Cheapo Garmin GPS for trail riding

I'm currently the (happy) owner of a Zumo XT.

I used for green laning on the GS and does the job perfectly.
It is a bit big (and exposed) on my thumper though.
Haven't wired it in yet.

I'm looking at alternative positioning so it would be a bit more protected from any random hits (putting it directly over the steering plate), but I started considering if it makes sense to buy a cheapo older Garmin GPS (no mobile phones) given that:

– it will be mostly for trail riding following tracks on top of OSM non routable maps (I use TalkyToaster maps with BOATs marked on)
– road navigation would be necessary almost only at the end of the day to go back home, I can potentially use any routable free-ish map
– UK use only (I use the XT for everything else)
– doesn't necessarily have to be wired in, but should last up to 10 hours. I have USB sockets on the bike. I can wire it in in case.


I started looking at the old Oregon 450. You can get one for little more than twice the price of the Garmin XT power cable alone
It would work, but the batteries inside cannot be charged via USB (I think all Garmin handhelds cannot charge the batteries via USB?) but USB will power the unit directly overriding the batteries completely.

Other option I started looking at is an used 62s? Will the GPS 60/csx be too old? Can it hold custom maps?

how about a gps5 ? i'd have to check it all still works ,2xTT holder, leads + various maps . give me a couple of days .

I'd rather have a colour screen to be fair
Easier to follow the track on the topo(ish) map.

I'm eyeing a very cheap csx at the moment

If you want it for UK only, how about a SatMap. Seem pretty cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Satmap-A...096866?hash=item3dac7113e2:g:wzwAAOSwDb5feJtQ

Must take another look at TalkyToaster, I still use Garmin with Topo Pro OS maps on board.

Otherwise, it's really a Montana, and they're still not cheap.

how about a SatMap. Seem pretty cheap

Click to expand...

My compulsive buying stepped in sometime this afternoon.
I found an used GPSMap 60csx used for less than that SatMap on Amazon. Bought it. If it's not a brick in a Garmin box... I'll give it a go. Did some research over lunchtime and it might be ok.

Must take another look at TalkyToaster, I still use Garmin with Topo Pro OS maps on board.

Click to expand...

On the XT I use the topo maps sometimes, but for green laning here – I was wrong. I do have talky toaster maps, but I mainly use maps that I bought from https://www.the-thorns.org.uk/mapping/help/ukgarmin.html as they come will all the byways marked.
Useful both on the motorbike and pushbike.

That actually makes more sense, I think I looked at Talky Toaster a while ago, and it seems very orientated to walkers and cyclists - problem with that was, routing was quite limited and also it was hard to distinguish BOAT's, RB's, ORPA's, UCR's - certainly not as good as the Garmin GB Discoverer or Topo Pro for UK trail riding.

I'll take a look at the Thorn maps

er-minio said:

My compulsive buying stepped in sometime this afternoon.
I found an used GPSMap 60csx used for less than that SatMap on Amazon. Bought it. If it's not a brick in a Garmin box... I'll give it a go. Did some research over lunchtime and it might be ok.



On the XT I use the topo maps sometimes, but for green laning here – I was wrong. I do have talky toaster maps, but I mainly use maps that I bought from https://www.the-thorns.org.uk/mapping/help/ukgarmin.html as they come will all the byways marked.
Useful both on the motorbike and pushbike.

Click to expand...

On a quick look, the Thorn maps also don't seem to really distinguish the different rights of way well, lumping RB's, BOATS, ORPA's etc into one style in red - or am I reading that wrong?

On the Thorns map the BOATs (in my experience) are marked in "mauve". Purple. My understanding is that they get that from the councils/local authorities? Something like this: https://www.rowmaps.com/datasets/

To be fair I generally always go through parts of the TET south/southwest of London and a couple of other routes near Shere. Not much yet.
Haven't ventured in other places yet, and I normally use routes I can find online and then track them on the thorns map (basically I double check if it is marked as a BOAT).

I always check the sign when entering any lanes and so far all standard BOATs. (I'm quite unexperienced still though, I might miss other types of rights of way to be honest).

problem with that was, routing was quite limited and also it was hard to distinguish BOAT's, RB's, ORPA's, UCR's - certainly not as good as the Garmin GB Discoverer or Topo Pro for UK trail riding

Click to expand...

I was considering switching to the Talkie Toaster maps on the 60CSx I just bought. Question:

The way I use the satnav off road is pretty simple: I create a track and follow that (even on the asphalt bits), so no routing from the sat nav.
I do use the sat nav to route me to the beginning of the track though... and generally to route me back home from wherever I end up at the end of the day.

I know that the TT maps are not intended for road riding, he says on the site.
Are those completely unusable on the road, or will they give me a (non optimal) routing towards home?

I asked here, but no response: https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...GPSMAP-276Cx?p=5837894&viewfull=1#post5837894

er-minio said:

On the Thorns map the BOATs (in my experience) are marked in "mauve". Purple. My understanding is that they get that from the councils/local authorities? Something like this: https://www.rowmaps.com/datasets/

To be fair I generally always go through parts of the TET south/southwest of London and a couple of other routes near Shere. Not much yet.
Haven't ventured in other places yet, and I normally use routes I can find online and then track them on the thorns map (basically I double check if it is marked as a BOAT).

I always check the sign when entering any lanes and so far all standard BOATs. (I'm quite unexperienced still though, I might miss other types of rights of way to be honest).

Click to expand...

I think it doesn't really differentiate, which could be a problem. Not all rights of way are BOATS, technically Restricted Byways are still Byways, just without vehicle rights. In other parts of the country, especially Wales, we also ride UCR's and ORPA's. Many of these are not signed, and in fact you can't really rely on BOATS and RB's being signed either, though TRO's are usually (but not always) signed. No problem if you are just following a track that you know to be good, but I don't think it gives you the level of detail, easily visible, that you get on the GB Discoverer or Topo Pro maps, which are mixed vector/raster and so look like paper OS maps.

I was considering switching to the Talkie Toaster maps on the 60CSx I just bought. Question:

The way I use the satnav off road is pretty simple: I create a track and follow that (even on the asphalt bits), so no routing from the sat nav.
I do use the sat nav to route me to the beginning of the track though... and generally to route me back home from wherever I end up at the end of the day.

I know that the TT maps are not intended for road riding, he says on the site.
Are those completely unusable on the road, or will they give me a (non optimal) routing towards home?

I asked here, but no response: https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...GPSMAP-276Cx?p=5837894&viewfull=1#post5837894

Click to expand...

I don't know the answer to this but it does read like they are not really road routable. The standard still free OSM maps, still currently downloadable from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl, are routable - though I think the routing is questionable.

I use the Montana with Topo Pro and City Navigator installed. I set up a Trail Riding profile, with the OS maps active. To get to the start of the trail and home at the end, I switch to my Trail Bike Road profile, which switches to Nuvi (road) mode, switches off Topo Pro maps and switches on City Navigator maps then just use it like a road GPS. I use CN, even though Topo Pro and GB discoverer are routable as I can select no motorways, no big roads, leave unpaved roads on, etc. for the routing.

You could do the same with Thorn/Talky maps on the trail and OSM for the road but I don't think the routing choices work so well

No problem if you are just following a track that you know to be good, but I don't think it gives you the level of detail, easily visible, that you get on the GB Discoverer or Topo Pro maps, which are mixed vector/raster and so look like paper OS maps.

Click to expand...

Oh ok. Yes, makes sense.
In general, as I go on my own and I still don't know all the regulations, I tend to stick to tracks validated by others.
I normally always look for the sign that indicates it as a BOAT (all the vehicles printed on the plaque) every time and go in.

You could do the same with Thorn/Talky maps on the trail and OSM for the road but I don't think the routing choices work so well

Click to expand...

That's why I wanted a montana, the profiles, but it was too pricey for now.
The 60CSx doesn't read more than one map at a time.
The only way is to switch SD cards with different maps on it. Doable, but kind of annoying as I'll have to transfer waypoints to both SD cards every time... but again 60 quid.

The TT maps for the isles are 11 quid. I'll give it a go even if not routable. They seem to render better than TheThorns maps on the 60. And I'll check if the road routing is that unusable.