dennis336

I've got a pretty basic question about bike GPS capabilities. Presently, I don't use a bike gps - I do often download an off-line Google Map of the area I'll be riding in. I generally just ride without using a gps/mapping tool although I do sometimes bring a paper cue sheet or some notes when I'm riding in a new area, especially when they're on rural/gravel roads and I don't want to get too lost. Having said that, I do often download an offline Google Map of the general area I'll be riding in to my Android phone. My primary purpose is to confirm my current location if I'm not confident of where I am. Sometimes I'll use the turn-by-turn if I've gotten off track and just want to get back to my starting point as quickly as possible. That has worked pretty well although I'm finding more and more that it's not finding my current location/street name.

I'm now thinking of getting a bike gps (currently leaning towards the Wahoo) ... while I expect I will some times download routes to the gps, a basic feature I'd like (similar to my car gps) is to have the gps show me upcoming street names so I know where I am. So, if I'm just riding and exploring some new roads but not exactly sure where I am, would the Wahoo (or other leading brands) show me what street I'm on and what streets are coming up (similar to the car gps) even if I haven't programmed the route?

Thanks ... hope that all made sense and sorry for such a basic question!

Steve B.

Are you using the Android mounted on the h-bar for information ?, or in the pocket/bag to check location ?.

A Wahoo or Garmin replaces a less expensive cycling computer that only tells you basic info. such as speed, distance, riding time, etc.... with all that plus the mapping and navigation of a car unit. Actually better then a car unit in some respects as you can create a route/course off-line and have it on the Wahoo/Garmin to use for navigation. Both Wahoo and Garmin (as well as Lezyne, Bryton and Polar) display maps and turn-by-turn info on screen, with the information typically popping up as a TBT screen (Wahoo) or that info. plus a small map of an intersection (Garmin) about a 1/10th of a mile prior to the turn. Or you can switch screens to view that data while riding.

I'm partial to Garmin as I find the color maps and turn-by-turn (TBT) have more info and better display, with the Wahoo's strengths being rock solid reliability as well as slightly easier to get initially configured via the (required) smartphone app. You can use RideWithGPS, a free course creation and tracking program, to create the routes off-line, than painlessly have it ported (via BlueTooth) via the phone app to the device. Garmin uses Garmin Connect on-line, which I find is as easy to use as RWGPS, which then allows the smartphone app - Connect Mobile, to send via BT to the device. Your call as to which you prefer. After a tracked ride, you can save to RWGPS. Strava, Connect and have that completed ride info. available. Garmin data can automatically send to RWGPS as well.

What no GPS unit can do well currently is get you easily back on track with a good bike-friendly route, but in truth Google sucks at this as well (Google sucks at creating bike friendly routes, IMO). Some units take a bit of time to figure out where you are, then figure a route back to the course. Issue is the device is just not smart enough to give you great cycle friendly options, as there's no good built in database of what roads/routes where you happen to be off-course, are the best choices. At that point having a good map display is useful as you can get street names, and a decent view of your location and where you might want to go. I find that the Garmin unit's with color screens, are better then Wahoo at this, as they list street names on the map, which Wahoo doesn't. As well I find the color display more useful than the B&W of a Wahoo. I also find that for navigation and TBT, the display of the Garmins is better then Wahoo (yes, I've used both), but that's just my personal opinion.

FWIW give a Bolt or Elemnt a look at, or a Garmin 520 Plus.

njkayaker

The Garmins that use maps do this. I don't think the Wahoo units display street names at all.

The Garmins also allow you to pan and zoom the map fairly easily (features I find useful). The Wahoo only lets you zoom the map.

The Garmins also allow you to install alternate maps. The Wahoo units don't.

njkayaker

People also have differing opinions about what "bike friendly" means.

In any case, I don't have the unit calculate a route back to the course. It's easy enough to look at the map.

Steve B.

Agree and good point. It's always a struggle to find roads (assuming a road or maybe dirt road route) that are "better" for cycling then others, especially when you are exploring a new area. Strava Heat Map shows where other cyclists have logged rides, I think Garmin Connect has a similar function, though I've never used it. Thus even the process of creating a route/course in an area you are unfamiliar with can be a challenge, much less a re-route.

Sometimes the choices are easy in rural area's where the road selections might be limited, but then in those area's a re-route isn't likely needed either. Then to ask a GPS bike unit to choose a new course, especially as a detour, can be a challenge for the unit, and I've not heard of a unit that can do it well and often. Lot's of considerations as NJ has stated, as to the definition of "bike friendly". I'm OK, as example, with riding in moderate traffic as long as there's good pavement and good shoulders with few parked cars. Others might not like moderate traffic. I often will ride roads with moderate traffic as opposed to the local bike path, mostly as the path's where I live tend to see a lot of baby carriages, dogs, children, etc.... thus feel more comfortable with cars near me. Completely my choice and not something I expect a GPS computer to advise me on, thus prefer as with NJ, the Garmin mapping system, with zoom out, panning, etc.... Makes it easier to let me make semi-intelligent choices.

ksryder

Wahoo doesn't display street names.

I don't find that to be a hindrance but that's a matter of personal preference.

dennis336

Thanks for the responses. From the responses thus far, and if I've interpreted correctly, it sounds like Garmin may be closer to what I was thinking of in terms of one of my criteria ... that is, knowing and tracking my current location when I haven't downloaded a map (e.g. from ridewithgps).

Steve B., my current routine is to just keep my Android phone in my jersey pocket with the off-line map downloaded - using a cue sheet or just going by memory to navigate. Then, if I get to a place where I want to confirm my current location (typically a rural paved or gravel road without many/any people around to just ask), I pull out the phone and try to find the current location/street where I am ... my Android (kind of dated - Moto G 3rd gen) has been getting less reliable in finding my current location (unless I'm missing a setting somewhere). The interesting thing is, if I type in a destination, it can give me the navigation steps from my current location - just that if I want touch the "find current location" icon, it won't zoom in to show my current location/street name (it had been working in the past so not sure if a setting got changed or if it's a memory storage capacity issue on an old and dated phone).

tunavic

Check out the Garmin Explore. It's $250 and has maps already built in.

Steve B.

Kind of sounds like you could use a new phone. Only advantage to a dedicated GPS is it sits on your handlebar and as such is right there and readable, no need to take out of your back pocket. If you do a search here for something like "smartphone as GPS" there are pages of info as to how people adapt a smartphone to a dedicated cycling computer. It usually involves a good and robust handlebar mount, possibly a tough case that's waterproof, maybe a USB stick battery for when the smartphone battery runs down (sometimes faster then the 10-15 hrs. of a GPS unit), plus the need to adapt or download software to do the navigation you desire. Your call as to which is easier - a dedicated unit, or an adapted smartphone.

dennis336

Yeah, planning on a new phone for Christmas ... being kind of a cheapskate, I may end up deciding to see take that approach meets my needs first (and, as you noted, look into the USB charger as batter life on the phone was a concern.

Really appreciate the responses.

John_V 

Correct, neither the Elemnt or the Bolt display street names on the map itself. The street names appear on the turn by turn notification.

Correct again.

There is no need to download any alternate maps with either of the Wahoo units. They come preloaded with maps of every country on the planet. I was in Italy and Sicily in August and when I turned on my Bolt it immediately showed the map of the area I was in. No connection with my phone as it was on Airplane Mode to avoid daily data charges.

njkayaker

I didn't say you would "need" to download maps.

Being able to download maps is an option on the Garmins (and not an option on the Wahoo).

You can use custom maps on the Garmins. The Garmins also let you use overlay maps. You can also get more current maps.

Steve B.

Unless you are doing off-road exploring and the stock Wahoo maps don't show any features off a paved road. They are entirely road centric.

I use a set of really nice Garmin Topo maps on my Edge 1000 when I'm riding dirt roads in the Adirondacks. Wahoo's maps show a blank screen. I can also use the Garmin for hiking and canoeing as well, so not a bad feature set.

JohnJ80

I have a Garmin Edge 1000, a Wahoo Elemnt, and a Hammerhead Karoo and I've used them all extensively. The Wahoo is absolutely flawless with performance data, bulletproof firmware, and with sensors but it would not be my choice for navigation. The Elemnt's strong suit is not navigation and the Bolt is even worse because of it's smaller screen. The display quality is low, and there are no street or geographic feature names. This is a serious problem in navigation especially if you get off the route.

The Garmin Edge 1000 is decent but the maps basically suck given the cost of the unit. So, while it's better for navigation than the Wahoo units, the map quality is a downer especially when coupled with the display resolution. Garmin is the easiest to get maps into using RideWithGPS, Dynamic.watch etc...

That said, I think the Karoo has the best navigation. The map quality is better than Garmin, the display is light years better and their website/dashboard is decent. The unit is under going fairly rapid improvements lately that have greatly increased reliability to the point where I'd put it pretty close to Garmin. If you're a tech savvy person, you can side load Android apps onto it (it's android based) and that allows you to use Komoot and Osmand which are far, far better maps than Garmin has. I used this with Osmand for a two week tour in Norway this year and thought the Osmand mapping was awesome especially in the high quality display. The Karoo's dashboard will take pasting of URLs from many standard mapping sources for routes and then download the route (Ride With GPS, Strava, etc...). The route is then instantly loaded to the bike computer. I think the Karoo's native maps are better than Garmin's and Osmand and Komoot are better than all of them by significant amounts.

Tandem Tom

A question about the Garmin Explore. Can you transfer routes from your phone via Bluetooth?