[stosh]

I was looking into microsoft streets and trips with a GPS locator. Do you have to pay for GPS service?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002DODZ8/qid=1120746371/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl23/102-5006883-8021765?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

 

[firetoole]

no but streets updates every year so you have to "buy" new software once a year

 

[Reactor]

I and severwal of my friends use GPSes while riding. The Global Positioning systems was originally setup by the US military was as a navagiation aid. They use to jiggle the signal to ruin the accuracy for civilians, but turned off the jiggle during the first gulf was and never turned it back on. GPS like the like LORAN before it is free.

If you are going to ride, or even think you might, with a GPS I recommend you getting something like a GArmin ETREX, and buying the software seperatel. It will cost a little more but it's worth it.

 

[Zark]

The Garmin 401 is about the slickest GPS for biking I've seen yet. Built in heart rate moniter, gives altitude and position and all that goodness. You can download your trips into and ESRI software-driven interactive mapping. Throw your route over a topo map, or air photo, etc. You can get breakdowns of each section of your ride with all your stats.

I do believe you can download topos and stuff to your gps to have while out and about too.

 

[DRB]

The Garmin 401 is about the slickest GPS for biking I've seen yet. Built in heart rate moniter, gives altitude and position and all that goodness. You can download your trips into and ESRI software-driven interactive mapping. Throw your route over a topo map, or air photo, etc. You can get breakdowns of each section of your ride with all your stats.

I do believe you can download topos and stuff to your gps to have while out and about too.

401? I've seen the 301 but not the 401.

 

[stosh]

Nice, I would love to have a GPS unit to hook up to a lap top when I go on trips and stuff.

I think if I was to review my bike rides I would feel like schit about myself.

Thanks for all the great imput.

 

[Westy]

My Garmin loses sattelites while on trails in deeply wooded valleys, which is about 1/2 the time.

 

[Zark]

My Garmin loses sattelites while on trails in deeply wooded valleys, which is about 1/2 the time.

Yeah, nature of the beast. You have to have LOS (line of sight) to at least 3 satelites to get a good fix.

 

[luken8r]

i generally have good reception on my magellan meridian in the woods.
you can upload the track you took to several mapping programs, my favorate is delorme topo 5.0. i also use that setup while on road trips in my jeep for navigation on my laptop.

 

[Zark]

delorme topo rocks, very cool stuff

 

[johnbryanpeters]

ExpertGPS - topos and satellite photos, requires internet connection, $60-

 

[Ciaran]

The Garmin 401 is about the slickest GPS for biking I've seen yet. Built in heart rate moniter, gives altitude and position and all that goodness. You can download your trips into and ESRI software-driven interactive mapping. Throw your route over a topo map, or air photo, etc. You can get breakdowns of each section of your ride with all your stats.

I do believe you can download topos and stuff to your gps to have while out and about too.

Is this what we need to get you for the trail mapping? We can start accepting membership dues you know.

 

[Zark]

Is this what we need to get you for the trail mapping? We can start accepting membership dues you know.

No, we need an EIR first Whats the story with that? Any word from Baldy?

 

[Nathan Cloud]

If you are mountain bikers AND use a gps - please please consider swinging over to www.crankfire.com and sharing any trails you might have saved tracks (and waypoints, routes, etc..) from. We have interactive mapping for uploaded gpx data, you can download tracks and other such data, etc..

I will tell you though, finding GPS using mountain bikers has been kind of tough.

Reception wise (we have 6 loaner gps units going around) the Garmin 12's we have are easily the worst(otherwise they are lovely), while my magellan map 330x easily has the best reception. My Garmin Rino is decent though and the monster Eagle Explorers we have are surprisingly decent.

For software, i agree expertGPS is really good - very solid, but check out Topofusion (www.topofusion.com) - it is damn good stuff! Written by mountain bikers so that really leaves you no choice but to check it out (They have a pretty much full featured free demo for download).

 

[RhinofromWA]

My Garmin loses sattelites while on trails in deeply wooded valleys, which is about 1/2 the time.

My BIGGEST complaint with my GPS (birthday present back in 01? Garmin Etrek real basic) is that it is worthless in the woods. If I am ouot in the grasslands and the desert then they work but if it works once every 5 miles I ride because it can't reach out through the trees it is about worthless. I can't get a signal in city either becuause 2-3 story buildings block the signal.

It is fun to play with.....but I would rather learn to use a map and a compass more efficiently.

 

[Reactor]

I have an newer(04) etrex legend, and it works well just about everywhere I've taken it - White mountains, desert, flagstaff. I had a special cable made up and I can talk to it live from an Ipaq and see my position on maps/routes/tracks I made.