Show me the way to go home

This week I have mostly been experimenting with GPS related solutions for my bike. There are three main approaches to take with this.

1. Buy a Garmin Zumo 550. This is designed to work on a motorbike, is waterproof, has bluetooth so you can hear directions in your helmet, and is perfect for the job. It also costs £400, so we'll put that on the "maybe" pile.
2. Use the Nokia N95 which comes with Nokia maps already installed. The phone isn't waterproof so it needs to go inside my tank bag. With some velcro strips to stop it sliding around I fashioned the holder (free with screen protectors) and a velcro pad inside the bag.

This is the holder with velcro on the back.


And in situ with the phone inside the tank bag.


I used this on the way to work and back on the bike this week and found the following slight downsides to this as a solution.

• It costs £6 per 30 days (or £60 a year) in subscriptions for nokia maps to do routing and voice navigation for you. They do give a free 7 day trial which is what I used for this test.
  
• You can't see the screen very well (if at all) and can only hear directions at low speed.
• It is convinced you are riding off the road despite being on it, so won't give you directions thus defeating the whole idea of using it as a Sat Nav.
  

So I think this is consigned to the emergency "where the heck am I" role when I'm lost on the bike as GPS positioning is free and does work. It's also handy when used with the other Nokia freebie, Sportstracker, which will create a gps log of a route for you so you can tell where you bimbled.

3. Garmin Nuvi. I already have this so the cost is nothing. I already have the velcro strips off eBay to attach it to the inside of the tank bag (£2).
   

On the test ride to work and back, this had the distinct advantage that

• It knew I was on the road
• Routed correctly
• Was audible coming up to roundabouts and the like where you need it
• Doesn't cost anything in subscriptions.
• You can see the screen (if you tilt it slightly back with a carrier bag under the far edge, proper solution to follow)

So the clear winner is the Nuvi. The price is right, and it works :-)

Brum Brum.