In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
Simply setting off was yesterday. Gone are the days when a bike computer only displayed speed and distance. Ideally, the current generation of bike sat navs will show bikers the best trails, measure their heart rate and cadence, communicate with their mates in real time and then store all the data in the cloud. Hooray for the digital age! There isn't a huge variety of manufacturers on the market, but with hundreds of functions per device, prospective buyers quickly get lost in the maze of tables. In order to find the right GPS device in the labyrinth of functions, you first need to clarify what the smart helper is to be used for. To make your choice easier, we have compared nine sat navs for MTBs in three price categories.
Expertise of GPS bike navigation systems
In the comparison group under 200 euros, only Lezyne offers a rudimentary map in its bike sat nav. It helps you find your way around the network of trails, but contains hardly any details. With Lezyne, Sigma and the small Garmin, you can easily follow a route in clear terrain. To re-plan or explore, however, you have to pull your smartphone out of your pocket and hope for internet reception without an offline map. All three provide the rider with extensive information. The compact GPS sat navs are therefore great as training partners. However, they are only of limited use as fully-fledged navigation devices.
A map is irreplaceable on extended tours in unfamiliar terrain. How much detail it contains depends on the device software. Giant displays routes on a black background and Wahoo on a light background. Maps of different countries can be downloaded free of charge for both. These show the network of roads, forest tracks and trails. However, they do not contain any information on vegetation or terrain type. The pre-installed OSM maps from Garmin, TwoNav and Hammerhead are more detailed. The Edge 830 and the TwoNav device can be retrofitted with (paid) topo maps. The Hammerhead requires the app of a third-party provider such as OsmAnd. The good news is that mountain bikers are well catered for in almost all situations with the pre-installed maps. Fans
of topographical maps will miss the contour lines in particular.
Core competence of GPS bike navigation systems
The obvious first: large, high-resolution displays on GPS devices make it easier to recognise turns and route data. If you want to use the device occasionally for hiking and other sports, you should also pay attention to the size. Hammerhead and TwoNav offer a particularly large screen. For less than 200 euros, only the Sigma has a colour display. However, if you are only navigating by track without a map of your surroundings, you can do without colour. Devices with a touchscreen offer the smoothest operation - especially when it comes to moving a map section. The button-operated competition is easier to use with gloves.
For long days on the bike, efficient battery utilisation of the bike sat nav is important. Battery runtimes are always relative values and vary greatly depending on the brightness of the display and communication with other devices. In our comparison, we determined the runtime with the display switched on and with GPS and mobile phone connection. In no case were we able to achieve the manufacturer's specifications. Lezyne and the Garmin Edge 830 in particular scored with a long runtime. The small Garmin device brings up the rear. All models are equipped with water and dust protection for everyday mountain biking. A large memory allows many hours of riding to be recorded and large offline maps to be saved. TwoNav and Hammerhead also come up trumps here. With Wahoo, the memory is already half full after downloading the map of Germany. A large amount of hardware also weighs on the scales: in this respect, you could also screw five small Garmins onto the handlebars instead of the TwoNav.
MTB Navi with social skills
Good interaction between technology and bikers is a must for smart GPS computers. Intuitive bike sat navs with a clearly legible display and comprehensible menu navigation can score points in the handling category. Good marks for the device and app system are awarded if wireless communication works smoothly. Setting up the device and app should be self-explanatory. Above all, however, transferring GPS tracks to the device should be child's play.
The manufacturers rely on their own apps for the interface to the mobile phone. Because of this dependency, the GPS devices are only as good as the associated software. If you already use an app for a fitness tracker or exercise bike, a compatible GPS computer makes it easier to collect data. Hammerhead creates the greatest independence from a mobile phone with its own SIM card. The Karoo 2 and the Edge 830 can be loaded with apps, just like a smartphone. This is the best way to integrate Komoot, Strava and other apps.
In our 2009 buying guide, we wrote: "A bike GPS doesn't have to be able to do so much - but it has to do it pretty well." Back then, we had no idea what all-rounders bike sat navs would become. But it's true: Most bikers just want to plan a route easily, transfer it to the device and set off. Unfortunately, this actual core competence of smart devices is often lost in the abundance of features. The easiest way to prepare a route is with Garmin and Wahoo. However, the following applies to all current GPS devices: think for yourself! Only those who know their way around a mobile phone and PC will be happy with them. With all smart GPS devices, the technical affinity of the biker determines whether they are frustrated or happy with the sat nav - before the bike even rolls out of the driveway.
Management style
We have tested these GPS devices:
Compact GPS from 170 euros:
Bestseller from 280 euros:
- Giant Dash M200
- TwoNav Cross
- Wahoo Elemnt Bolt 2
Smart GPS devices from 350 euros:
- Garmin Edge 830
- Hammerhead Karoo 2
- Wahoo Elemnt Roam
You can download the test of the 9 GPS devices from BIKE 7/2022 with all data and grades as a PDF below:
Test GPS devices from BIKE 7/2022
Jan Timmermann
Editor
