Garmin routes

triggermortis

Anybody here use the feature to make your own routes from the Garmin site?

I have used it a couple of times now and I'm finding it quite annoying. It hasn't got me lost (yet) even abroad, but today it constantly beeped at me "you are off course" followed by "course found" every minute or so, on the only road I could possibly be on in the area at the time.
Is it more accurate if I click the map every few 100m or so along a route as I make it, instead of making big leaps in the route clicks?
As I knew where I was today, I just turned the course off as it was that annoying, but this isn't always possible as it defeats the purpose slightly

ashleey

I must admit that i have had the same issues. I used to use bikeroutetoaster etc to make the course before the feature was added to garmin connect. It has twice caused my edge 500 to freeze while out and required a 3 button reset while riding.

cantalach

The usual cause of it reporting that you are gone off course is the poor quality of the maps in the Garmin Connect course plotting feature. Garmin Connect uses Google Maps and Google in turn sources map data for Ireland from a company called Tele Atlas. These guys do a very poor job of accurately mapping many of the secondary and tertiary roads in the country. The result is that when you are riding a course on your Garmin and enter a section where the road deviates significantly from the 'Groad', your Garmin will think you are off course.

The problem isn't confined to Ireland. Just over a year ago, myself and some clubmates relied on our Garmins to ride the course of the Amstel Gold in the Netherlands. On many of the quiet laneways and forest roads, the Garmin lost its way. We ended up having to double back so many times during the day that Garmins have been referred to as 'Nimrags' ever since within our club.

Returning to the quality of Irish maps, I see that the Tele Atlas contract to supply Google with maps expires next year. With a bit of luck, it won't be renewed!

Cookie_Monster

i treid it out a few times recently. It just doens't work that well, off course a lot for no reason, doesn't recognise junctions sometimes either

TheBlaaMan

Its a welll known problem, loads of reports of really dodgy routing performance on the (esp on Edge500, I think) if you search online.

I've had exactly the same issues to the extent that I no longer use routing on the 500.

Its a somewhat secondary feature on the Edge500, so I dont think too many owners complain about it given that the device does most other things very well (but dont get me started on spurious reporting of elevation - down to the fact that it uses a barometric altimeter.)

emtroche

If i had enough time on my hands i'd use ridewithgps.com or something similar to plot the route using the satellite images.

Obviously you can't use the "follow roads" option when doing this so it can be slow going when drawing the route and it doesnt work in some parts of the country where the satellite images are no good.