Hand-held, wrist-mount, or handle- bar-mount? Bike-specific or general purpose? Full-featured and rugged, or lightweight and easy-to-use? Choosing a GPS – like choosing a bike – comes down to horses for courses, and the following options constitute only the proverbial tip of that great navigational iceberg.
Hands free
The funky Garmin Edge 800 rates top of the pile as the ultimate dashboard for your bike. Buy this if your navigational needs are MTB-oriented and you’ll get a kick-ass bike computer, heartrate monitor, plus every GPS navigational tool you’ll ever need in one fell swipe of your credit card. R4 800
Hands on
Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts on a budget, the Garmin eTrex H is a great general-purpose navigational device. This “˜tiny yellow wonder’ combines an intuitive interface with rugged construction and will lock onto satellites even in deep canyons or dense tree cover. Unlike advanced eTrex models, it does not come with a base-map option. R1 100
Three cranks to get lost on
Heading into wide-sky country without a map? Pack your GPS (and some spare batteries) and get ready to discover the pleasure of unmapped outback riding. The following wilderness areas offer exceptional on-bike exploration along trails, jeep-tracks and gravel roads.
Northern Cape
Rugged, remote and for real-life adventurers – that’s the Northern Cape for you. Explore the real deal in the Richtersveld mountain desert, or tone down the agoraphobia ever so slightly in Goegap Nature Reserve or Augrabies Falls National Park.
Western Cape
Solid days of sandstone romping await mountain bikers who head into the Cederberg ranges beyond Citrusdal and Clanwilliam. Enter from Algeria Forest Station, ascend Uitkyk Pass and get ready to ride truly wild.
Anywhere you want, really
The annual Freedom Challenge sees a few dozen mountain bikers ride for as long as a month along a 2 400-kilometre route across South Africa from KZN to the Cape, with a large section following public dirt roads and trails. So what’s stopping you?
Zoon Cronje says
Adventure racer, trail runner and navigation specialist Zoon Cronje knows that getting from Point A to B is a breeze when he’s armed with his Garmin. These are some of the things he suggests you look out for when deciding on a device:
“˜Devices such as the Edge 705 and the brand new touch-screen Edge 800 offer you live mapping so you can see where you need to go while you’re en route. The Edge 500 is lighter, still tracks your progress, but does not display this information on a map. Battery life is also a key issue and you have to acccept that the more features your device has, the more power it will suck up. Finally, durability and functionality are non-negotiable and you can be sure your Garmin will handle just about any sucker punch the elements can throw at you.’
Handlebar mount vs hand-held / wrist-mount
Handlebar mount
- Easy to view, even at warp speed along single-track trail. Mostly on your bike.
- Bike-specific software.
- Added benefit of heart-rate monitor.
- The batteries WILL fail.
Hand-held / wrist-mount
- Easy to view, even at warp speed along single-track trail, but you need to buy an additional bracket.
- Mostly on your arm, or in your backpack.
- General-purpose pleasure.
- Without the distraction of a heart-rate monitor.
- The batteries WILL fail.
Get more online
- www.mtbonline.co.za/races/freedom-challenge – a ride to remember for life
- www.cederberg.co.za – a land of red sandstone ranges, leopards and sunsets
- www.northerncape.org.za – an unspoiled, arid paradise
- www.mountainbikingafrica.co.za – ride with someone who navigates for you
- www.mtbroutes.co.za – get more info on routes throughout SA
