Cycle Sat nav

[Madbadger]

think I posted this in the wrong area but

Now me and the wife are actually enjoying riding our ebikes, I'm wanting to buy a cycle sat nav. Am I correct in thinking the units will have all the cycle routes stored on them? and all you do is type in a destination and it shows you a map like a car sat nav does. I've seen a few on the net but I'm a bit confused in what they do, some say `Train` I suppose this is for competition cycling, that's not us, I just want it to show the cycle routes and how to get from A to B....

anyone got any advice on what I should buy

thanks

Kev

 

[Nealh]

You can get them with maps loaded or not, so becareful if you buy one because its cheaper then other sellers, Saying that depending on the version you can download update maps or buy them cheaply on micro sd cards.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Oruxmaps with openstreetmap cycle maps = free on android tablet or phone. You can also switch to "hiking" or "car" whenever you want to. I only use the maps for the Pyrenees but they are very good either on foot or on the bike.

 

[Madbadger]

only problem with a phone app is.....im on EE and its crap around the Worksop area, once my contract is up, im off somewhere else....having said that, I would prefer a dedicated sat nav....right tool for the right job.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I am talking about offline maps that are loaded into the SD card. I have France North, France South, Pyrenees and Spain - Portugal which take up about 3.7 Gb. I don't have a phone so no connection required. This is my new tablet computer:

I could be a phone too I guess...

 

[Croxden]

I have a Mio Cyclo305.

Might be a bit dear for you but it does what you want and gets a better signal than the Garmins I have tried.

 

[Wingreen]

I have a Mio Cyclo305.

Might be a bit dear for you but it does what you want and gets a better signal than the Garmins I have tried.

I'd certainly recommend a Cyclo Mio. I have the 300. Now been superceded but I'm not sure the new models offer that much more. When I last looked around, one of these can be bought new for about £150. (Also works as a SatNav for your too!)

 

[Wingreen]

think I posted this in the wrong area but

Now me and the wife are actually enjoying riding our ebikes, I'm wanting to buy a cycle sat nav. Am I correct in thinking the units will have all the cycle routes stored on them? and all you do is type in a destination and it shows you a map like a car sat nav does. I've seen a few on the net but I'm a bit confused in what they do, some say `Train` I suppose this is for competition cycling, that's not us, I just want it to show the cycle routes and how to get from A to B....

anyone got any advice on what I should buy

thanks

Kev

See later for my agreement re a Mio Cyclo. In my experience, the Cycle Sat Navs don't come with cycling routes already installed - just the maps (but showing not just roads. For example, the Mio Cyclo also shows footpaths and tracks). Its just a matter then of downloading cycling routes onto the Mio Cyclo. Either ones you have planned yourself or others that are freely available. These are usually .gpx files. If you are interested in any around North Wales - or even just want to get an idea of the range available, and how you can plan your own - feel free to look at my section in RouteYou, here:
http://www.routeyou.com/user/routes/183700/wingreen/3

 

[anotherkiwi]

£150!!! That is slightly more than 59€ for a cheap smartphone... Opencyclingmap is a layer over openstreetmaps. And the advantage is you can also have Strava and a GPS application for the boat and whatever on the same device as long as you have the memory. Dedicated GPS for me is a non starter, paying for upgrades or new routes for one.

 

[Wingreen]

£150!!! That is slightly more than 59€ for a cheap smartphone... Opencyclingmap is a layer over openstreetmaps. And the advantage is you can also have Strava and a GPS application for the boat and whatever on the same device as long as you have the memory. Dedicated GPS for me is a non starter, paying for upgrades or new routes for one.

Well, each to his own. Personally, I'm quite happy to pay a bit extra to get a device which is dedicated to the ability to navigate/follow a cycle route. I know there are advantages and disadvantages to each system but, for me, I want to avoid the potential problems of using a smartphone which include poor signals in remote areas, less accuracy, smaller/cluttered screen, short battery life and the need to use offline maps (as 3G, 4G etc networks may not be available). I think that a dedicated GPS is also far less likely to crash (if ever).
Having said that, I know that Smartphone navigation gets frequent, automatic updates and have the ability to provide real-time traffic information.
Finally - I'm prepared to accept that the world has moved on since I bought my Mio Cyclo a couple of years ago and that, because I haven't kept in touch with developments, I'm not appreciating what a modern Smartphone can achieve but, having already got a Mio Cyclo which I am very happy with, I'm going to stick with it!

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I can't believe people want to spend good money on a GPS when you get everything for nothing with a smartphone.

You don't need a phone signal. You download the maps from google or wherever you want when you're sitting at home with a wi-fi connection. The phone uses the GPS signal, not the phone signal, so it doesn't matter how bad EE is or isn't.

There's loads of really good cycling aps, like Sports Tracker, which will show you where to ride based on where other cyclists are cycling, or you can plan your own routes.

There's loads of cycling aps that offer all sorts of features - much more than you'll get with any GPS.

Google has just about every function that a dedicated GPS has.

You can get a very good smartphone for less than £50. You don't even need a SIM card to use it as a cycling GPS.

Smartphones have so may other features and functions as well as being able to be used for cycling, many of which can enhance your cycling experience: radio, camera, TV, clinometer, mp3 player, weather, flashlight, messaging and much more. Of course, they're also rather good for phoning someone when you're stuck.

Why take two devices when you only need one.

 

[Wingreen]

I can't believe people want to spend good money on a GPS when you get everything for nothing with a smartphone.

You don't need a phone signal. You download the maps from google or wherever you want when you're sitting at home with a wi-fi connection. The phone uses the GPS signal, not the phone signal, so it doesn't matter how bad EE is or isn't.

There's loads of really good cycling aps, like Sports Tracker, which will show you where to ride based on where other cyclists are cycling, or you can plan your own routes.

There's loads of cycling aps that offer all sorts of features - much more than you'll get with any GPS.

Google has just about every function that a dedicated GPS has.

You can get a very good smartphone for less than £50. You don't even need a SIM card to use it as a cycling GPS.

Smartphones have so may other features and functions as well as being able to be used for cycling, many of which can enhance your cycling experience: radio, camera, TV, clinometer, mp3 player, weather, flashlight, messaging and much more. Of course, they're also rather good for phoning someone when you're stuck.

Why take two devices when you only need one.

Welcome back d8veh! (OK, OK - I give in....but I've got my Mio Cyclo now!)

 

[Croxden]

I avoid smart phones like the plague, I would vote for the party that would ban them. Horrible invention.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I avoid smart phones like the plague, I would vote for the party that would ban them. Horrible invention.

Me too. Mine is a smartphone in sheep's clothing, er, something like that. It doesn't have a SIM card so it ain't a phone just a smaller tablet.

If I need to phone someone in an emergency I ask them to use their phone, costs less than a mobile phone plan