Dancing Skeleton

I need some help picking out a Garmin GPS. I'd like one that I can download club rides to. Will this feature map my ride, tell me where to turn & let me know if I'm off-course?
What model provides this feature?
Will a 500?
Is a 500 as good, better or worse than a model with a color screen?

Also, I have a Trek Madone with the DuoTrap sensor in the chainstay, which transmits speed & cadence via the ANT+ standard.
Do I need a bundle or just the head unit? My sensor should provide the needed data, right?

Thanks

M_Rob

slight aside but if u have an android phone or Iphone you could download the free gvSIG Mini Maps. it is like the google maps package but with some addons including footpaths and bridleways in a OSish style. works great for me as garmins are real expensive.

unfortunately i dont know much about other GPS units but just thought u might like to look

roflmao147

u will only need the garmin with the maps if u are cyclin roads u dont know. but if u train on roads you know all the time, there is no need for the more expenisve garmin, the edge 500 seems to be the best bet, and it allows you to view your ride on google maps when you finish ur ride and plug it into your computor. the edge 500 is the computor of choice of all the pros who use garmin computors. in my opinion the garmin with the maps is like having a fat lady sit on your bars in comparison to the edge 500

Seattle Forrest

First, you don't need any GPS to ride a bike. Second, the one you're describing is the Edge 800, or maybe the 705 too - I'm not sure. I think any Edge will talk to your ANT+ power meter; being told when to turn left is a more expensive feature. You can use software on a GPS phone to be able to navigate, but this won't work with your power meter.

Map my ride is a web site, and won't be available on any GPS unit, but you can probably upload data from any of them to it.

Adrianinkc

The only thing you will need for your bike if your go with a garmin, is the bontrager duotap sensor (sensor goes in frame, also comes with the cadence sensor for the crank) also you will need the wheel sensor ( I think it's called speed sensor.)

Check out the link in my sig.

Dancing Skeleton

I have the DouTrap sensor in my bike already.
So, my understanding is that a Garmin 500 will not let me upload rides, and tell me when to turn.
Which model do I need for this?

Thanks

Cleave

Hello Peter2,

I have the Garmin 305 (died) and I use the Garmin 705 for training and the Garmin 500 for racing. The 705 has the ability to show maps (you have to buy the maps separately) and beep for turn-by-turn directions (either by loading a course or setting a destination). The 500 will not be able to give you turn-by-turn beeps (the 705 does not have a "voice" for directions).

The ANT+ sensor in your Madonne should work just fine for cadence and speed on either, though you don't need the speed sensor for outdoor use as the GPS provides speed and elevation information. The speed sensor will work when riding on an indoor trainer. If you want heart rate info yo will need an ANT+ transmitter. Note Polar transmitters will not work with Garmin units as they are not ANT+.

I like using the 705 for training. For instance on Christmas day I was riding to my parents' house and I cam across a section of flooded road. I was able to use the maps on the 705 to navigate around most of the flooding. You can't do that with the 500.

The deficit associated with the 705 and 800 are size. I gotten use to the size of the 705 and I was disappointed to see that the 800 is slightly larger. The suggestion above to use a smart phone definitely wouldn't work for me because phones are even larger. Also, I don't know that I would want to expose a phone to the vibrations of being mounted to the stem or handlebars.

Hope this helps.

engstrom

I just got an Edge 800 a couple weeks ago and bought a DuoTrap to go with it. I went ahead and purchased the Garmin items separately rather than as the kit mainly because I wanted to use the DuoTrap instead of the Garmin speed/cadence sensor. The DuoTrap on newer Madones just looks sweet.

If you want to get turn by turn directions on the Edge 800 you'll need to buy a map disc from Garmin as well as the Edge. The built-in basemap installed on the Edge only has interstates and major highways. I suggest the City Navigator NT DVD instead of the Micro-SD card as you can use the map from the DVD on both your computer and your Edge where the Micro-SD card only words on the Edge. This allows you to create routes on your computer and send them to the Edge to follow as you ride. If you do go with the DVD be sure and buy a blank 2GB (or larger) Micro-SD card from Frys or Best Buy because the Edge 800 does not have enough internal memory to store the full City Navigator map so you'll need to load the map on the Micro-SD card that you install in the Edge 800.

Big_Red

I have a 705 and use it on just about every ride. A 705 or 800 will do what you want. As the others have mentioned, you will need to buy map set as well. Downloading things from sites such as map my ride is really simple and a nice way to explore new areas by following the rides of other cyclists.

I am toying with setting up my wife with something like mytracks or sporttracks on her droid. Still need more info on battery life and to find a decent stem mount for the phone. Her Droid x has Ant+ capability, but this is not enabled in the programs yet as far as I can tell. There are some bluetooth optioins for HR though. Gotta carry the thing anyways, might as well put it to work.