just bought myself a garmin edge 705. Can anyone tell me the best way to download routes and maps on to it.
Ally
Edge 705
Moderator: Moderators
Routes on garmins
Hi there,
I have a 305 and after 18 months have got it down to using SportTracks for my training diary as it's not based online and is easier to use than motionbased. The software is free to download. You can also create and save routes/courses etc seperately from the workout so they don't all have to stay on your 705.
A good routing website is http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx because it will draw your route following roads for you(as opposed to straight lines between points), and add in warning points 200m before your junction so you can use it to tell you where to go! (You do this by naming the waypoint 'Turn Left' etc. The only downside is it produces massive files which my 305 can't take if it's a long course. This is because each warning point as an another waypoint so it's doubling everything up. You can edit to make smaller though...for example by taking out the automatically generated waypoints for 'straight on' which aren't necessary, or you won't have to use warning points (although this is what I find the most useful because otherwise your on/past a junction before anything comes up)
Even so, they can be big, so after getting this website to draw them for you, I save the file as .GPX on my computer and then load up into another web based tool.... www.coursemapper.com which is much better for editing routes and courses (but won't draw routes down a road hence I use bikeroutetoaster first!). This site can also be used to help you draw in other features so you can use your unit more like a sat nav to save getting lost. A bit long winded I know, but I've spent hours on it, and this works for me, particularly with routes over 50 miles.
I have all the club TT courses on file as .GPX, also a couple of the club run routes and wiggy100. I'm working on my repetoire of saved routes...if you want any of them give me a shout.
Becky
I have a 305 and after 18 months have got it down to using SportTracks for my training diary as it's not based online and is easier to use than motionbased. The software is free to download. You can also create and save routes/courses etc seperately from the workout so they don't all have to stay on your 705.
A good routing website is http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx because it will draw your route following roads for you(as opposed to straight lines between points), and add in warning points 200m before your junction so you can use it to tell you where to go! (You do this by naming the waypoint 'Turn Left' etc. The only downside is it produces massive files which my 305 can't take if it's a long course. This is because each warning point as an another waypoint so it's doubling everything up. You can edit to make smaller though...for example by taking out the automatically generated waypoints for 'straight on' which aren't necessary, or you won't have to use warning points (although this is what I find the most useful because otherwise your on/past a junction before anything comes up)
Even so, they can be big, so after getting this website to draw them for you, I save the file as .GPX on my computer and then load up into another web based tool.... www.coursemapper.com which is much better for editing routes and courses (but won't draw routes down a road hence I use bikeroutetoaster first!). This site can also be used to help you draw in other features so you can use your unit more like a sat nav to save getting lost. A bit long winded I know, but I've spent hours on it, and this works for me, particularly with routes over 50 miles.
I have all the club TT courses on file as .GPX, also a couple of the club run routes and wiggy100. I'm working on my repetoire of saved routes...if you want any of them give me a shout.
Becky
Hi
I've had a 705 for about a year now and am happy to detail what works for me:
Get the Garmin City Navigator map on micro sd card for the unit, if it didn't come already so equipped. The advantage of this is that you carry at all times detailed road mapping of all of Northern Europe...
Make sure that your unit has the latest firmware installed. This is updated reasonably frequently to address bugs and anomalies; keep an eye on the Garmin website.
Don't bother installing the combined speed/cadence sensor on the bike unless you feel you must absolutely have a cadence readout. The 705 can accurately determine your speed from GPS data alone- I had some initial problems with my sensor and haven't yet regretted "binning" it.
I personally prefer to create routes for later download to the 705 on bikehike.co.uk. This site gives an OS Landranger (1:50000) view of the route you're devising - very useful for determining whether the route you're planning is actually navigable by road bike...
I exclusively download routes to the Edge in .tcx format and only use coursepoints to indicate cafe stops etc. This gives you simply a rolling map with a route marked on it which you follow with no automatic assistance from the unit, apart from it alerting you if you should inadvertently veer off course.
GPX files have the theoretical advantage of automatically directing you at every route junction. This means, in theory, that you don't even have to look at the map screen as you journey round your route, you could leave the 705 on a data readout screen and wait for directions to "pop up" at junctions. This works fine most of the time, but occasionally the unit will miss a prompt and you may then unwittingly go off route. Once you're off route things then become really interesting, the unit recalculating your route to your destination and quite often coming up with a completely different way home to the one you intended - not good! To be fair to Garmin, I think this oversight has now been addressed in one of their recent firmware updates, but as I no longer use GPX files I haven't confirmed this.
Once you've completed your ride, you can upload your ride history log to Garmin Connect and review it / share it with others as you desire.
Fantastic bit of kit IMHO. Mine very occasionally locks up but a "Sinclair Reset" sorts it out pronto!
Hope the above helps
I've had a 705 for about a year now and am happy to detail what works for me:
Get the Garmin City Navigator map on micro sd card for the unit, if it didn't come already so equipped. The advantage of this is that you carry at all times detailed road mapping of all of Northern Europe...
Make sure that your unit has the latest firmware installed. This is updated reasonably frequently to address bugs and anomalies; keep an eye on the Garmin website.
Don't bother installing the combined speed/cadence sensor on the bike unless you feel you must absolutely have a cadence readout. The 705 can accurately determine your speed from GPS data alone- I had some initial problems with my sensor and haven't yet regretted "binning" it.
I personally prefer to create routes for later download to the 705 on bikehike.co.uk. This site gives an OS Landranger (1:50000) view of the route you're devising - very useful for determining whether the route you're planning is actually navigable by road bike...
I exclusively download routes to the Edge in .tcx format and only use coursepoints to indicate cafe stops etc. This gives you simply a rolling map with a route marked on it which you follow with no automatic assistance from the unit, apart from it alerting you if you should inadvertently veer off course.
GPX files have the theoretical advantage of automatically directing you at every route junction. This means, in theory, that you don't even have to look at the map screen as you journey round your route, you could leave the 705 on a data readout screen and wait for directions to "pop up" at junctions. This works fine most of the time, but occasionally the unit will miss a prompt and you may then unwittingly go off route. Once you're off route things then become really interesting, the unit recalculating your route to your destination and quite often coming up with a completely different way home to the one you intended - not good! To be fair to Garmin, I think this oversight has now been addressed in one of their recent firmware updates, but as I no longer use GPX files I haven't confirmed this.
Once you've completed your ride, you can upload your ride history log to Garmin Connect and review it / share it with others as you desire.
Fantastic bit of kit IMHO. Mine very occasionally locks up but a "Sinclair Reset" sorts it out pronto!
Hope the above helps
I was wondering whether anyone can help. My Garmin 705 has for some reason stopped transferring any data from the device to the training center software and garmin connect. The data is successfully saving to the device within the history but wont transfer my recent rides. Any advice would be handy.
Jonathan
Jonathan
Found this post today may be of some use to you Garmin users?
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/t ... lus-others
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/t ... lus-others
Jon
Have you recently upgraded your firmware to v2.7 (the latest release)? I have and am now experiencing difficulties in uploading history files to Garmin Connect. A little digging around t'internet reveals that this problem is not uncommon and is apparently related to issues within v2.7 firmware. Garmin are aware of the problem and are working on a fix, should be out soon. As a workaround, either reinstall v2.6 firmware or be careful not to press the "start/stop" button during a ride. Strange but true, the history file seems to remain valid provided that you don't press this button during your ride.
Have you recently upgraded your firmware to v2.7 (the latest release)? I have and am now experiencing difficulties in uploading history files to Garmin Connect. A little digging around t'internet reveals that this problem is not uncommon and is apparently related to issues within v2.7 firmware. Garmin are aware of the problem and are working on a fix, should be out soon. As a workaround, either reinstall v2.6 firmware or be careful not to press the "start/stop" button during a ride. Strange but true, the history file seems to remain valid provided that you don't press this button during your ride.
Thanks for that Howard, that might go some way to explain the problem, glad its not just me. I did recently upgrade the firmware. I have the autopause on function during rides so when you stop the device stops etc I only use the start stop at the beginning of rides and at the end.HowardDudley wrote:Jon
Have you recently upgraded your firmware to v2.7 (the latest release)? I have and am now experiencing difficulties in uploading history files to Garmin Connect. A little digging around t'internet reveals that this problem is not uncommon and is apparently related to issues within v2.7 firmware. Garmin are aware of the problem and are working on a fix, should be out soon. As a workaround, either reinstall v2.6 firmware or be careful not to press the "start/stop" button during a ride. Strange but true, the history file seems to remain valid provided that you don't press this button during your ride.
The whole problem just seems odd becuase I have not done anything any different since I last downloaded data. But I suppose thats technology for you, Its great when it works etc etc.
I also just recently upgrade the Communicator Plug- in software which I thought was the problem because mine was out of date but no that did not work either.
But to be honest I dont know about all you other Garmin users but everytime I go onto the Website it seems to be down for maintenace etc which is rather annoying .
Jon
Version 2.8 firmware is now available. It purportedly specifically addresses the problems we've been having.
Details here:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download ... sp?id=3987
Details here:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download ... sp?id=3987
I think I will stay with version 2.6 for a short while longer until a bit more confirmation on 2.8 comes through.
Could this be the start of a long thread, or maybe we could have a section on these type of devices and map sharing etc.
Sorry Kevin.
Hope you all have a good ride this weekend.
Cheers
Ian H
Could this be the start of a long thread, or maybe we could have a section on these type of devices and map sharing etc.
Sorry Kevin.
Hope you all have a good ride this weekend.
Cheers
Ian H