Strava vs. Ride with GPS for Routes on Garmin
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Strava vs. Ride with GPS for Routes on Garmin
I just switched from a Wahoo Element to a Garmin Edge 830 bike computer and wondering whether Strava or RWG is the better route creator for the device. I had been using RWG on my Wahoo given Strava didn't support turn by turn notifications on the Wahoo. I use Strava for other things and only RWG for route creation only so wondering if it's worth just using Stava. Assuming Strava supports audible turn by turn navigation. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!
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It does.
I'll also say that Strava route building has gotten better in the last year or so. I do have the occasional problem with a phantom road block (Strava won't let me route through a certain stretch of road and I haven't found a manual workaround as is available on RwGPS), but other than that, it's been good and sync to Garmin has been fast and trouble-free.
I'll also say that Strava route building has gotten better in the last year or so. I do have the occasional problem with a phantom road block (Strava won't let me route through a certain stretch of road and I haven't found a manual workaround as is available on RwGPS), but other than that, it's been good and sync to Garmin has been fast and trouble-free.
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I most recently bought a garmin 530 and was experimenting with turn by turn instructions between strava and garmin connect.
Both were very imperfect. At least compared with something like google maps.
Both were very imperfect. At least compared with something like google maps.
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I have used RidewithGPS, Strava and Connect to create routes. RWGPS exports very well. I stopped using Strava because I didn't like the tools. I now use Connect on a computer most of the time when I'm building a route in an area I have some familiarity with. It's imperfect, but I've learned the quirks. I've never gotten lost with it, but have had a few issues with roads under construction.
A few friends use RWGPS exclusively, and when they send me a link, I download the gpx file and upload it to Connect, then send it to my 530. Works great.
A few friends use RWGPS exclusively, and when they send me a link, I download the gpx file and upload it to Connect, then send it to my 530. Works great.
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I create all of my routes w/ Strava to use with my Garmin 530. The integration is seamless and it’s super easy to pull a route up. YMMV of course
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I wonder how people found routes and got home again before riders decided they can't leave the house without the latest technology.
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I know were I'm going. Never really understood the need for routes. It wastes my time to make them.
But when I've made them, I used RWGPS. Strava and other places just never quite were easy to use or I more easily wound up with a botched route on my device. However that was 10 years ago. I supposed they've all changed several times over by now.
But when I've made them, I used RWGPS. Strava and other places just never quite were easy to use or I more easily wound up with a botched route on my device. However that was 10 years ago. I supposed they've all changed several times over by now.
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I do. I've been all over the USA by land and air. I'll look at a map before I go and that's usually good enough. I've never needed the reassurance of a route to make me take a road I've never used. If it doesn't quite wind up where I want, then it becomes an adventure.
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So you know where you're going but not necessarily how to get there. Got it.
Other like to not get lost so they look at interactive maps before they go and they make few mouse clicks while doing so. It doesn't have to be tremendously time consuming to create a route.
Other like to not get lost so they look at interactive maps before they go and they make few mouse clicks while doing so. It doesn't have to be tremendously time consuming to create a route.
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Back in the day I used maps to plan new rides, and would even write out cue sheets for really complicated new routes with lots of turns. I also didn't have a cellphone. But technology advanced, and it makes it easier for me to explore new routes and have a bailout if something goes very wrong.
But I guess I could be cool and talk about how much better it was. Except it wasn't.
But I guess I could be cool and talk about how much better it was. Except it wasn't.
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I never need navigation when I'm riding from home. It's invaluable when riding roads I've never been on and I do this a lot. Worth the money.
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Strava is useful for routing in totally unfamiliar areas, since they use their Heat Map history to prefer roads that are popular with cyclists.
I still use ridewithgps almost all the time. It has better tools for choosing which road among alternatives: distance, elevation, avg and max grade on hills, height of hills, etc. And easy undo-redo to try alternatives.
I think either one will pop up turn by turn prompts on modern Garmins.
~~~
"back in the day", when I was leading rides with only cue sheets, we really wanted to simplify the routes. Now, there's no need to avoid lots of turns.
Using bike GPS and online route creation, we've refined routes repeatedly, substituting better alternate roads, or combining two good routes into one amazing one, and exploring a lot of new areas.
I still use ridewithgps almost all the time. It has better tools for choosing which road among alternatives: distance, elevation, avg and max grade on hills, height of hills, etc. And easy undo-redo to try alternatives.
I think either one will pop up turn by turn prompts on modern Garmins.
~~~
"back in the day", when I was leading rides with only cue sheets, we really wanted to simplify the routes. Now, there's no need to avoid lots of turns.
Using bike GPS and online route creation, we've refined routes repeatedly, substituting better alternate roads, or combining two good routes into one amazing one, and exploring a lot of new areas.
Last edited by rm -rf; 03-06-21 at 08:32 PM.
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I like the ability to easily use street view with RWGPS. I like to look at where I'm planning to ride. Strava gave up on using Google maps a few years ago so not street view.
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RWGPS. I use it for planning hikes, too.
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Strava, unless I missed a setting somewhere, does not. Ability to route past potential rest stops or snackage suppliers can be important.
Also, and maybe again just not really trying with Strava, but Strava seems to yield way too many directional prompts -- not just "turn right onto XXX", but then followed by "proceed onto XXX" and sometimes also adding a further "continue on XXX" a tiny bit later. It wasn't obvious how one can see all of the cues that would end up in a TCX file, without selecting the "print" function, nor how to delete unnecessary individual cues.
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I know were I'm going. Never really understood the need for routes. It wastes my time to make them.
But when I've made them, I used RWGPS. Strava and other places just never quite were easy to use or I more easily wound up with a botched route on my device. However that was 10 years ago. I supposed they've all changed several times over by now.
But when I've made them, I used RWGPS. Strava and other places just never quite were easy to use or I more easily wound up with a botched route on my device. However that was 10 years ago. I supposed they've all changed several times over by now.
I mostly use garmin connect but it has its issues. Ride with gps doesn’t always download for some people with garmins from their iphones to connect. Strava is easy to download on the garmin but I’ve never created one in strava
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Also, and maybe again just not really trying with Strava, but Strava seems to yield way too many directional prompts -- not just "turn right onto XXX", but then followed by "proceed onto XXX" and sometimes also adding a further "continue on XXX" a tiny bit later. It wasn't obvious how one can see all of the cues that would end up in a TCX file, without selecting the "print" function, nor how to delete unnecessary individual cues.
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I love the RWGPS with Garmin combination especially since they now have a ConnectIQ app for wireless transfer. Have tried the others but I became comfortable with RWGPS some swear by Komoot but not happy with the routes created. The new Heat Map features are amazing as can find where people ride as well as check on street view while creating route.
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It’s a really nice thing to have in group rides, every club I ride with sends one out so everyone is in sync, even if you just look at it before the ride. There’s no way I could memorize these rides beforehand. Plus one or two guys isn’t stuck up front bc they are they are the only one that knows where we are going. I live in a very spread out very large city and weekend rides are often to other cities and in town rides can have a lot of turns
I mostly use garmin connect but it has its issues. Ride with gps doesn’t always download for some people with garmins from their iphones to connect. Strava is easy to download on the garmin but I’ve never created one in strava
I mostly use garmin connect but it has its issues. Ride with gps doesn’t always download for some people with garmins from their iphones to connect. Strava is easy to download on the garmin but I’ve never created one in strava
My son uses routes too all the time for our rides. But I never understand why since we are fully familiar with where we are going. However I have been on organized rides with him and he'd claim we needed to turn, but I knew the route and we didn't. On those same rides where he was showing a false turn, we also witnessed others that made the turn. Presumably something bad in the course file the organizer provided.
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It's great to have a reply that tells me a real reason why you like to have and use that feature.
My son uses routes too all the time for our rides. But I never understand why since we are fully familiar with where we are going. However I have been on organized rides with him and he'd claim we needed to turn, but I knew the route and we didn't. On those same rides where he was showing a false turn, we also witnessed others that made the turn. Presumably something bad in the course file the organizer provided.
My son uses routes too all the time for our rides. But I never understand why since we are fully familiar with where we are going. However I have been on organized rides with him and he'd claim we needed to turn, but I knew the route and we didn't. On those same rides where he was showing a false turn, we also witnessed others that made the turn. Presumably something bad in the course file the organizer provided.
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#25
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The result in these cases is usually a 10 to 20 mile detour; with RWGPS, you can simply manually draw the route-line you need, then flip the switch to go right back to following roads.