Garmin - Routes

Raam

any guys out there with Garmins know how to upload a route to it?
I will be cycling in Leitrim next weekend and I have a loop worked out for myself that I made on Google Maps (kml or kmz available). From what I can see, I need some way to get it into Garmin Training Center in order to create a course (I have done before using a recorded route). I have tried using EasyGPS and also gpsbabel but I'm in unable to create a course, and I've lost patience with it Any help appreciated.

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kenmc

i do it like this:
Use mapmyride.com to make your route.
Save it as a garmin course
Import it with the garmin software
send it to the device
simple when you know how!

Raam

Nice one, that worked a treat. I can see that I can load the course up in "Training" -> "Courses". But what's the story with the "Navigation" -> "Route" option in the forerunner?

kenmc

yeah I dunno what that's for!

Limestone1

Can you navigate the route using the forerunner ? i.e will it highlight if you've gone off the route ?

Raam

Limestone1 wrote: »

Can you navigate the route using the forerunner ? i.e will it highlight if you've gone off the route ?

The "bring me home" feature can do that.
But I think the course that I have loaded is just going to be a breadcrumb type job. But you will be able to see that you are no longer on the route.

blorg

When you go off course it just flashes up an "Off Course" warning and thereafter tells you how many metres (or kilometers ) you are away from the course. You can program your courses with turn directions, I think there is an option in Mapmyride for that.

Limestone1

tks guys, the upload worked a treat - didn't realise it had all that functionality - I've loaded up a trip around the sally & wicklow gaps so will see how it pans out in the morning as I'm trying an unfamiliar route around Blessington.
Early start so might see some boards jerseys on my way home ....

kincsem

I bought a Garmin about a year ago, and have not yet fitted it to the bike.

Ciaran500

Can I have it?

Raam

The "do course" feature turned out to work very well. It can be ambiguous at certain junctions due to their orientation. If the junction is a fork, it can be difficult to know which fork to take. However, if you do go wrong, you can see it very quickly if you are zoomed into the map. A few times, I was on the correct route, but the Garmin had me tracked as way off even though I know for a fact that I was on the mapped road, but it was no big deal.
Overall it gets a thumbs up from me, as it got me through the narrow back roads of Leitrim and allowed me to do my cycle without needing to worry about finding my way back home.

kenmc

Yeah I discovered the same thing about the junctions - zooming in close is the way to go. It's a bit disconcerting, since there are no other landmarks around, like there are in a car GPS for example - no other roads etc.
I do find it a bit annoying having the 'off course' messages pop up, if you are on the real road. I think it's to do with inaccuracies in mapping vs gps coordinates, also things like the line you take on the road vs the route drawn in on the map, e.g. cutting corners etc.
It;s a useful tool though.

blorg

I think it's mainly that the Google maps are just a bit off on the coordinates- if you zoom in on them you can see there are a lot of straight line bits where the road actually curves. This is pretty apparent in SportsTracks after you download the route.

The Garmin generally shows me going out on one side of the road and pretty accurately a few metres away on the return leg.

kenmc

Yeah it's the garmin that's 'more correct' than the map i think...

Limestone1

The first route I uploaded worked spot on but I have added a few more and cant get them to display on the 'map' page and if you 'do course' it will track the route but does not display it. It works but it is annoying that I cannot see the route ahead - anybody know why this is ? I have tried deleting everything (history and other courses) but still blank on the 'map' page.

FrankGrimes

Hi Limestone1, could it be that you are viewing the map in the default view which is very far zoomed out and you can't actually see the route because of that? That happened me on my first time but when I used the down arrow button on the right to zoom in I can see the route, it's a great feature.