La Piazza Blog & Stories
How To: Garmin Edge GPS
New this year are our Garmin Edge Touring GPS navigators! They are complimentary with all carbon fiber upgrades, or an additional $30 upon request with all other bikes. Intended to provide a hands-off navigating experience, giving you more time to soak in your surroundings, pedal harder, and chat with friends, while spending less time fiddling with a map, the GPS is a must-have for those who want the most out of their ride! However, what good are they if you don’t know how to operate one? Welcome to Garmin 101 here at the Ciclismo Institute of Technology.
There a lots of things to understand on your Garmin, not all of which we will cover in this introductory course. For a more detailed rundown of everything this little machine can do and how to do it, click here.
First up, Turning It On and Finding a Signal:
OK, this may be obvious, but you have to press and hold the power button until the screen lights up. Once on, take it outside and orient the front of the device toward the sky, just like when you’re searching for a signal with your phone, and wait while the device locates satellites. You may be waiting 30-60 seconds for the signal, so don’t freak out if it’s not instantaneous!
Next, Using the Touchscreen:
Now that you’re up an running, you might be thinking, “Greaaaat. Now what?” The touchscreen enables you to navigate the device much more intuitively than older “scroll and click” devices, allowing you to access different features by tapping directly on the screen. However, what to select to use these features is important, and the Garmin has a few icons that you should remember:
If at any time you want to bring your screen back to life, simply tap anywhere on the screen to turn on the backlight. If you want to “timeout” the screen press the power button, but don’t hold it, or your Garmin will turn off.
Finally, Riding a Pre-Planned Route:
So now that we have the basics down, we want get on the road!! On all of our tours, each day’s route will already be saved into your Garmin and ready to guide you through your day’s adventure. To access a saved route, select the “Where To?” icon from the home screen, then select “Saved,” and then select “Courses.” From here, select the correct route for that day and then select “RIDE.” Simple as that. Follow its directions and voilà!
While there is a lot more you can learn about your Garmin, these basics will help you understand its functionality and get you on the road at the very least!
There a lots of things to understand on your Garmin, not all of which we will cover in this introductory course. For a more detailed rundown of everything this little machine can do and how to do it, click here.
First up, Turning It On and Finding a Signal:
OK, this may be obvious, but you have to press and hold the power button until the screen lights up. Once on, take it outside and orient the front of the device toward the sky, just like when you’re searching for a signal with your phone, and wait while the device locates satellites. You may be waiting 30-60 seconds for the signal, so don’t freak out if it’s not instantaneous!
Next, Using the Touchscreen:
Now that you’re up an running, you might be thinking, “Greaaaat. Now what?” The touchscreen enables you to navigate the device much more intuitively than older “scroll and click” devices, allowing you to access different features by tapping directly on the screen. However, what to select to use these features is important, and the Garmin has a few icons that you should remember:
If at any time you want to bring your screen back to life, simply tap anywhere on the screen to turn on the backlight. If you want to “timeout” the screen press the power button, but don’t hold it, or your Garmin will turn off.
Finally, Riding a Pre-Planned Route:
So now that we have the basics down, we want get on the road!! On all of our tours, each day’s route will already be saved into your Garmin and ready to guide you through your day’s adventure. To access a saved route, select the “Where To?” icon from the home screen, then select “Saved,” and then select “Courses.” From here, select the correct route for that day and then select “RIDE.” Simple as that. Follow its directions and voilà!
While there is a lot more you can learn about your Garmin, these basics will help you understand its functionality and get you on the road at the very least!