garmin Edge ( Explore )

[Waynemarlow]

Bought a Garmin Edge Explore, its good and its got a flaw. Out on one of our trails last night and using a track we already had set up in an area where to get the best out of the area, you need to cross and reuse parts of the trail. Imagine a clover leaf type trail, but crossing over at points.

The Garmins navigation is spot on until you get to these points where it can't calculate to go left right straight ahead because it can see 3 or 4 parts of the trail all crossing. Has anyone found a way around this ?

 

[Mikerb]

It may make a difference if the original track was set up as one way or circular.

 

[Waynemarlow]

This particular track is one way, but to get the best and longest downhills you have to cross your original track on some occasions and climb up to another high point. At one point you can see on the screen 3 parts of your future route. At this point the Garmin just gives up and is unable to give guidance.

 

[SwissMountainLeader]

Bought a Garmin Edge Explore, its good and its got a flaw. Out on one of our trails last night and using a track we already had set up in an area where to get the best out of the area, you need to cross and reuse parts of the trail. Imagine a clover leaf type trail, but crossing over at points.

The Garmins navigation is spot on until you get to these points where it can't calculate to go left right straight ahead because it can see 3 or 4 parts of the trail all crossing. Has anyone found a way around this ?

I only just understood what you were asking there. That’s maybe going to happen with any Garmin I think following a track like that. In fact I suspect it’s maybe worse than you say, most likely I’d expect it pick the shortest path to the end.

how did you build the track and how did you transfer it to the device?

 

[Waynemarlow]

I only just understood what you were asking there. That’s maybe going to happen with any Garmin I think following a track like that. In fact I suspect it’s maybe worse than you say, most likely I’d expect it pick the shortest path to the end.

how did you build the track and how did you transfer it to the device?

Using previous routes, actual exploring and using inputs from a couple of nav programs, create a gpx file from MemoryMap, then using Connect to download to the explore.

Might try putting a number of waypoints in just beyond the crossing point perhaps ?

 

[Sapientiea]

Yeah Garmin is a bit sucky in some things. I guess you made a route? Routes are very annoying in Garmin as the map type and GPS toegther determine the calculated route after loading it onto GPS unit. Better is to always convert routes into track. Then it should be fine if you are routing from GPS unit. Number of points in track also matter a lot, especially when crossing multiple times close to same point.

 

[SwissMountainLeader]

Using previous routes, actual exploring and using inputs from a couple of nav programs, create a gpx file from MemoryMap, then using Connect to download to the explore.



Might try putting a number of waypoints in just beyond the crossing point perhaps ?

If I have it right then connect is supposed to do something slightly clever with courses compared to plugging your device in and dropping a GPX file in. So that would be the "right" way to do it if there is such a thing. Most on-device settings apply to routing and not track following so I don't think there's much to alter.

I'm sure you already thought about splitting the track and switching between the legs

There's some subtle indicators and arrows on the display but if you're moving at any speed these will be take a second or two to resolve plus your own thinking time even assuming you can squint at the display. Any activity moving at speed is tricky, it's the same skiing for example.

Somewhat depends on how you want to use a GPS in the whole navigation process. Or if you're using it for fitness reasons to check your PB on the course. I think I would have ski and bike tracks that cross, less so on foot but my navigation process is different I would guess.

Yeah Garmin is a bit sucky in some things. I guess you made a route? Routes are very annoying in Garmin as the map type and GPS toegther determine the calculated route after loading it onto GPS unit. Better is to always convert routes into track. Then it should be fine if you are routing from GPS unit. Number of points in track also matter a lot, especially when crossing multiple times close to same point.

I'm not sure it's quite that binary, it really depends on several factors as to whether following a track or route is better. As you say, massively dependent on the routable map itself. Generally I find with the same map that different Garmin units make the same routing decisions.

Adding more points might help in some cases but generally it's only going to increase the point density for the whole track and at the intersection will not make any difference about what the nearest next points are - that's just maths

 

[Paul Mac]

I have used garmin Edge devices for years, but what I have found if you are doing mtb routes, without names roads and loads of cross overs, it is best to turn off turn by turn navigation and just follow the line.

 

[Waynemarlow]

Somewhat depends on how you want to use a GPS in the whole navigation process. Or if you're using it for fitness reasons to check your PB on the course. I think I would have ski and bike tracks that cross, less so on foot but my navigation process is different I would guess.

I'm not sure it's quite that binary, it really depends on several factors as to whether following a track or route is better. As you say, massively dependent on the routable map itself. Generally I find with the same map that different Garmin units make the same routing decisions.

Adding more points might help in some cases but generally it's only going to increase the point density for the whole track and at the intersection will not make any difference about what the nearest next points are - that's just maths

We are using the advantages of Internet mapping much more than we used to. Formerly we would have on the analogue bikes just driven or cycled to a local area and built a 15 - 20 mile route over a dozen visits.

With the use of EBikes you can explore the perimeter and broad area in an hour or two and get a feel for an area whether it’s worth a return visit. If we think there are good trails then how do you get the best from it without visiting a dozen times. Look down on it with Google Maps, look at what locals have put on the web as good trails and use good 1:25k electronic maps or better to get the heights of various points along the routes. You will be surprised how much more entertainment you can get on even the second visit by spending a few evenings sorting out an electronic route.

One of our guys hates lifting his Levo, so using the likes of OpenStreet combined with Google Map, he finds alternative routes that don’t have stiles or gates just off course and voila another lift free 20 mile route with 600- 900 metres of climb is created. We had only probably 10 routes on the analogues built up over years of using them ( always start and finish at a pub of course ), we now have so many it’s becoming a pain which to choose, one of the huge benefits of owning an EBike, all within easy range from our houses.

 

[Waynemarlow]

I have used garmin Edge devices for years, but what I have found if you are doing mtb routes, without names roads and loads of cross overs, it is best to turn off turn by turn navigation and just follow the line.

Thanks will try that. interesting but my old Tomtom watch seems more to step along the route giving better guidance than the Garmin but then old age eyesight is just putting paid to the small display ?