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Change old bike to 1X or get GPS?


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8 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

The 520+ requires a lot of button clicking to get stuff done, and doesn't have the little joystick that the 705 had which made it really easy to do stuff like zoom in or out on the map screen.    The 520+ is downright annoying as to how many things I have to click to get stuff done (even powering off).

I agree, the previous (quite old, now) Garmin I had at least had a touch screen, it's somewhat annoying they didn't put one in the 520/520+.  Would not buy another without a touchscreen. 

 ..Al

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2 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

The 520+ requires a lot of button clicking to get stuff done, and doesn't have the little joystick that the 705 had which made it really easy to do stuff like zoom in or out on the map screen.

My 520 takes 4 buttons from off to off for a ride.

On, Start, Stop, Save, (it turns itself off).

I do get lazy since it syncs directly after save to my phone and uploads.  I tend to forget to charge it sometimes.

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1 hour ago, Taco Man said:

My 520 takes 4 buttons from off to off for a ride.

On, Start, Stop, Save, (it turns itself off).

I do get lazy since it syncs directly after save to my phone and uploads.  I tend to forget to charge it sometimes.

I use mine like you use yours. Go, Stop.

If you want to move around the map on a 520, just don't, because you'll wonder why the hell it isn't any easier. It could certainly be much easier (a joy stick or touch screen) but I just set the map to a zoom level that seems to work pretty well in most events and then resort to my phone if I really want to investigate my location.

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I'm wanting to find someone with one of the new Wahoo Element Roam's that just came out.  Supposed to download trails from Strava & MTB Project. So in theory should be better at on trail guidance y'all seem to think Garmin's lack. MTB project has been spot on for a couple of WC-like rat nests I rode last fall.  Battery life & digging out a phone are my only issue on sticking to that. Otherwise they've seem pretty overpriced for mostly tracking local riding stats that strava does for free!

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4 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

the 520+ has Strava and Trailforks.  I haven't messed with that yet though.

I'm curious what it means that the 520+ has Trailforks. The new 530 has very nice Trailforks integration and loads map data automatically. It can tell you which way to turn if there is a fork in the trail, if it senses that you've paused. I don't think the 520+ can do that but I'd love to hear if it does. So, the 530 is supposed to make off road navigation much, much more feasible with the unit than before.

The mobile app also marks the last location where it had connectivity to your Garmin so that you can go find it if you lose it. This seems like a no-brainer and I'm not sure why they didn't have that before and why they wouldn't add that as a feature of the app for older BLE connected devices...

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/garmin-edge-530-cycling-gps-in-depth-review.html

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Your phone may not be the best GPS tracking unit, but it is terrible at shifting.

Another good question for this discussion is how recently have you refreshed your 3x9 drivetrain? If you go with the new GPS unit, when are you going to need to replace these wear-and-tear items anyway?

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23 minutes ago, AntonioGG said:

I'll make it a point to try both Trailforks and Strava in the near future.  I think Strava is just segments, not sure it's for navigation.  As for Trailforks, I have no clue.

It's been a while since I've used Strava on my phone to record, so not sure what's up with that.  However, I do know you can get pointed back in the right direction using Trailforks.

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Sounds like I was expecting more performance from a GPS than is realistic at my budget so I’ll probably ditch that plan and look at better ways to store my phone for mid-ride access.

I changed my rear mech and middle chainring about a year ago. Chain is reasonably new too. The shifters, front mech and cassette are all old but working fine at the moment.

Now I’m deciding between going ahead with 1X or saving for a new bike, which will largely depend on whether I get approval to divert funds for a new bike.

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Throw on a bash guard, ditch the granny ring, lose the front mech and shifter, and you have a 1x that works. I had a chain guide on mine for a long time and it worked flawlessly. Just look at what gears you are in the most and you’ll see that you don’t really need 11 gears around here.

Nothing beats the ride stoke you get from a new bike. All the fancy bits are nice but riding more is what will really make it all worth it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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9 hours ago, Tree Magnet said:

Throw on a bash guard, ditch the granny ring, lose the front mech and shifter, and you have a 1x that works. I had a chain guide on mine for a long time and it worked flawlessly. Just look at what gears you are in the most and you’ll see that you don’t really need 11 gears around here.

 

^ This. I went 1x9 and never looked back. I rarely touch my 42T cassette ring because I can't get enough torque, I climb much better in my 36T for steep climbs and 32T for moderate climbs. Most of a 3X system are overlaps that just add weight for combinations you will never use. Most of my miles are on a singlespeed, including the greenbelt.

8 minutes ago, Ridenfool said:

Adding a Narrow-Wide chainring isn't going to break the bank either.  Well worth the investment for keeping the chain in place.

 

If you decide to go 1x9, get a narrow-wide, it is cheaper and easier than a chain guide and will keep your chain on the crank better. Also, you can probably cut your chain down a bit as you no longer need the big ring.

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