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  • 1000 is lacking battery capacity, as for actually using it I have no idea. I've only had lots of experience with the 800. The 810 is meant to be better according to @skinny. I'd probably buy an 810 if I was buying now. Some people get away with navigating on the 500 but I'd get lost to easily to run without maps.

    I just had the base thing and then bought maps, but I've also used it with free OSM maps and they've worked quite well too.

  • The 200 is better for audax. The battery lasts way longer than an 800 or 810 and it doesn't have the bug which makes it freeze/crash at 250-300km and be as much use as a chocolate teapot thereafter (grr).

    The navigation isn't as advanced because it doesn't do turn by turn or whatever it's called but you can follow a route on it fine.

    It's smaller and lighter than an 800/810 and it currently costs £79.99 on Wiggle.

    Interestingly/uninterestingly I have noticed Steve Abraham is using a 1000. He's clearly got a way of topping the power up but it doesn't seem to suffer from the 800 bug judging by his Strava.

  • He's clearly got a way of topping the power up

    External battery pack (PowerMonkey type thing), and a recharge every night.

  • Don't forget the good old ETrex 20... none of the fancy "you can see when you're having a heart attack" connections, runs 24h+ on AA batteries (nice and easy to replace) and it can do maps/route/turn-by-turn...

  • How long does the 200 battery last?

    Mine only crashed fatally once, around 30hrs. It might not have even been mine and I was having issues with some external batteries at the time (which have since been sent back).

    Turn by turn is WHY they are so good. I get a warning about an upcoming turn rather than suddenly finding myself on the wrong road and having to u-turn. I've navigated with the 800 without turnbyturn nav and it's doable but a pain. Also, having maps on them mean when I'm not following a route I can just pick another town to ride to that has a nice sounding name to get my hours/miles done. Or it can be used to get a sense of direction if I'm lost.

    Anyway, as painful as Garmin make them to use, I still think the 800s are great.

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