My Garmin did me right today + I took my nice road bike on single track today. (pics)

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was looking forward to taking my bike to Easton and riding some roads I've only ever seen from skis. But there's a fire burning nearby and the smoke in the air is atrocious. I turned around, parked at a lower altitude (river valley) town where I couldn't see the air I was breathing.

I asked my Garmin (Fenix 5X) for a ~30 mile round trip route, and relied on it (followed it blindly). I don't know the area well enough to find a good route, I would have picked a bad one from the map. Instead, the watch strung a route together for me on roads, rail-to-trails, even a bit of singletrack, with a fast and twisty descent, but it avoided highways. It was a tough, but a great route.

I did 27.5 miles today, I think 16 were unpaved, and gained 1,476 feet, in 2 hours. Only got me 918 calories.

This was the most picturesque section of trail, but not the roughest! By the time I was dodging rocks and roots, I was already committed, I'd have to turn around and retrace 15 miles to get back to my car. I had no idea where I was. That added to the sense of adventure.

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I had to get off and walk down this part. For one thing, a sign informed me it's the law; for another, the gravel was too deep for me on 28s and the switchbacks too small.

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My route kept taking me on and off the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. Here's what it looked like.

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https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1958879651
https://www.relive.cc/view/1168777636

Replies

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I'm curious how this works from a following the watch perspective. How does it give you the directions? I'm not able to financially get the Fenix but have wondered! Would be so handy for walking/hiking, especially as I got massively lost last time.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I'm curious how this works from a following the watch perspective. How does it give you the directions? I'm not able to financially get the Fenix but have wondered! Would be so handy for walking/hiking, especially as I got massively lost last time.

    Im curious too.....how does it tell you where to go?
  • pztodd
    pztodd Posts: 102 Member
    These pictures are amazing! Sounds like you had a brilliant time :smiley:
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,121 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I'm curious how this works from a following the watch perspective. How does it give you the directions? I'm not able to financially get the Fenix but have wondered! Would be so handy for walking/hiking, especially as I got massively lost last time.

    Not sure how it works for sure as my watch doesn't download the routes, but from what I have seen from the software, you create a route in your laptop/phone and then it downloads to the device.

    Good blog on it here https://hikingguy.com/how-to-hike/creating-a-hike-garmin-gps/
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I actually went and Googled. Because I'm good like that. You do as above and plan a route, I think. Anyway, that part I'm not so curious about it was more how you got the directions. It's like the arrow you get when using Google maps walking but literally just the arrow and some text. So pretty simple and easy to see. Arrow points left you go left until it points in another direction etc etc.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,121 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I actually went and Googled. Because I'm good like that. You do as above and plan a route, I think. Anyway, that part I'm not so curious about it was more how you got the directions. It's like the arrow you get when using Google maps walking but literally just the arrow and some text. So pretty simple and easy to see. Arrow points left you go left until it points in another direction etc etc.

    I use the Garmin Connect for planning my routes for hiking so I can get an idea of how much time at my normal hiking pace and the distance is. If I upgrade at some point might look for one with that feature because it does look pretty handy.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I actually went and Googled. Because I'm good like that. You do as above and plan a route, I think. Anyway, that part I'm not so curious about it was more how you got the directions. It's like the arrow you get when using Google maps walking but literally just the arrow and some text. So pretty simple and easy to see. Arrow points left you go left until it points in another direction etc etc.

    The watch vibrates, and says "Left on Main" with an arrow pointing left. First as you approach the turn, then again when you get to it.

    The really nice thing was having it generate a route for me to follow. I don't know North Bend terribly well, didn't realize the trails were there to connect sleepy roads.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Now that is nifty.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Great pics, nice ride!
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Nice. I love having nav on my Bolt. It's opened up a whole new aspect of riding for me.
  • skonger
    skonger Posts: 26 Member
    I had no idea that there was a Garmin model that did that, I will now have to get it!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Nice!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    skonger wrote: »
    I had no idea that there was a Garmin model that did that, I will now have to get it!

    Actually they've had that feature for a few years. I know the Edge 1000 had it.

    I used to have an 800 which didn't have that feature, but had maps and navigation. I would ride for a while, then tell it to navigate me back to the start, and sorry of force it to make a loop. Downside was every now and then I'd head down a dead end road without realizing it, so there wasn't a round trip.
  • skonger
    skonger Posts: 26 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »

    Actually they've had that feature for a few years. I know the Edge 1000 had it.

    I used to have an 800 which didn't have that feature, but had maps and navigation. I would ride for a while, then tell it to navigate me back to the start, and sorry of force it to make a loop. Downside was every now and then I'd head down a dead end road without realizing it, so there wasn't a round trip.

    I've got the vivoactive HR which doesn't have the feature.
    Looked into the Fenix more and it does KOM/QOM off Strava as well, that's awesome!
  • matti422
    matti422 Posts: 26 Member
    Ha! Lake Alice Road. I know it from the section that goes up. :). I also know that the "official" bike path is I-90. Trust me, you chose wisely.

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