gps systems

[gazrichards]

not weight weenie as such but Im sure someone here will have good advice.
I am going to portugal for a bit over xmas and want to take my bike for a bit of training but I dont know the area at all.
Can anyone recomend a decent gps system that can just fit in a back pocket whilst I ride and show me the right way home afterwards?
I dont need anything fancy, just to be able to programme my location and for the gps to point me in the direction of home.
I hae never used a gps before and am looking to spend under £100.

[DocRay]

Sounds like you want a navigator handheld GPS.

"Basic handheld"

These are great, and even work paddling down a river.

They show you where you are, but don't provide routes or directions. Like looking on a map and knowing exactly where you are and your direction.

B&W is all you need.

Look here:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=144

But other companies make them as well.

[CharlesM]

hehe,

I always found the basic ones without any street info were only usefull in pinpointing and recaping how lost I was after I found my way back home...


There are now a few portable units that have street level info and for a vacation in unfamiliar areas, something that could let you plan a route, then deviate when needed by showing streets would be best...

My Blackberry will do that for me.

[DocRay]

There are now a few portable units that have street level info and for a vacation in unfamiliar areas, something that could let you plan a route, then deviate when needed by showing streets would be best...

My Blackberry will do that for me.

Yes, but an iPhone will let you watch YouTube guys on rollers videos while walking in the forest.

[dhorse]

I've been using the Garmin Etrex Vista C for about 2 years now and it works well. The only downside is that you have to buy the mapping software to get the detailed streets and points of interest for the specific part of the world you want. Once you have the software, it is very easy to map waypoints, create turn by turn routes, find a hotel, etc. all on your computer. You then send it to your GPS via the appropriate USB cable.

The other nice thing about this series of Garmin units is that they are small and lightweight and can be easily stuff in your jersey pocket or mounted to your handlebars with an optional bracket. This makes it so easy to navigate while on your bike as it gives you turn by turn directions with visual and audible signals. It also automatically recalculates if you choose to go a different route than the one you have programmed in.

The unit is probably a little over your price limit, but worth it IMO.

[Mav54]

The Garmin Edge 205 or 305 will get you back. You can mark locations and it leaves a trail 'bread crumbs' where you've been so you can double back. It has saved me many times in the woods mt biking.

[swinter]

It's hard to do it at that price point.

I'm a fan of the Garmin units. I have the Edge 305 on my bike and also own the Nuvi 350 which I use in the car and also use, with memory cards, when I travel in Europe.

You can probably pick up an Edge 205 at a reasonable price and use it to navigate as Mav suggests. It will get you back to where you started without marking any location except your start. Or you can plot a route using a site like Marengo and upload it to the Edge. The advantage of spending the extra money on the 205 is you can ditch your current bike computer, saving some weight, and upload your ride info to your laptop or the web afterward.

The Marengo site is:

http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map2/

[GrahamB]

I've been toying with the idea of a Nokia E6110 navigator phone/GPS:

Pros:
Small, light, size of a regular cell phone;
Only one gadget to take on rides;
Provides street maps so if I get lost 3/4 of the way through my ride, I don't end up doing 50% extra distance;

Cons:
Rated as a fairly ordinary GPS for eg in car use because of small screen;
Battery life is a bit limited;
Fairly pricey;
My break-through distance runs/rides typically occur when I get lost in a foreign city

[Gregorio]

A little bit off topic but which unit is best and easiest to use for cycling, with elevations, garmin 205 or 305. I think the 305 you can get HR and a cadence set up also. Any comments on these.

[DocRay]

The Garmin Edge 205 or 305 will get you back. You can mark locations and it leaves a trail 'bread crumbs' where you've been so you can double back. It has saved me many times in the woods mt biking.

If only Hansel and Gretal had GPS, ...this German tragedy could have been avoided.

[BW]

wait for the new garmins - street level mapping and all that caper

[DocRay]

A little bit off topic but which unit is best and easiest to use for cycling, with elevations, garmin 205 or 305. I think the 305 you can get HR and a cadence set up also. Any comments on these.

205 gets elevations from GPS data, 305 has an internal calibrating barometer.
305 has cadence and a rear-wheel speed sensor, which means you can use it for speed, distance on a trainer.

[GrahamB]

The Garmin Edge 205 or 305 will get you back. You can mark locations and it leaves a trail 'bread crumbs' where you've been so you can double back. It has saved me many times in the woods mt biking.

If only Hansel and Gretal had GPS, ...this German tragedy could have been avoided.

Unless the birds eat your GPS ... or the battery run out.

[swinter]

A little bit off topic but which unit is best and easiest to use for cycling, with elevations, garmin 205 or 305. I think the 305 you can get HR and a cadence set up also. Any comments on these.

I love the 305, which I picked up w/ HR and cadence for under $300 online. Never had a problem with battery life. I have, however, had a problem with whatever handles the shock absorption. Eventually, it wears out and the unit starts shutting down automatically. I've had to replace the unit twice, though both times they swapped them out without any charge.

The new ones with color maps sound nice, but a bit too expensive I think -- even for a WW.

[DocRay]

The new ones with color maps sound nice, but a bit too expensive I think -- even for a WW.

the 305 intro price was high too. Spring of 09 it will be much cheaper and the bugs will be sorted out.