As some MTBR adherents know, over the past couple years I've been on a mission to find a good handlebar mounted digial nav / exploration system.
Not long ago I posted this thread wherein I expressed my dream dashboard setup. Well, several fellow riders (thank you all) helped me understand that one good way to go -- and indeed the way I finally did go -- was to just buy a cheap, unlocked phone and use said phone's GPS capabilities to run Trailforks or a similar nav app (On X, Gaia, Mountain Bike Project, etc.)
Over the years I've had one Garmin product or another -- currently an Edge 530 -- and I've liked them. My 530 has maps (Trailforks, Open St Maps.) Being an early Trailforks adopter gave me access to Outside+'s entire suite of products including Gaia. Until I bought the cheap unlocked phone (Motorola Moto G Pure, $110 online from Target), I hadn't delved into Gaia much but after getting acquainted with it, I'm really glad I made the effort. More on this in a moment.
Before I say more about Gaia and my new system in general, here's a photo of the dashboard of my off-road moto:
![Image]()
As you see, my Edge 530 is on the left, the cheap phone's screen shows Gaia open to Silver Falls State Park (about 40 minutes east of where I live.) Because SFSP is the closest decent riding area to me, I ride there frequently -- mountain bikes, that is. There's no off-road moto-ing allowed in the State Park.
So what do I like so much about this system?
#1: Map layers in Gaia
I can choose between dozens of map layers to create an optimum map for my use. Because Outside owns both Trailforks and Gaia, Trailforks is one of the layers I can choose, and I absolutely employ it. The Gaia version of base map + Trailforks layer is much better than TF by itself.
#2: No cell phone coverage necessary
As previously mentioned I bought an unlocked phone for cheap. No SIM card necessary -- this thing works via thin air. In Gaia, I download off-line maps of where I'm going to ride in advance of heading out and the whole system works perfectly. I get a blue dot wherever I am on the map. I can record my tracks in Gaia which gives me a line to follow back should I get lost.
#3: I see both Garmin & Gaia at the same time
As you can see in the photo above, I've got my Garmin Edge 530 on the left and my map/nav system in the center. This system allows me to record my tracks on Garmin Connect (as well as Gaia) plus I have visual access to more info than I'd have on either screen alone. I can look at a compass on my Garmin while I'm looking at a map on my nav screen. Or any other combination of screens that suits me.
#4: Quick connect / disconnect
If I'm riding in an area that's familiar to me, I leave the nav screen in my pack. (I call it a 'nav screen' rather than a phone because it's not a phone -- I can't use it to make a call since it has no SIM card.) Much of the time I'll use only my Garmin since most of the time I'm riding in areas with which I'm familiar. But whenever Cyn & I go on road trips to new-to-us areas, I can whip the ol' nav screen out, lock it into my trusty Quad Lock handlebar mount and avoid having to pull that screen out of my pocket every time I reach a trail junction.
The phone's graphics are far better than the Edge 530's as is the UI. I can pinch & zoom on the phone, not so on the Garmin. Gaia's maps are far more detailed. I'm stoked with this system. Grateful to @Nat, @Harold, @fredcook and everyone else who encouraged me to take the leap with a cheap phone plus Gaia. This is the system I'd previously only dreamed of. I've ordered Quad Lock mounts to put on my bikes in addition to the one already on my moto. I won't need the bike mounts as often compared the moto mount inasmuch as I'm generally more familiar with mtn bike terrain but in any case I'll certainly disconnect my nav screen from my mtn bike bars before attacking any techy DH. For more sedate riding, I'm not going to worry about the phone getting ripped off or damaged. That's a key reason I bought a cheap one. I consider it practically disposable.
=sParty
Not long ago I posted this thread wherein I expressed my dream dashboard setup. Well, several fellow riders (thank you all) helped me understand that one good way to go -- and indeed the way I finally did go -- was to just buy a cheap, unlocked phone and use said phone's GPS capabilities to run Trailforks or a similar nav app (On X, Gaia, Mountain Bike Project, etc.)
Over the years I've had one Garmin product or another -- currently an Edge 530 -- and I've liked them. My 530 has maps (Trailforks, Open St Maps.) Being an early Trailforks adopter gave me access to Outside+'s entire suite of products including Gaia. Until I bought the cheap unlocked phone (Motorola Moto G Pure, $110 online from Target), I hadn't delved into Gaia much but after getting acquainted with it, I'm really glad I made the effort. More on this in a moment.
Before I say more about Gaia and my new system in general, here's a photo of the dashboard of my off-road moto:
As you see, my Edge 530 is on the left, the cheap phone's screen shows Gaia open to Silver Falls State Park (about 40 minutes east of where I live.) Because SFSP is the closest decent riding area to me, I ride there frequently -- mountain bikes, that is. There's no off-road moto-ing allowed in the State Park.
So what do I like so much about this system?
#1: Map layers in Gaia
I can choose between dozens of map layers to create an optimum map for my use. Because Outside owns both Trailforks and Gaia, Trailforks is one of the layers I can choose, and I absolutely employ it. The Gaia version of base map + Trailforks layer is much better than TF by itself.
#2: No cell phone coverage necessary
As previously mentioned I bought an unlocked phone for cheap. No SIM card necessary -- this thing works via thin air. In Gaia, I download off-line maps of where I'm going to ride in advance of heading out and the whole system works perfectly. I get a blue dot wherever I am on the map. I can record my tracks in Gaia which gives me a line to follow back should I get lost.
#3: I see both Garmin & Gaia at the same time
As you can see in the photo above, I've got my Garmin Edge 530 on the left and my map/nav system in the center. This system allows me to record my tracks on Garmin Connect (as well as Gaia) plus I have visual access to more info than I'd have on either screen alone. I can look at a compass on my Garmin while I'm looking at a map on my nav screen. Or any other combination of screens that suits me.
#4: Quick connect / disconnect
If I'm riding in an area that's familiar to me, I leave the nav screen in my pack. (I call it a 'nav screen' rather than a phone because it's not a phone -- I can't use it to make a call since it has no SIM card.) Much of the time I'll use only my Garmin since most of the time I'm riding in areas with which I'm familiar. But whenever Cyn & I go on road trips to new-to-us areas, I can whip the ol' nav screen out, lock it into my trusty Quad Lock handlebar mount and avoid having to pull that screen out of my pocket every time I reach a trail junction.
The phone's graphics are far better than the Edge 530's as is the UI. I can pinch & zoom on the phone, not so on the Garmin. Gaia's maps are far more detailed. I'm stoked with this system. Grateful to @Nat, @Harold, @fredcook and everyone else who encouraged me to take the leap with a cheap phone plus Gaia. This is the system I'd previously only dreamed of. I've ordered Quad Lock mounts to put on my bikes in addition to the one already on my moto. I won't need the bike mounts as often compared the moto mount inasmuch as I'm generally more familiar with mtn bike terrain but in any case I'll certainly disconnect my nav screen from my mtn bike bars before attacking any techy DH. For more sedate riding, I'm not going to worry about the phone getting ripped off or damaged. That's a key reason I bought a cheap one. I consider it practically disposable.
=sParty
