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

Is this a weight weenie thing, or finding out where your cat disappears to thing?

My phone cannot cope with rides of longer than 4 hours- battery goes flat.

So, I was after something that could last ~8 hours on one charge, and log time and position.

That little GPS Travel Tracker looks good in terms of size and function, but if it was logging position every second then it would be out of battery in 2 hours.

Buy a Garmin.

Or buy a phone with a decent OS.

Buy a Garmin.

I've got a 705, but it's overkill for logging

I thought you had a 310?

I have a 305, could use that I guess but it's a bit bulky

Or buy a phone with a decent OS.

I've tried Android and iOS, so you must be recommending Windows Phone 7?

Can I have a look at it? If it's normal watch sized then that might be ideal.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/bluetoothandreg-gps-travel-tracker-351568

bigger battery, half the price.

I have one of those disguised-as-a-rear-light GPS things from an article I wrote. Want to borrow it, Dammit?

My phone cannot cope with rides of longer than 4 hours- battery goes flat.
So, I was after something that could last ~8 hours on one charge, and log time and position.

Sorry if this is obvious, but you could try running the phone in airplane mode to save battery. GPS is passive and any app worth it's salt will have offline map data. Both gps phones I've used have been able to handle a full day of tracking before empty.

Doesn't the iPhone airplane mode turn off all receivers/transmitters? Including GPS?

Apparently so.

Airplane mode seems to make very little difference to the standbyish time of my Android phone. Recently, I've left it non-airplaned whilst running GPS, and as long as data's off, everything's fine. Today, for example, saw just shy of 5h30 of tracking, with just over 5h of that moving. I took it off the charger when I got up at 6am, left the house at 7am, and when I got home at 12.30, the battery was still half full. I've run it for 7h before, and still had a third of the battery left. I realize this will deteriorate with an ageing battery, but I'm sure it'd just about manage 8h of tracking. It's an HTC Incredible S, BTW.

Saying all that, I'm thinking about a Garmin Edge 200 to replace assorted bike computers with probably-not-much battery left. Partly to retain the phone's battery just for comms use, plus occasional Gmap checking; plus maybe music playing. Partly for slightly improved GPS accuracy. The HTC is good, but I've missed a few 'critical' bits under tree cover in the past.

But it will be another thing to remember to habitually recharge. Oh, the stress.

It just charges whilst connected to your computer via USB and they hold about 12 hours of charge. So maybe enough for a weekends riding.

You wont regret it if you buy one.*

• unless you wish you'd bought the Edge 500.
  

I couldn't give a shit about all the analytic/barometric stuff.

Save the £30 and go for the 200. The altimeter on the 500 is far from perfect anyway.

Should I go for a bike GPS system or the new Swim/Bike/Run thing from Garmin.
That being said- has anyone any experience of the watch GPSs?
Can you import routes?

I'm properly confused by pretty much everything GPS, and am bored of getting lost whenever I go for a ride (and soon when I start doing some Peak District runs/rides it would really come into its own).

Apologies for being an idiot.

I've got a 305 and a 705, I believe that you can load a route (a series of waypoints) into the 305, and it will display an arrow to show which way to go.

I've never used it as it sounded rubbish. I have used the 705 extensively to show me where to go, and it's been excellent.

Hmm interesting.
Cadence and HR?

google says yes...
just wondering if any good?

The 305? It'll link to a GSC-10, but only one- so you cannot move it between bikes.

I did try to use it as my main computer, but it's screen isn't great for reading at speed either.

It'll do the job as it was designed for slevless, but to be honest I'd use a 705 or 800 for the bike if you want navigation, or a 500 if you don't.

For my road bike I'll probably use a 410 to log the route, and my SRM for everything else, then merge the files when I get home.

Hmmm.
What I really want is Multi-bike, and the ability to run with it and get good metrics, and the ability to have Nav if I need them.
Think I may be asking too much.

Hmmm.
What I really want is Multi-bike, and the ability to run with it and get good metrics, and the ability to have Nav if I need them.
Think I may be asking too much.

Maybe a Polar HRM with a GPS? That'd get you a lot of pointless data.

I keep forgetting I have an 800 now. I need maps on the bastard though. Stupid Garmin won't let me take the maps off the etrex. Fuckers.

Maybe a Polar HRM with a GPS? That'd get you a lot of pointless data.

I fucking LOVE pointless data.

I need to do some better research.

I tried to use one device for running and cycling, it was, ultimately, frustrating.

Swim, jump on the bike, then put your watch on as you leg it out of the second transition.

Note- I have never done a triathlon.

If you really want oodles of data, get a powermeter.

Not really wanting it for in triathlon data. Just for training.
I'm ok at pacing myself- todays swim maintained no more than a 2min change between ks over 5k.