Garmin Edge: GPS for Bicycles!
How
to use your Garmin Edge 605 and705 with
bicycle route programming sites RideWithGPS
and MapMyRide
The Garmin Edge 605 and
705 have been designed for easy use while
cycling. The toggle below the screen is
used to select from menus, scroll down,
and typing. Push it sideways or up and down
to select letters on a screen or to choose
from a menu. Push the toggle to make the
selection.
(1) After opening the package,
plug your Garmin Edge 705 into the USB port
or charger that was included in the box.
Allow battery to charge for at least three
hours.
(2) Hold down the power button
on the Garmin until it turns on , a couple
of seconds. Now leave the Garmin by a window
while it searches for satellites. It will
search for satellites frequently when turned
on, but only this first time will take very
long.
(3) The CD enclosed with your Garmin
has a Quick Reference Guide and a User manual.
Follow the additional instructions below
to help you get accustomed to this extraordinary
GPS cycling compuer.
(4) It is absolutely
necessary that you also purchase and install
the City Navigator SD card if it does not
come with your package.
Set up your Garmin to communicate with Ride With GPS
Communication with your Garmin GPS requires the Garmin Communicator Plugin , the free internet browser plugin that sends and retrieves data from Garmin GPS devices and letting you connect your Garmin GPS with your favorite website. It works with Ride With GPS and other mapping sites such as MapMy Ride, as well as the 200+ routes on our new blog site, CyclingNewEngland . Once the plugin is installed, connect your Garmin GPS device to your computer, and download the GPX files for your route. The Garmin Communicator can send and retrieve data from any supported website. Go to the plugin download page .
Transferring routes saved on the Garmin to Ride With GPS and Map My Ride
Go the Add Content column at Ride With GPS and click on Garmin Sync. If you are using Firefox, install the Firefox version. If the Garmin Communicator Plugin is already installed, it may ask for permission to communicate with your Garmin the first time, then allows you to transfer any saved rides from the Garmin to the Ride With GPS site.
n the Add Content page you will see options to Draw A Route, Upload data from your Garmin , or upload GPX/TCX/KML data files). This is for Uploading routes or data FROM the Garmin to your computer.
Transfering routes created on Ride With GPS and Map My Ride to the Garmin
Either draw a new route or go to your profile and select a route you have already created with Ride With GPS . After a route is created export the Garmin Edge 605 / 705 GPX Track file: This file type only works with the Garmin Edge 605, 705 and 800 models and can be chosen from the Saved Rides list on the Garmin. Fom the ride page on Ride With GPS or CyclingNewEngland , download the GPX Track file to your computer. From the downloads window,. right click to Show Folder. You will see the folder and the file. Plug in the Garmin, then drag the file from the folder in your computer to the GPX folder in the Garmin.
Following the downloaded route with your Garmin
The Garmin can be operated after unplugging from the computer and pushing the power button. Powering up and finding satellites will take about a minute. When you’re at the designated start location to begin the ride go to the Main Menu, push the toggle button to select Where To, then scroll down to Saved Rides and you'll find the ride you just saved. Select the ride and push Navigate, allowing the Garmin a minute or two to process the route. Then press the mode button a few times until it shows the map screen and begins generating a map. The Garmin will prompt for turns as long as you remain in map mode.
Consult the Users Manual for instructions about using the Garmin Edge 605 and 705
Garmin Edge 605 or 705? The only difference other than price between the two units is that the 705 can also calculate cadence, heart rate, and power. If you only want the Garmin for mapping your ride and as a basic cycling computer to measure speed, distance, time, etc., Save $100 and buy the Edge 605. The 605 cannot be upgraded to include the additional features.
Map freezing: Maps may occassionally appear to freeze when using the thumbstick to scroll the map pointer. This can be rectified by pushing the mode button, which will make the map return to updating the current location.
The Garmin tells you to make a U Turn: The Garmin may not want you to skip over a waypoint in a saved ride. To avoid this problem, click the Menu button on the lower right, then choose Settings, then Routing, and select Off under Recalculate. Otherwise, the Garmin Edge will renavigate your route, similar to how a Garmin Nuvi operates in your car. The primary value of a Garmin Edge 605, 705 and 800 is that it follows a route that you design or choose yourself!
Road or Off Road? You may set to offroad routing if your course goes over any sidewalk or bike path, etc. We recommend setting Recalculate to Off. When you return to a road, the Garmin will resume giving directions.
Announcing turns: Sometimes the Edge will instruct you to take a turn where in fact the road just curves slightly where another road comes in. At other times you may merge into a larger road and the Edge does not announce the turn at all. In both cases the map shows the correct direction, so the solution is to keep the map zoomed in so that you can view what's coming up. If you are in a different display, the map will not automatically show if the Garmin does not announce the turn.
Take a map and cue sheet: Nothing's perfect, and though the Edge is a great tool, we recommend having a cue sheet and route map with you in case you get off course and the Garmin is not helping you get back on it.
Update the Software: Garmin routinely updates the software for the Edge. The updates are available and easy to install after you have installed WebUpDater from Garmin on your computer.
Back to Start When you have reached a destination, you can retrace that route to your starting place by going to Menu / Where to? /Back to Start. The route will be displayed as a purple line if you are on it, or in white with faint purple edges if you go off it. If you wish to go back by a different route, lay in the coordinates as a new ride.
Keyboard: The keyboard appears if you select Where To / Find Places. Above the name of the city, street, etc is the word (Spell). Click on that and then use the toggle to choose the appropriate letters from the keyboard.
End of Ride. Finish the ride and go to Menu / Where to? / Stop Navigation. The Garmin keeps all your ride history up to 500 MB, then overwrites your oldest history.
Garmin Edge GPS for bikes from Amazon.com
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