GPS tech (Garmin, Hammerhead, Wahoo, RWGPS, etc)

What is the best file format to use for courses for a modern Garmin (530) - TCX? Or doesn't it matter?

Haven't used it but I'm sending back the one I ordered for my partner. It's probably a decent device but it's only for navigation I have realised. You can't record a ride at all unless you have a route set which seems a bit silly to me.
I'm getting a Hammerhead so I'm just going to give the Mrs my wahoo instead

Just wanted to post my apologies to anyone I doubted. In the past ClimbPro was fine for me on my Garmin but in the alps recently it was dogshit. Tells me it’s flat, it’s 15%. Tells me I have 200m to go, an hour and 500m later I’m still going up. Switched off permanently.

Cheers for the update. Seems a silly feature to miss as I doubt it would cost them much in processing, battery or memory.

TCX OR GPX

https://ridewithgps.com/help/export-file-formats

I usually use FIT files from RwGPS. I'm not convinced it really matters though. If I'm not using FIT files I tend to gravitate towards GPX although that's as much habit as a reasoned decision.

Switched off permanently.

The altimeters on 3 of my Wahoos and my current 530 are all bollocksed and just produce random data. I suspect it's because my copious and salt-laden sweat has blocked the port for the baro sensor.

Thanks for file formats ^^

I just bought my Garmin 530 last week. It was £200 at Decathlon, which I thought was pretty good. But Amazon are selling them for £160 today, if anyone else wants one. I think it is a short-term promotion.

Added in yesterdays update if you didn’t do this yet!

Came here to say this.

Now reconsidering and will probably order at some point.

Though it's app rather than device based which is clunky.

Hmmm yeah. That kinda just makes it like the Strava app only you can see your speed and distance on the handlebars. All of the recording is done on the phone.
It's kinda expensive for nothing more than a mini second display

Just got the new Edge 1040. Appalled at bugs being reported on the forum. Garmin at its finest.

I guess I was fooled by the 10 months of smooth operation on the 1030+.

Thanks for doing the beta testing for me :)

It's technically research as I'm developing an ANT+ device on the side. Should've expensed it to the company and got the VAT back, but didn't. An Insta360 on the books is enough.

Yeah, I need to start a new company that's developing "bike shit" so I can expense everything :)

Is there a simple way to join two routes in to one in RWGPS, splitting is easy but I can’t fathom how to get it back together!

Yes. You load the first route, then there is a button something like "add to route" on the left, under edit. Then you click on the first route and clink on the green button at the start of the second route. Sometimes you have to scroll in to get the click done.

Have you used the 1040 yet? What’s been your actual experience bug wise?
All the stuff reported on the forum is pretty off putting.
I was looking at ordering the 1040 but wondering if it’s better to hold off for a while longer.
I guess the question is how long until the major bugs have been sorted? Or is that a bit like asking how long is a piece of string?

Ok I’ll check it out once home thanks!

Have you used the 1040 yet? What’s been your actual experience bug wise?

Got few stitches for 8 more days, so won't be able to test it soon I'm afraid. I just pulled the trigger when I saw stock on Merlincycles and I was able to use my points for a bit of a discount. (also it was a good time to sell the 1030+, already sold for £60 less than my OG purchase price)

The UI is not great, few bugs, floating button to access settings is an abomination, they probably developed it on top of the 1030 codebase rather than 1030+'s.

Snags I've noticed so far:

• Takes a while to get used to the UI, tapping the title bar to go into an activity profile and tapping the left arrow to go to a profile is easily confused/mistapped, I briefly considered downgrading to a single profile to avoid this (my other profile is "indoor", meh)
  
• It didn't come with any UK maps so I had to sit on the computer to download and install some
  

• startup.txt doesn't work (yet, they say) so you can't have your name/contact on the boot screen

• Custom widgets can't be installed (probably a bug on the firmware, the functionality is not removed)

• Tapping on a custom data field won't pass the click onto the device, so to access the home button you need to tap on a Garmin-supplied data field. (If you have a page full of custom data fields -or a single big field- I'm not sure how you would get on)

• Some data fields don't come with Edge 1040 support yet ("HR + Zones" is one) but luckily it's open source so I was able to build and push it to the device manually

• VIRB widget is removed (I was using it to trigger other things using a custom device) and "VIRB Record" on the controls widget is still there but just doesn't do anything.

Things other people reported on the Garmin forums, I didn't test/verify any of this:

• Apparently the "Emergency contacts" page doesn't have a back button so if you go there you'll need to turn the device off
  
• Di2 buttons won't close all open menus on click, you need to do multiple back button taps
  
• Di2 buttons won't work if the ride is paused?
  
  

I doubt it will go on discount anytime soon, at least this year, and I wanted to see/test the new stuff with glances and power etc.

Thanks for a thorough answer!

The updated UI was part of the appeal to me since the current one seems dated, a shame that it’s not quite there yet.
I bought the edge 520 quite close to its release date but I don’t really remember noticing that many major bugs in actual use.

Think I’m maybe better to hold off for another while and just get a new battery for the 520.

The current UI might be dated but it's better the devil you know with Garmin.

Having tried all the alternatives I've come back to that conclusion.

I guess I should have saved time and just asked you!

#hippyisalwaysright

You might've found something better though and then I could've jumped ship. Someone has to test the other stuff :)

The Stages dash has got potential, maps are better, but the software has bugs.

Maybe in 6 months it might be fixed. But on the last unit I had the clock was running slow so it overstated my speed by about 8%, so some false strava PBs. Also it froze just a bit too often.