What's so special about GPS units? Why not use a map?

[Clair]

Okay, I'm new to ST'ing and have only done 3-4 day trips on my cruiser prior to owning my ST. On those trips, I've used a map to plot my journey, know where I am, where to go, and so on. I have brought my GPS unit, a small one I use for hiking and mountain biking, and have used it more for distance and speed recognition, not where I am or where I'm going.

I have noticed that many riders here say that a GPS is one of their top farkles ... and I guess I'm just curious as to why? What's so hard about using a map, following a route, and so on? I'm not knocking GPS units, not at all, just curious why they're so common. Am I missing something by just using a map? What does the GPS give you that a map does not?

Thanks!

[tricky_micky]

My $.02 worth.

I do a lot of miles up and down the UK travelling to venues for meetings and training purposes. The GPS takes me from door to door, and it has taken me to hotels that I do not think I would have found in a month of Sundays.

The voice prompts from the unit saves me having to look down at maps and has made life for me a lot easier. Also, I have to wear specs to read so if I want to look down at a map, I would have to stop, put my specs on, read the map, take them off and away again. I can gaurantee that once I have moved off, I have forgotten the bloomin directions :D and have to stop again LOL.

So the GPS really does work for me. When I am riding local, I use the unit as a speedometer, really was a good investment, and I offset it against tax as I use it for business!

Mick

[macc4s]

I'm on exactly the same page as Mick. It literally lets you relax navigating. I'd rather not plan a route, and unfortunately, since I do the majority of my riding alone, I have only my severely directionally challenged brain to depend on. The quote I read somewhere that completely sold me on GPS was, "...if I've got an 8 hour ride day, I just ride 4 hours any direction I want-without a clue to route, stop after 4 hours, push the "HOME" button and this thing just takes me home!..." And man that's exactly how it works. Relaxing distance riding. I can read and use a map as well as the next guy, but GPS is INFINITELY easier--then add hotels, restaurants, addresses, recreation areas, camp sites, MP3 player, compass..... For the person who is interested in this type of "guidance", it is the best. Just my opinion. Patrick

[tricky_micky]

For a change.

We have booked a holiday in the UK instead of going over to France, but it still works wherever you are going.

I sit in front of the computer with MapSource open and I then look for places of interest both within MapSource and the internet.

If I find a place of interest and one worth a visit, I just make a WayPoint of that area and load it into the Garmin.

Whilst out on holiday and you think, heck lets go there, you just switch on the GPS load the waypoint and tell it to take you there, it makes life very easy.

I have a number of waypoints on the GPS in Normandy, and you can plan your days accordingly to the weather! If it is raining cats and dogs, pick a local point to visit, you get a nice day you choose otherwise

In my opinion, GPS has really hit home here, it makes life easy, it takes me to where I want to go, and when on holiday, I can relax more rather than have to start planning routes for the next day or whatever.

Mick

[Ken]

And let's not forget the peace of mind you get when your low fuel warning light is flashing and your GPS can tell where the nearest gas stations are...out in the middle of nowhere, that's worth the price of admission to me.

[SpEd]

What does the GPS give you that a map does not?

Thanks!

#1 Its a gadget.
#2 We're men, and we need gadgets, d@mnit!
#3 Did I mention that its a gadget?

:biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker:

[Medicine Bear]

#1 Its a gadget.
#2 We're men, and we need gadgets, d@mnit!
#3 Did I mention that its a gadget?

:biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker: :biker:

Not only that, there are no buttons on a map. There's nothing to push! Unacceptable!!!

Fred :03biker:

[billxp]

You never have to figure out how to fold the gps :)

[SpEd]

:biker: LMAO!!!:biker:

[NormanPCN]

I mostly use the GPS for the points of interest database.
Fast Food (Jack, Burger, Carl's, Ice Cream)
Motels.
How far is it to town/place X and what is the ETA.

I do not use the routing of the GPS while riding a tour. That is in my head or my heart.

One real world example. I was on a two day ride and my initial plans were to stay in Hollister, CA. Time was fine so I decided to stay in Salinas, CA so I turned on the GPS and looked for an interesting way to get there other than the highway. I saw a very squiggly line and took that road. What a sweet find. This road would not be on most maps. While approaching Salinas (a large city) I looked for Motels. Had the GPS direct me to a Motel 8. The parking lot in that was seriously steep. Not going to park a bike on that. Looked for others and whet to a Days Inn. I certainly could get on the highway and drive up/down since the motels typically congregrate there but it is nice to know what exists nearby.

The POI database is not perfect but I have only been bit once when looking for a 7/11 store. It was not there. Of course I would not know about items that are missing in the database.

[Blue STreak]

No map will tell you that you just missed the exit you meant to take. Or that the exit you meant to take is now 50 miles behind you <g>.

And I especially like the GPS at night, when street signs can be very hard to read. "Did I just pass the turn I wanted? Or is it that next turn, half a mile ahead? Damn, I wish I had my GPS with me, it would have told me where to turn."

[crazykz]

I've done some group rides in my time where we get lost or we miss a turn because memorizing the route is pretty hard and the map needs to be out or flipped over or doesn't cover the entire area.

Before we leave I just plot the route on the computer and dump it in the GPS. Then it's one nice long ride to whereever we are going.

Curt

[Louie Louie]

If it werent for a GPS, I may have stayed at Death Valley or the Sierra's for good...
Also, it allows me to find the neareST STarbucks!

[maxified]

I concurr with most of the above and would like to add:

1. The ability to share a particularly fine route with someone else who has compatible gear.

2. The "breadcrumb" feature. This feature has helped me learn/remember new roads when I went exploring.

BTW (mini-hijack), the Garmin 276C is large enough for me to easily read day or night w/o reading glasses and the display is actually brighter in direct sunlight. It is a farkle that I truly find functional, not just a gadget.

[Ken]

And let's not forget (was it from Sherob?) GPS roulette - go out and get hopelessly lost and hit the 'Find' home button :)

[Ken]

Now _that_ is a cool tip/trick!
:bow1: :attentio: After entering my destination I can set the unit to 'Off Road', which continually draws a straight line from my current position to my destination. This allows me to take pretty much any road I wish while always knowing which direction I need to be headed to get there. :cool:

[Biddyman]

I've done some group rides in my time where we get lost or we miss a turn because memorizing the route is pretty hard and the map needs to be out or flipped over or doesn't cover the entire area.

Before we leave I just plot the route on the computer and dump it in the GPS. Then it's one nice long ride to whereever we are going.

Curt

I've seen you take a wrong turn on a planned route plotted on the GPS. Sad thing is,:eek: I followed you.

[Scaredy Cat]

I took the back roads through the Czech Republic last year, going right past a huge sign that pointed to our destination in Poland on a brand new dual-carriageway road (I was following the GPS). On the way we saw some amazing sights, some things we would have never seen had we gone the quickest way. We got there, and I knew we would find our way back - which is more than I can say for Poland (didn't have a GPS map, only paper), where we got lost for hours on end, ending up in a 2' wide road in a cornfield at one point.
I can read maps.
I can read compasses.
My sense of direction is less than perfect.
GPS rules.

[Gunner]

Why use a GPS? Here's some of the reasons why I like using one:

1. You know exactly how fast you're going.
2. You know exactly how far you are from your next turn or destination.
3. The estimated time of arrival feature is remarkably accurate.
4. You know where you are on the map.
5. You can find exits with food and gas.
6. It's really great for navigating through unfamiliar cities.

My wife used to think it was just a gadget until the time she mentioned that she wanted to stop for a Blizzard (ice cream). I found a DQ 2 exits away and stopped like I knew it was there all along. Boy, did I score some points.


Steve

[Medicine Bear]

8. The main reason to have a GPS here in Texas is that it gives you precise elevation measurements.

:D

Yeah, around here that would be from sea level all the way up to 200'! :D

Fred :03biker:

[sandman]

And last but not least let's not forget that it's real value is to stave off that loneliness experienced by all those lead..UH! IronButt riders we have aboard.

Gordon

[crazykz]

You know this will sound weird but I'll say it. I've been in some real pickles during some rallies and long rides out in the pitch black, raining like hell, down to 20 MPH but still rolling, with semi's pulling off because it's too bad of weather, power outages, lightning, thunder, tornado warnings and through all of that the one thing that keeps me calm is to hit the "speak" button and let that little woman in the GPS tell me exactly where I need to go. It's just like having someone tell you everything is going to be alright and I'm going to get you there.

I know it's wierd but when you are all alone out on the road in those conditions anything to keep you from completely losing your mind is worth it. It gives me solace and keeps me focused.

Curt

[crazykz]

I've seen you take a wrong turn on a planned route plotted on the GPS. Sad thing is,:eek: I followed you.

Shutup! Nobody asked you. :D

[STWannaBe]

I got one because it makes me look way smarter than I really am. What was really cool about it was about the same time I purchased it, I mysteriously stopped getting lost. I don't know if it had anything to do with the GPS, but it was kinda wierd... Who woulda thought... :eek:

[Highrider]

A GPS device is one of those items that you need to use to appreciate, and the more you use the more value it adds to the riding experience. There are 2 instances that stand out for me where the GPS made the trip. The first was riding through the box canyons in Colorado on the back roads. There are a lot of small hills and blind sharp switch-back curves along the rivers. I set my GPS to the 200' display mode and I could see the direction the next blind curve coming up, giving me plenty of time to set up for the next turn as we wound our way through the canyons. It made that trip a lot more fun.
The second was last year at the Honda Homecoming. Our group stayed about 30 miles from Marysville. I set the GPS to take us between the 2 locations, and we ended up on some very fun backroads we would have never found by ourselves. Along with everything else that has been listsed in this thread, the GPS goes everywhere my ST goes.

Dave
:biker:

[Mellow]

I use mine because I'm not retired.... what do I mean?

Well, most of my trips are weekend trips where I take off from work on Friday which means as soon as I get off work on Thursday, the vacation starts.

So, in order to maximize my saddle time, I need to keep gas stops and ANY other stops to a minimum. Having the GPS helps me do that.

I put it on my left handlebar and I have the 2610 so I can zoom out, or in, to the detail I want and find alternate routes quickly if there's a traffic accident or contstruction or just a cool looking road I want to get to. The touch screen makes it easy to just move the map around with my thumb... The read out tells me when I'm getting to my destination after I've taken the detour. If I'm camping and I don't want to arrive after dark to set up the tent, I can make that decision without finding a suitable place to pull over, taking the map out of my tankbag or trunk, figuring out where I am, putting it back and then trying to remember what it was I saw. Those with maps on their tankbag, that's great too but sooner or later, you'll have to pull over to change it or flip it and if you do that at a gas stop it saves time but what if you forget? That ever happen? sure it does, then you have to stop again...

Those involved with long distance riding know that stopping is your enemy... not stopping for rest but stopping because you have to adjust something or anything. Every stop you make will affect your ETA to your intended destination.

Now, a lot of people don't have a destination, after all it's the journey not the destination right? Sure, I agree. But, I always have some basic plan. I head out on that Thursday for a minimum of 300 miles, 1k miles the next day and then take it easy on that saturday where ever I might be and start heading back.. then the last day of my 3-day weekend is getting home. The first two days are all about getting someplace scenic and the last two days are about taking it easy and getting some good pics.

Think of the GPS like the internet on the bike... It's nice to have if you are or aren't making plans and you find yourself in unfamiliar territory. You can find a hotel, campground, park, gas station, town, restaurant, friend's home quickly and get straight there.

Anywho... mine I use because I want to see as much as possible and in an efficient manner... Do you need one? Nope, of course not... Am I sorry I got one, Nope, I think it's the one best Farkle you could have, just my opinion.

[Blrfl]

If we didn't have GPS, we'd have an extra $600 in our pockets with no farkle to spend it on.

What fun would that be?

--Mark

[Bones]

What device do you recommend for GPS newbies?

Any accessories that are must haves?

Any important caveats?

[crazykz]

What device do you recommend for GPS newbies?

Any accessories that are must haves?

Any important caveats?

Start here (top three links under Featured Items):
http://gpsinformation.net/

Curt

[Mark]

I don't have a gps; so, I will address why I would like one.

Getting lost on a ride on purpose.... by this I mean being able to ride any road that strikes your fancy and then use the gps to get a route to where you *need* to be... whether it is the quickest route home or the next gas station.

This would be instead of sitting down with a map the next time you find a steet sign: you might not find any street signs on some of the back roads for a long time!

By carrying a laptop and having Steets and Trips loaded I can do the same thing; but, it takes time. And as Mellow noted above: stops are the enemy of long distance rides.

GPS owner wannaB,
Mark
Now all I have to do is convince Chris... :rolleyes: ;)

[velomoto]

What device do you recommend for GPS newbies?
Any accessories that are must haves?
Any important caveats?

For on a motorcycle:

1. Do not get a unit with a hard drive. (ie. get one which ONLY uses FLASH MEMORY). Hard drives don't like vibrations.

2. Get the largest/brightest display possible.

3. Units which talk will allow one to watch the road while listening to directions.

4. Make certain there is a motorcycle mount kit available for the unit you choose.

5. Consider whether or not you want to use the unit off the bike - some units have a battery.

6. Touch screen interface is great - but may be difficult/impossible with gloves on.

A couple highly recommended, but expensive Garmin units to consider: 2720 and 276

For XM radio, weather and even more features consider the 2730 and 376

Greg

[velomoto]

I have noticed that many riders here say that a GPS is one of their top farkles ... and I guess I'm just curious as to why?

1. Calibrate the speedo - Hey, how fast can this thing really go???

2. Wife never has to give directions again - Yup, that's why she gave it to me!

3. Visit a new city, cruise the streets and turn on the GPS when I'm done playing and need to get to my destination!

Unfortunately I need another GPS unit - something small, light and with a battery. This way the wife will be able to find the car at the mall parking lot!!! :D

Greg

[Horst]

I don't have a GPS and don't want one ... :eek:

On the way back from the Vancouver m/c show, was talking to a long time Winger buddy who was making a mental note on some new freeway turnoffs in the Vancouver area ... he told me that GPS is often TWO YEARS OUT OF DATE !!

Is this true ? ... how can that be ? ... my maps are better than that ! :eek:

(I will believe the gadget/button/gadget argument :))

[velomoto]

I don't have a GPS and don't want one ... :eek:

Is this true ? ... how can that be ? ... my maps are better than that ! :eek:

(I will believe the gadget/button/gadget argument :))

Part of the "privledge" of owning GPS is buying map updates. IMHO, two years out of date seems a bit much but considering the number of new roads and changes being made in US/Canada I can certainly see there could be some errors.

That said, if the unit makes a mistake and one gets off route (due to new road and/or detour) the new (fast) GPS units will recalculate a new route in seconds (literally 5 to 10 seconds with my 2710). I've heard complaints with older/slower units taking minutes or longer to (re)calculate routes, but this is not the case for all units.

Greg

[Clair]

I do know that here in Utah, MapQuest is out of date when it comes to milemarkers, especially on I-15. MQ says I should get off at exit 335 to get to work, but it's really 332. Granted it's only 3 miles off but ... there is NO exit 335. So, kinda going with Horst ... how current are they?

I see what everyone is saying, and they are some of the reasons why I have one for hiking or Mountain biking. When MB'ing in the desert, say Moab, it doesn't take long to get out of sight of anything you recognized, to get disoriented, to have everything in every direction look the same. My small Garmin GPS is great for finding our route and our way home. Thus, I understand the concept.

I guess I need to see how much touring / travelling I do to see if a larger MC-type GPS unit is worth the purchase. My small one does give me speed, distance, altitude ... btw, my house is at 4,890 feet elevation and I generally ride in the 7k-10k range around here, damn flatlanders! LOL ... and so on. It doesn't have large amounts of memory but I can download street info to it. May have to look into that. To date, I haven't had any issues that a map and/or asking someone for directions didn't cure.

Then again, all my prior trips were on my Vulcan which had a 135-150 mile range (depending on riding speed and headwind). Given that you can very easily get out in the middle of nowhere here very quickly and have an easy 50-75 miles between any town, I got used to plotting on a map fuel stops. WIth the ST's range of 300+ miles I can see myself approaching this differently.

I'm sure there have been plenty of "what is the best GPS unit" threads on here, so if someone would be so kind as to post the links to them so I can do some reading I'd appreciate it.

I really do appreciate everyone's comments. It's much appreciated.

[Bones]

I never used to want a cell phone because sometimes I don't care to be reached. I learned how to shut it off and now like having it. I expect that will have to be part of my application of GPS because one of the things I like about riding is escaping the wired world of my office.

Perhaps the best use I've seen listed here is go ride where you've never been, then hit HOME. That could be interesting.

Finding gas may be helpful, although even in the rural Northeast you're rarely 50 miles from fuel (expect perhaps in the County in Maine). I've ridden with guys with GPS and find that the kinds of places I like to eat (not chains) and stay (bed & breakfast) seem to be under-represented on the GPS maps.

There are times when I view a map as cheating; my Dad used to say to find out where a road goes, take it. That's turned out to be some great advice for motorcycling, something my Dad never did.

Anyway, it looks like a GPS could be in my future. Thanks Greg for your specific response to my queries...much appreciated.

[mishkee]

I get the question "which way did you come" I remember some of the roads otherwise I just follow along with what the unit shows. A bit embarrassing

[Ashalina]

I am thinking about buying a GPS unit primarily to show me upcoming roads when I ride in unfamiliar areas and to give me the ability to track routes as I take them and then be able to recreate them again at a later date. I will rarely use the unit to give me directions, but ease of use for getting driving directions if my wife uses it may allow me enough leverage to justify spending the $$ on the GPS.

Any recommendations on good units are appreciated. It looks like Garmin is probably the brand I would use and though I like the price and portability of their i5 Street Pilot, it may be a bit too limited for tracking routes as I ride. The Quest, 2610 and 2720 all looked promising as well.

Thanks for your help.

Richard

[Horst]

"...escaping the wired world of my office. "


YOU SAID IT BONES ! .... that's exactly where I'm coming from.

My cellphone is in the pocket, turned OFF ... I can check email if needed. The last thing I want on a bike trip is to be reminded of the office ... good grief ! (I realize some are on-call, as I once was :()

So, with my excellent sense of direction and knowledge of the western half of N.A. I should be fine ... more than once has my Winger buddy's GPS been wrong ... so we're tied :)

As for the nearest DQ, give me a break ... Mexican or nothing !