Which GPS for mountain biking?

Which GPS to get?

Choosing a GPS receiver for mountain biking and hiking in the Malaysian jungles

See also: Primer on GPS use for Mountain Biking
There are a few pages on the web that deal with selection of GPS receivers, but none dealing specifically with selecting a GPS receiver for use while mountain biking. Geographic location also has an effect on choice: uploadable topographic maps of Malaysia are unlikely to be available soon, and so mapping capabilities of the more expensive GPS receivers are largely redundant. Here is a list of criteria that I think you should consider:

Feature

Comments

12 channel parallel processor

These are must-have features, which are standard for current GPS models

At least 20 routes

At least 500 waypoints.

At least 1024 tracklog points.

Newer GPS receivers should have upwards of 2000. The larger the tracklog capacity, the longer the trail that may be recorded into the receiver's memory, and the higher the accuracy of the tracklog.

Battery consumption

Newer GPS receivers can last as long on only 2AA batteries. Generally, the more basic units will have lower battery consumption than the all-bells-and-whistles models.

Mapping

Some GPS receivers have the ability for you to upload a proprietary map database into your receiver. This is not especially useful for mountain biking or in the jungle because the maps only show main roads. Besides, if you can upload tracklogs of trails into your GPS from your PC, there's no need for this mapping feature.

Barometric altimeter

Barometric altimeters provide much better accuracy over the GPS-calculated solution for elevation. But the price difference between an eTrex Vista (a model equipped with a barometric altimeter) and an eTrex Venture is about RM850. You can buy a Suunto Vector wrist altimeter for less than RM500. (If fact, you can get TWO Ventures for the price of a Vista!) However, one useful feature is that the Vista attaches altimeter values to its tracklog data. So you can have countless hours of fun calculating altitude gain and plotting the elevation profile of your rides. (Nerds rejoice.)

Electronic compass

Let's see… a compass that you have to calibrate, relies on batteries, and competes with the GPS for power. If the GPS receiver breaks or is lost, your compass will be gone too. No thanks. A good magnetic baseplate compass costs RM50.

WAAS

Wide Area Augmentation System (European equivalent: EGNOS). Improves the accuracy of the solution. Groundstations with precisely-known locations receive GPS data from the GPS satellites to check the data for errors, and re-transmit correction messages to a WAAS satellite in geostationary orbit, which in turn retransmits the correction to GPS receivers. Although Malaysia is covered by the footprint of Europe's Indian Ocean Region Inmarsat, it's not clear to me whether WAAS-enabled receivers can utilise EGNOS correction data.
In my experience, my non-WAAS enabled 4-year old GPS12 is accurate enough for recreational use, so I wouldn't pay extra for this feature.

Waterproofing

Newer GPS receivers can survive brief accidental immersion.

Some user experience and thoughts on specific GPS models:

Garmin basic eTrex (the yellow one), eTrex Summit.

Avoid. It does not have the "clickstick" feature found on the newer eTrex Venture/ Legend/ Vista models, and consequently you cannot pan in the map page. This is a serious shortcoming for jungle-bashing.

Yellow eTrex has a 1536-point tracklog capacity, the Summit 3000.

Garmin GPS12

Dated design, but rugged and dependable. Poorer waterproofing than the eTrex models, especially the battery compartment. Bulky when compared to the eTrex series. Takes 4AA batteries, which are claimed to last 24hrs. 1024 point tracklog.

Handlebar mounting clamp has big-crash survivability issues: I've broken 3 at the hinge of the clamp.

Garmin GPS12XL

Similar to the GPS12, but with the ability to add an external antenna to boost signal reception.

Garmin GPS12CX.

Like the 12XL but adds colour display, and useful zoom buttons. 2048 point tracklog. According to Pat, the colour screen can be difficult to see at an angle.

Garmin eTrex Venture/Legend/Vista.

Compact and affordable (Venture can be bought for less than RM850 in KL). Better than the basic eTrex due to the "clickstick". Screen resolution now doubled. Uses just 2AA batteries that are claimed to last 20hrs on the Venture, 18hrs Legend and 12hrs Vista. The Venture and Legend has capacity for 2048 tracklog points, the Vista 3000.

The handlebar mounting system appears to be very fragile: it uses a special battery cover, which in turn is connected to the main unit via a minuscule pin. The integrity of the whole bicycle mounting system relies on this pin. Fuji and Sany report that their battery covers have loosened over time. The battery cover on Sany's Legend has loosened to such an extent that the unit will from time to time switch itself off.

According to some users (see here and here), the smaller area of the eTrex patch antenna results in slightly poorer reception under heavy tree cover when compared to other Garmin receivers. (This has been confirmed by the local Garmin distributor.)

I would recommend the eTrex Venture, or if you want to play around with altitude data, the Vista. Note, however, the issues relating to reception under heavy tree cover, and the bicycle mounting system.

Magellan 315

Used by Nick Smith and Thomas Fong. According to them, reception under tree cover appears to be better than the Garmin eTrex series. Uses 2AA batteries, which lasts up to 14 hours. It's not only waterproof but also floats! Not likely to significantly increase the buoyancy of your bike, though. 1200 tracklog points. If you do get one, make sure you have the updated firmware that allows you to zoom in panning mode.

Bicycle mounting system looks sturdy but clunky.

AFAIK, Magellan GPS receivers are not sold in KL. You'll have to buy them in Singapore, where Magellan has a sales office. Thomas bought his unit in 2000 for S$300, and the PC cable connectors cost S$50 more.

Magellan MAP330

Appears similar to the 315, but adds WAAS capability and a US map database, both of which a mountain biker in Malaysia will not need.

Magellan Sportrak, Sportrak Map, Sportrak Pro

These are the 300-series Magellans in a new sexy ergonomic package. The basic yellow Sportrak model has similar specifications to the 315, but has a 2000-point tracklog capacity and is WAAS-enabled. The Sportrak Map has enhanced mapping capability (like the Map 330), while the Pro has even more useless North-American maps loaded in it and topographical support so that you can view your track in 3D.

The Sportrak Map and Pro models come bundled with a PC cable connector, but alas! not the yellow Sportrak.

Magellan Meridian, Meridian Gold, Meridian Platinum

These are full-featured GPS receivers with many user-configurable options. The basic model and the Gold differ from one another in mapping capability; while the Platinum adds a 3-axis electronic compass (which you don't have to hold perfectly level), a barometric altimeter and temperature gauge. Likely to be expensive and to have features that a mountain biker in Malaysia will not need.

Garmin GPS76

Billed as a marine GPS but appears to have all the functions you will need for hiking/mountain biking. Like the Magellan units, the GPS76 will float in water. It has a helix antenna that is said to be more sensitive than the patch antenna of the eTrex series, and a jack for an external antenna. Has a larger display (1.6" x 2.2", 180 x 240 pixel resolution) than the eTrex. Tracklog capacity is 2048 points. It's powered by 2AA batteries, which is claimed to last 16 hours.

The only downside is that this unit is designed to be most receptive in a vertical position, thus may not be ideal for handlebar-mounted applications like mountain biking.

It's bulky when compared to eTrex series, and is even slightly larger (but lighter) than the GPS12 family.

Can be bought in KL from Advanced Equipment for less than RM1100.

Garmin GPS72

Due to be released in November 2002, the GPS72 is a cheaper version of the GPS76, with a reduced display resolution, and no provision for connecting an external antenna. It will be Garmin's new entry-level receiver, to replace the ageing GPS12.

The GPS72 ought to be cheaper than the GPS76. If this unit has an antenna that works well in a horizontal position, it will be a good receiver for mountain biking and hiking applications.

Garmin Rino 110, 120

Available in September 2002. These are truly revolutionary devices that combine two-way radio and GPS technologies. Not only is it a walkie-talkie, but each unit can transmit its position information by radio waves to another Rino unit within a 2-mile radius. Phoooooyo, indeed.

Garmin GPS II+, GPS III+, GPS V

These are units that have the "running gear" of the GPS12 family, but which have screens that may be oriented either horizontally or vertically. The three models differ in mapping functionality, display resolution, and waypoint and tracklog capacities.

Unless you can get them cheaply, these are not good buys.

Summary

These are the units that I would consider getting for myself, in no particular order:

Model

+

–

eTrex Venture

Relatively cheap, very compact, comes with PC cable, takes just 2 AA batteries

Antenna sensitivity and bicycle mounting system issues

Magellan Sportrak

Sensitive quadrifilar antenna, floats, 2000-point tracklog, takes just 2 AA batteries.

A little bulky, basic Sportrak doesn't come with PC cable

Magellan 315

Sensitive quadrifilar antenna, floats, takes just 2 AA batteries. Good buy if you can get it cheaply.

A little bulky, doesn't come with PC cable. Tracklog capacity, at 1200 points, is a little small compared to newer units.

Garmin GPS76

Sensitive quadrifilar antenna, floats, 2048-point tracklog, takes just 2 AA batteries.

Bulky, reduced antenna sensitivity when unit is held horizontally

Garmin GPS72

Similar to GPS76, but will be cheaper!

Not yet available at time of writing, bulky, antenna may have same issue as GPS76

Garmin Rino 110

Unique two-way radio function and peer-to-peer position locator

Not yet available at time of writing.

Where to buy

Garmin receivers are sold in KL by Advanced Equipment in Taman Maluri
The Singapore distributor for Garmin is O'Connors. Check them out, they might be cheaper than in KL.
Thomas bought his Magellan 315 at Deltec, Sim Lim Tower, Singapore
Magellan has a sales office in Orchard Hotel, Orchard Road, Singapore.

Further Reading

GPS Information All things GPS.
Important features for a hiking GPS by Joe Mehaffey
Choosing the right GPS receiver by Dale DePriest
Garmin eTrex Venture/Legend/Vista Review by Joe and Jack
Garmin GPS12, eTrex Venture and Magellan 315 comparison Dale DePriest
Magellan 315 Review by gpsnuts.com
Garmin website
Magellan website

Feature	Comments
12 channel parallel processor	These are must-have features, which are standard for current GPS models
At least 20 routes
At least 500 waypoints.
At least 1024 tracklog points.	Newer GPS receivers should have upwards of 2000. The larger the tracklog capacity, the longer the trail that may be recorded into the receiver's memory, and the higher the accuracy of the tracklog.
Battery consumption	Newer GPS receivers can last as long on only 2AA batteries. Generally, the more basic units will have lower battery consumption than the all-bells-and-whistles models.
Mapping	Some GPS receivers have the ability for you to upload a proprietary map database into your receiver. This is not especially useful for mountain biking or in the jungle because the maps only show main roads. Besides, if you can upload tracklogs of trails into your GPS from your PC, there's no need for this mapping feature.
Barometric altimeter	Barometric altimeters provide much better accuracy over the GPS-calculated solution for elevation. But the price difference between an eTrex Vista (a model equipped with a barometric altimeter) and an eTrex Venture is about RM850. You can buy a Suunto Vector wrist altimeter for less than RM500. (If fact, you can get TWO Ventures for the price of a Vista!) However, one useful feature is that the Vista attaches altimeter values to its tracklog data. So you can have countless hours of fun calculating altitude gain and plotting the elevation profile of your rides. (Nerds rejoice.)
Electronic compass	Let's see… a compass that you have to calibrate, relies on batteries, and competes with the GPS for power. If the GPS receiver breaks or is lost, your compass will be gone too. No thanks. A good magnetic baseplate compass costs RM50.
WAAS	Wide Area Augmentation System (European equivalent: EGNOS). Improves the accuracy of the solution. Groundstations with precisely-known locations receive GPS data from the GPS satellites to check the data for errors, and re-transmit correction messages to a WAAS satellite in geostationary orbit, which in turn retransmits the correction to GPS receivers. Although Malaysia is covered by the footprint of Europe's Indian Ocean Region Inmarsat, it's not clear to me whether WAAS-enabled receivers can utilise EGNOS correction data. In my experience, my non-WAAS enabled 4-year old GPS12 is accurate enough for recreational use, so I wouldn't pay extra for this feature.
Waterproofing	Newer GPS receivers can survive brief accidental immersion.

Model	+	–
eTrex Venture	Relatively cheap, very compact, comes with PC cable, takes just 2 AA batteries	Antenna sensitivity and bicycle mounting system issues
Magellan Sportrak	Sensitive quadrifilar antenna, floats, 2000-point tracklog, takes just 2 AA batteries.	A little bulky, basic Sportrak doesn't come with PC cable
Magellan 315	Sensitive quadrifilar antenna, floats, takes just 2 AA batteries. Good buy if you can get it cheaply.	A little bulky, doesn't come with PC cable. Tracklog capacity, at 1200 points, is a little small compared to newer units.
Garmin GPS76	Sensitive quadrifilar antenna, floats, 2048-point tracklog, takes just 2 AA batteries.	Bulky, reduced antenna sensitivity when unit is held horizontally
Garmin GPS72	Similar to GPS76, but will be cheaper!	Not yet available at time of writing, bulky, antenna may have same issue as GPS76
Garmin Rino 110	Unique two-way radio function and peer-to-peer position locator	Not yet available at time of writing.

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Garmin basic eTrex (the yellow one), eTrex Summit.	Avoid. It does not have the "clickstick" feature found on the newer eTrex Venture/ Legend/ Vista models, and consequently you cannot pan in the map page. This is a serious shortcoming for jungle-bashing. Yellow eTrex has a 1536-point tracklog capacity, the Summit 3000.
Garmin GPS12	Dated design, but rugged and dependable. Poorer waterproofing than the eTrex models, especially the battery compartment. Bulky when compared to the eTrex series. Takes 4AA batteries, which are claimed to last 24hrs. 1024 point tracklog. Handlebar mounting clamp has big-crash survivability issues: I've broken 3 at the hinge of the clamp.
Garmin GPS12XL	Similar to the GPS12, but with the ability to add an external antenna to boost signal reception.
Garmin GPS12CX.	Like the 12XL but adds colour display, and useful zoom buttons. 2048 point tracklog. According to Pat, the colour screen can be difficult to see at an angle.
Garmin eTrex Venture/Legend/Vista.	Compact and affordable (Venture can be bought for less than RM850 in KL). Better than the basic eTrex due to the "clickstick". Screen resolution now doubled. Uses just 2AA batteries that are claimed to last 20hrs on the Venture, 18hrs Legend and 12hrs Vista. The Venture and Legend has capacity for 2048 tracklog points, the Vista 3000. The handlebar mounting system appears to be very fragile: it uses a special battery cover, which in turn is connected to the main unit via a minuscule pin. The integrity of the whole bicycle mounting system relies on this pin. Fuji and Sany report that their battery covers have loosened over time. The battery cover on Sany's Legend has loosened to such an extent that the unit will from time to time switch itself off. According to some users (see here and here), the smaller area of the eTrex patch antenna results in slightly poorer reception under heavy tree cover when compared to other Garmin receivers. (This has been confirmed by the local Garmin distributor.) I would recommend the eTrex Venture, or if you want to play around with altitude data, the Vista. Note, however, the issues relating to reception under heavy tree cover, and the bicycle mounting system.
Magellan 315	Used by Nick Smith and Thomas Fong. According to them, reception under tree cover appears to be better than the Garmin eTrex series. Uses 2AA batteries, which lasts up to 14 hours. It's not only waterproof but also floats! Not likely to significantly increase the buoyancy of your bike, though. 1200 tracklog points. If you do get one, make sure you have the updated firmware that allows you to zoom in panning mode. Bicycle mounting system looks sturdy but clunky. AFAIK, Magellan GPS receivers are not sold in KL. You'll have to buy them in Singapore, where Magellan has a sales office. Thomas bought his unit in 2000 for S$300, and the PC cable connectors cost S$50 more.
Magellan MAP330	Appears similar to the 315, but adds WAAS capability and a US map database, both of which a mountain biker in Malaysia will not need.
Magellan Sportrak, Sportrak Map, Sportrak Pro	These are the 300-series Magellans in a new sexy ergonomic package. The basic yellow Sportrak model has similar specifications to the 315, but has a 2000-point tracklog capacity and is WAAS-enabled. The Sportrak Map has enhanced mapping capability (like the Map 330), while the Pro has even more useless North-American maps loaded in it and topographical support so that you can view your track in 3D. The Sportrak Map and Pro models come bundled with a PC cable connector, but alas! not the yellow Sportrak.
Magellan Meridian, Meridian Gold, Meridian Platinum	These are full-featured GPS receivers with many user-configurable options. The basic model and the Gold differ from one another in mapping capability; while the Platinum adds a 3-axis electronic compass (which you don't have to hold perfectly level), a barometric altimeter and temperature gauge. Likely to be expensive and to have features that a mountain biker in Malaysia will not need.
Garmin GPS76	Billed as a marine GPS but appears to have all the functions you will need for hiking/mountain biking. Like the Magellan units, the GPS76 will float in water. It has a helix antenna that is said to be more sensitive than the patch antenna of the eTrex series, and a jack for an external antenna. Has a larger display (1.6" x 2.2", 180 x 240 pixel resolution) than the eTrex. Tracklog capacity is 2048 points. It's powered by 2AA batteries, which is claimed to last 16 hours. The only downside is that this unit is designed to be most receptive in a vertical position, thus may not be ideal for handlebar-mounted applications like mountain biking. It's bulky when compared to eTrex series, and is even slightly larger (but lighter) than the GPS12 family. Can be bought in KL from Advanced Equipment for less than RM1100.
Garmin GPS72	Due to be released in November 2002, the GPS72 is a cheaper version of the GPS76, with a reduced display resolution, and no provision for connecting an external antenna. It will be Garmin's new entry-level receiver, to replace the ageing GPS12. The GPS72 ought to be cheaper than the GPS76. If this unit has an antenna that works well in a horizontal position, it will be a good receiver for mountain biking and hiking applications.
Garmin Rino 110, 120	Available in September 2002. These are truly revolutionary devices that combine two-way radio and GPS technologies. Not only is it a walkie-talkie, but each unit can transmit its position information by radio waves to another Rino unit within a 2-mile radius. Phoooooyo, indeed.
Garmin GPS II+, GPS III+, GPS V	These are units that have the "running gear" of the GPS12 family, but which have screens that may be oriented either horizontally or vertically. The three models differ in mapping functionality, display resolution, and waypoint and tracklog capacities. Unless you can get them cheaply, these are not good buys.