I agree with Warin - keep it simple. I just carry a map. Another device is just more stuff deal with. I'm 2 up on a DR650 and I see guys on their own with more stuff than we have all the time. In my opion, the energy that goes into keeping track of, packing, loading and unloading stuff that you don't really need often outweighs the benefit of having it.

Per above comments from Bertrand - can't speak for SoulJoe, but I certainly have a personal dislike for Garmin simply because I think they provide poor value by selling overpriced repackaged data that is meant to be freely available. Its not like they went out and collected it. Since everyone walks around with a GPS unit in their pocket now that allows you to use the same data for free, their days would seem to be numbered.

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bugsonmyboard.org
two wheeled wave hunting dispatches

I use smart phone for navigation in my car, it works great for going from A to B on regular roads. But unlike a traditional GPS it's not allowed (in Norway) to fiddle with it when I'm driving.

For navigation on a bike I find the phone useless. Basic navigation tasks as projection of waypoints and "offroad-routes" doesn't exist, you can't see bearings to waypoints (you cant even see bearing in real time!) etc.
This might be possible to solve with apps, but I don't care because the screen is hard to read, it's a nightmare to operate the screen with gloves and the unit is fragile.

Hmm, the GPS and maps on the phone suddenly stopped to work after the latest fw-update..

My dear Garmin-unit has been working for 11 years, I've had 7 phones during that time. 6 are dead now, drowned, crashed or died with battery-failure. The one that still works have a cracked screen and the USB-plug is starting to make problems.
Once the accessory-plug on my bike melted when the charger caught fire.

Still I think that this might change, and I will use the phone - hopefully my Garmin will continue to work in the meantime!

I think that it is changing and will continue to do so (I might pop back to this thread in another couple of years or so to read the latest thoughts here).

There is an overview in the link below which provides some ideas about the market related to trail riding.
GPS - Some options - RibbleValleyTRF

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Dave

Wow, this sounds really condescending.

You might as well have posted this.



To tell someone he doesn't understand "real" navigation because he doesn't use a dedicated GPS is misleading to new users. Most good navigators look at GPS users as poor navigators (and that's putting it lightly). Particularly motorists who use them. We're not talking about crossing the dunes in the Sahara here, but about knowing which direction to turn on engineered infrastructure.

The guy is the OP of a thread which aims to give an alternative to the old and provides continues updates. As has already been pointed out, there aren't many, if any, of those threads. There are a few remarks on Garmin, but typically as a response (from memory) or to point out the option. There is more useful info in this thread than in any other Garmin fan boy thread in my opinion. Calling yourself impartial and objective but going on about the Monterra is ridiculous.

To me this thread is awesome in providing more understanding of the capabilities of a tool which you likely already own, and possibly more than one. There is the redundancy argument dealt with, even though I don't understand the resistance to a swiss army knife approach (1 items for multiple uses). But to keep it informative let me summarize some other aspects.

Usability is a no-brainer. It can do exactly the same. It's up to the individual to adopt and accept that or not.

Screen in direct sunlight is still open to debate to me. I'm on the fence. Never really found it without problems on anything, but manageable overall.

Accuracy, it's as accurate. At least with Backcountry Navigator it is in my experience. I use it for backcountry hikes and cycle trips with topo maps. If I'm on a ridge, the map shows me dead on. Pretty much the same under thick canopy cover with it in my pocket. Never lose a signal. Took the wrong trail this weekend (my bad, should have looked on the map more often) and had to bush bash for a kilometer through dense forest, up slope to the ridge to find the trail. Never skipped a beat. The way in is either dead on, on the way back, or within a metre or 2. Eyesight in other words.

Battery is no issue. I still have half a battery left on an S4 with an 8 hour hike. Plenty of backup battery and solar packs available. On a bike this is a non-issue.

Robustness is no issue to me, although I’m taking Noel’s experiences seriously. Vibration possibly. But you don’t have to have the thing on the bars, a tank bag map case would do. My mate has his on the bars in an otterbox on single-trail rides in Queensland; Australia. Never had any issues. Don’t even “need” it in sight in all cases. There are still road signs and/ or gut instincts to follow. Real old school navigation I guess.

Touch screen with gloves is no issue. Plenty of winter gloves are now marketed as e-gloves. Bike gloves are a bit behind possibly, but there are plenty of option. The easiest one is to sew a tiny bit of capacitive thread in the finger. Well documented.

I’ve been an early adopter or Garmin buying their first Etrex (before they called it that I think, can’t remember) on a “just in case” basis. It didn’t have a map view so you had to find your location on a topo paper map. It was a good safety net, but in reality I didn’t need it. Used it in Mongolia on a motor bike trip once and a horse trip before that a few times. Then the 60 Csx which I did liked. Sucked for browsing, but following a pre-set trail (don’t use routes) was convenient. Maps sucked outside of the west at the time. Used smellybiker’s maps in South America, which were pretty decent. But liked it more for tracking the route for looking back in years out of interest. It also worked every time, except once when it rebooted itself and cleared the memory mid trip. Had no computer, so I was stuffed. Wouldn’t have had that issue with a smartphone, or the newer wifi version.
Got a Rino now for the buddy tracking function, and got to say. I think it’s shit. Garmin touch screens, the once I came across (Nuvi and Zumo’s included) sucks compared to phone ones. Wish I had the Csx back. I lost it on a single-trail ride.

Overall I’ve spent a fair bit of money on Garmin stuff, and in reality I didn’t have to do that. Could have spent it on the trip itself. THAT is the point of this thread that will help new bike travelers think about it a bit differently before they join the other Zumo or generally Garmin fan boys and drop a tonne of coin on something that is a luxury first, convenient second, but in some people’s mind redundant generally.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com