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

Why is that? My HCx records track without having to do anything.
You just wander around and then dump the tracks off it.

Any step by step guides written that show the best option for setting up the nav properly for cycling? Assuming I can get a gpx track on the HCx, which I can, because I've managed it before, then it should just be a case of following a pink line, right?

Wahoo devices require a phone though, right? That's not quite so useful for me. I'd prefer to keep the phone juiced up and have something weatherproof out front (perhaps a second phone though?)

The 35x (same as the 30x pretty much) will do ANT+ for cadence, speed and HR sensors and for navigation you basically have two options - following a GPX track, which is just a line on the map and gives you no turn by turn navigation, or following a GPX route, which will give you routing and turn by turn navigation on the screen with beeps at the turns.

You can also plan a route using the UI and it'll do turn by turn nav. There's a backlight on the screen if you give it a tap. The only input controls are either the power button on the side or the touchscreen, which doesn't work with gloved fingers (but will work with a nose!). The bike mount is rattly and bulky, as is the unit - it's not the round twisty one that the bike-specific Garmins use.

It'll sync back to Garmin Connect via bluetooth to your phone or presumably with a mini- (not micro-) USB cable.

If you want to take a look, let me know - I work near Great Portland St so it's presumably not too much of a faff to see it in the flesh.

I tried my HCx and it does give turn by turn directions though it chose to send me down the A40 from Paddington until I set it to Cycling and then it chose some weird back route. So, it might work for getting me out of a bind but I'll need to test it using a pre-defined course/track. The bike mount is a pain to get onto my bike though - no room on the base bar so it'd have to be shimmed to hell on the aerobars and it rattles like a bastard. Mind you if I had the Exe-Buzzard routes on it, I might've been able to get unstuck when the 800 died.

Looks interesting. How does he go about waterproofing it? Does he use a particular phone (Samsung have only brought the Galaxy S4 Active to the UK, the S5 and S6 Active are US-only). Motorola do waterproof phones I think and the Sony Z3 too.

Actually, I have a case like this I could test it out with but in the case there's no nice way of mounting it. Plus it leaves my phone out and exposed - prefer to keep it on me.

I prefer to be able to see road ahead - how far I am from junctions, sharper turns on descents, etc.

I'm going to have to get an Edge 1000 aren't I? #sigh

Sounds much like the HCx with a few tweaks - better screen, better mount, etc.

No, the new one is a stand alone device similar to Garmins alternatives. Theres a first look on rainmaker. Comes with worldwide osm maps.

Ah, cheers. I'll have a look.

To me it seems like every single cycling app I've tried is about 10x better than the UI of the cycling GPS devices out there. What the stand alone GPS device got to offer at this point is battery life and to some degree weather proofing. I'm leaning towards buying a small and cheap water proof android device and use it only as a bike computer/GPS. It wont work if you go on long rides without a backup battery or dynamo though.

Is speed/average speed reasonably accurate on a GPS device without a speed sensor? I know there'll probably be a lag, and the occasional weird bit where it shows a speed of 0mph or 200mph, but can they generally show usable average speed?

I'm already riding around with two Garmins and two spare Garmin batteries and still end up screwed so ditching one for a phone ain't no big thang. I'll be getting a dynamo at some stage but that's another pile of bother.

I've not looked particularly closely but they seem pretty decent to me.

Is speed/average speed reasonably accurate on a GPS device without a speed sensor

Yes, no problems with just using the GPS with no speed sensor. Most of my rides are logged that way as I'm either using a Forerunner 110 (a running watch) or when I do use my Edge 705 it reminds me that the battery in my GSC-10 speed/cadence sensor ran out years ago.

What about one GPS for logging and something more SatNav like for directions?

I think there are TomTom units out there that take batteries (rather than cigarette lighter power) and can have routes uploaded to them (rather than the unit deciding which route to go to a specific point). Let me try and dig up some links...

Looks like the Bryton devices have to upload to their own site? What is the file format they use? Is gpx proprietary Garmin?

The only TomTom I've seen is in-car only.

GPX is not proprietary garmin but rather a cross platform format. Garmins own fit files are there own for use on devices.

Yep, cheers, read further down about that Bryton and it says it uses gpx. That review was 2011 - presume they've changed a lot in that time? Anyone using new Bryton?

Does he use a particular phone

Finding out what setup he uses and have asked about phone and mount specifically. He started doing this a few years back so don't think he can have been using a waterproof phone. Maybe a case/some sort of plastic bag.

The new Moto G is good in up to 1m of water and has been tested by a few sites who haven't managed to ruin it. Cheap too. Given how much cheaper than a Garmin you could use a phone like that just for navigating and have a better phone you keep on you for your day-to-day phone.

"With the ELEMNT you do have to plan ahead a bit on where you’re going, as you can’t just do it on the fly – such as entering an address. The ELEMNT gives you a breadcrumb trail to follow, and then notifies you if you’re off-course. It also will give you turn by turn navigation for apps/routes that support it."

So, it could be useful for audax but less useful if you need to find a bike shop, or want to detour to a town or Services or something along the way.

You can always get a Garmin for this.

Only if rides are <400k and Jupiter is in line with Saturn and you've sacrificed a chicken.