What's the default GPS recommendation nowadays?

[Ben98]

So my trusty Garmin Dakota 20 is finally getting to the end of its life, but I don't know what to replace it with? It used to be the case that the default recommendation was the Dakota if you wanted a touch screen and the etrex if you didn't, it seems more complicated than that now.

A touch screen is essential, I'd prefer a larger screen but can live with something small if it's bright, and I'm pretty sure I'd still like replaceable batteries but I can be persuaded otherwise.

What do you think?

[Lazarus]

Not sure any new one takes batteries
Edge explorer if you want touchscreen internal battery though

[Retiredtester]

Having had 5 Garmin's, from etrex through the 705 and 500 to the 810 and 820, I've just switched to a wahoo bolt and am really pleased with it. The os seems a lot more intuitive than I was used to with Garmin and (so far!) less glitchy. Screen is decent, battery life is good at about 12hrs, memory is huge (pre installed maps of Europe, not OS, obviously), usb-c charger (vastly preferable to the Garmin micro usb, or whatever it's called) and syncing with komoot is fantastic - as long as you have phone data coverage, you can amend or draw up new routes on komoot and ping them across to the wahoo. I also had a big off the other day and, because the wahoo sits lower in its mount than my Garmin used to, it was spared the impact. Pared with a dynohub, cheapie powerpack and a velocharger, anything above 10kph is enough to keep its internal battery topped up.

Screen size is fairly small though, so if that's a big issue, maybe the wahoo roam would be the better choice.

[Bearbonesnorm]

If you were happy enough with the Dakota, then I'd probably look towards one of the 'outdoor' gps rather than a 'cycling' one. Oregon etc.

[Asposium]

A touch screen is essential, I'd prefer a larger screen but can live with something small if it's bright, and I'm pretty sure I'd still like replaceable batteries but I can be persuaded otherwise.

Based on this I would suggest a Garmin Oregon 700
Seems my preferred for most bikepacking rides
Screen is a little smaller than my Edge 1030
But
Interface seems more bikepacking friendly
Runs off AAs
Doesn’t have the faff of the Edge
Clock keeps running when turned off, handy if wanting an event average speed over multiple days.
Fairly easy to make waypoint text super large
Fairly easy to scroll map
Doesn’t seem overly sensitive to rain; would be nice if disabling the screen did fully disable the screen. Edge 1030 is worse in this regard.

Was / am hoping for an updated model.

Typically sell for £150 on eBay
There is a spline to quarter turn adapter available for £10 off eBay, really useful for out-front mount.

[Taylor]

A touch screen is essential, I'd prefer a larger screen but can live with something small if it's bright, and I'm pretty sure I'd still like replaceable batteries but I can be persuaded otherwise.

Based on this I would suggest a Garmin Oregon 700
Seems my preferred for most bikepacking rides
Screen is a little smaller than my Edge 1030
But
Interface seems more bikepacking friendly
Runs off AAs
Doesn’t have the faff of the Edge
Clock keeps running when turned off, handy if wanting an event average speed over multiple days.
Fairly easy to make waypoint text super large
Fairly easy to scroll map
Doesn’t seem overly sensitive to rain; would be nice if disabling the screen did fully disable the screen. Edge 1030 is worse in this regard.

Was / am hoping for an updated model.

Typically sell for £150 on eBay
There is a spline to quarter turn adapter available for £10 off eBay, really useful for out-front mount.

Oregon's have been discontinued now.
I've had to get in touch with Garmin about mine and with it being out of warranty I frightened myself with the replacement cost.
However, the nice man at Garmin said he had a handful of new ones in stock so he sold me a replacement for £100.
I've always been impressed with Garmin's customer care.

[Asposium]

A touch screen is essential, I'd prefer a larger screen but can live with something small if it's bright, and I'm pretty sure I'd still like replaceable batteries but I can be persuaded otherwise.

Based on this I would suggest a Garmin Oregon 700
Seems my preferred for most bikepacking rides
Screen is a little smaller than my Edge 1030
But
Interface seems more bikepacking friendly
Runs off AAs
Doesn’t have the faff of the Edge
Clock keeps running when turned off, handy if wanting an event average speed over multiple days.
Fairly easy to make waypoint text super large
Fairly easy to scroll map
Doesn’t seem overly sensitive to rain; would be nice if disabling the screen did fully disable the screen. Edge 1030 is worse in this regard.

Was / am hoping for an updated model.

Typically sell for £150 on eBay
There is a spline to quarter turn adapter available for £10 off eBay, really useful for out-front mount.

Oregon's have been discontinued now.
I've had to get in touch with Garmin about mine and with it being out of warranty I frightened myself with the replacement cost.
However, the nice man at Garmin said he had a handful of new ones in stock so he sold me a replacement for £100.
I've always been impressed with Garmin's customer care.

Hopefully a replacement on its way

[fatbikephil]

I picked up two Dakotas on ebay for c£50 each. Both had very little use. I've been using the second one after my original's screen started to show blank lines but oddly, it seems to have cured itself. Anyway, might be worth a look as they seem much cheaper SH than etrex's

Otherwise see my thread on Garmin edges...

[fatbikerbill]

I'm curious why you say touch screen is essential.

I ask as I have an 830, touch screen. It's great as long as it does not rain and you don't want to change screens when it is raining. If it is raining you have to have the screen locked on the screen of your choice. Apparently it does still rain, well so I'm led to believe.

A mate, Pete of this parish has the 530, essentially the same but with buttons. Personally I'd now choose the 530.

As for getting a cycling specific gps. I used to be a lifelong etrex user, but the cycling specific ones are great. Game changer in convenience

[Lazarus]

also just gone from a touchscreen to none as it was a pain in rain and did not work that well with gloves so a bit rubbish in anything but sunny weather with mitts on

Also got a 530[bought mainly as it was on offer]

[fatbikephil]

I'd say the Dakota a touch screen was Ok as it's pressure based, not heat inductive so you can use with gloves. Wiping rain off did cause it to scroll randomly if you weren't careful but most of the time it was fine. Looks like the edges use inductive touch screens so you need some wire mesh in yer gloves....

[Taylor]

I used to have the Oregon 550 which was pressure screen and that had no issues in the rain.
When I moved to the Oregon 700 I did have the same rain issue to start with but I found a screen sensitivity switch hidden in the menu somewhere and never had any problems since with rain/sleet/snow.

On a slight side note, my replacement 700 arrived yesterday and whilst it says refurbished on the email, the unit I received is brand new, just no Garmin packaging, only bubblewrap and a plain brown box.

[Mr conners]

Are there any units that you can share .gpx files to via bluetooth? I often draw up routes or amend routes on Gia or mapout in the tent and it would be great to be able to ping them across without needing a data connection.

[redefined_cycles]

Hi Mr Conners. I've never owned one of the OS type Garmin units like Dakota/Oregon but my list of units I've owned are...

Garmin 705 (or was it 605) ancient thing.
Garmin 520.
Garmin 1000
Garmin 530 (after a stint of 4 years with Wahoo and getting bored of everthing just working) but sold it after about 50 or 100 miles at a loss
Wahoo BOLT version 1 (2018 I think and did my first ever Bearbones200 with it).
Wahoo ROAM (owned for 2 years after having the BOLT for 2)*
Wahoo BOLT version 2
______________________
I currently (well, until last week when I sold the v2 of the BOLT for human rights - just saying so you don't think I'm daft after what I tell you I rated it) own the BOLT v1 as my spare unit, (bought cheap with a bleeding screen) and the BOLT v2 as my main unit.

The BOLT v2 I rated as a 10/10 and have just replaced the charity sold one with a second hand ROAM off ebay. Couldn't afford the new ROAM v2 and the ROAM v1 is defienoelty a slight step back for me.

Anyway, I'm not employed by WAHOO and have put about 3000 miles between the units. I generally make my routes via OS mapping and in 2 clicks the route is exported across to my main unit.

*Well, just short of 2 years for both the BOLT v1 and ROAM v2

[redefined_cycles]

Are there any units that you can share .gpx files to via bluetooth? I often draw up routes or amend routes on Gia or mapout in the tent and it would be great to be able to ping them across without needing a data connection.

That's a very good Q and I often wondered that. I doubt my v1 (ancient) BOLT will do such a thing but will try it with my ROAM when it arrives. Only problem is to make the map you need a data connection in OS maps pr whatever... I think...

[redefined_cycles]

Well... I'm pretty sure, for the WAHOO it'sa 'no'..

[firestarter]

I cant recommend a unit but the talkytoaster maps are great, the free ones are bob on but the sub ones are fantastic definitely worth a look

[Lazarus]

re there any units that you can share .gpx files to via bluetooth?

Garmin 530 will and therefore i assume other units with bluetooth

I have never done it and you may need to load it into garmin connect app and then from their to the unit. Never personally done this so no idea how easy it would be but assume straight forward if you can save the GPX and then uplaod to the app.

[Dave Barter]

re there any units that you can share .gpx files to via bluetooth?

Garmin 530 will and therefore i assume other units with bluetooth

I have never done it and you may need to load it into garmin connect app and then from their to the unit. Never personally done this so no idea how easy it would be but assume straight forward if you can save the GPX and then uplaod to the app.

I do this all the time. I create a route in the OS App. Export as gpx into Connect and then use the sync to device option on any route/course. Works a treat. Can also be done via the connect website but you do need the app on your phone

[pistonbroke]

I accept that this may not be as useful in the UK due to their not being a critical mass of users but most of the current generation Edge units have the IQ function which links it wirelessly to Strava, Komoot and Wikiloc. I don't do Strava and wouldn't trust Komoot to navigate me from home to the shops without a grade 6 rockclimb on the way but I'm a great fan of Wikiloc. You can use the wikiloc app to access thousands of trails or different activities, or draw a route using their mapping or satellite imagery, and seamlessly transfer it to your Garmin device in seconds. I use it all the time.

[substandard]

Have a garmin530 myself mainly as buttons win in the sub optimal conditions I often find myself navigating in!

Mine has never been plugged in to a cable to upload a gpx, I just Bluetooth them across via Komoot.

Also like the battery extender pack which connects via the pins in the mounting location, way better than trailing cables fatiguing charging ports regardless of type.

Did last years Cotswolds 200 in 27hours and still had 100% battery and some juice left in the extender

[Asposium]

A touch screen is essential, I'd prefer a larger screen but can live with something small if it's bright, and I'm pretty sure I'd still like replaceable batteries but I can be persuaded otherwise.

Based on this I would suggest a Garmin Oregon 700
Seems my preferred for most bikepacking rides
Screen is a little smaller than my Edge 1030
But
Interface seems more bikepacking friendly
Runs off AAs
Doesn’t have the faff of the Edge
Clock keeps running when turned off, handy if wanting an event average speed over multiple days.
Fairly easy to make waypoint text super large
Fairly easy to scroll map
Doesn’t seem overly sensitive to rain; would be nice if disabling the screen did fully disable the screen. Edge 1030 is worse in this regard.

Was / am hoping for an updated model.

Typically sell for £150 on eBay
There is a spline to quarter turn adapter available for £10 off eBay, really useful for out-front mount.

Since the above have swapped opinion again.
Used the 700 for several multi-day rides.
It chops batteries.
Then reverted back to the Edge 1030, which is far better on battery.
As I like a spare GPS when doing multi-day rides will buy a second 1030.
1040 doesn’t have a microSD card, which is a deal breaker for me.

The 1030 is a pain in the arse in the rain
Would be nice if the screen lock completely disabled the screen, but no, it does not, can swipe side to side through the screens.
Hopefully the edge remote will solve that.
Or bikepack in areas with no rain.

[arkay]

Am I alone in never having used a dedicated GPS unit? My phone with OS mapping does everything that I would want a GPS unit to do, the screen is better than most GPS units, and I'm carrying it with me anyway.

Maybe for an extended tour in the wilderness with no power then batteries would be an issue, but I carry a power bank or two.

I have considered using an old phone as a dedicated GPS unit but by the time I swap phones the old one is usually so old and slow or short on battery life that it's not really practical.

[whitestone]

What do you mean by "it chops batteries"?

I've the Oregon 600 and will get around 20hrs from one set of AAs, that's with most of the power saving options enabled - things like turn off the screen after 30secs, that sort of thing.

Garmin seem to have "rationalised" their range recently, at least the handheld touchscreen models. You used to have: Dakota; Oregon and Montana, now you've just the Montana ( the most expensive one of the three naturally).

[Cheeky Monkey]

Am I alone in never having used a dedicated GPS unit? My phone with OS mapping does everything that I would want a GPS unit to do, the screen is better than most GPS units, and I'm carrying it with me anyway.
...

I think it's partly because only using your phone means all / many of your eggs are in one basket; comms, nav, camera, internet, payments etc. Failure of that one bit of tech often means loosing a lot of "tools".

Phones can be pretty £££. They are often also an everyday "essential" for many e.g. mine is provided by work and is used daily for that as well as being my only / personal phone. It's an awkward thing to manage without and using it like a GPS means it's more likely to get fritzed / damaged / lost.

Some or all of these are quite subjective, personal, circumventable so, mleh, at bit