I would like to keep track of basic data when I cycle: distance, time, route, etc. and I travel occasionally so I use a different (folding) bike. Rather than use a basic cycle computer and set up all the wires, etc. I figured I'd try the GPS device route. I also would like to use this device for driving, even walking, so I figured an auto only GPS would probably not be the best route.

Locally, I don't have a lot of selection, but some stores do sell the:
- Garmin Edge 800 ($469 Cdn)
- Garmin Oregon 450T ($419 Cdn)
- Garmin Oregon 450 ($279 Cdn)
- Garmin Dakota 20 ($299 Cdn - go figure!)
- Garmin ETrex 20 ($219 Cdn)
- Magellan Explorist 110 ($129 Cdn)

Based on the value/price point, I bought the Oregon 450. However, when I started it up, I realized that the map was a bit, well, sparse. And then I realized I probably needed to buy some more detailed maps from Garmin (or other place) for a mere $80 US!

Q1: I assume that I have to buy (or at least get) "better" maps, correct? If so, what do you recommend for North America as a good map or maps to get?
Q2: If I get the Edge 800 instead, would it be "that much better" for bike functionality? Would it already also come with better and more detailed maps?
Q3: If I instead went with an auto GPS and then used the bicycle or walking mode, would it be sufficient? I've read that they're not particularly great for non-auto uses.

Thanks in advance. I'm a bit confused with all this.

I download the free open-source maps onto my Garmin 705. I think your Garmin Oregon should work similarly, since it also uses a sd card and the gmapsupp.img file.

See my previous post here for detailed instructions.

Thanks! Will give this a try.
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Alright... I gave this a try, downloaded the 4GB .img file (the big one!), copied the map file over to the SD card, and renamed it as gmapsupp.img as instructed. Note that I have a 32GB microSD card.

When I started up the Oregon, the map was much more detailed (hooray!), so I assumed that the newly downloaded map was being referenced. However, I had also read that we can simply rename the *.img files to something more easily understood, and then by enabling or disabling the maps, we can access more than one map. So, I copied the same 4GB file again to the SD card, but give it another name 4GBdaveh.img.

When I tried to see if I could enable this map file, I couldn't find 4GBdaveh.img. I did see two map options to enable... but none had any familiar names.

I then connected my Oregon back to my computer, went to the SD card, and experimented by naming the gmapsupp.img file as Trial.img. Well, this seems to have taken the file out of the system completely. When I restared my Oregon, I was back to the same "sparse" images. Curiously, when I went to the map enable/disable, I found a whole bunch of options, none of which I loaded up. I guess these are the original maps that came with the unit and now have reappeared when I renamed the gmapsupp.img file on my SD card?

So, I'm not sure what is going on. How do I get the maps on the SD card enabled and co-existing with everything else? How do I even access the maps on my SD card if the names don't match?

Okay... I sort of figured this out. I suspect if you load duplicate maps, even if they are named differently, it messes things up. Also, by trial and error, a folder named "Map" on the SD card does nothing - nothing in it seems to be recognized.

So, I loaded up a map, "4GBdaveh.img" under the GARMIN subfolder on the SD card and it seems to work, and all the original maps show up as well. But... under the enable/disable map options, the name "4GBdaveh" does not appear. All I see is Map - family name. "family name"? Is there some naming convention I've contravened by entitling the map 4GBdaveh? I thought I could rename the map to anything as long as it ended in *.img.

Any thoughts?