What are your cycling best and worst recomendations?

[TigerMom]

Worst Recommendation: Garmin 800. Extremely difficult to use and expensive and, supposedly, you have to pay extra for the Garmin maps; but it is the only GPS map device that is small for biking with long battery life that I know of. I am not a computer genius, but both my husband and I have trouble downloading and seeing bike routes and getting turn-by-turn directions.

Best Recommendation: biking gloves are a must. The gloves help prevent skinning your hands when you fall, preventing hand sunburns, used to wipe your "snot", prevents branches from scratching you up, etc. I throw my gloves/albuterol inhaler into my helmet and hang the helmet on my bike, so that I will forget neither my helmet nor my gloves.

[OakLeaf]

both my husband and I have trouble downloading and seeing bike routes and getting turn-by-turn directions.

Where are you downloading the routes from? There's a problem with MapMyRide, has been for a few years now, and their lack of interest in fixing it makes me think they want everyone to subscribe and use their phone app, which makes sense - being able to download for free from there sucked revenue out of their stream.

Try RideWithGPS.com (subscription options also available, but their free maps work). I don't have the 800, I have the older 705, but I know plenty of people with 800s who don't have the trouble you're describing.


(Or - maybe I misunderstood your post - did you install some free maps? That might be your problem. I know there are free options available, but I bought Garmin's maps for ease of use as well as respecting the license.)