jadocs

Are you saying that that Elemnt and Bolt require your phone to navigate because that is wrong. It synchs your routes from RWGPS, Kamoots, and gives you TBT directions. Go to your settings and you can see which maps have been downloaded to the unit.

daoswald

I have a Garmin Edge 820. The primary thing I *don't* like about it is that when you plug it in to charge, it powers up. When you unplug it, it powers up. Garmin says this is because they're trying to make it easier to use with a computer for data transfer. In my opinion, for a GPS that has both wifi and bluetooth, this is a terrible optimization; who ever plugs the Edge 820 into a computer? Mine just syncs with my phone.

Aside from that wart, it's been a great GPS, and I would recommend it or its successor the 830 anytime. The 820 has turn by turn routing with street names, integration with both Garmin and Strava routing, automatic uploads to your device, multiple ride profiles, realtime ride data sharing (share your location with a loved-one for example, as you're riding), integration with your phone's notifications as well as ability to read and respond to text messages, connectivity to sensors such as heart rate, power, cadence, speed, and even rear-facing proximity sensors.

The 830 is a refresh, with better screen than the 820, and a few other perks. If my 820 weren't less than a year old I'd upgrade to the 830.

If you are more concerned with mapping, and less with performance information, you might consider one of the 'Explore' models. The 1030 Explore is a really great GPS with a larger screen than the 8x0 series, but without the ability to connect external sensors such as heart rate. The 1030 (not Explore) has both sensor connectivity and larger screen.

Witterings

OsmAnd gives you turn by turn with no subscription ... used it for 140 mile tour on an Android phone (also have it on my Iphone) this summer and it was flawless.

Drew Eckhardt 

Displaying a course with its programmed directions is just part of navigation. You also want resilience to incorrect automatically generated cues and the ability to navigate without a course when things change.

Automatically generated "left" and "right" turns can result from road squiggles in your mapping application. You won't notice it on the Wahoo if you don't have the map screen up which supports too few data fields to leave up and the Wahoo won't automatically change when a turn approaches like a Garmin that will highlight it in white.

You can't route to a point-of-interest like water (because it became 105 degrees in the sun) without your phone having internet access.

You'll need to have relevant map tiles downloaded to your phone or internet access to manually navigate because you can't pan to see where roads go when zoomed out, and to see what the names of those streets are where you'll turn.

You won't get navigation back to a course when forced to detour that keeps you off dead-end streets because the software doesn't know about roads, just your bread crumb trail.

You need a new Wahoo Roam or 10 year old Garmin to get that basic functionality. The Bolt and ELEMNT are the wrong tools for riding where you're not familiar with the roads and cellular coverage.

RWGPS wrong turns. The "slight right" isn't what gets displayed. Street signs with road names aren't always visible, especially after dark.




Garmin turn pop-up 500' before, showing just how far (or not) you'll be turning

switching from a more informative navigation screen

Chris!

Can you do turn by turn with out a phone connected. Looks like you can download maps to the device.

cyccommute 

Yes. You can download maps from a phone but you don’t need the phone to be connected to follow the maps.

Chris!

I'm sold. Backcountry_.com them on sale for for 159. Gonna order one tonight. It tells you your altitude but does it display % grade? Not a deal breaker just curious.

Steve B.

Just checked. Not seeing that.

Chris!

Just ordered it. Im sure I'll be happy. I'm not even sure if I need a GPS......

biketampa

one limitation to lezyne, unless they’ve updated recently, is the ability to send a route directly from Ridewithgps to the device over Bluetooth. That’s my favorite new feature with the Garmin.

wsteve464

Unless you have an older android phone then the app doesn't work. I have the wahoo, the screen went mostly black in about 6 months fortunately they have a decent customer service and I got it replaced once I sent a pic of the screen.

Phones work if you live somewhere the sun hardly shines otherwise it is hard to read the screen and use a auxiliary battery if you ride more than a couple of hours.

Slightspeed

I'm pretty happy with my Garmin 810. The screen could be brighter for day light use. It was a little buggy a few years ago, but after a few firmware updates, all good now. Battery life is OK for most rides, but has gone down a little after several years, still adequate for most days.


It shows big temp numbers on hot days. I was told that's because it's out in the sun, but then, so am I!

77Eric

As a satisfied Mega XL user I think you made a good choice and yes, it does have the ability to display %grade.

bpcyclist

I am just using my LG and RWGPS. So far, I like it, except for the fact that a couple of times, when I review my ride, the "route" I have ridden seems to magically have diverted to someplace miles away from me and then returned. It looks ridiculous and the lines are perfectly straight. RWGPS suggested I look at whether battery saver was on (it wasn't) and also if there was a barometer function--there is not. Has anyone using a phone experienced this? If so, what did you do? Many thanks.

1kosmos1

lezyne mega xl

Chris!

My mega XL came today and I did find the % grade. I set up my three! Screens of data, I've got speed and time and temp a.d a few more. A huge step of from my cat eye. I have made a few routes and loaded it up. I'm super happy with the functions and the negative reviews I've read about the buttons seems to be a non issues. As long as it tracks I'll be happy.

MikeyMK

I don't want a readout on my bike. I sit up, and enjoy the world.

But that's not to say that certain info isn't interesting. I do occasionally use Strava on my phone, as well as Google maps, and it'd be interesting to know what others use for touring/sightseeing/commuting as I plan my errands/tasks etc and reflect on them as it suits.

reconnaissance

I use my old iPhone 5s with no SIM card, and a variety of map apps, mounted to the bike with a Nite-Ize handlebar mount. Favorite map app is MTB-project. Fits the “cheap and cheerful” category for me.

kaos joe

Without a SIM card, how do you install the apps? Also, how is the battery life when using the phone this way?

I recently succumbed and bought an Edge Explore, but I've always liked "cheap and cheerful".

Steve B.

You can install apps (at least on an Apple) using WiFi. In fact stuff from the Apple store almost never likes using cell data only to download. I repurposed an iPhone 6 as a music player, pulled the SIM card and use WiFi.

reconnaissance

wifi. Yep. Battery will last about a day, same as if it was being used with a SIM card

Chris!

Got a ride in today with my Mega XL. Loved it, created a route I ride regularly and like the turn by turn. I did forget to turn tracking on so all data was lost. Next time.

jfan

Even quite a few that have never used a Garmin. I've had a Garmin 520 for 3 years and haven't had trouble. I like the color map screen and the Live Track feature. You're also not dependent on your phone to upload/delete maps or routes.

kaos joe

Hah, an iPhone 6 is my "good" phone, inherited (like all its predecessors) from my daughter. Wait a minute, something is backwards here........

I have a SIM-less old 5 S I've downloaded offline maps and RWGPS onto. I'm going to fool around with that and see how it compares to the Edge Explore, which I've been getting accustomed to. It's so easy, a cave man could do it! (remember those ads?)

Reconnaissance, thanks to you too for the tip.

Steve B.

We will all be curious as to how you like one method vs. the other, books have been written here as to which is superior. One thing to note is when you do a club ride, or any remote ride, where you do not have WiFi, when you complete the ride, you will need to wait till you have WiFi for the iPhone in order for your completed ride to be uploaded to whatever web based activity tracker you use, I assume RWGPS. As opposed to a Garmin/Wahoo which saves the ride immediately via the smartphone app and the cell data connection.