I don't think there is really such a product. For a big screen you need a big device like a Garmin 1040.
Which comes with a big price tag. A second phone is probably a far better option. Just has to run maps of trail forks and then you don't have to worry about smashing your nice phone.

I'd also say most users of bike computers now use them for the metrics (heart rate, distance, power etc) rather than navigation. Well for mountain bikes anyway.

 

tbh, you won't find a basic mapping computer that's more useful than your phone's ability to display maps. Basic means a smaller screen and limited controls, and those items mean they'll be less useful for navigation. To get something with comparable capability (better in some ways, but not others), you're getting into the Garmin Edge 1000-series computers and those are far from basic. The Garmin Edge 800-series computers have similar core functions but a MUCH smaller screen. Other manufacturers fit in similar boxes, but few have computers with as much capability as Garmin's 1000-series.

TBH, I don't even use a phone for serious navigation. I'll use it if I need a quick reference for an area that's not loaded onto my Garmin, but for serious nav, I use paper maps. Having a small map screen is typically enough for me to make a visual note of my current location on my GPS and use that to refer to the paper map to more quickly plot my location there.

Now, if you're going to take a pre-programmed route, put that into your computer, and then have that computer tell you where to go, that's a little bit different. Still, depending on how that route is programmed, you don't even need maps. They can be helpful to provide context about the area the route passes through, but with a pre-programmed route, the navigation is programmed into the file and it does not rely on the map data in the computer.

 

Ok, this last part. That is what I am looking for. Record a route, then follow that route again, or find a route on strava that I can load onto the device to follow. I guess I figured maps were necessary for that, but it sounds like its not really. Thanks.

 

You might just use an el cheapo prepaid smartphone loaded up with some GPS software of your choice. You don't even have to activate it...just set up the basic stuff via wifi and off you go. Then it's just like a small tablet AFAIK unless things have changed in the last 5 years or so. Maybe someone else would know better if this is still a viable option.

If so, the Moto G Play 64gb on wally is currently $30, but there are others.

 

Agree with Harold newer bike specific computers generally aren't great for displaying maps. My 830 Edge has a decent topo map but the screen is too small to see much without zooming in and out a bunch. My Garmin Oregon 600 is much better with a good topo base map and nice screen interface that lets you zoom in/out just like on a cell phone. It's what I use for bikepacking races when following a route.

That said I've gotten to like my phone display and maps available on apps better than the Oregon. I typically use gaia. I would never carry a phone mounted to my handlebar because a crash where it gets damaged is a matter of when, not if - as OP found out. Instead I've got a phone pouch off amazon that lives on the chest strap of my pack. Phone slips in and out easily. Not as ideal as having it permanently displayed but it's better protected and easy to access. When not riding with a pack I put the phone in a Bedrock tapeats bag which has one-handed operation and again protects the phone during crashes. I've tried pouches with zipper access in the past and find they eventually stick.

 

Hey everyone, thanks for the advice. I guess, for "basic" use, figuring out how to access my phone with a pouch or something similar for maps when I need them and using the el cheapo computer for metrics is a very valid option. I see a few youtubers using garmins to navigate by in races, but those are probably not the basic ones. I will have to check out those 1000 series to see that is overkill. All good stuff, thank you.

 

One experience I had following a course I created in advance and downloaded to a device, was it was near impossible to actually look at the screen to follow the turn-by-turn instructions as I was riding. I was unfamiliar with the trail and was why I needed a navigable course, but really needed to pay attention to riding the trail. I was able to follow the course once stopped at an intersection where I was able to view the TBT directions.

 

For my part, I can recommend in particular the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM v2 and the Hammerhead Karoo 2. In the first case it may seem that the lack of a touch screen is a problem, in my case it did not occur.

 

The new Wahoo’s have touch screens now but, I agree, I didn’t seem to want or need it either.

 

I have a Roam 2 currently. It syncs Strava routes and any route in your Trailforks saved/wishlist. Most other brands do similar. If you’re trying to get something cheap maybe a Garmin 800 series or a Wahoo Bolt but that’s all relative. They’re not really cheap. I ride with some guys that use quad locks and iPhones on their bars. It’s ridiculous IMO.

 

I was in this same boat about six months ago. Trashed my Samsung S7 in a wreck when mounted on my Quadlock. Ordered a Garmin 840, I am not sure why I thought something that much smaller was going to work with my aging eyesight. I ended up returning the 840 for a 1040. The 1040 is almost perfect. It is a little smaller than a cell phone and you can get maps on the display. I am using my shooting glasses with a 1.5 reader windows in the lower corner of the right lens and it is working great. I also use Trailforks for maps and navigation.

 

Buy a cheap Android phone and run Trailforks.

 

Have you chosen anything?
I totally get the phone-crash anxiety. I switched to a dedicated unit for reliability. For offroad maps, I’d look at Garmin (Edge 830/1030/1040 for great maps, long battery, and solid route-following), Wahoo ELEMNT Roam (easy route loading from Strava/Komoot), or Hammerhead Karoo 2 (excellent map UI but shorter battery).
Consider: button vs touchscreen (buttons usually better on rough trails), waterproof rating, battery life, ANT+/BLE sensor support, and offline map storage or microSD. Use Strava/Komoot/RideWithGPS to export GPX routes. Bring a small power bank and a backup mount.
If you’re tempted by cheaper brands or pouches, check onn electronics customer service and warranty/return policy first so you’re covered.