Would a Garmin unit be more reliable?
 

I use my (older model) Samsung Galaxy phone, on the Sprint network, for Strava when I'm riding. Sometimes I just CAN'T find a GPS signal. It's really annoying to be in a totally clear, treeless area on a clear sunny day and get nothing. Occasionally, my phone tells me "no internet connection," so Strava app won't work regardless of GPS signal.

It makes me really sad to ride, knowing it won't be "counted." Not sad enough to not go, but it's still a real bummer, especially if I'm riding somewhere new. Twice I've had to have the ride recorded on my husband's iPhone and have him export the .gpx file and send it to me. But I frequently ride without him, and in new locations where I wouldn't know if I'm going to get a GPS signal, because I've never been there.

Have you found Garmin units to be more reliable at finding GPS signals than smartphones, or does it matter? It would eliminate the no internet problem, as I'd be manually uploading rides.

I have a new Garmin 800 (blue trim with cycling and navigation bundle) and in the short time I have had it have had no trouble with GPS signals. In fact it even finds them when I am in my house. Not as many as outdoors but it seems much more sensitive to the signals than my old Garmin Etrex that I bought for hiking many years ago. I couldn't stand under a tree with that and get a signal.

Decent smartphones have no issues finding GPS signals, and many now include GLONASS signals (Russian positioning satellites) as well. There are apps that require no data connection, just running on the phone. Garmin units are pretty good, and some of the newer ones, the 510 and 520 also receive GLONASS signals.

As far as counting, people were riding long before there was GPS, cell phones, and even electric cyclometers. Write down distance, duration and other relevant information in a notebook, or manually input them to STRAVA or whatever activity logging site or software you're using.

A Garmin should be more reliable than what you've described but then many phones would be more reliable as well. I use a Garmin 800 and have never had a GPS issue with 800+ rides in the last few years. I just ordered a Garmin 520 which also includes GLONASS support although I probably won't use it as GPS is sufficient.

I've never had that problem with any of the Garmins I've had, or any of the other dedicated GPS units. The only times I've been unable to get a GPS lock were when I've been indoors or inside a tunnel. But I can't remember having that problem with my phone, either; the problem might be in yours.

You asked about reliability, and you have to know that Garmin doesn't have the best ... quality. They make great hardware units and bug-ridden software with features that are missing for some bizarre reason. Any new Garmin unit is going to have a lot of bugs for the first several months of its life. Seems like things stabilize after a while, but it takes their programmers some time to make a good firmware.

Finally you don't actually have to manually upload rides. I'm using a GPS watch, as soon as I finish a ride it uploads through my phone or my wifi network. I think all the Edge units that pair with a phone do the same thing. Your data uploads to Garmin Connect, you just have to go in and tell GC to copy your data to Strava and it's all automatic.

It's going to be about the same for all intents and purposes. Both use their own GPS engine, I'd suspect that Garmin's antenna is probably a little better overall. It's probably that your phone has a problem not that a phone GPS is not as good as a Garmin GPS.

J.

I've been disappointed with my garmin edge 200. I have a 7 mile commute each way. I've completed the 7 mile commute without the Garmin ever being able to "acquire" my position. Probably my most disappointing bicycle related purchase.

I live in a city of urban canyons, so finding GPS satellites can be dicey, and it's definitely better in some neighborhoods than others. In general, I've found that my phone (currently an HTC One M8) finds a GPS signal more quickly and reliably than my Garmin Edge 500, which some days takes forever. I don't think there's ever been a time, even in the city, when the phone or the Garmin was completely unable to find a GPS signal, though it can take a long time.

The thing is, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to when the Garmin works, or when it has trouble. Starting from the same spot, say in front of my apartment, some days it will find satellites almost immediately, other it will take minutes, and the status bar creeps up, and jumps back, repeatedly. Some days the track it draws is more accurate than other days, when I apparently careen wildly through buildings. Is it possible that satellites move around, so the Gamin can find them some days, but not others? Oddly, I've found the Garmin to be more accurate and less cranky lately, compare to when I first got it. Is it possible there are more satellites over the city now?