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news
roadcc peoples choiceWhat's the best GPS device for cycling? Help decide the road.cc People's Choice
What's your favourite GPS unit? Tell us in this week's People's Choice poll.
In just a decade, GPS has gone from an expensive gimmick to a significant part of the cyclist's toolbox. We use it for navigating new routes to vary our riding; recording rides in detail as a training tool; and for Strava segment bragging rights, among many others.
What do you use to get the data you want? Stand-alone GPS device or phone app? Map display or data recorder? Let us know in the comments.
Explore new rides with GPS plotting
Here's how it works:
- Post a comment to nominate a product. Check it hasn't already been nominated. Add a link to the product wherever you can.
- Like a comment to vote for that product. Remember to like your own comment if you're nominating something.
- One comment per product. Any multiple comments will be deleted and their likes will not count towards a product's score. The first nomination will be the one that is counted.
- One product per comment. Otherwise the voting doesn't make any sense.
- Maximum 30 nominations per award. Once we hit 30 nominations we will close the nomination process.
- All votes will be counted up until the closing date. Votes after this may appear but will not be counted.
- We reserve the right to remove any comment at our sole discretion.
- Closing date is 10am, Tuesday, April 19.
Over to you!
John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.
He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.
Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.
John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.
He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.
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24 comments
OS map (for the reasons Rnick said) with a Garmin Etrex HCx tucked into a pocket or saddlebag for backup (to get grid ref if I get hopelessly lost) or just to record the route. If I remember the Garmin that is!
Garmin Fenix 3 | Silver with Red strap
I've had an Edge 500 before and now use an Edge touring as it helps me find my way. But the data I upload is alway from my Fenix 3. It's easy to use, accurate and looks brilliant on your wrist. Also, you can run, swim, golf (why would you?) hike, ski, and cycle then still only charging it 1 or 2 a week...
I really love this watch, it's brilliant!
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/outdoor/wrist-worn/fenix-3/prod160512.html
Garmin Etrex series - HCx/20/30 etc
For longer rides the battery life with replaceable AA cells is great (except perhaps the newer touch-screen versions); 200km+ e.g. ~7+ hrs on the road, is no problem as can get 24hrs+ from a single set of NIMH cells.
Ability to follow a downloaded track with ease; without having to bother with 'random' auto-route re-calculations that some units are prone to.
The basic Garmin Edge 200, it does what I need at a low cost & is very reliable.
Garmin Edge 520.
I've used the Edge 200 and 500 and they pale compared to the 520. Screen is so crisp and sharp. Size and weight are good. I don't bother with the map much. Get the silicone cover to protect it. I've dropped mine more than once off the bike.
My only criticisim is that it doesn't have a Lap Elevation option.
Garmin 800 with OS mapping.
Edge 520 hands down!
Garmin Edge 20 - Linky here.
Bought it to replace my Edge 200 and I love it.
The IPBike app has a lot of the functionality the Garmin Edges have. It really only misses navigation.
Ultrasport Navrun, just ride my circuits and download when I get back, records distance, heart rate, average heart rate max heart rate, even shows on download where I had my max, altitude etc, I have mine set to 2mile segments as I ride, records each segment pace speed mph and tells me the fastest speed of the trip. All I want or need though it's clever enough to load up a route but I'm not clever enough to do those bits, waypoints etc. I was so pleased with it I bought an identical one badged as an 'Aldi' product, £49.00. now that was a bargain.
http://www.viewranger.com/en-GB
Probably a bit more useful for MTB but it's free and very accurate.
TomTom MultiSport (with HRM and Cadence)
https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/sports/multi-sport/products/?gclid=CNKQwceR...
Is a watch for running and swimming, but also comes with a bar mount for cycling.
Provides GPS and altitude tracking, providing a display of live data during ride
I dont need it to tell me where to go as that is half of the fun of new routes - planning or getting lost! I want it for logging miles and impovements to Strava, which this does as it exports to all the most recent activity tracking apps, or exports .gpx if you wish.
10 hour battery life is pretty reliable dependant on linked devices.
Bluetooth syncing with my iphone.
Cant fault it.
For making routes I've found www.ridewithgps.com the best. The route editing works really well. I just save the GPX track to my Garmin 1000 and it just works
Also worth a look is www.bikehike.co.uk if you like the OS maps
Didn't like mapmyride or GPSies
BBB Bikeboard app.
https://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/bikeboard/id882776289?mt=8
I've had 5 Garmins and none of them have worked properly, but Garmin UK are very good to deal with. So I'd say anything as long its not a garmin Edge.
Garmin Edge 1000
Not cheap, but excellent.
A waterproof O/S map, never loses signal or tries to send you off down tracks, a quick glance tells you the nearest POI (e.g village / pub) is actually over a 500 ft climb so you'd be better off chosing the alternative 5 miles down the road. Oh, you can stuff it down your jersey if it's chilly or sit on it when taking a breather. My Garmin does none of this....
MapMyRide http://mapmyride.com/
Garmin Edge 520. Long battery life. Brilliant display. Instant saved ride sync to app.
The one you already own. It guarantees good value
Garmin Edge 500.
Honest, fancy-free and 100% reliable workhorse.
Mio cyclo 200 - http://eu.mio.com/en_gb/cyclo-200.htm
For navigation only (No ANT, heartrate etc.) but stunning value and very useable. Nice interface, display and features.
http://road.cc/content/news/163312-mio-cyclo-200-gps-computer-costing-150-launched
Strava - https://www.strava.com/
Cyclemeter - https://abvio.com/cyclemeter/