DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Abbotsford?
Show us pictures of where you ride your ebikes!
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
First test of the Garmin Edge 530 was a success. Used the "out front" mount first. I can see that this mount would be a bad choice in the dirt. Will try it on top of the stem next. Here it is on its temporary home.
Went for a 22km ride down to Mud Bay and back.
I did the first 13.5km using the "Mountain bike" activity profile, then at the bridge pic above saved that ride, and then switched to "Road" activity for the last 8.5km.
Humorously, on the paved road leaving the Mud Bay parking lot the 530 congratulated me on a "Nice Jump!" Lol! This was still in Mountain bike mode. Silly.
If you have your phone with you (I did), as soon as you save a ride on the 530, the phone receives it via bluetooth, and boom, it's on Strava. Nice.
Used approx 6% of battery. Much better than smartphone battery usage.
Tether worked as advertised and has a stretchy loop.
Liking it so far, and looking forward to getting the remote to safely view multiple screens.
Went for a 22km ride down to Mud Bay and back.
I did the first 13.5km using the "Mountain bike" activity profile, then at the bridge pic above saved that ride, and then switched to "Road" activity for the last 8.5km.
Humorously, on the paved road leaving the Mud Bay parking lot the 530 congratulated me on a "Nice Jump!" Lol! This was still in Mountain bike mode. Silly.
If you have your phone with you (I did), as soon as you save a ride on the 530, the phone receives it via bluetooth, and boom, it's on Strava. Nice.
Used approx 6% of battery. Much better than smartphone battery usage.
Tether worked as advertised and has a stretchy loop.
Liking it so far, and looking forward to getting the remote to safely view multiple screens.
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Yes very close Dave in the Matsqui area along the Fraser. Does it do a better job of presenting map routes ( for navigating ) than Google ?
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Interesting question. I've not used Google maps to do that in the past.
I have synced the device with Strava, Komoot, Trailforks, and Ride with GPS, so can create routes in any of those platforms and send them to the Garmin.
Next test will be sending a well known route to the device and seeing just how smart/stupid it is.
Komoot is pretty good at finding bike friendly routes. I used it a few times last year on my smartphone but it's a freakin' battery hog. No worries with that on the Garmin.
Are you happy with the Google maps option?
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
When I plan a new trip I use the home computer and open Google maps (bike mode) and Trailforks and then I open Mapy.cz on my phone. After comparing all 3 apps I then use a pencil and paper to draw a large enough route map that I can read without my reading glasses. I then throw it in my handlebar bag and leave it open when riding in the areas of concern. This is the only way I can think of that lets me keep riding while following the directions. With my eyesight I would need an absurdly large tablet mounted on the stem in order to read and ride at the same time. Oh and the reason I open all 3 apps is that I have found some discrepancies such as missing trails or connections on one or more app. For example on Google maps the trail called Lower Sidewinder on Burnaby mountain is completely missing , but is there in all its glory on Trailforks , and shows up as only a black dotted line ( instead of red indicating bike trail ) on Mapy.
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reidjazz
Active Member
- Region
- USA
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Your smartphone should be able to bark at you verbally using the right app, no? Also should be able to have directions full screen.
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
I have not tried that because I do not trust google maps or any single app to plan the route for me in the first place. Control freak that I am. (-:
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Understood.
Sometimes I have to laugh at nav apps in the car as well. Some of the routes are ridiculous.
I was pretty impressed with Komoot, so I think I'll try that. Also I just mapped a route (on PC) in Ride with GPS for the ride I did today and it was bang on. Even though I went a different way, this route was absolutely accurate.
Only one test, so not convincing... yet.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Just did the same route in Komoot, chose ebike/mountain bike and it gave me the exact route I used today.
Interesting.
Interesting.
John Thompson
Active Member
Chilliwack?
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Yes Koomoot is good but the diff between the mountain bike setting and the Ebike setting on it is dubious to me. I always prefer a trail to a road if I can negotiate it safely. I can handle most blue trails on my FS bike and I do not mind a short walk if it gets too tricky. Some blue trails are too much for my hardtail. Similarly Trailforks has some blue trails that are really green trails and some green that are blue to me. What kind of route challange I can handle on my Ebike(s) is of course completely different than what somebody else feels comfortable on, but my point is that if I only use the Ebike settings, I may be missing some great scenic options that you would otherwise comfortably negotiate and enjoy. On the oher hand if I choose the Mtn bike setting I may find myself on a blue trail that is too challenging for my skill and bike. That is why I like to go over the routes with google satellite and/or street views when I am planning a new trip and also check Trailforks for videos of the trails I am planning to use.
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steve mercier
Well-Known Member
John that pic was taken halfway up a gravel road on the North side of Sumas mtn facing Northeast . So the view across the river would be to the East of Mission around Deroche.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Yup, trails are preferred for sure. The 530 experiment will be fun methinks.
John Thompson
Active Member
Amazing how many of us post from so close together in the Pac NW! I love trying to figure out where everybody is taking the picture from ... so EMGX that is either Hood from somewhere around Portland, or it's Baker from Whidbey Island?
steve mercier
Well-Known Member
Looking forward to a full review when you have explored with it.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
So far only had time for short excursions at lunch and after work/before supper.
I'm testing building routes on PC with Komoot and RWGPS. Mixed results but nothing conclusive yet.
The 530 makes a bleep sound at 150m before next turn, and then a double bleep shortly before again. That seems to be quite flawless.
I have tried to use Komoot to include local paths, and that has been a bit spotty, but some of them are so close to a road I think it's confusing. Might have to wait until the weekend for a better test, perhaps in Watershed.
Right, Mt Hood taken from the Washington side of the Columbia northeast of Portland.
I'm a transplanted midwesterner, lived in the PNW since '94 and love it here.
Today I was testing the front hub motor that I put on my wife's new Biria Easy Boarding bike. It is an old motor that I had sitting around for several years from a failed project to see if I could bike to work once in a while but the motor would just stall out on steep hills where I needed assist. This time I tried it with a new KT controller, it assists on hills, including steep long ones, great now and my wife loves the bike and assist (which she really needs due to orthopedic issues). Too bad about the rat's nest of wires but it was the best I could do.
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