Following a course on a Garmin?

trener1

Well-Known Member
I am wondering if anyone has successfully followed a route/course on a Garmin 830 on a mountain bike trail?.

I want to take a ride that I did and do it again, my question isn't related to creating or importing the route, but in actually following it on the trail, is this doable? I thought with the trail forks integration on the 830 it would be doable, but I tried it a couple of weeks ago and had absolutely no luck.
 

JDurk

Well-Known Member
I've found that a tight, twisty mtb course is harder for the unit to follow than a road ride course. I have a 520. Zooming in with a smaller field of view on the map helps. Also, Settings to update every 1sec.

I'm sure some others will chime in here with some more recommendations. Hopefully it will stay on topic and not be get a Wahoo.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I have been unsuccessful many times. Just when I think I got it, the screen tells me I had a sweet jump and I lose the course
 

Cassinonorth

Well-Known Member
Yep. I've done almost every park in NJ with the trailforks integration. Key is getting the direction to go the right way or the computer is too dumb to reverse it and will just tell you to turnaround for 12 miles.
 

MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I’ve done it at several parks in NJ, two in CO, and one in CA.

I have been unsuccessful many times. Just when I think I got it, the screen tells me I had a sweet jump and I lose the course
But you go off course at races when everything is taped and marked. :p:banana:
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I’ve done it countless times but I use the Strava integration. When there are a ton of trails it’s hard to follow. Example would be Allaire. More spread out trails like Jungle it would be much easier.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
But you go off course at races when everything is taped and marked. :p:banana:

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Courses are never marked with tape. And sometimes you just follow the wheel and sometimes it leads you of course.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
I've been successful more times than unsuccessful. Places like Allaire definitely ain't happening. Trail Forks integration is better than the others.
 

trener1

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all of the replies so far. do you need the paid version of Trail Forks for it to work properly?.
I will try zooming in next time I use it, any other helpful tips on how you guys got it to work well, last time I tried to use it was at the Tourne, not sure if that is considered "places like allaire" as far as too many trail.
 

Robin

Well-Known Member
I have an older Garmin. I usually use a gpx file either someone shared or...I create on on Trailforks to use (you can draw your route on a desktop to create a gpx file). I haven't had any issues.
 

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I've been using a Garmin to follow routes that I've stolen off Strava or Garmin Connect for like ten years. It's how I learned all the trails that I know, and it's how I do rides when traveling. I've always just grabbed a gpx file, and I don't use the follow route option or whatever it is. I just set it to always display the route, and then I follow it. You do obviously need to study the route a bit ahead of time to know which direction to ride in, and it can be confusing to remember which way to go if it's a bunch of small loops. You also need to pay attention so you don't miss a turn. Only places I've had any trouble is Round Top and Lippman Park.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I've been using a Garmin to follow routes that I've stolen off Strava or Garmin Connect for like ten years. It's how I learned all the trails that I know, and it's how I do rides when traveling. I've always just grabbed a gpx file, and I don't use the follow route option or whatever it is. I just set it to always display the route, and then I follow it. You do obviously need to study the route a bit ahead of time to know which direction to ride in, and it can be confusing to remember which way to go if it's a bunch of small loops. You also need to pay attention so you don't miss a turn. Only places I've had any trouble is Round Top and Lippman Park.

Lot of good info here, specifically making sure you know the map to some degree before you go. Maybe out west it's easier then the trails are 2+ miles long, but here where trails are often measured in 1/4 of a mile, it helps to know what you're supposed to be doing. My 2 most recent issues were Woody Hill in RI which had far too many 5-way intersections, and Sutton in MA which is all local trails so nothing is on the map legally.
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
My experience is with the 530 but the performance should be the same but I have not had much luck with following a route I've laid out on Trail Forks. I'm constantly missing turns because by the time the GPS figures out where I actually am I've already passed the turn, then it tells me to turn around. After a handful of unsuccessful rides following a route I just use the Trail Forks app on my phone and use the 530 for everything else.
 

NJsinglespeedtrek

Active Member
I am wondering if anyone has successfully followed a route/course on a Garmin 830 on a mountain bike trail?.

I want to take a ride that I did and do it again, my question isn't related to creating or importing the route, but in actually following it on the trail, is this doable? I thought with the trail forks integration on the 830 it would be doable, but I tried it a couple of weeks ago and had absolutely no luck.
I ride with 1030 and it's awesome, just do a search and load then ride
 

trener1

Well-Known Member
Yeah my issue isn't finding/loading a ride, I know how to do that, it's actually following it on the trails that is where I am having trouble.
 
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