If you are thinking of buying a GPS system to navigate at speed down or up a mountain bike trail, then how well you can do this at speed, will depend on the ability of your system to pick up enough satellite signals to pinpoint your position as accurately as possible and relay the information to you through a detailed map base. There are a couple of different ways GPS systems work out their accuracy and it is worth checking out which one the system will use and how accurate it really is.
The answer is navigation equipment. You can learn to navigate using a map and compass and there are many courses, one day or longer that can help to improve your skills. This is a useful skill to acquire as you never know when technology is going to let you down even if it's not the equipment at fault but because you are in a dense wood and the satellite signal is not getting through. If this is your chosen method then there are some excellent map holders on the market that allow you to move the map around 360 degrees and will protect your map, give you space to store other maps underneath and a compass can be lodged on top, such as the MBO-2 Rotating Map Holder.
If you are on your bike mainly to improve your health and fitness, then a model that emphasises its display on your performance such as a cadence (pace) monitor and whether you have reached your target goals might be more suitable. Whilst still useful as a navigation tool, this type of system is not a best seller if you want colourful, detailed maps. Don't forget to check if the maps are included or an extra payment is required before they can be downloaded.
The first option is to go for a GPS Navigator which will give you your speed, location and elevation but you will not have any maps to view. Or alternatively, there are now some excellent cycling specific GPS Navigation systems. The market leader is Garmin and specifically their edge models. They have a built-in base map, which will track your performance and you can even add on an additional heart rate monitor as in the Garmin Edge 305. Features it would be worth checking out before investing in this expensive piece of equipment are; ease of attachment to handlebars, map legibility, waterproofness, visibility in a range of light conditions and sensitivity of the GPS to tracking your position under tree cover .
Finally, you could use paper maps and a compass with a small investment in a map holder. If you are not confident that your map reading skills are good enough for navigating at speed, then book yourself onto a navigation course aimed at doing just that; Improving your confidence and navigation skills. The MBO-2 rotating map holder allows you to move the map around 360 degrees. Look out for holders that have space underneath for extra maps and space on top for tucking in your compass ready for use.
The answer is navigation equipment. You can learn to navigate using a map and compass and there are many courses, one day or longer that can help to improve your skills. This is a useful skill to acquire as you never know when technology is going to let you down even if it's not the equipment at fault but because you are in a dense wood and the satellite signal is not getting through. If this is your chosen method then there are some excellent map holders on the market that allow you to move the map around 360 degrees and will protect your map, give you space to store other maps underneath and a compass can be lodged on top, such as the MBO-2 Rotating Map Holder.
If you are on your bike mainly to improve your health and fitness, then a model that emphasises its display on your performance such as a cadence (pace) monitor and whether you have reached your target goals might be more suitable. Whilst still useful as a navigation tool, this type of system is not a best seller if you want colourful, detailed maps. Don't forget to check if the maps are included or an extra payment is required before they can be downloaded.
The first option is to go for a GPS Navigator which will give you your speed, location and elevation but you will not have any maps to view. Or alternatively, there are now some excellent cycling specific GPS Navigation systems. The market leader is Garmin and specifically their edge models. They have a built-in base map, which will track your performance and you can even add on an additional heart rate monitor as in the Garmin Edge 305. Features it would be worth checking out before investing in this expensive piece of equipment are; ease of attachment to handlebars, map legibility, waterproofness, visibility in a range of light conditions and sensitivity of the GPS to tracking your position under tree cover .
Finally, you could use paper maps and a compass with a small investment in a map holder. If you are not confident that your map reading skills are good enough for navigating at speed, then book yourself onto a navigation course aimed at doing just that; Improving your confidence and navigation skills. The MBO-2 rotating map holder allows you to move the map around 360 degrees. Look out for holders that have space underneath for extra maps and space on top for tucking in your compass ready for use.
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For high end navigation for mountain bike navigation, check out the Garmin Edge 800.
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