

Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on March 24, 2011 at 9:55am
Have you ever had problems with cell coverage?

in it to win it said:

I've been using AllSport GPS on my Android for a couple of weeks now. It automatically syncs your ride to their site; you choose to make it public or not.

Also using the Pandora app when I ride on the LFP.

So now I don't have to take my Garmin or iPod; two less things to deal with.

 

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on March 24, 2011 at 10:41am

I use a "Group 1" GPS device that records what I'm doing. It's a DG-100 from GlobalSat.

It's a logger - it simply records the current location to a text file once per second. I have an external antenna hooked into it to improve the satellite link when I'm in areas with tall buildings (like downtown Chicago) that may block or distort the signal. The device has no screen and cannot tell you where you are, unless you hook it up to a laptop. I have no desire to know where I am in Chicago - the street signs and numbers will tell me where I am and how far it is to anywhere (if you know the grid system).

I use it primarily to geotag the photos I take when I'm out and about. A majority of my photos on Flickr are geotagged (you can view them on a map) thanks in part to this device. 

My secondary use of the device is to map the route that I took. See my trip around Amsterdam, by bike, below:

Tracks around Amsterdam

The third use of my device is to track my riding distance - although, I couldn't really care less. It's just kind of neat to know that I rode 83 miles around Amsterdam over 4 days on this rental Gazelle.

 

Permalink Reply by Larry Mysz on March 24, 2011 at 5:16pm

Kristian,

 

There is a good current article on CGOAB about using the Garmin Etrex units

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=8122&v=5I

 

 


Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

This came up in the Long Loop Rides thread, so it's time for a bump.

 

I have a Garmin eTrex Legend Cx (which has since been supplanted by nicer units), with a handlebar mount that I've been using since Xmas 2005, and I love it. I haven't been keeping the maps very up-to-date, but I mostly use it for tracking where I've been, so I've been able to get by. I have played around with loading non-Garmin maps on it, but most of them aren't routable, which limits their usefulness (still, detailed topo maps are nice to have sometimes).

 

If you've got an Android phone, there's My Tracks, which I've heard good things about (aside from what GPS does to your phone's battery life, that is). I haven't played with it on my G2 yet.

 

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on March 25, 2011 at 2:18am

So far so good.  Like I said, using only a couple of weeks now.

It's a free app on marketplace.  It doesn't do everything Garmin does; but it does a lot.

Larry Mysz said:

Have you ever had problems with cell coverage?

in it to win it said:

I've been using AllSport GPS on my Android for a couple of weeks now. It automatically syncs your ride to their site; you choose to make it public or not.

Also using the Pandora app when I ride on the LFP.

So now I don't have to take my Garmin or iPod; two less things to deal with.

 

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