Gps On A Mountain Bike

[The Odd Socks]

Hopefully this is a fairly straightforward practical question...

 

I think it might be a useful and fun thing to attach a GPS to a mountain bike. Is it possible to buy a fitting or clip which will make this easy to do? Or will I need to use brute force, cable ties and duct tape?? And if it is possible to buy a clip, where would be the best place to look for such a thing? (Google turned out not to be everso helpful - maybe I used the wrong terms)

 

This is as a possible present for Mr Odd Socks, so I'm taking a chance (a pretty safe bet, I would say) that he won't wander through the forum himself......but just in case, shhhhhh everybody, if you know the answer, you'll have to whisper!!!

[Red Squadron]

If this is any help......... I went to a carboot one Sunday and I bought one of those hands free phone thingys that you stick onto your car dashboard and then it has a holder to clip the phone onto. It also came with the speaker bit and a couple of little extras, and all it cost me was a quid, and it was new and still in its box. I use it to hold the Garmin GPS, and it does the job well. So if you dont find the genuine GPS clip on thingy then maybe you can try one of these.

Edited June 2, 2006 by Red Squadron

[+scaw]

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/...garmin-apl.html or the "E" place

[+tteggod trackers]

which type of gps do you have? i found bike mount cheapest for legend,fast service and free postage.

Edited June 2, 2006 by tteggod trackers

[The Odd Socks]

which type of gps do you have?

 

Sorry, I knew I was likely to forget that crucial piece of information - but still managed to do it.

 

It's a Garmin Etrex, I think - the bright yellow one (not that the colour makes any difference to the fittings, of course ) Thanks for the answers so far, guys.

[NickPick]

Garmin make a bike mount for the etrex

 

£12.99 from Maplin

 

Or from many other internet retailers

 

The genuine garmin one is basically a battery cover which clips into the bit you leave on the handlebar. Looks quite good, if I had a bike, I'd probably buy one myself.

[+Sue and Bernie]

which type of gps do you have?

 

Sorry, I knew I was likely to forget that crucial piece of information - but still managed to do it.

 

It's a Garmin Etrex, I think - the bright yellow one (not that the colour makes any difference to the fittings, of course ) Thanks for the answers so far, guys.

 

...then the Garmin handlebar mount - quite cheap at the Wiggle site (link in tteggod trackers entry).

 

There's a bit to stick round your handlebars and a replacement battery cover to use with the mount.

 

If anyone needs a spare battery cover, I've got 2 here surplus - you don't use the cover with a Vista C/Cx and, having bought two mounts... these are left over.

[+tteggod trackers]

£11-49 from wiggle! go to "gps cycle" on left index. i usually opt for the free postage they say it takes extra day or 2 but for me its always arrived next day!

[+Papakas]

Once you've sorted how to attach the GPS to your bike pay some consideration to the battery compartment. While you're bouncing and bumping around the countryside the batteries can shift loosing contact therefore shutting down the unit! Very annoying having to keep turning it back on!

 

I use a Garmin GPS III+ on my mountain bike having replaced it on the motorbike with a Garmin GPS V. (Jury's still out on whether to upgrade to a quest yet!) I've been using the III+ on a mountain bike sucessfully for a number of years. Garmin offer a simple battery compartment accessory comprising a spring insert which stops the batteries moving. You have my assurance it works as the GPS has remained switched on even after I've been ejected from the saddle!

 

Do remember though, an expensive GPS on a mountain bike with an over enthusiastic rider is not always a sensible option!

 

Hope you can sort your application out. Ideal solution for getting round those long distance multi caches. One of the best I can remember doing was The Phillimore Clans "Poohsticks" in the Oxford area which I rattled round early one morning Aug 2004. Watch your speed on that one though! Also great for stringing caches together such as the Water of Leith event Edinburgh Sep 2004 with Highland Nick and the rest of our caching friends north of the wall, a dozen or so miles following the river through the city knocking off caches along the way. And then there was the pass of Glencoe.......... enjoy!

[+The Flying Boots]

I bought a handlebar mount for my Garmin 60 and then found I didn't have enough room on the handlebars for it because of Bike bag fixings, light fittings and brake cables etc etc

[+Kitty Hawk]

I bought a handlebar mount for my Garmin 60 and then found I didn't have enough room on the handlebars for it because of Bike bag fixings, light fittings and brake cables etc etc

 

You can buy, for £10 from Halfords a T shaped handlebar attachment that is designed for attaching more gizmo's.

 

If you have a bike bought in the 90's, modern handlebars are much wider - you could upgrade your bars and gain an extra 4 inches of space.

[+Spnoo]

I use the Garmin bike mount for the yellow etrex, and find it works really well, seems solid and I've had no problems with batteries disconnecting etc.

[The Odd Socks]

Many thanks, Guys, you're wonderful! I think I'll try Maplins first, as we have one pretty close to here, and it seems slightly less complicated than ordering over the web.

[+RayAl&boys]

Many thanks, Guys, you're wonderful! I think I'll try Maplins first, as we have one pretty close to here, and it seems slightly less complicated than ordering over the web.

I use the official Garmin gizmo to attach my legend to my road bike.

Used it last year on a cycling holiday in Majorca where we took in some pretty rough tracks.

On one days cycling(about 80miles) it recorded a mileage of nearer 1500 miles and according to the map ended up somewhere in Turkey. I seem to remember the max speed was pretty spectacular too. maybe that was to do with battery contacts, i'm not sure and any way it didn't really matter.

What did matter was that ever since then a portion of the screen near the top has gone blank. The unit is still useable but its a pain having that bit missing. May be worth considering depending on what sort of terrain you will be riding and it may not be a problem if you have suspension. I still use mine on the bike and the problem hasn't got any worse.

Ray

[+FollowMeChaps]

I use one of these cases for my eTrex. Not only a good case for normal use but it has a velcro handlebar mount on the back which I use on the bike - velcro around handlebar and clip on brake cable to keep level - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Garmin-eTrex-Legend-...1QQcmdZViewItem

[+sTeamTraen]

The other day we came across a mountain biker who had somehow attached a small tupperware box (minus lid) to his handlebars, then strapped an expensive GPS (60cs) to the box with several rubber bands. It was a cheap but less then whelming solution.

[+Bikebox]

I have a Magellan eXplorist 400. They make a bike mount specifically for the eXplorist series and, while pricey in my opinion, I bought one for each bike (road and mountain). The first time out on my mountain bike I took some air and on impact my GPSr went bouncing along the ground. I retrieved it and it works fine, if a bit scratched up on the housing. A few days later I was riding alone on my road bike with GPSr attached when I remembered what had happened on the road bike. I foolishly started to mess with the unit while riding -- trying to put a rubber band around it for extra security -- and ended up knocking the unit into the roadway while peddaling along at 20+ mph. It bounced and skidded quite a ways but, fortunately, was not run over by any cars. Further scratching, but still working perfectly.

 

On my way home I stopped at ACE hardware and bought a foot of industrial strength Velcro. I put the "soft" side on the back of the GPSr unit and the "rough" side on each of the bike mounts. Everything seems to be quite secure now.

 

Still, if a company is going to market a bike mount and show it on a mountain bike you'd think it would be secure enough to hold on to the unit despite a bit of bumping....

[+UKGeoCyclist]

Besides the Gramin mount, the other option is the RAM Mount for an Etrex.

 

Etrex RAM Mount

 

You need the Etrex cradle and either RAM-B-149 or RAM-B-149ZA to mount it to the bike.

 

This is a relatively heavy setup, but will not let go of the GPS, and can be positioned however best suits you. Its particularly helpful if you use a handlebar bag, as it still allows you to get the Etrex horizontal.

 

Adrian

[+The Flying Boots]

I bought a handlebar mount for my Garmin 60 and then found I didn't have enough room on the handlebars for it because of Bike bag fixings, light fittings and brake cables etc etc

 

If you have a bike bought in the 90's, modern handlebars are much wider - you could upgrade your bars and gain an extra 4 inches of space.

 

My bike is a road bike so I used dropped bars not straight

[+Kitty Hawk]

My bike is a road bike so I used dropped bars not straight

 

There's still a chance for you to give it up, you just need determination and will power

[+The Flying Boots]

NEVER

 

Those fat lumpy tyres are too slow

[The Odd Socks]

Hmmmm - turns out that Mr Odd Socks bought himself a bike mounting for the GPS ages ago, but neglected to mention it Bang goes another idea.

 

When I confessed to my intentions, he kindly said that as the clip is on his road bike, I could buy him one for his mountain bike if I wanted to.....but it's not the same somehow. (Both bikes have been living in our bedroom for the past 3 years - looking forward to living in a house with a shed!!)

[NickPick]

Hmmmm - turns out that Mr Odd Socks bought himself a bike mounting for the GPS ages ago, but neglected to mention it Bang goes another idea.

 

 

Ah, the old 'Buy it and hide it so when the wife asks "When did you get that?" you can truthfully say "Oh, I've had that ages"' ploy. I use that sometimes when I buy gadgets.