Garmin Connect vs. RideWithGPS
 

We have been using RideWithGPS for a number of years on all our tours both here and in Europe and have been quite happy with it.
On a different thread there is a discussion about GPS's and about using Garmin Connect as a route planning tool.
Anyone here used both? Preference's??
Thanks!

The thing with RWGPS...on Garmins I've had spotty luck with files made on RWGPS working and having cue data actually work on-device like it is supposed to. Whereas Connect-made files always had had cue data like they're supposed to.

If using a Garmin GPS, the Connect app has pretty good maps, at least the ones I've used here in the US. Once a course is created and saved on the online app, it shows up on the Garmin Connect mobile app (assuming the mobile device has WiFi access) and can be ported to the device via BlueTooth.

This of course assumes a Garmin device that has BT. You can pre-plan any number of courses while you have WiFi and save in Connect then download all to the device, so no WiFi really needed once on tour.

I only use RWGPS to plan a ride that I am not going to navigate (as well as it's my completed ride data base), just wanting to see a distance. Any courses I want to navigate I'll plan and save in Connect. This is mostly as the transfer of a Connect course is as described above and is simple and seamless on my Edge 1000, while a RWGPS planned route requires a USB cable connection to a PC or Android tablet to get the RWGPS TCX file onto the Garmin. That's more work then it's worth when the Connect route works perfectly well.

And as note: One thing I like about the Connect route planning as opposed to the RWGPS planning, is the map on Connect shows bike routes in green, on-street and paths, that RWGPS does not indicate.

Ride with GPS also has bike paths for planning. You have to select "Map" from the map type drop down and click 'bike paths' to have them displayed.

You mean course points?

There really isn't any magic in the file that either RWGPS or Connect produces.

(Note that you only get course points from RWGPS with the TCX export. Maybe, you can get it using the "direct to device" option.)

All route planners do basically the same thing.

Connect lets you use maps from:

-- Google
-- Google satellite (option shows when using Google maps).
-- Bing
-- Bing satellite (option shows when using Bing maps).
-- Openstreetmap (OSM).

It doesn't look like Connect gives you access to Streeview.

RWGPS lets you use maps from
-- Google
-- Google Satellite and Google streetview
-- Openstreetmap (OSM)
-- Opencycle (OSM maps styled to highlight cycling info)
-- OSM Outdoor (OSM maps styled to highlight hiking/outdoor info)
-- Various topographical maps (highlights elevation).

I find Google streetview very useful.

The "view bikepaths" is an option when using Google maps for both RWGPS and Connect.

RWGPS also is more "open": it's easier to share routes and files with other people.

No. I mean cues. Like the cue sheet page, and the cue popups



It shouldn't be magic. All I know is seldom do TCX files give cues like they should from RWGPS on my Edge1000. Last two Tour de Nebraska's we've had official TCX files...and I ended up having to completely rewrite them from scratch in Connect because the TCX files didn't even show the cue sheet page.

Thanks for the replies!
We have never had any problem with routes created in RideWithGPS and downloaded on our Garmin 800. It has worked flawlessly for 6 years.
So maybe I will leave well enough alone!!

You can also sync between Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS using the Tapiirik sync. For that matter, you can sync both of those with a whole lot of other ones too including Strava, Dropbox, Sporttracks, etc... I've been using it for years and it works flawlessly.

Using this I can seamlessly switch between my Wahoo Elemnt and my Edge 1000. When I'm finished, all the rides are in all the places after a bit. Works great. So even though I use the Elemnt mostly (it syncs the absolute best with RideWithGPS), my Garmin Connect is completely up to date.

I don't think it will sync the routes with RideWithGPS, you'll still need to download them manually - but I haven't checked. It will sync activities and I think you can turn that into a route with Garmin's software.

J.

Yes, I see that now, thx

I’m assuming that’s a computer app, as it doesn’t show as an app for an iPad.

It’s an application in the datacenter. You fill in the webpage to give access to the data and it goes to all the web portals and moves the data back and forth in the right format. That means it syncs in the background, you don’t have to have a device log into each service and do it.

J.

Garmin calls those "course points".


I don't have any issues with the course points on my 800.

Pm me with a link to one of the files (if you can).