bikering

Are there any bike GPS units that work similar to an automobile GPS? In other words, can one just put in a destination and it will calculate directions and update as you go. I am trying to avoid downloading rides prior to going.

benaroundawhile

Wow.

Life long cyclist and cannot relate to this request in the least.

Given that caveat, any smartphone + Google Maps gives walking and riding directions. Assuming you want to be "that guy."

Steve B.

Garmin makes a number of cycling specific units that will create an on-the-fly course, as will some smartphone apps. Not sure the other GPS computers that do mapping" such as Wahoo, will create a route on the unit, possibly can do it on a smartphone and then show the route on the head unit.

The smartphone versions pretty much all use a version of Google Maps, where as the Garmin may use a different map and routing method. Smartphone apps are usually free or low cost, the Garmin and other units are a bit pricy. There are lots of threads about which is better - smartphone or dedicated.

Bottom line though is I don't think the choices they make are very good often times and would rather do the research and create my own route for the unit.

Creakyknees

ridewithgps.com and mapmyride.com both have phone apps that will use bike friendly routing. There may be a fee involved, not sure.

I concur that it's best to manually research a route if it's your first time on a given route.

sdmc530

For a rout i have not rode i use ridewithgps. A great website that is accurate. Never gave me bad info yet.

chaadster

I believe that Garmin is the only company to offer that, and their Edge Touring, at $250, is the entry point for that type of functionality, which can also be had in the $500 Edge 1000.

The new Lezyne GPS units (make sure you're looking at the new units; the old ones are not clearly distinguished by the untrained eye) have a hybrid system where the on-unit displayed mapping relies on Bluetooth to a couple of smart phone run apps, one for nav and another to translate the nav app to something suitable for the head unit. Sounds kind of complicated to me, and I haven't seen it working yet, but it could be interesting if reliable cell service is available where you ride.

And that's really the big advantage to using native maps and GPS: the coverage is basically global, and you don't have to worry about poor or non-existent data connections as you do with mobile phone. There are other advantages to using a dedicated GPS unit as well, e.g. longer battery life and the ability to conserve your phone for emergencies or whatever.

indyfabz

+2.

DrIsotope

Also be very aware that virtually every mapping service uses Google Maps data to compile their routes, and Google will send you down dirt roads, farm tracks, forestry service "roads," you name it. Google once routed me down a road that was no longer maintained, and it dead-ended into a box drainage canal. I had to traverse a rocky field via a singletrack used to access a cell tower to get back to a paved road. Google will also pick what it reckons to be the most direct route, or the route that avoids the most stops/intersections, even if that means sending you directly over a hill or mountain. I got to do about 3/4 mile of 12-15%, when a detour of about 2 miles would have eliminated that hill entirely. And there was no reason whatsoever to go over it. The road literally started and ended at the same elevation. Just with a really steep climb in the middle. Thanks, Google.

Steve B.

True for the free smartphone apps and on-line mapping sites - RideWithGPS, MapMyRide, Strava, Endomondo.

The dedicated GPS device manufacturers do not use Google, Garmin uses maps provided by NavTech. Not sure they are any better at navigation though, as they literally use a map guy who drives round with a GPS attached to a laptop to check out areas and determine a value to a road as well as somewhat current road conditions.

Anybody know how Garmin determines what bike friendly routes to take ?.

idiotekniQues

I use Google Maps on my phone. A lot of people on here seem to have problems with the navigation for Google Maps and I am curious if there is a trend to that. I ride in NYC and the GMaps bike navigation smartly picks routes that have bike infrastructure vs prioritizing the most direct route. I've only been using this for a couple of weeks but for say about 10 test trips it nailed it every time. Obviously I need to do more riding with it to test it thoroughly -

but for those that have had GMaps direct them on bikes onto weird roads or damaged roads, are you more in urban or rural areas?

chaadster

To be clear, Garmin use Open Street Map content, not Google Maps.

chaadster

Open Street Map

Seattle Forrest

Do you mean the online route-planning service in Garmin Connect?

When I pull up the map page on my 800, touch my destination, and have it generate a route to get me there, it's also using OSM, but only because that's the one I have loaded on the unit...

Steve B.

When you create a new course in Garmin Connect, or view an already created course, you get 2 options to view the map on the on-line version of Connect - Google or Open Street Maps.

You have options on the device itself as to which map you choose to keep loaded and view-able, OSM is one, with assorted Garmin map products (City Navigator, etc...) as another. I don't believe you can choose to use Google maps as a downloaded option on a Garmin device.

I've no clue as to how a device such as an 800/810/820/1000 does on-device routing, but the map you are seeing the route on, is whatever you chose to load to the device (if not already pre-loaded).

chaadster

Garmin nav units like Edge1000 and Touring are preloaded with Garmin Cycle Map using OSM content, and it is my understanding that is the info they use to calculate routes.

canklecat

Ditto, OSM and similar bicycling relevant map routes based on info from cyclists. And cycling specific apps.

With OSM you only download the desired map once. Even on my older iPhone with limited RAM it doesn't take up much space, compared with my photos and videos.

Google Maps is terrible in my area. Some folks report good results with it, but Google Maps will get you killed in my town. It suggests the worst possible routes, including highways with fast on/off ramps, with roadsides using storm drains with grates running parallel to the direction of travel -- big enough to swallow an entire bike wheel.

Reminds me, I've been intending to put together a parody video demonstrating why Google Maps is awful for cyclists in this area. It wouldn't even need to be a deliberate parody. Just riding the routes Google Maps actually suggests is bad enough as dark humor. But I'd need to be sure my insurance is paid up and funeral arrangements in order.

memebag

I've used Google Maps on my smartphone to get bike directions before. It worked just fine.

mrodgers

What's the complaint to that? That would be a lovely route. A welcome change to an assumed otherwise flat route, LOL.

When I ride with my group in Pittsburgh on the Heritage trail and the GAP, I'm always hollering to them, "turn left and go up!" at nearly every crossroads. It was a very pleasant ride on Saturday when we roamed the middle of the city and headed out through the neighborhoods on the hills to get to Performance bike.

I have to at least once every 10 rides go up the 19% hill near my house.

scott967

My Garmin 800 allows you to scroll the map and touch to create a location pin, with option of "GO" to route from present location to the pin as destination.

Routing options include "route for bicycle". Not sure what that does but I assume each road segment is potentially coded with a weight for bicycle. There's also "avoidance" options which do the same thing. But for this to work the vector maps in the unit have to have the appropriate bicycle weighting. For OSM note that the OSM data itself isn't usable; it needs to be reformatted into Garmin data. I know the "Openfietsmap" web site has taken that data for areas of Europe and massaged it to provide appropriate weighting for cycling. Then you use the recommended settings for "avoidance" to trick the Garmin into using the bicycle-friendly weights. That being said if you have access to an 800 or sim Garmin unit you could do on-device routing and compare it to what you would do manually on RideWithGPS or sim sites.

scott s.

jimb100

Take a look at a Magellan Cyclo. Less expensive than Garmin and my Cyclo 315 seems to have all the features for training, good maps, results can be uploaded to the web and cost $135, new on ebay.

Seattle Forrest

I don't know the details of how this works, but I also have an 800. One day I was on US Highway 2, in a town, and told the 800 to route me to the next town, 6 miles up the highway. It gave me a 20 mile route that got me immediately off the highway and went into the town on back roads. It was a hillier route than US 2 would have been, but far less traffic. My guess is the 800 just avoids numbered highways?