Recommendations for GPS Bike Computer primarily for navigation...
 

Hello everyone,

Need a little help.

Starting a business which requires biking around London regularly everyday. I am a complete begginer at riding, so need help in choosing a DURABLE and RELIABLE device. The lower the price the better too. (note: I cant use my smartphone because it is faulty).

Some i've found :

GARMIN EDGE 820
GARMIN EDGE EXPLORE
GARMIN EDGE EXPLORER 1000
MIOCYCLE 505
LEZYNE MACRO GPS

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

You can download an app for your phone that uses your GPS for navigation. Strava, MapMyRide, etc.

You might need to buy an external battery, but if money is tight right now, use your phone.

I have found Garmin to be slower than I ride, Especially in the city. If Directions are what I need then google maps on a smart phone works much better.

Unfortunately and as he stated "I cant use my smartphone because it is faulty".

At the OP, as you requested navigation, note that a number of units can do nav. reasonably well, but about all work best when you use an on-line app on a PC or tablet with WiFi to generate routes. RideWithGPS is a very popular and widely used website, Garmin has their own with Connect, Osmand maps is another and I think allows a smartphone app to generate navigation as well which can then be ported to a device. Of the 2 dedicated GPS units I've used, the Wahoo Bolt or Elemnt have great integration with RWGPS, though I much prefer the maps and navigation of the Garmin 1000 over Wahoo and have good results using the Garmin Connect route (course) generation system.

Nothings cheap though, Garmin 520+ and Wahoo Bolt are in the $250 and up range, Wahoo Elemnt and the Garmin 1000 are in the $320+ range. I think the Edge Explore is now what they used to cal the Touring and a caution as the Touring models got horrible reviews and comments for buggy and poor features. If I had a choice between a Garmin Edge 820 and a 1000 I'd take the 100 as it's larger and that makes viewing maps easier.

As much as I love using my 1000, for everyday use as a business, I might choose the Wahoo Elemnt as the software and support is as good as it gets. But take a good hard look at the different maps and navigation methods of Wahoo vs. Garmin. I know that on Garmin's you can generally read street names on the map, which Wahoo does not offer on their units.

Yikes! I apologize. Still, in the US, a new Samsung J5 can be had for not much more than $100, and I imaging prices are comparable in GB.

My J5 Luna was $40.

offline google maps are free and priceless.

My phone with ridewithgps

Shiitlodes of drivel on that topic here: https://www.bikeforums.net/electroni...hting-gadgets/

Get a used smartphone on Craigslist for $50

It doesn't have to be great. It just have to have a working screen and GPS and Wifi. You don't even need a cell phone SIM card. Just download the app and maps at home via wifi and hit the road.

Literally any Smartphone that has working GPS and wifi will work for this. You do not need a top of the line super phone. A 5 year old phone you can buy off a friend for $20 will work. (Though if you're getting an older phone I'd recommend making sure it has a removable battery because you might need to replace it. And if that's the case, get a new battery by Anker on Amazon. They are cheap and very reliable. And they stand by their products.)

When you go the smartphone route, some considerations. 1) If riding in the wet, you might need a waterproof or resistant case, factor in that cost. 2) Battery life might not be as good as a dedicated GPS, but easily fixed with a battery stick. 3) Screen may be hard to read, you're call if it's tolerable, and only an issue if mounting to the handlebar, and factor in a mount for the phone PLUS waterproof case if installing on the h-bar (dedicated units come with h-bar mounts).

For your needs though I would think a cheap Android smartphone, plus case, plus mount, would be cheaper then a good GPS. You then get to experiment as to which software works best for navigation - Google Maps or RWGPS and the app on the phone.