Your Garmin help, please

Thinking I can maybe leave a couple tiles out of parts that are pretty straightforward.
Osmand looks like a solid backup too, thx!

I've done a few rides following just the line rather than with mapping. It's generally fine but every so often you come to a junction with roads close together (and sod's law both down steep hills so you don't want to double back) where it's tough to check the correct route.

Something cheap like a 2nd hand Dakota 10 would do the job or, as mentioned above, OSMAND is a good app if you're happy with checking your phone every so often.

I've followed the line (and beeps and arrows) through 9 countries, smooth.

RideWithGPS on a mobile phone with downloaded routes/maps worked well for me during TCR when my Garmin filled with water.

I had OSMand as a backup to this backup but it was unstable in testing and not used in anger.

As I'm using RWGPS to plot my route so this was going to be my first option. OSMand as a second backup on the backup phone.

I could maybe print some maps out, but these will probably never get any use. Although extra paper may come in handy after eating filling station delicatessen after 30 hours or so.

Cheap eTrex is worth it, especially the extraordinary battery life and taking AA battery.

I haven't replaced my battery during my (almost) coast to coast Pyrenees ride.

eTrex sounds nice but still need to figure out if I will go with a dynamo hub for lighting and charging vs cheap powerbank and lights.

Just reading up on my 510 and noticed that it's running v5.10. Garmin's site says v6.10 is the latest.

Sometimes when I connect it to my phone via bluetooth it tells me that an update is available, but when I plug it into my PC, Garmin Express says it's up to date (last time I tried was this weekend just gone).

Any idea a) where I can get v6.10 and b) how I can manually update it?

What's an Edge 605 with Europe maps and a bunch of mounts worth these days?

Having a spot of bother. Other day my Edge Explore 1000 went a bit weird, some sort of reset. lost all my odomoter stats etc etc.

Now it won't show courses. I've added them as gpx and tcx in the new files folder which has always worked before. Now, nothing. On the PC they show in the courses as the .fit, but weirdly the gpx or tcx file remains in the 'Newfiles' folder, even after the fit is created. Still says 'no saved courses' on the unit.

Tried a factory reset, tried a user reset... all updated with Garmin Express too.

Anyone come across / know how to fix? Got a number of trips coming up soon and was kind of hoping to use the TBT and follow my pre mapped courses!

snapped my etrex 20 mount. does anyone have one spare or an opinion on the best one to buy?

Got myself a Garmin Fenix 2, anyone else got one? Interested to hear what data fields people use when recording; swimming, running and cycling?

I hate the stock mounts, they're not fit for purpose.

Got myself a Garmin Fenix 2, anyone else got one? Interested to hear what data fields people use when recording; swimming, running and cycling?

@Dammit and @coldharbour had / have one I think.

I have a fenix 3 - running I use pace, elapsed and HR. Cycling HR, Elapsed, Lap and Power (5s ave).

I don't swim. I just sink.

Nice one, is pace your current running pace?
For running I use -
Time (same as elapsed i guess)
Distance
Lap pace (each lap is 1km)
HR.

What do you set you lap to for cycling? Do you not use average speed?
I use:
Time
Distance
Avg speed
HR

Swimming was a bit strange, it records the lengths accurately but not sure about the timing with autopause etc.

Edit: How do you find the Fenix 3?

Nice one, is pace your current running pace?

Yep. For the current mile. I typically run the same routes so I know the distance. If I was doing a race - which I haven't for a long time - I'd use distance probably.

What do you set you lap to for cycling? Do you not use average speed?

I use lap for interval timing when training. I don't use average speed.

Edit: How do you find the Fenix 3?

I think it's the best Garmin product I've owned. It's never totally let me down, unlike all the others! Use it pretty much every day. Recommended.

I'd suggest current lap pace and average pace when running. Gives you much more of an idea on your effort when the route is lumpy. I got rid of distance and have it alert me every .5mile. It saves me some screen pace (910xt here)

I really should set up Cycling to remind me to eat. Every 45 minutes or so.

Good idea about ave. pace when running. Will steal.

I need to do the same with nutrition, I am so bad at that.

I stole from here :)
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/03/art-of-pacing-with-garmin.html
As he says, overall average is good if you're looking to hit an overall time target for a race/run and Lap pace is a pretty good indicator (depending on how long your lap is set to...) for judging current effort.

Great info! Thanks, will also steal

Indeed, what mount would be better for the etrex?

Something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/RAM-Cradle-Holder-Garmin-eTrex/dp/B005FRY11W

For anyone who's interested, I couldn't get my 510 to upgrade and it was regularly failing to boot.

I deleted all the old rides off it (it was set to overwrite old ones anyway) and the next time i hooked it up to garmin express it updated. Since then it's booted fine every time, not sure it that's due to it not being full of rides or if the update fixed failed boots (nothing in the changelog about that).

Maybe this is common knowledge already, but thought I'd share.

looks safer but such an ugly mount...

Indeed it is. But it might actually be fine, if I'd attach it straight to the aerobar without those additional parts, somehow.

Maybe it needed storage space for the upgrade data?