opn2itsd

Recieved a Garmin for an early Xmas present (in Joshua Tree now, and yes, she loves me) and have early observations and some questions. Accuracy of info rocks, and is a little humbling. The system is easy to set up (cadence and speed sensors are smartly done) and compares sensor data to GPS data when you download for a real brutal look at your workout (yes, that 7 mi. assent with a head wind was that grinding, thank goodness i didn't have the heart rate on).
Downside:
no maps on the unit, preprogrammed directions only
the software maps are major streets only, no elevations, and deffinately no National Parks

Questions:
Freeware to better street/terrain maps? Anybody have any suggestions? motionbased.com (for a fee, of course) will do just that, and can post your humiliation for all the world as well, but i'm looking for just me (and GF) without additional fees.

waterrockets 

Congrats! If you want to feel really bad about a ride, get a power meter

nkodner

garmin edge + motionbased.com even better!

ChunkyB

If you're on a mac, Ascent is good. If you're on windows, there's one that I can never remember the name. Ascent is nice, but it's 30 bucks if you want more than 10 workouts.

I got my Forerunner 305 as an early Christmas present too, and I love it. Congrats on the great gift, and I hope it makes you as depressed as I am when I ride with it (I swear I'm going 20, but the thing says 17). Oh, and if you think that's bad, try running with it. Then you'll feel crappy. It just has to include all the times I stop to puke. I wish it could just leave those out and pretend I ran through it.

opn2itsd

A prolonged stretch over 30 (nearly 2 miles) at 80 rpm does help to counter the pain , and thats real-time. I haven't even looked at the subscription for motionbased.com, just one more way to spend money on a "free" sport, right?

opn2itsd

and im on a PC (i know, i know, but its bike stuff or mac, bike stuff or mac...)

ChunkyB

Hey, you don't have to justify your Windows usage to me. It's between you and God (or you and Satan as it were).

Honestly though, if my brother didn't work for Apple, I would have the same crappy dell that everyone else has.

cccorlew

I just got one as well. I'm amazed how cool it is. BTW, there is a mail in $75 rebate going if you bought in Nov.

I really like Ascent. Cheap at $30. For extra fun try "send to Google Earth" and then play it as a tour. Way cool!

I have visions of actual training with heartrate, but I'll wait for spring to get that going.

Anyone have any cool tricks or hints or explanations of how you use you 305?

jeffremer

Mac: Ascent rocks, hands down.
PC: Sport tracks is reported to rock socks as well, but I never used it long enough to tell.

Use the search, there's a handful of others.

ChunkyB

Thank you. Sporttracks. I couldn't think of the name for the life of me. I thought it was speedtracks or something.

kk4df

+1. I use SportTracks v2 beta. There is a even plugin that even calculates power from speed/elevation/weight/wind data. For creating Garmin courses, I use www.mapmyride.com.

Walter

opn2itsd

rt on, can't wait to check it out

WheresWaldo

Uh, Motionbased is going away, will become something else, just can't remember the name. DirectSomething or GarminConnect or some such nonsense. If you are just starting out fresh, Motionbased is NOT the way to go.

Cleave

Hi,

As far as I'm concerned, if you use Windows, SportTracks is MUCH better than MotionBased. I know that Garmin is coming out with something better (and free) but unless it is a killer app, I'll be sticking with SportTracks. BTW, SportTracks is kind of like this forum. You can use it for free, but if you like it, you can pay for it. I REALLY like it, so I paid appropriately.

sancocho

As far as laying track data over maps...

My understanding is that the Forerunner will do this in the pay verison of Google Earth (G.E. Plus) but the earliest versions of the Edge did not. I've been trying to find out if anyone has had sucess with more recent versions of the Edge in G.E. Plus but to no avail. Anyone have an answer on this?

grahny

Check out https://www.gpsies.com/createTrack.do for mapping rides and exporting a file to then import to the garmin as a course. I done this successfully on a PC and a Mac. Run the course on your garmin and you have a map (well, a line pointing in the correct direction). I've used this feature many times and love it.

Enjoy the new toy!

fprintf

Sancocho: I mapped an entire 5 day ride into my Edge 305 earlier this fall. It worked flawlessly - I used MapMyRide to map the routes, then exported the .CRS files to my PC and imported the course files onto the Edge using the Training Center application that comes with the unit. On the ride I used the course screen and there were quite a few times when the cue sheet would not indicate a turn, but the GPS would. A few times I was able to confirm we were heading in the right direction in some rather rural areas of Pennsylvania. I couldn't, however, always say we were on the right road - just that we were on course, so it should be correct. This, of course, relies upon the accuracy of the person (myself) creating the course in mapmyride.com.

Finally, when done I used SportTracks v2 to view my results.

It sounds complicated but it is exceptionally easy. I also uploaded to Motionbased so I could share the course and some statistics with folks following our tour from home, but I prefer SportTracks for my home based viewing pleasure.

neospazzy

I am thinking about selling my Edge 305. The new Edge 605 and 705 are releasing next month and they have a larger, color screens with MAPS! Of course as a biker, the last thing you want to do is look at your device while riding, but the sheer joy of having a full on GPS device with MAPS (like a car) is without a doubt, COOL! Don't get me wrong, the Edge 305 is a fantastic device and for what it does, it does well. I am a tech-geek and, just like bike components, it is time for an UPGRADE!

sancocho

Does anybody know about being able to EXPORT your track data from the Edge onto a map on their computer without paying for Motionbased (not even sure if MB lets you do this)? It sounds like it's relatively easy to IMPORT a route to the EDGE.

I think that's what people were doing with the Forerunner and trying to do with the Edge. Go out and track a route and export it overtop of a map in Google Earth Plus.

WheresWaldo

If you are using something like SportTracks, you can export any activity as a GPX or KML file. for example look here:

My Sunday Ride

That map is made with a GPX file exported from Garmin Edge data imported into SportTracks.

cccorlew

Ascent has a menu item: Send to Google Earth. You can then play a flyover at your choice of elevation and tilt. It's WAY COOL. I'd save a movie of it, but you can only save movies in the $$$$$$ version if Googlel Earth

revolator

From motionbased.com, you can review your rides with "google maps" which is pretty detailled. There is a free and premium level features in motionbased. You're not going to be able to do much on the 305 unit itself aside from what you mentioned.

sancocho

OK...

https://www.gpsies.com/page.do?page=instructions

Awesome! Now, if only GPSies.com could switch to miles...

grahny

^ If your settings in the software you use and on your garmin are set up for miles, then when you import the file, that's what it will show.

I use gpsies to take cue sheets for events an toss them on my garmin as a course, then you don't need the paper cue sheet on the ride (which usually turns into a ball of lint by the time I'm done ). You can still track/record your usual ride stats, there's just extra windows you can scroll through. I usually end up leaving it on the map and zoom in on where I am.

alainp

+1 to mapmyride. Really simple. I also use it for plotting driving directions to a specific destination. Just don't go importing the information into your workout logging software and go bragging about 50+ mph average speeds over the course of a century. I mean, that would just be wrong .