RideWithGPS

Nvreloader said:

6zfshdb​

Thanks for that info on the Montana 710 series of GPS,
I have been reading up on it and it will fit with what I want also,
I like the external ant, as all my bikes are setup for them.
I am not to sure about the "in Reach" system,
still doing my home work...
Tia,
Don
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FWIW, the Montana also has a handlebar mount which lets you use 12V to power it.
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www.garmin.com

Garmin Motorcycle/ATV Mount Kit & AMPS Mount w/ Audio/Power

The Motorcycle/ATV Mount Kit & AMPS Mount w/ Audio/Power for the Montana 700/700i/750i.
www.garmin.com www.garmin.com

Not helpful for most e-bikes but I use a 12V buck converter for other 12V devices so I also use it to power my 700i.
It also has audio leads if you want to wire up a speaker for turn by turn directions.
I wish the mount had provisions for the external antenna connections in case I ever need it.
 
6Z
Thanks,
So far, I have been using a 10,000 mAh battery bank and It seems
to run/operate all the bike equipment OK, including the 3 Akaso v50x mini camera's so far.
I had a powered mount for my 60csx Gps, was made for MC use,
costs in the 100$ range new...
It may?? have worked OK for a MC use on flat smooth roads,
BUT it DID NOT work for a ATV mount on rough off road conditions, it was constantly going off and on, causing the GPS to lose locations. It is in one the parts/junk draws somewhere.
I prefer good solid single point attachments point for power and ant etc. yrmv
 
So far with the navigation computer.
Igpsport 200 non colour version

Upsides
It hasnt fallen off yet, you can see it easily in bright sunlight, you dont need a faffing app to upload routes, battery lasts an eternity , no touchscreen.

Downsides.
Stupid pause and start icons right over the map, when youve pulled over to check on a busy road, you cant see the freakin route for 10 seconds as you move off , cant find a fix for that.
Routes that cross over themselves cause issues, but Im hearing the same from my mates withh 200 quid devices.
Going the 'wrong' way down a route, it doesnt like it one bit and just shows the route behind you and blank in front.
Ive tried googling gpx tracks without directions and the first 100 results are 'how to put directions in your gpx track'.

Grok basically says .'but youre going the wrong way'.

It works perfect going the right way on a circular route , tbh I just need a freakin arrow on a black line, I dont want directions or distance to turn or which way north is or random lap completes that mean I have to restart the navigation.
But for 38 quid, I'll deal with it and maybe be informed how to tweak it into total usefullness.
 
Trust me, the 200 quid devices are a way better :) Especially if combined with a solid route planner such as Komoot.

Screenshot_20251218_184256_Komoot.jpg

You can ride a complicated route in a forest almost with your eyes closed :) Well, my Wahoo ACE cost 450 quids but I started from another level, beginning from Wahoo Roam 1 :)

No issue with crossing routes. Going back or the wrong way very well understoods you couldn't go that way and immediately suggests a re-route.

Yes you need faffing apps 😂

P.S. I own a Garmin too but don't like it.
 
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I make my own routes and I dont want it to make any navigation decisions, just show me where I am on or near the route.
I cant see anything more complicated than a line and an arrow without my reading glasses, its perfect otherwise.
Im seeing people just putting enough space between the track when they converge for it to pick the right one.
 
Chargeride said:
I make my own routes and I dont want it to make any navigation decisions, just show me where I am on or near the route.
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I'm not sure what your nav computer has to do with RWGPS, but you can do what you want with RWGPS and a phone on your handlebar.

It can be set to display your personal routes as a visible layer on the map, then you just record a ride and try to follow the line on your own without any cues or off course warnings.
 
stompandgo said:
Phone navigation eats battery. A dedicated GPS computer, preloaded with courses or not, offloads it.
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Another potentially costly issue with phone-based navigation
Mounting a phone with high-end image-stabilized cameras (with vibration-sensitive mechanical parts inside) on your bars can cause permanent loss of camera focus.

Apple has issued warnings about high-end iPhones on both bicycle and motorcycle bars, and I had cameras in 3 different high-end Samsungs go soft before I tumbled to what was happening to them.

This is unfortunate, because I was quite happy with the navigation and ride recording I was getting from the Specialized app and RideWithGPS combo on my phone.

But no more phones on bars for me! So, I got a pricey Wahoo ACE to serve as the bar display while my phone sits safely in a jersey pocket. Impressive device, an improvement in some ways, but I still prefer the more detailed ride recording I was getting from the Specialized app.

Yes, the Wahoo and Specialized app can record the same ride. But valuable data that the latter would have captured without the Wahoo in the mix is then lost — including all motor and battery usage data.

BTW, the Specialized phone app's very easy on the phone battery if run in dark mode on an OLED screen.
 
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stompandgo said:
Phone navigation eats battery. A dedicated GPS computer, preloaded with courses or not, offloads it.
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Reason 1.

Jeremy McCreary said:
Mounting a phone with high-end image-stabilized cameras (with vibration-sensitive mechanical parts inside) on your bars can cause permanent loss of camera focus.

Apple has issued warnings about high-end iPhones on both bicycle and motorcycle bars, and I had cameras in 3 different high-end Samsungs go soft before I tumbled to what was happening to them.
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It is now a very well known issue. Reason 2.

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I must mention the motorcyclist Itchy Boots who broke both her tablet and then her phone on the latest season's trip because of the devices insecurely mounted on her motorcycle bars. Reason 3 of many more.

RunForTheHills said:
I wear a Garmin (Fenix E) watch 24/7, so I always have a GPS on my wrist and that's how I record my hikes, runs, and rides. If I get lost on a ride, I just take my phone out of my pocket to see where I am and where I need to go.
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Many runners were trying to use their GPS sports watch for bicycle navigation to realise the watch didn't work as good as they thought for the application and who switched to a GPS bike computer. The latest rider I know who did it was a man whose watch gave him up just before a gravel race and who joined me to be his navigator :) (Which was good for both of us!)

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Our team on the ride :)

Back to RWGPS: it is a very good route planner to be used as a data source for feeding a GPS bike computer. Especially in North America (Komoot is better for Europe).
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
Many runners were trying to use their GPS sports watch for bicycle navigation to realise the watch didn't work as good as they thought for the application and who switched to a GPS bike computer. The lastest rider I know who did it was a man whose watch gave him up just before a gravel race and who joined me to be his navigator :) (Which was good for both of us!)
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I don't use the watch for navigation. My watch allows me to download my music to it and listen to it with bluetooth headphones. I found out that, with this watch, I can't have both my music and maps stored on it. There isn't enough storage. Music is more important to me as I don't carry a phone when I am running. I use the Shokz Openfit 2+ earbuds that allow me to hear traffic and noise around me.
 
Chargeride said:
I make my own routes and I dont want it to make any navigation decisions, just show me where I am on or near the route.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It is very hard to find out where you are if you cannot see the map displayed on the device, innit. For instance, my Wahoo allows zooming out the map. The black arrows show the course and the blue arrow trail tip is exactly where you are. Aditionally, a black line marks the actual course already ridden. I may demonstrate it on the Friday's morning ride.

Chargeride said:
I cant see anything more complicated than a line and an arrow without my reading glasses, its perfect otherwise.
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That's why the ACE is four hundred and fifty pound sterling :) My brother (who out of necessity uses a tiny Garmin 530) exclaimed 'At last you can see something!' when he saw my big ACE :)

RunForTheHills said:
I don't use the watch for navigation.
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That's the point. A sports watch is the thing any serious runner needs.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
BTW, the Specialized phone app's very easy on the phone battery if run in dark mode on an OLED screen.
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Quoting myself only to emphasize that it's a gross oversimplification to say that phone-based mapping/recording eats up phone batteries.

That's certainly the case for RideWithGPS with the screen always on. But you can cut back screen usage in the settings to good effect. And it's not true at all of the Specialized app running in dark mode on an OLED screen. I think OLED screens are pretty common now.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Have you noticed Jeremy how slow the discharge of the ACE is? :)
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Yes, it's got good battery life. But phone battery life wasn't an issue for me pre-ACE.

I need real-time GPS mapping on my bars, and I want detailed ride recording. Had all that pre-ACE, and seldom use turn-by-turn nav. If it weren't for the risk of phone camera damage on handlebars, I'd frankly be happier with my pre-ACE setup — $500 happier, in fact.

Before you reply, remember that we have different needs and desires in this area.
 
I suspect the stabilization issue has a lot to do with the type of surfaces, the phone, and the bike, and some combinations are just not going to work well. 10,000+ miles on two iPhones on bars, plus who knows how many on my commuter (phone is always attached when riding, always the latest iPhone pro max) and i have never had any camera problems.

of course that doesn’t mean nobody will, but my suspicion is that a light, compliant but stiff road bike with tubeless tires on decent roads is never going to destroy a phone camera, at least not within the mileage of even a very enthusiastic amateur. I did some gravel with the same setup, and the vibrations are certainly at a whole ‘‘nother level…‘
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
Before you reply, remember that we have different needs and desires in this area.
Click to expand...
I have known your needs for a long time :) I can't only remember why you were using RWGPS for a long time :) For me, it is important your beautiful new smartphone safely remains where it belongs while still doing its useful job!

Now, another matter. Sometimes, I use live tracking to indicate my riding position to my closest friends. For instance, I had agreed with someone to meet them at a specific point but at undefined time. Or, someone is expected to intercept me on my ride. I was told by my friends Wahoo Live Tracking (that requires the Wahoo app to be running on the phone) was not the best implemented feature (even if it works), so I stopped using it. You can share your current position (but not the track) with Google Maps. I personally start additional ride recording on Strava (which can be the free version) and send the Strava Beacon link to the respective friend(s). I works very good but the phone battery is being depleted pretty fast even with the phone screen off... At least the big battery in S24 U lasts for a pretty long time!

Some news about the competing route planners/sports trackers:
  • Strava does very little development if any (it will end badly for them, I'm sure)
  • RideWithGPS regularly introduces new features, very good
  • Komoot (after being bought by another company) must have a lot money injected in the machine! I can see the fastest development ongoing for years!
What makes Komoot so popular is the fact you don't need the subscription. However, you need to pay a flat rate to unlock Regions one time.
 
Ive gone from mr early adopter with gprs enabled pocket PCs in the 2000s, Nokia communicators, in car touchscreen google maps running from a Sony vgn750 tablet in the glovebox..
To absolutely hating the duck out of modern tech.

So Ive decided to mount a map on the bars and illuminate it with a candle.

My pocket sextant and the wind will guide me through unknown lands.

Trust me, everyone will join in eventually.
 
Ah, I promised a demo ride :) Will finish the current work e-mail and am setting off to show how wonderfully Wahoo shows you where you are :)
 
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