I have to try hard to form a concise question on here with enough balance in detail because I’m quite detail-oriented yet I’ve trouble in recalling what I have and have not posted throughout a thread that may span several combined posts, but I’ll try. I’ve included some more details in a second post to explain where I'm at and also if there’s not enough detail in the numbered points for what I'm looking for in a GPS.

I’m trying to determine if a Garmin GPS (probably either an Edge 810 or Garmin Edge Touring Navigator) is able to accomplish all of what I’m looking for, even if there are some workarounds that are not too inconvenient/time-consuming, then I’d consider making a commitment.



Here is what I’m looking for in a GPS unit, outside of course tracking speed/mileage.:



1.)Pre-planning a route (preferably about as seamlessly as one does so on a desktop or laptop with Google Maps: For example, I am able input different points with Google picking sensible routing between those points (even using right click and selecting those points), to determine what a route’s distance would be before or after I ride it, as most routes I do are fairly similar in terms of where I go and have limited turns and/or I am familiar with. This is without taking up an excessive amount of time on Google Maps (5-15 minutes depending on the route).

2.) Ledgible/Accurate and Updated Maps: I don’t know what the point of buying such an item is if the maps are not ledgible in both compatible PC programs for pre-planning and the GPS itself as well as being fairly updated. I’m already having a few experiences that sort of scares me off and leads me to look into this more, which is sort of a shame and embarrassing and a head scratcher.

3.) *********Re-routing OR a workaround for a detour*******: I’m skeptical and unsure how the re-routing capability works on Garmin products and not having much luck thus far in learning much at all about it via Google searches.
Example: An example would be on a 40-mile ride, at MILE 10, there is a possibility of a detour due to a potential draw bridge being raised, and my choice to take a detour taking me off route vs. waiting 15-30 minutes for a draw bridge to go back down and sometimes for traffic to clear vs. clogging up a lane. Miles 20-40 may include several turns, and on roads/ a route I'm not as familiar with.

Would I simply have to have a second, alternate pre-planned route for miles 20-40 (with the detour incorporated into that alternate route) in the event that the rerouting function greatly alters miles 20-40? Or another workaround/setting on the GPS? More POIs (if that's the right term) on a set of directions? It seems like either possible workaround, doesn’t exactly leave me feeling confident it would be all that convenient, but again, I’m not sure which is why I came here.

Extra details:


My Situation: I purchased a Garmin Edge 810 that I should be able to return if it isn’t what I’m looking for. The deal seemed like a good one ($299) and I was planning on returning it if it didn’t work out. A few products by Garmin were on sale by Garmin in April ‘16, and the store I bought it from (I’ve much store credit from them) matched the price.

The problem with this: I didn’t realize the Edge 810 was more geared towards training and the basic bundle I purchased doesn’t even really include maps. I’m not inclined to spend money on their City Navigator maps as I’m all but certain one can’t return them, nor on a micro SD card to try OpenStreetMap on the Edge 810 because I’ve no real use for one if it turns out for one reason or another, the Edge 810 + OSM = no go. I may try this though….except….OSM seems kind of iffy (VERY small font for street names).

1.) Pre-planning a route: I get easily disoriented. I’d have to study up on the new areas I’m riding around well enough without a GPS if I were going on new routes often enough with a lot more turns, not as easy navigation (like landmarks). I don’t think I’d be able to more seamlessly navigate knowing only the streets I have to turn on, because then I’ve little reference for where I might be if I miss a turn, when I’m about ready to have to make a turn, and so on. This option is not totally impractical, it’s just a fair amount more work for mixing up my recreational bike rides. Sure seems a lot cheaper though.


2.) Legible/Accurate and Updated Maps: I am noticing, albeit not a major issue with OpenStreetMap. It puzzles me that at least in Garmin Basecamp in the Metro Detroit area, the street names are incredibly small and hard to read. Here is an example: https://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/...pshynh5rxw.jpg

Updated maps: Furthermore, someone gave me a Garmin nuvi (for automobiles) to use which has Garmin City Navigator Maps/ lifetime map updates. I updated it to 2017.2 recently, but noticed when I had the Garmin nuvi connected to my laptop that a new street layout in these “updated” maps (on a street I ride on too), which was re-done sometime in early 2016 (probably January or February), and it’s still not updated. OSM and Google Maps do have the correct street layout. It’s just kind of embarrassing for something one pays for, and it takes how long to ultimately be updated? I’m just wondering how that would pan out if I were to try to plan a route, and then ultimately by default for this reason, be going off course from the pre-planned route because the map is not updated and it's telling me I went off course and any problems that may ensue.

I’ve also read on a website, about Points of Interest (POIs) not being updated for several years. I can understand if they’re not updated for several months, but of several years? Come on now..apparently this website offers data for one to supplement their GPS data, but it seems like it’s more so groups of POI’s (like different fast food restauarants).


3.) *********Re-routing*******: Here’s an example of a route

I have an Edge 800 and a Fenix 3, occasionally use the navigation features on both.

I put the Open Street Maps on my 800, and have been having good luck with them for the most part. Have you seen this post by DCR on how to do it?

I don't usually pre-plan a route, although I'm doing it more often lately. Normally when I want the Edge to navigate for me I'll touch my destination on the map and have it create a route on the fly. It's set to avoid main highways when possible. This works pretty well for me. When my plans change, I'll just ride around the obstacle or whatever it is that forced the change, watching the map until I find my way back to the route.

DCRainmaker has somewhat detailed instructions on how to select, download and install the free OSM maps.

How to download free maps to your Garmin Edge 705/800/810/1000 & Touring

You will need an SD card on the unit, 16gig works perfect as the maps are not that large, data wise.

Other then that the 810 pretty much does what you want, except can be buggy. I have one, purchased in mid-April and have had it crash 3 times, so can be annoying. If it happens again I will explore returning and switching to a Garmin 520.

Note that I use it for pretty much what you described - pre-routing and downloading of created course, basic tracking and uploading to Connect of my rides on assorted bikes. I hope to use it for riding in Maine and Vermont next fall on vacation, following routes I've researched and downloaded to the device. On the occasions I've done this locally, it's worked perfectly. I do not use any external sensors or HR monitors, just basic tracking and route following. I do find the BlueTooth download of courses as well as tracking and uploading to Connect to work really well and am happy with this capability, which is why I got this as compared to an 800.

As to re-routing, the 810 and 1000 will do this better then any other Garmin cycle unit, as far as I can tell. If you take a detour, it'll tell you are off-course but won't make a suggestion other then to turn around to find the route. As far as I've seen it cannot do an internal suggested re-route of a course you've created and loaded to the unit and are then following. If you continue on the detour and head back to the route it will know this and will then continue navigating and TBT.

The OSM maps are easy enough to read to find your own way, or you can attempt stop the course navigation to attempt a navigation to a POI or map point. Note that the 3rd crash on my unit seemed to be caused by my stopping mid-ride on a course navigation. Seems the unit gets confused at that point and freezes.

As note on POI's and timely updates, I think Garmin sucks at this on every unit they sell for general use - car, cycle or whatever. It's not a feature I require so have no experience with it.

My 810 crashed the first day I owned it, and I lost data within a few days.

I returned it and got a factory refurbished Edge 800 which is reliable if I split long courses/rides into multiple pieces and combine them later. Not doing that it crashed 140 miles into a ride and lost everything back to when I rebooted it at mile 20.

Garmin firmware is horrible and getting less reliable as they add features so I bought a Wahoo ELEMNT before the 810, but returned it when it didn't accurately record or display power and turn-by-turn directions weren't shipping in Q1.

Currently (there's a beta with turn-by-turn for ridewithgps) it doesn't do navigation at the same level as the six year old Edge 500 which gives you audible + pop-up alerts for turns or other points of interest (WATER) and distance to the next (one on the map screen, three on the cue sheet) course points. Instead it just gives you a chevron trail and alerts when you make a wrong turn, which means you need an eyeball glued to the screen to follow it.

The ELEMNT also has map problems. Minor roads like those used for cycling are invisible when zoomed out, and unlike the map-equipped Garmins there's no way to pan the maps to see where roads go. The ELEMNT is also missing street names.

I'm generally familiar with it. The two issues I outlined are: at least some of the data (like the "routeable bike map") has incredibly small font/text size in my region (here is one example: https://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/...pshynh5rxw.jpg) and doing a Google search, seemed to reveal it's perhaps not common, but is no rare. this is at least in Garmin Basecamp, which is a program one can use to create routes. Secondly, I have store credit to Target and I could use it to purchase a micro SD card, but with the font of the street names being incredibly small, I'm not sure about that route. I will at least see if I can upload OSM data onto the Edge 810 which I'm not sure whether I've tried it yet.

Doing a route on the fly is not really something I think I'm inclined to try because of roads/streets I'd want to avoid (though maybe I'd be surprised by its capabilities) and other roads/streets/paths inclined to want to ride on instead as well as wanting to go on rides of a certain mileage range/time.

The OSM street maps have pretty good detail from what I see locally and as the 810 map screen is zoomable, you can see where you are as well as what's around reasonably well, IMO.

I stumbled into the whole GPS idea as a result of discovering the Garmin Swim Watch, which counts pool laps and ports the workout to Garmin Connect. I had been tracking rides, but not doing pre-routing, with Endomondo, which is bloody awful for swimming as it can only track tenths of a mile. So useless for swimming but the iPhone app worked well for cycling. Then I would pre check route options on RideWithGPS, but this site and MapMyFitness either don't log swimming or don't do it well and it's a manual entry in any event.

So then I found the watch and Connect and it worked well for an easy workout upload (the swim watch is a pretty good device). Thus I got sucked into the Connect and bought the 810. As well, I find course creation in Connect online, then porting via Connect Mobile on the iPhone via BT to be very good and a reliable and painless transfer.

Thing is, the 810 (and 520) and in theory, work very well when they work, which is pretty much most of the time. Until it doesn't, but right now not much else seems any more reliable. And once you go down the Connect/Connect Mobile/BT route its hard to go back as as a system it's pretty good IMO. I'm just hoping I've discovered the tricks and fixed the bugs (like a badly formatted SD card). I'm being a bit more patient (or stupid) then Drew I like to think and am plodding on.