I just bought a Garmin 205 GPS, believing that it would be useful for basic navigation. However with the software it comes with (incl support on the motiobased webpage) it is nothing more than a glorified cyclocomputer (which I can buy for less than a tenth of its price).
For example the PC software does not allow to create new routes/courses (one can only upload existing courses). I have managed to write my own script to prepare .xml files that can be uploaded to the device and create a course. However now I realized that these course files are pretty useless for basic navigation. In order to do basic navigation a route needs to be defined. I am struggling with the fact that it seems to be impossible to create a route in advance (e.g. on the device itself or a PC).If anybody has thoughts on how new routes can be created and uploaded in advance to a GARMIN 205 I would appreciate it. (ps I have tried the babelgps script, but that does not seem to work properly for my Garmin 205 device).
If you search you can find at least 3 sites that will allow you to create courses for the 205.
I use this site because of the follow road feature, which is pretty special.
I agree it is a high tech cyclometer, but I am pretty thrilled with mine. Right now, I use a HR monitor and a Cateye CP, but I still have to plot a route on Yahoo and save as a route to get elevation.
Now, I just download the information. The elevation is available before I even ride.
Just a suggestion, check out the map maker on this site or bike toaster.
I bought the 205 and mount it on the bike along with a Polar cs200cad. Initially I used the 205 to check the settings of the Polar and they are usually very close milage wise. But I also plan to use the GPS for skiing and running.
I have tried to download a route but acording to the Garmin web site it is not possible with the 205 although they say it will work with the 305.
If you really want a wild gps for the bike check out the new Edge 705 w/city navigator!
i agre that the 205 isn't brilliant but in terms of tracking it's pretty good and that's what it does for me. It doesn't even quite know where I am when (occaisionally) i get lost....but as I still love maps I don't rteally care...where's the fun in being told where and when tyo turn...that's the fun. And if you get lost then there really is only one person to blame.....Duh !
I haven't used the training features as I'm not into it, but have now started pacing my clinmbs on the basis of the elevation still to go, bnot the vague distances i used to use.
It's brilliant and it was cheap...what do you expect¿?
I have had a 205 for about a year now, and love it. I was also disapointed that it does not display a real map. The way you create courses is to do a ride and convert your ride into a course. I love this feature it allows you to race yourself, also you can see the elevation profile as you ride. I agree the software is sub-par, I use map-my-ride to create new routes and export them as crs files to upload to my Garmin. The way I get around the no map problem is to zoom in to 800ft scale and follow the navigation line.
Import from Garmin
tomkarl
MapMyRun.com,
MapMyRide.com,
MapMyWalk.com,
MapMyHike.com,
MapMyFitness.com,
&
MapMyTri.com