GPS or maps

[dandru]

does anyone have suggestions regarding portable power devices to recharge my Garmin Edge Touring?

Many thanks

I go on multi day walks and rides and take a large 12000 mAh battery for the phone and gps, whereas as day rides where I'll be using the phone lots, I'll take a 6000 mAh battery.

I haven't used a hub dyno before so I bought a cheap Shimano DH 3N80 laced into a wheel, I've ordered an Axa Nano 50 Plus, it's got a cache battery onboard which means I can charge my iPhone, hopefully. It's going to be a learning experience using this hub dyno.

[bobzeller]

Thanks Wirral_cyclist

I can't use cycle.travel with my windows computer apparently. That was my first choice. But since then, I have been using Ride With GPS and it works a treat, although I haven't used it for any lengthy rides. That's why I was asking if there was much of a difference in the routing criteria of the various websites.

But, for non IT knowledgeable people like me, there is one thing that made Ride With GPS stand out with me - the quickness, and simplicity, of its answers to my questions asking for help. That goes a long way for me. There is another real bonus if you are a Garmin user. If you buy the premium service, which isn't very expensive at all although I forget what I paid, you only have to click a box saying you are using Garmin and the route jumps straight into your GPS. With at least some of the others, including cycle.travel, you have to open files on your computer and then drag your download into the correct file.

Thanks again

Bob

[Richard Fairhurst]

I can't use cycle.travel with my windows computer apparently.

You should be able to (and people do!) but there might be something playing up with a particular browser. I'm away from home with my Bike Friday right now , but when I'm back I can take a look - if you like, drop me a PM with your Windows and browser version, and a quick description of the problem you're having, and I'll investigate.

That's why I was asking if there was much of a difference in the routing criteria of the various websites.

If you're asking a site to suggest a route, yes, there's quite a difference. Most sites use Google Maps' route-planner as their backend, which'll often produce good results but will also send you along the A30 in Cornwall or over a ploughed field in the US.

I believe RideWithGPS have their own route-planner using an OpenStreetMap-based program called Graphhopper - its results aren't to my personal taste but I'm sure they're great for others (life would be boring if we all liked the same...). Cyclestreets use their own in-house routing engine which is excellent, and again uses OpenStreetMap data. cycle.travel uses another OSM-based program called OSRM, but very heavily customised.

But if you're just using the site to plot a route you already know, typically by going click-click-click at each junction, there's much less difference between them.

[bobzeller]

Richard,

This is a very late thank you for you offer to help. I haven't been on this page for some time and didn't realise you had replied to my comment. I'll get in touch when I am back at home in a few weeks.

Cheers

Bob

[akc1]

I've been looking at getting an eTrex for a while too. However, I am really not very interested in using it to plan a route in advance (either on the device itself or on the computer). I would just like to know where I am and look at the map to figure out where to go next on the fly. Same way as I use the maps.me or pocket earth apps at the moment. Do you think a garmin like an etrex is still useful to someone like me or is it mainly intended for people who want to follow routes? The long battery life and AA batteries is the main attraction I see in it..

(*) does the etrex have a good zoom out capability to be able to see your route for the next 20 or even 100km, not just the small scale? Guess it depends on the map you load into it?

I have an etrex - but ended up buying an edge 800 because the etrex repeatedly blacked out. I think the batteries lose connection when jolted on a bike. The etrex is now used when we're out walking.

Richard,

This is a very late thank you for you offer to help. I haven't been on this page for some time and didn't realise you had replied to my comment. I'll get in touch when I am back at home in a few weeks.

Cheers

Bob

[Bmblbzzz]

Reviving this thread – if anyone's still reading it! – to ask if anyone has any experience of the Memory Maps Adventurer 3000. It appeals to me because it has OS 1:50,000 maps pre-loaded for the whole of the UK, and they happen to be pretty much my favourite. Also, it's just about affordable for someone who's not yet entirely convinced about GPS! But I'd also like to be able to load routes onto it (whatever device I end up with) from eg cycle.travel or ridewithgps and follow them, probably as a line on a map. I'm unlikely to use the GPS device as a route plotter, though doubtless when I'm lost – I mean, when I have been improvising a route! – in an area I'm unfamiliar with, I'll look at to get back to wherever I might think I should want to be.

Ta!