Which GPS for bikes ?

Anyone got into researching GPSs with route programming for bikes ?
If so, which ones seem to get the thumbs-up and why ?
My wishlist includes :
a) needs to be waterproof
b) some tolerance of vibration (V-twin)
c) preferably internally-powered, to program in the evenings
d) preferably bike charged
e) nice big colour screeen
and cheap ( that was a joke )

Thanks,
Nick

 

Tom Tom have just released their "Rider" thing - but it's pricey and as it's
new I don't think there any reports on reliablity.

Garmin do decent enough ones too - quite a few people here have various
models (I have an old Vista, others have the V model - not sure if anyone's
get a very recent one).

They are vibration proof (to an extent - if you use a proper mount),
waterproof and tick all of the things you've mentioned above - though a big
screen is potentially something you may have to trade off slightly as you're
on a bike after all...

 

Garmin Quest seems to be the choice for cheap-ish bike mountable kit.
Internally powered as well. I didn't like the smallish screen and preferred
the versatility of a PDA so I got a Medion PNA100 instead, but that's not
waterproof and needs external power. The latter is not a problem on the BMW
so all I need now is a case for the PDA.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Timo Geusch

Did yours not come with the cycle mounting and soft case?

I use that on the Blingmobile (with the mounting slightly modified), and
it's fine.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "Oh Bollocks" said Pooh, having forgotten his lines.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

My view is that any stand alone device is:-
1.Overpriced
2.Single use, therefore adds insult to injury.

3.A PDA with a bluetooth GPS receiver works well.(Sirf III chipset is the
latest and best, according to the cognoscenti)

4.If you're feeling flush then go the whole nine yards
http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=120563
add one of these
http://www.otterbox.com/products/pda_cases/index.htm.
adapt with this
http://www.ram-mount-uk.com/

Your list doesn't say anything about map coverage. Some bundles only include
UK mapping, others Europe.

Further, how are you going to listen to it, intercom, Blutooth helmet etc
etc. Do you need to?

At the moment I use an iPAQ 5550 & Navman 4410, works fine for me but I
would like a newer receiver(above) to help improve the 'canyoning' problems
in towns and under tree canopy.

If you haven't been here before then I would recommend a poke round.
http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/

HTH

 

It did.

Well, the blingmobile has a tad more weather protection than the GS. I'll
have to look into modifying the cycle mount to fit on the crossbar and try
it out but I'm a tad unconvinced that it'll work well...

 

Your PDA is vibration and water proof is it?

 

Have you considered not being *quite* so narrow minded about things?

 

Maybe you shouldn't look at things quite so literally as well! That's the
second time you've done that - implied that I haven't got a clue what I'm
talking about when in fact it's you that's got it up the creek.

" Have you tried using a map and a brain cell?" - are you saying this is
your way of saying GPS's are great?

Your views on GPS are well known - they have previously reflected exactly
what you wrote here - "use a map" ergo "GPS sucks".

My post was asking you to consider that just because *you* think they're
crap, they possibly aren't actually that crap.

Replace GPS with Fazor, VFR, Wales etc - it's amusing to read the posts but
it does seem to make you appear rather narrow minded - and coming from a
Saffa that has to be a bad thing.

 

Reading is not one of your strong points is it?

 

Garmin Quest

Garmin Quest

Garmin Quest

Garmin Quest

Er, not the Garmin Quest then.

 

I've not tried the Quest, but my Garmin 2610 does basically all of that.
Waterproof (apparently), can be powered by the bike, comes with a mains
adapter to use at home (doesn't have internal battery power), connects
to the PC so you can create maps and waypoints easily and then download
etc.

Probably the most convincing argument for its use on a bike is that
every manufacturer's GPS installation I saw at the NEC last year was
Garmin 2610 based (including BMW and Ducati).

 

Obviously not, so I've had another read of your post to see where you
explain how your PDA is waterproof and vibration resistent - but I can't
find it.

Can you point it out as I HQ don't seem to imply their PDA's are either of
these things?

 

Spending a bit of time with a map will save you plenty of money to be
spent on beer at your destination.

 

So exactly which part of the word "waterproof", contained in the link
http://www.otterbox.com/products/pda_cases/index.htm

is giving you the greatest difficulty?

As to vibration, that will depend, to a great extent, how the OP intends to
mount and/or use it.
He does not say.
If, for instance, it is for casual/holiday use, then he might be happy for
it to be tucked into the top of a tank bag.

I was simply pointing out options, As you say in your post to the OP there
are trade-offs to be made.

 

Agreed - but I want real time update when I take a wrong turning as well as
the continual updates offered by the GPS about several factors including
anticipated time of arrival - its also difficult to open up a map to see
where you have gone wrong when travelling at 69 mph, with one hand on the
throttle and its raining.
Yes - I have maps and can read them well, but after a trip to Southern Spain
and back last week (3200 miles) with a 2610( which was good) I was wondering
if there was anything else of its ilk to consider - certainly being tied to
the bike or a mains supply was a real pain when wanting to modify a route /
check something in a roadside cafe... hence the wish for self powered.
Nick

 

<thinking ahead>

What route did you take?

 

So new, that last time I looked it was not actually available yet. I
suspect problems in the weatherproofing area.

 

I have to say that since I got mine it's worked out much better than a
map in a couple of occasions. The best so far was when leaving work on
a Friday, heading to a friends place. I know my way to said place from
home, and from home to work but not straight there.

No probs with a map, but halfway out of town the police had closed the
road and diverted the traffic back into town. A couple of taps on the
screen and I've got a new route that avoids the roadblock, and has only
added two minutes to my journey.

Fair saved some hassle of getting an O/S sized map out to check the
back roads, or going back into town to sit through the traffic jam all
the way in, through and out the other side to another main road.

 

Well I can't see that word in that link either. Its bad form to give
a link without hinting what it is about, so I will help you out.

Otterbox is a clunky solution to the weatherproof problem that you
don't need to have in the first place if you avoid a PDA-based
solution.