Handlebar Mount For GPS - Suggestions?

[Steve Sr.]

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a GPS to use to record rides to generate
que sheets and to navigate in unfamiliar areas.

For best GPS performance I am assuming that the GPS should remain in a
fixed position on the bike, probably on the handlebars.

Can any of you recommend any GPS holders that would fit this
requirement? It would also be good if the mount was somehow shock
mounted. I don't know how well a GPS will hold up to the road bumps
transfered through the handlebars.

BTW, the GPS that I am considering is the Delorme PN-20 mainly because
it supposedly works seamlessly with their Topo USA software.


Thanks,

Steve

[richard]

I've been a user of DeLorme maps for many many many years now, and I
have a PN-20.

The DeLorme maps will take a GPS log, convert it to a route, and produce
queue sheets. If you use TopoUSA, you can also generate hill profiles.

Transfering logs from the PN-20 is a royal PITA! Getting maps onto the
PN-20 isn't too bad as you can take the memory card out and copy
directly to it (although that too is a bit of a PITA - you can't simply
copy a file over in the file system. You must save the mobile map, then
go through the export procedure you would if you were sending straight
to the PN-20; it's faster this way, though). Don't get me wrong - the
ability to have USGS maps and aerial photos is wonderful, especially
when kayaking through large marshes. I'm glad I have one!

You may be happier with one of the (not cheap!) Garmin bicycle-specific
GPS units. They log points, and the bike mount is included. I have
imported the logs from Garmin units into DeLorme maps with no trouble.

DeLorme no longer sells the BlueLogger GPS. When mine was new, it was
perfect! It was the size and weight of a "penny" matchbox, and it would
log points for up to 8 hours (when I last got it to work back in 2005).
Perhaps others had the same problems develop (mine works fine as a
bluetooth GPS receiver, but it may or may not bother to save the
points). Whatever, it has disappeared from their list of products.

Steve Sr. wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am considering purchasing a GPS to use to record rides to generate
> que sheets and to navigate in unfamiliar areas.
>
> For best GPS performance I am assuming that the GPS should remain in a
> fixed position on the bike, probably on the handlebars.
>
> Can any of you recommend any GPS holders that would fit this
> requirement? It would also be good if the mount was somehow shock
> mounted. I don't know how well a GPS will hold up to the road bumps
> transfered through the handlebars.
>
> BTW, the GPS that I am considering is the Delorme PN-20 mainly because
> it supposedly works seamlessly with their Topo USA software.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve

[Steve Sr.]

On Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:38:23 -0600, richard >
wrote:

>I've been a user of DeLorme maps for many many many years now, and I
>have a PN-20.
>
>The DeLorme maps will take a GPS log, convert it to a route, and produce
>queue sheets. If you use TopoUSA, you can also generate hill profiles.
>
>Transfering logs from the PN-20 is a royal PITA! Getting maps onto the
>PN-20 isn't too bad as you can take the memory card out and copy
>directly to it (although that too is a bit of a PITA - you can't simply
>copy a file over in the file system. You must save the mobile map, then
>go through the export procedure you would if you were sending straight
>to the PN-20; it's faster this way, though). Don't get me wrong - the
>ability to have USGS maps and aerial photos is wonderful, especially
>when kayaking through large marshes. I'm glad I have one!
>
>You may be happier with one of the (not cheap!) Garmin bicycle-specific
>GPS units. They log points, and the bike mount is included. I have
>imported the logs from Garmin units into DeLorme maps with no trouble.

I am planning on using the PN-20 for uses other than just recording
tracks. With it's map storage capability I plan on using it for spot
navigation in unfamiliar places. I could have used it yesterday on a
ride to a neighboring town.

I also seem to recall a thread a while back about the durability of
the Garmin units when used on a bike (as they were intended). And then
you have the issue of buying and periodically upgrading (re-buying) 2
sets of map data.

>
>DeLorme no longer sells the BlueLogger GPS. When mine was new, it was
>perfect! It was the size and weight of a "penny" matchbox, and it would
>log points for up to 8 hours (when I last got it to work back in 2005).
> Perhaps others had the same problems develop (mine works fine as a
>bluetooth GPS receiver, but it may or may not bother to save the
>points). Whatever, it has disappeared from their list of products.
>
>Steve Sr. wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I am considering purchasing a GPS to use to record rides to generate
>> que sheets and to navigate in unfamiliar areas.
>>
>> For best GPS performance I am assuming that the GPS should remain in a
>> fixed position on the bike, probably on the handlebars.
>>
>> Can any of you recommend any GPS holders that would fit this
>> requirement? It would also be good if the mount was somehow shock
>> mounted. I don't know how well a GPS will hold up to the road bumps
>> transfered through the handlebars.
>>
>> BTW, the GPS that I am considering is the Delorme PN-20 mainly because
>> it supposedly works seamlessly with their Topo USA software.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Steve

[Ted]

I have a Garmin Etrex Vista CX. It has a handlebar mount. I love
it. I, by mistake, originally purchased the topo maps of the USA and
did not like them; they do not have all the streets on them but do
have all the trails and elevations. The US street maps have every
street in the US, along with all the stores etc. It will tell me
where I am and where I want to go, what my speeds were, elevation.
What I love is that it tells me where I have been; when I return home
I plug it into my computer and a map is drawn with all the stats. I
like Sport tracks, freeware (shareware?), that works as an exercise
log.

So, to answer your question, a Garmin Vista will give turn by turn
directions to anywhere with stipulations like whether you are driving,
or bicycling, or walking, (you can walk the wrong way down a one way
road etc.), has a nice handlebar mount, will be a great help in
keeping a log, and que sheets can be made from the data. You can take
it in the car if you are driving to an unknown place. It will get you
to the door step of a hotel anywhere.

The software is rather pricey though.

Ted.

[Jay[_2_]]

On Dec 31 2007, 7:02*pm, Steve Sr. > wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am considering purchasing a GPS to use to record rides to generate
> que sheets and to navigate in unfamiliar areas.
>
> For best GPS performance I am assuming that the GPS should remain in a
> fixed position on the bike, probably on the handlebars.
>
> Can any of you recommend any GPS holders that would fit this
> requirement? It would also be good if the mount was somehow shock
> mounted. I don't know how well a GPS will hold up to the road bumps
> transfered through the handlebars.
>
> BTW, the GPS that I am considering is the Delorme PN-20 mainly because
> it supposedly works seamlessly with their Topo USA software.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
>
I use a Garmin with the provided mount, and it works OK. I thought I
would use it more than I actually do. I bring it with me on occasional
nice sunny summer days, but the rest of the time, it sits in a desk
drawer.

J.

[David L. Johnson]

Steve Sr. wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am considering purchasing a GPS to use to record rides to generate
> que sheets and to navigate in unfamiliar areas.

I do that.
>
> For best GPS performance I am assuming that the GPS should remain in a
> fixed position on the bike, probably on the handlebars.

The performance of the machine is not really affected by the moving
around it would get if in your pocket, but you can't read it unless it's
mounted somewhere. The handlebars are the obvious choice.
>
> Can any of you recommend any GPS holders that would fit this
> requirement?

Depends on the gps. My Garmin vista cx has a bar mount that works well.
Just be sure to loop the lanyard around the bars in case the thing is
not tightly clipped onto the mount, or in case a screw comes loose.
Happened to me, and it was no problem since someone else had warned me
about the lanyard.

> It would also be good if the mount was somehow shock
> mounted. I don't know how well a GPS will hold up to the road bumps
> transfered through the handlebars.

My Garmin is holding up fine, but then it is designed for that.

>
> BTW, the GPS that I am considering is the Delorme PN-20 mainly because
> it supposedly works seamlessly with their Topo USA software.

I don't know anything about that. Most car-specific gps's might be too
fragile to mount on the bike. Then there is rain. The Garmin is
waterproof.

--

David L. Johnson

Become MicroSoft-free forever. Ask me how.