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@Greenbank
+1 to the eTrex range like the Legend or Vista. Should be about 140 quid, more if you want maps (but you can download free ones from OpenStreetMap).
I use an even older bog standard yellow eTrex. No mapping at all, and therefore no auto-routing. Cost is about 100 quid for a unit, handlebar mount and cheapo cable from eBay rather than the Garmin branded one made of the finest milled unobtainium.
Routes are just a collection of routepoints place at each junction with the instruction in the routepoint name (L for left, R for right, SO straight on, E2 for 2nd exit at roundabout, FL for fork left, BR/KR for bear/keep right, etc). I draw them on bikely.com and download them onto the GPS. Doesn't take long, a 100km route takes about 10 minutes. My Dun Run route was this (yes, I know it wasn't the exact official route):-
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/320135
The eTrex range also take AA batteries, so you're not stuck with the relatively short battery life of an Edge or faffing with an external USB battery pack/charger.
The Edge range are lovely, but non-replacable batteries are a big no-no for us Audaxers. I need 20 hours and sometimes vastly more. I can get this with a few sets of rechargables. I'll be using my eTrex for the London-Edinburgh-London 1400km Audax this month and shouldn't have to look at a routesheet at all during the ride. Which is nice.