Garmin Explore 2

[PH]

Also note that in the settings the Timer has three options:
Manual - Press the button to start recording
Auto - It should start recording as soon as it detects you're moving (Set the min speed from 10kph)
Prompted - It flashes a big blue arrow if it detects movement as above, I think it continues to do so if you don't press the button to start, but I haven't tested it (I may do so this afternoon)

Mine is set to Prompted, I don't trust Auto and I don't trust myself to remember Manual!
If it's a record that's important to me, I have a simple App on my phone as a backup, GPS Tracker, set to record at one second intervals, no mapping or navigation and very low battery consumption, the phone is in a pocket or bar bag. It's proved to be 100% reliable, though so far, so has the Explore.

[PH]

Prompted - It flashes a big blue arrow if it detects movement as above, I think it continues to do so if you don't press the button to start, but I haven't tested it (I may do so this afternoon)

Was out and about yesterday, on the sort of ride I don't usually bother recording, so thought I'd satisfy my curiosity.
With the timer set to Prompted, a big blue arrow appears in the centre of whichever screen you're in, it only does so a couple of times, then there's a blue outline round the entire screen (Something I hadn't seen before). As drossall pointed out, on the data screen the fields relating to the ride (On mine, Ave, Dist, Elapsed time) stop ticking over if not recording, so that's easy to spot. I went in and out of navigation several times without it affecting the recording.
I think the more I use it the more I trust it, though I still like to double check it's doing what I expect.

[Rob D]

Hi PH. That's really good to know - and that you trust it. I hadn't really appreciated the different options for starting the recording, so will experiment.
On another matter, do you find the auto altitude thing reliable? I don't, and set mine manually each time I start.
Thanks again,
Rob

[PH]

On another matter, do you find the auto altitude thing reliable? I don't, and set mine manually each time I start.
Thanks again,
Rob

I don't bother much with it, I did a couple of rides last weekend where over 100 miles someone else in the group apparently climbed 200m more than me! I haven't looked at how reliable it is, or setting it, I might consider the climbing when plotting a route, but just not interested in recording it.

[Rob D]

Thanks. Living in a hilly area, I find it interesting to see what we've climbed.
Google maps can be helpful, but in Norway last summer, we thought we had an easy-ish day, with something like 'gentle hill' to deal with at one point. Was it hell!
Looking forward to seeing how the Garmin behave - or how I manage to make it behave??

[Blondie]

To double check it is recording, I press the start button on the bottom, which pauses it, then press again to continue. So far, the Explore has always been recording when I expected it to be, the Touring caught me out a few times.

I routinely use the Explore 2 to navigate round Audax events and other pre-planned routes, while recording my distance travelled. I've had the same issue with "Is this recording?" and found that the best way is to move to the additional data screen that shows distance etc., because you can see that the figures are being tracked and updated. I've had several disasters with staying on the mapping screen and pressing start, and only finding I've actually paused recording fifty miles later, when I've lost all my statistics for the entire ride There really should be some clear visual feedback on each screen to say whether recording is live or paused.

You could always add distance as a field on the map screen, or just have a different data screen up with map prompt for turns.

[rareposter]

On another matter, do you find the auto altitude thing reliable? I don't, and set mine manually each time I start.
Thanks again,
Rob

Mine is spot on, to within a couple of metres.
It's got an option for the unit to automatically set the altitude from its position on the basemap (which obviously contains elevation info) which it will then relate to the pressure info it's getting through the barometer.

I was in the Alps last week and a lot of the mountain passes have little km marker posts with the altitude at that point and % gradient for the next km etc. Comparing the readout to the marker posts was (to within a couple of metres) bang on every time, same at the summits.

The ClimbPro feature is amazing on long climbs like that as well - found myself getting ever more reliant on it for pacing. Less importance in the UK where we simply don't have climbs that long but when you're on a 15km climb for an hour and can't see the summit, it's a really useful tool to see the current altitude, climbing to go and gradient coming up.

Big thumbs up for the auto elevation option.

[drossall]

The ClimbPro feature is amazing on long climbs like that as well - found myself getting ever more reliant on it for pacing. Less importance in the UK where we simply don't have climbs that long but when you're on a 15km climb for an hour and can't see the summit, it's a really useful tool to see the current altitude, climbing to go and gradient coming up.

I hadn't really thought about that. I've only ridden in the UK with mine, and it seems a bit overkill to know you've 50ft to climb when you can see the top anyway.

[Rob D]

Many thanks all. We've now had the first of our 3 weeks in Brittany, so good use of the Edge. I'm finding the auto altitude really accurate too, also the countdown to approaching junctions.

One thing I'd like to improve is the map display. I'm using 'high contrast' but would like to change the colour of the course I'm following to something brighter. There seems to be a lot of blue and purple on the screen, which can be confusing in heavy traffic and complex road layouts. Does anyone know if it's possible to have, say, a bright red option? Garmin 'chat' suggested the high contrast thing and nothing else - and I found I was already using that.
Thanks, Rob

[rareposter]

One thing I'd like to improve is the map display. I'm using 'high contrast' but would like to change the colour of the course I'm following to something brighter. There seems to be a lot of blue and purple on the screen, which can be confusing in heavy traffic and complex road layouts. Does anyone know if it's possible to have, say, a bright red option? Garmin 'chat' suggested the high contrast thing and nothing else - and I found I was already using that.

If you tap on the activity profile bit (Road, Indoor, MTB) and go into Settings, there's an option to change the colour of both the track you're following and the path that you have ridden.

Activity Profiles, select a profile, and select Navigation > Map > Appearance.
Map Theme: Adjusts the appearance of the map for your ride type.
Popularity Map: Highlights popular roads or trails for your ride type. The darker the road or trail, the more popular.
Map Detail: Sets the level of detail shown on the map.
History Line Color: Allows you to change the line color of the path you have traveled.
Advanced: Allows you to set zoom levels and text size, and enable shaded relief and contours.
Reset Map Default: Resets the map appearance to the default settings.

You're right, the various shades of purple don't help and the fact that Garmin also colour main roads purple makes it even more confusing. Rivers in blue can also look a lot like trails or your route history. I eventually settled on Red for my History Line Colour although even that isn't great.
Zooming out can sometimes aid in navigation, the route line is then noticeably thicker than the rest of the roads. Turn off popularity as well, that makes the route stand out more.

[Rob D]

Thanks rareposter! Good point about turning off the popularity/heat routes, which I've now done. But try as I might, I cannot see how to change the colour of the route/course I'm following. There doesn't seem to be that option?

[PH]

But try as I might, I cannot see how to change the colour of the route/course I'm following. There doesn't seem to be that option?

It isn't possible within the settings, when navigating the line will always be the same purple colour.
There is a way to make a permanent change, it involves connecting to a PC and editing the Map Themes folder. I've seen the instructions, I haven't tried it. Google for details. There's also some third party maps, which have different features, but again I haven't tried them.
If you're not navigating, it's possible to display the course on a map in a choice of colours - Navigation>course>three dots in left top corner>always display>choose colour.

I have my map in Classic and and detail set to Less, It's OK most of the time, occasionally I lose sight of the line, though if anything I'd prefer a larger cursor.

[rareposter]

But try as I might, I cannot see how to change the colour of the route/course I'm following. There doesn't seem to be that option?

Let me have another look once I'm home tonight and have the GPS in front of me. Will try and upload a couple of photos of the screens as I go through it.

Hope you're having a good tour!

Edit: just to add, if you can't see a History Line option, check you're not in the Indoor activity profile by mistake! Because you're not moving in that one, it basically tells the unit that it needs to acquire all its info from connected sensors, not it's GPS so it turns off all the mapping stuff.

[Rob D]

Thank you both! As ever, really impressed with the help on this forum.
Yes, a great tour, thanks. On Belle Ile now, south of Quiberon. If anyone should read this who's planning on going here, be warned: the main ferry only takes 15 bikes and these spaces get taken very quickly. We couldn't get on the planned 2.15 ferry but 5.15 ok. But then there was no space for any return in the planned 3 days' time, nor 2, nor 4 or 5! So we looked to abandon the idea until we heard of an alternative, a catamaran from Sauzon to the north. So we quickly booked the 5.15 ferry, and the ongoing plans can remain in place, including 2 further ferries to Vannes and 2 nights Warm Showers there...

[Blondie]

But try as I might, I cannot see how to change the colour of the route/course I'm following. There doesn't seem to be that option?

Edit: just to add, if you can't see a History Line option, check you're not in the Indoor activity profile by mistake! Because you're not moving in that one, it basically tells the unit that it needs to acquire all its info from connected sensors, not it's GPS so it turns off all the mapping stuff.

If that were the case then the speed and distance would remain at zero and very quickly be picked up.