Originally Posted by jhawk

Hi all,

Thinking of buying a GPS over the coming few months, as I'll be starting touring in Spring/early Summer of 2014 - whenever the snow goes away, really. However, my phone also has GPS capabilities, but it's a drain on the battery - and then there's the argument that a map will do. Which is true. But, I'd rather keep the map as a back-up, rather than my primary method of location - I guess I'm more of a tech-friendly person and enjoy having the technology there to support me.

I've heard and read lots about Garmin's GPS's when it comes to cycling - admittedly, I haven't looked around too much, as it's more of an after-Christmas purchase. But, still, no harm in asking and getting one in my sights to buy once the fat man in the red suit has gone. Furthermore, I'm wondering what the score is with regards to GPS's being compatible with cycling applications/mapping software, such as MapMyRide (which I use), Strava (which I have, but have never used), and there are hundreds of others out there. Can you just simply plug your GPS into your PC and 'download' your route from MapMyRide, etc, onto the GPS itself?

Turn it on, load it up, select your route, and bam. It's logged into your GPS and you're good to go... Not too sure on the GPS front.

Any help? Suggestions on what to buy?

Secondly... And maybe this should be in a separate thread, but what do you guys use to lock up your bikes when you're on tour? Where do you lock it up? I've heard of and met people who just chain their's to the nearest tree they can find...

I'm not too sure on the locking system, as I rarely lock up my bike here in town. But, on the road I'd want to be a lot more cautious. A friend of mine has recommended the AXA lock with Kryptonite cables, and when I saw how it worked on his bike, it looked like a pretty secure setup.

Any help on the locking front?

Cheers,

Jhawk.