Bike computer w/ GPS tracking
 

What bike computer w/ GPS, has true tracking capability?

The Best Bike GPS of 2016 | Top Ten Reviews

The reason I am asking. Is because, the Android phone I have, is a pain in the (you know). Because, It is not good for someone with eye-hand coordination, and fine-motor skill, problems. So, I am going back to using a flip phone. While that will take care of my disgust about the Android phone. That doesn't solve the tracking problem.

Any feedback as a bike computer that would make it possible for Police/EMS to track and find a cyclist.

I have both, the Garmin Edge 200, and the Garmin Edge 500. The 500 tells me where I have been. But it can't be tracked. At the included website, it doesn't say if any of the bike computers have GPS tracking.

All the cycling computers that provide remote tracking use a smartphone.

The Garmin Edge Explore 1000 has "incident reporting" (probably, the only device that does that).

Garmin releases new Edge Explore 1000 Edition: Tells your friends when you crash into a ditch | DC Rainmaker

These devices provide tracking without needing a cell phone but they are not cycle computers.

FindMeSPOT.com

You have to press a "rescue me" button or fail to "report in" to get help.

Think about how that would likely come into play.

Some of the Garmin devices have a LiveTracking feature, but it requires a smart phone (like the Android you gave up). In an accident it's really only of use if somebody at home is watching your progress when you get hit. That wasn't the case in my accident. The Edge 1000 has a "crash detection" feature but it also requires a smart phone.

An InReach or SPOT device can leave a bread crumb trail and it goes through a system that's used for search and rescue. These devices are fairly expensive and carry a monthly fee because they go through a for-profit satellite network. These have an SOS button, so if nobody is watching the trail at home, you can call for help as long as your hands aren't broken and you can reach the device.

Thank you both, for your valuable input, and feedback!!!

What is your real worry/desire? Are you worried that you'll go down (crash) someplace without help, are you just looking to track your routes or if you're missing for too long do you want a service/person to be able to ping where you are?

I had a Spot 2 for backpacking at one point but returned it. The cost of the device + the annual subscription + what it really provided did not equate to what I really needed.

While I have 5Star on my phone(the same that is in motor vehicles). That first responders can get my medical info/emerg. contact info from. I am not satisfied with 5Star. I already got in a shouting match with them. Because, Until I demanded to talk to a supervisor. They wouldn't accept my physical address, and refused to put my bike in the 'vehicle' portion of the profile.

I have three lifelong physical neurological health conditions. That aren't exactly 'chicken feed', when it comes to severity.

I want someone to be able to find me if something happens, and I can't contact anyone on the emerg. contact list.

Can you explain that further?

I have the Garmin Edge 500 Bundle. Even if I had a newer unit like the Edge 810, or 1000. I would need to be able to be tracked by GPS. Like the cops tracking a criminal via GPS.

GPS is just a listener, it's like a radio that plays music and the news, the station doesn't know you're listening. For someone to track you via GPS, you also need a transmitter. Like a phone.

The information in the Edge has to transmitted to the "cops". This is done using a smartphone (a smartphone is your only option for transmitting from the Edges). (Your fliphone won't cut it.)

I'd call what you are looking for "remote tracking". "Tracking" could refer to "recording a track" or "transmitting/sending position/track data to a remote party".

You have two problems: 1- how "something happened" can be determined without you using a "send help" button and 2- transmitting/sending that information to your emergency contact. (Determining your position is easy and not a problem.)

The Edge 1000 Explore solves 1 "reasonably well". One might be able to use a smartphone with an accelerometer.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kael...847680838?mt=8

Things like the Spot allow you to "check in" periodically. I don't see how automatically "checking in" can be done reliably at this point (one could use HR but that would only determine that you were dead). I suppose to missing the ETA to waypoints could be used but I don't know any device that does that. Having the "check in" at any regularity sounds like a nuisance.

For 2 (sending the information to your emergeny contact), there appear to be two available options: 1- using a smartphone to call somebody, and 2- using a satellite network like the Spot devices do (keep in mind that these are communication statellites not GPS statellites).

(Note that you probably aren't going to have whatever you use contact EMS directly.)

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As far as I can tell, the only option that could work for you is the Edge 1000 Explore linked to a smartphone OR just a smartphone with an "incident detection" app.

The Spot won't work because it can't determine "something happened" by itself (you are stuck with using a "send help" button or manually "checking in" periodically). You could do the same thing with a cellphone (though the Spot isn't limited to places with cell-phone reception).