Looking for a GPS unit to use in my car and on my bike?
endurancemom asked:
I want to have a GPS Unit for my car for driving direction, but also would like to be able to use it on my bike when I go on long cycling routes. Does anyone know of models that can be used for both, and also a mount for the bike?
I want to have a GPS Unit for my car for driving direction, but also would like to be able to use it on my bike when I go on long cycling routes. Does anyone know of models that can be used for both, and also a mount for the bike?
I don’t think you can go wrong with Garmin. Get one with a cadence and heart rate monitor. Bob A
Garmin makes some excellent handheld gps devices with mapping functions, notably the eTrex series and the GPSMAP series. Both series are weatherproof and water resistant. Both use external (AA) batteries, which is really important for longer days (and consecutive days) on the bike. Both have microSD card slots for memory (the GPSMAP includes the card). Basically, the GPSMAP has a slightly larger screen (and overall dimensions) than the eTrex, but the battery life on the eTrex is 30-40% better.
For more money, you can go with Garmin’s more sophisticated handheld devices, most of which have touchscreen controls. These include the Oregon, Dakota and Colorado series. At over $300, I think they’re a bit too pricey to risk on the bike. If you don’t mind spending the extra money, they do look incredible, though.
I have an eTrex Vista HCx that is great on the bike, in the car and for hikes and geocaching with the nephew and niece. The Vista HCx is at the top end of the eTrex lineup. The “H” indicates it has a “high sensitivity” antenna, the “C” indicates it has a color screen, and the”x” indicates it uses external memory (microSD). The color screen is easy to read in the daylight without the backlight on, the antenna quickly connects to satellites, and the ability to use inexpensive microSD cards with up to 4GB memory makes the device highly useful. This device lists for about $300, but I purchased mine for just a bit over $200. I installed Garmin’s City Navigator North America maps which I also bought at discount at around $75. In addition, I’ve installed free 24k topo maps that are compatible with Garmin devices and are much more detailed than the 100k topo maps Garmin sells directly. Most of the eTrex units (including mine) will do “turn-by-turn” navigation; however, the eTrex will give a series of audible beeps to alert you of upcoming turns rather than the voice commands of dedicated car devices.
You can get mounting systems for both the car and the bike for any of the units mentioned above, either produced by Garmin or by other manufacturers.
Do not get a dedicated car GPS for use on the bike. They are much too delicate and have no protection against moisture. Also, the Garmin devices that “roadies” typically use for training on their rides are the Edge series. Only the top end Edge units (705) have mapping functions, and they run over $500. Their primary advantage is that they incorporate a cadence sensor, power metering and heart monitoring.
If you do go with a Garmin unit, you’ll want to get the City Navigator maps. You can purchase the map set on a disc, on a preloaded microSD card, or as a direct download from Garmin. The preloaded card can be transfered from device to device, but it cannot be updated (you’ll need to replace the card) and you can’t perform route and waypoint management on your computer (which is a bit easier than doing it directly on the unit). I went with the disc, bought my own microSD cards, and loaded the maps and routes I want on each. I realize the maps I bought are tied to just one Garmin device, and I will have to replace the maps if I replace the device, but I still have more flexibility than I would with the preloaded card or direct download.
Good luck and enjoy. Peter Griffin
Garmin is a best gps system, Garmin has a simple controls – simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, has a turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and more feature.
I would suggestion these good quality and popular Garmin GPS :
Garmin Nuvi 255W : same as 205W but has text-to-speech (you get turn by turn spoken directions with the real names of streets (e.g. “turn left in 50 feet at Nebraska Way”, rather than merely “turn left in 50 feet”)), 4.3-Inch diagonal touch screen color display, where am I function, etc.
Garmin Nuvi 265WT : has text-to-speech, 4.3-inch diagonal color touchscreen, bluetooth, preloaded Maps with Navteq data of North America + Hawaii + Puerto Rico, free real-time traffic updates from Navteq (for the life of the device), etc. Robert M
orrrrrr if you have an iphone there are a bunch of apps that do the same thing as a GPS unit. there are also mounts you can buy to attach it to your handle bars. Matt