Garmin / Mapping Routes

[ibike2]

I have a garmin 705 - do you know, or do you have a favorite website for creating new maps, or downloading someone elses map, to your Garmin?

Thanks for your help.

[crazycanuck]

I have the 800 & just use the Garmin Connect site. Anything else just drives me crazier as i still struggle with converting a file from bikely to gpx & then uploading it to my garmin...

[OakLeaf]

Can you use Garmin Connect to map, now? It didn't use to have that capability, and I sure don't see it now.

I find MapMyRide to be generally the easiest place to create a .gpx, although I'm not a huge fan of the "new" interface. Ridewithgps has other features, including a MUCH better elevation profile. But especially if you're looking for public routes that other people have uploaded, MapMyRide probably has more than any other, at least in the USA.

One of those two ought to do it for you.



ETA - cc, do you have to use bikeroutetoaster and Training Center to upload a .gpx to the 800, the way you have to with the newer Forerunners? That is a PITA. But I didn't think you had to do that with the GPS units that have native mapping capability.

[crazycanuck]

Oak, what's bikeroutetoaster???

I just find it all too confusing & just download tracks from the Garmin Connect explore tag...

I tried to download or whatever it's called..a route from bikely a while back but it woldn't let me because I wasn't a paid subscriber.

Tis ok, i have most of our mtb trails mapped & the sat am road rides I do w the group.

[OakLeaf]

If you don't have to use bikeroutetoaster, don't worry about it. It's a PITA, but it's the only way you can upload a route to a Forerunner. I don't honestly know what it does, but I know I need to use it. It does look like you can create new routes on that site as well, but it looks unwieldy ... as I said, I prefer mapmyride.

I still don't see where you can create maps on Garmin Connect. I did find the place where you can create a course from someone else's track...

[Eden]

Hmmmmm I've never used it to specifically create GPX files, I use it to make printable cue sheets, but I really like Bikeroute Toaster..... I find Map My Ride, Bikely and everything else I've tried to be a real PITA.... The auto routing seems to work better for me and the turn by turns it creates are pretty good (and it will save them in a nice printable format for free too...). My only wish is that it would do the turn by turns *from* a GPX file - if you upload one the turn by turns remain empty.