Any rides for beginners?

for what its worth.. the garmin edge 705 is rubbish in cold weather and prone to moisture if rained on all day. i bought mine in 2009.. my missus was furious that i'd spent so much on such a device.. the basic maps on screen are shite, i can't be arsed to buy the detailed ones or break maps for it, so i never navigate from the garmin.. but i like the fact that it records my ride and i can post it on the interwebz..

after a six hour ride my home seems to have elevated about 21m since i left it at stupid o'clock, the truth is, it is better to find a route then plot it if you can, then memorise it.. you end up with a mental map, it's all in the noodle upstairs.. so make a wrong turn one day and see where it leads, you then piece it all together, instead of only knowing the primary routes.. also ride with other people as often as you can to broaden your knowledge and don't be afraid to go some different.

Why would you tell your missus how much you've spent?

I've never had any problems with mine. Using it lagging it down with rain (so much that it was painful actually) although I haven't used mine out in -0 or below yet.

Believe me the maps are easy as pie to get on to the device, I thought it would be a ball ache but it was much easier than I initially thought.

Love my Garmin but I wouldn't say it's crucial to enjoy riding a bike and getting out for long rides. I probably take mine for granted now but I can't imagine riding without it on roads I'm not sure about.