What GPS to buy for my mountain biking needs?

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Hi, last friday i embarked on a 6 hour mountain biking trip meant to be 2 1/2 hours. The extended time was all due to taking a left inside of a right on the trails. Got very lost and didn't really know where i was most of the time. Once i finally got home and looking at a aerial view of my biking location i realized that i was VERY close to another trail that would have taken me back to our cars but instead we opted to follow the pavement for an additional 20 miles.

So long story short i want a GPS.
I have tried to reasearch GPS online but doesn't seem to be great explanations out there.
Here are my needs/wants (dont' konw if they exist but here we go):

-track route and let me add my own points on it so i can keep track of intersections and start/stop points

-have a color map to view the area so i can keep my bearings in relation to our start points (THIS NAVIGATION IS MY NUMBER 1 NEED, I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST ANY MORE)

-speed

-distance

-mp3 player built in?

-uploadable to computer

-track altitude

-possibly have a ghost mode where you can race against prior times (not totally a deal breaker either way)

-battery life?

-waterproof


i did look at the edge garmins which seem really cool.. however as far as navigating.. doesn't seem like a good option. Seems like they will basically track where i've been so that i could back track but as far as forward navigation it's not going to help me.

Please help me out.. it's so confusing I don't mind spending up to $500 for the right unit, however i would like to keep the price as minimal for my needs.

Hi, last friday i embarked on a 6 hour mountain biking trip meant to be 2 1/2 hours. The extended time was all due to taking a left inside of a right on the trails. Got very lost and didn't really know where i was most of the time. Once i finally got home and looking at a aerial view of my biking location i realized that i was VERY close to another trail that would have taken me back to our cars but instead we opted to follow the pavement for an additional 20 miles.

So long story short i want a GPS.
I have tried to reasearch GPS online but doesn't seem to be great explanations out there.
Here are my needs/wants (dont' konw if they exist but here we go):

-track route and let me add my own points on it so i can keep track of intersections and start/stop points

-have a color map to view the area so i can keep my bearings in relation to our start points (THIS NAVIGATION IS MY NUMBER 1 NEED, I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST ANY MORE)

-speed

-distance

-mp3 player built in?

-uploadable to computer

-track altitude

-possibly have a ghost mode where you can race against prior times (not totally a deal breaker either way)

-battery life?

-waterproof


i did look at the edge garmins which seem really cool.. however as far as navigating.. doesn't seem like a good option. Seems like they will basically track where i've been so that i could back track but as far as forward navigation it's not going to help me.

Please help me out.. it's so confusing I don't mind spending up to $500 for the right unit, however i would like to keep the price as minimal for my needs.
Well since you've already looked at the Garmin, my advice to go with something like either the Forerunner 305 or Edge 305 is probably not going to help.
It's true that it has only basic navigation, but it is plenty enough to get you "un lost"
I use the Forerunner for cycling and running, and the downloadable stats to your computer are impressive, including altitude and my favorite - %grade.
My opinion for what it's worth.

Thanks for your response! Seems that there are a small percentage of people that actually know all about GPS. I went to Eastern mountain sports today and the guy was like.. "well this one's color and it's better". That was the extent of his knowledge.
If it's going to help me navigate my way back to the other trails that would be great.. but it doesn't seem that anyone in my area has one i can see in operation. Frustrating! I might just have to pony up the $250 and use the 30-day money back privelages.


Well since you've already looked at the Garmin, my advice to go with something like either the Forerunner 305 or Edge 305 is probably not going to help.
It's true that it has only basic navigation, but it is plenty enough to get you "un lost"
I use the Forerunner for cycling and running, and the downloadable stats to your computer are impressive, including altitude and my favorite - %grade.
My opinion for what it's worth.

Well it seems that NO ONE else here has ever used a GPS or wants to take the time to reply. I'm going to go buy one and try it, bring it back and get another, repeat etc until i've tried the major brands and a few of the models. Just hoped to get the right one the first time.

I used my Garmin e-trex vista on a couple of rides and it was sweet to use on a those occasions because I have the detailed road maps loaded and it was very accurate for the road rides, but on a couple of occasions I could not pick up or lost signal and I didn't have time to tamper with it because the group kept moving.

I just ordered the Garmin Edge 305 (should arrive next week) because it is specific for cycling and those in my club rides that are using the 305 say they have never lost signal and the gps worked fine throughout the ride.

One of the main reasons I purchased the Edge 305 is that I have several bikes and now I can easily switch the same computer to each bike and not worry about calibration. I also look forward to using the website Motionbased (http://www.motionbased.com/) to track my ride data and upload "trail network" if I desire.

I've been using a PDA + GPS load with Memory Map software and 25K maps.. Excellent at showing where you.. Also use tomtom navigate to guide me through London town via bluetooth headpiece. Majorly bulky once inside a water proof case and the batteries go flat between 5-7 hours which means can be caught out..

Thinking of getting a Garmin Edge 305 as is cycle specfic, although will probable still take PDA on longer journey as a backup.

Well after much deliberation i chose the Garmin etrex Vista CX with the 64mb micro SD card ($290 - $50 rebate). Also purchased the bike mount. I'll let you know what i think once it's all installed and i use it for a while.

This one seemed the best choice since i can also take it into the car and use it and it has a better display for finding your way home than any of the EDGE models.

Question/s: Garmin.

Will it help you get find your way out on an unexplored trail besides going back the way you came?
Can you load street maps?

I heard it was good for sharing and loading trail routes between friends etc..
Sounds good for a set track.

If you are going to be riding in the woods with moderate to heavy overhead cover, then go with a unit with SiRF III chip eg. Garmin GPSMaps60CSx. If you are out in the open most of the time, then a Garmin eTrex Vista Cx would work quite nicely. Supplement in some topographic map data and you'll have lots of fun with them as most topo can be superimposed.

I wouldn't get the 305 as they are more road bike specific and made for serious training. Also their built-in rechargeable Li battery have a limited usage time and there's no way to replace it when you are out there. Both of the GPSMaps and eTrex series use AA, are more flexible when you have two or more sets of NiMH rechargeables.

If you are going to be riding in the woods with moderate to heavy overhead cover, then go with a unit with SiRF III chip eg. Garmin GPSMaps60CSx. If you are out in the open most of the time, then a Garmin eTrex Vista Cx would work quite nicely. Supplement in some topographic map data and you'll have lots of fun with them as most topo can be superimposed.

I wouldn't get the 305 as they are more road bike specific and made for serious training. Also their built-in rechargeable Li battery have a limited usage time and there's no way to replace it when you are out there. Both of the GPSMaps and eTrex series use AA, are more flexible when you have two or more sets of NiMH rechargeables.
A bit late for NGL but anyone else looking at sat nav may i recomend the good advice on the forums at http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/
Ive had loads of help over there for my car/(motor) bike system

Or better still, http://gpsinformation.net/

Lots of informative articles.

haha.. yea a little late.. but I am extremely happy with my etrex vista cx. It's spectactular. No more getting lost, track everything and everywhere. It's great :D

haha.. yea a little late.. but I am extremely happy with my etrex vista cx. It's spectactular. No more getting lost, track everything and everywhere. It's great :D
Same here. GPSMaps60 series is just a tad bulky for a bike. :rolleyes: