I use a Lowrance with RAM handlebar mount when in unfamiliar territory. I can turn it off if I feel adventurous (thank goodness for spell checker), back on when being lost (or low on gas) is getting old. I used to use maps, which I still keep for backup. The best of both worlds.

I've had GPS for a long time. My first, long ago, was a hand held black and white that was only point to point. No roads, you had to enter your turn points in by Degrees, Minutes and Seconds. Was more for the woods and land navigation, but you could put a snail trail on it if you wanted to. Now, i have a garmon I use for the highway and in the woods. It has a topo card i can put in so i can see the contours and topo features, but i can take it out and switch to just my highway information if i want to. I have mine on a bean bag mount for my dashboard in the cages, and i just lash it to the risers when i have no particular place to go, just in case. I use it to tell where all the little side roads go and to get back home after i don't really have a clue about where i am cause i've just enjoyed the ride . That does happen sometimes as you wonder the roads in southern maryland through amish country and backwater towns and communities.
I do strongly agree, if you need to punch in a point....you stop and not do it on a moving machine. its all about enjoying the ride.....my gps, in my opinion can do just that because i don't have to remember where I've been...to get home...i just turn it on and follow the yellow brick road....

enjoy the ride

cass

I'm a fan of them, too. I've got a Garmin that I use in the Jeep on a beanbag mount. On Amazon.com, I found the wiring kit that runs it all the way back to the battery, and handlebar RAM mount for it. They should be arriving next week. w00t!

(And yeah: Pushing the buttons on it whilst in motion, whether on the bike or in the Jeep, is definitely not cool, nor is fixating on it. It's a tool, just like your fuel and speedo gauges.)

Here is the way I see it. First, I think that talking on a cell phone and looking at a GPS to see which way to turn are way far apart from each other. I am not talking about programming the thing here. If your trip is put in before hand, and all you are doing is looking at it for reference, I see no difference in doing that, and looking at your speedometer. It takes about one second to refer to a GPS to see which way to turn. A cell phone puts your mind somewhere else. Looking at a GPS for one second does not take your mind away from where you are and what is around you. As far as maps go, sure I can read them, did it for years as a trucker. Easy as pie to read but it would make it cumbersome on a bike a 70 MPH. I understand the pull over and take a break kind of thing, but if you find yourself in unfamiliar city streets, a GPS sure beats pulling over to look at a map every 10 minutes. Besides, a GPS is a map, just on a screen instead of paper. For me it is full steam ahead with the technology.

I have always had a fascination with maps. Before I go somewhere that I've never been before I'll get on a map site and make sure that I know where I'm going. Before the internet I would have a road atlas all the time. That said... I still love having a GPS. I look at it as an enhancement. But there is no way that I would rely totally on a GPS. They definitely aren't perfect. The last big mistake took me 20 miles out of my way because it showed a connecting road that did not and never did exist. It was a middle of the trip reroute so I had to rely on the GPS.
And I do keep an old GPS V on my Venture... just so I have an accurate speedo.

I agree, GPS is not the final answer. You will still need a map from time to time. I love my Tom Tom GPS, it's mounted to the handlebar and gives me the correct speed (speedo is off by about 5mph) and cross roads that help me watch out for cage's that might be entering the path over the next hill. It also gives me an idea of cross roads, service roads, and of coarse next gas station. Some times we drive far off the beaten path to get food or gas, the GPS helps us get back on tract without having to study a map and hope road construction hasn't changed things.
Carry a map, use GPS.

I still don't get it.... I hear what everyone is saying but here's my take on it. I've been riding and driving around this great country of ours for the past 31 years and not once in all those years have I NOT been able to find a gas station, a place to eat, a place to sleep, etc, etc, etc..... Sure I've been in unfamiliar territory where I didn't know the roads or which way I needed to go at that exact minute, but I've always managed to find my way back home. I guess I look at it like this....

I was always very anal when it came to planning my backpacking trips. I mean, I'd have it planned down to what time I'd arrive at a given destination!!! Then one year things happened that were completely unexpected. And I was frantic!!! (And that's putting it lightly. Beleive me when I say that there is a whole other story here...) At first I thought, OMG!! this can't be happening.... But in the end, things turned out fine and it was one of the best trips I'd ever taken. I met people I'd otherwise never have met and experienced kindness from total strangers that was completely unexpected. That's when I remembered something I'd read earlier; You plan a trip down to the very last detail but, the adventure begins when things don't go as planned.

So personally, I look forward to coming to that crossroads in the middle of nowhere and not knowing what direction I need to go. That's when the adventure begins.......

In The Wind,
Aaron

I don't rely on my GPS for turn-by-turn directions, but rather use it more as a trip planning tool and time saver. I prefer to avoid the major highways as much as possible, and a GPS is a lot easier to carry than a pile of state atlases that show all secondary roads.

GPS can also be handy when you're traveling through unfamiliar territory. I can program in the locations of gas stations, campgrounds/hotels, cycle shops (in case I have a breakdown), etc. before heading out so I don't have to worry about finding a place to say or somewhere to fill up while on the road. That's not to say I always use those saved placed, but I know where they are if I absolutely need them in a pinch. Very nice for peace of mind.

As already noted, they're also nice for when things don't go exactly as planned (traffic jams, wrecks, etc) and you need to find an alternate route.

I also like to use the track log feature when exploring. How many times have you been out just roaming around somewhere new and found a cool road or interesting little shop that you might want to check out again, but then you can't find your way back to it? With GPS you can save it as a point of interest for future reference.

Are they necessary? Definitely not. Can one become to reliant on them? Sure. For me though, it's more like "Plan B" in case something goes wrong.

I use my Garmin all the time for work finding jobsites and places to meet people if I had to plan it out on a map it would take forever. Lots of times I will get a call on the road and need to meet someone. I pull over type in the address and it will take me right there. I used to have 5 Thomas guides in my truck NO more.
On my bike I throw my older Mio GPS in the saddlebag. if I am going to a destination I print a map and have the GPS for backup. If I am just going for a ride I just use it if I get lost. and I HAVE been in a situation where I could NOT find a gas station and just switched to reserve. I found one with my GPS about 10miles away in a direction I would not of thought to go. Interestingly enough when I ride with groups we always end up pulling over and looking at the one guy with the GPS on his bike to figure out where we are going.

Steven

It's too late Aaron, the clinic already all donated and sent you a GPS Fed X, should be there Monday!

2005Roadstar wrote:
I still don't get it.... I hear what everyone is saying but here's my take on it. I've been riding and driving around this great country of ours for the past 31 years and not once in all those years have I NOT been able to find a gas station, a place to eat, a place to sleep, etc, etc, etc..... Sure I've been in unfamiliar territory where I didn't know the roads or which way I needed to go at that exact minute, but I've always managed to find my way back home. I guess I look at it like this....

I was always very anal when it came to planning my backpacking trips. I mean, I'd have it planned down to what time I'd arrive at a given destination!!! Then one year things happened that were completely unexpected. And I was frantic!!! (And that's putting it lightly. Believe me when I say that there is a whole other story here...) At first I thought, OMG!! this can't be happening.... But in the end, things turned out fine and it was one of the best trips I'd ever taken. I met people I'd otherwise never have met and experienced kindness from total strangers that was completely unexpected. That's when I remembered something I'd read earlier; You plan a trip down to the very last detail but, the adventure begins when things don't go as planned.

So personally, I look forward to coming to that crossroads in the middle of nowhere and not knowing what direction I need to go. That's when the adventure begins.......

In The Wind,
Aaron