Do you like speed? Overtaking busses and cars? Riding above the speed limit? Then you’d probably choose a slick tire, the king of the asphalt: nothing rolls as fast.

But the 16-inch size is a problem: try finding a slick this small! For years, Schwalbe has been making the racing Stelvio in all sizes imaginable, including the Brompton’s and Tikit’s ETRTO 349. And now, the Stelvio’s dead. Discontinued.

KOJAK: THE STELVIO REPLACEMENT

For 2009, Schwalbe has improved the Stelvio’s rubber compound (better grip and durability), redesigned the side micro-tread pattern and renamed the essentially new product “Durano”. But, while it does come in quite a few unconventional sizes, the 16 inch is not one of them. To compensate, the fatter Kojak slicks introduced in 2007 were downsized to include an ETRTO 349 version in 2009.

Photo: Schwalbe Kojak on a Brompton front 16 inch wheel

I’ve been riding the Stelvios of various sizes for years. The Stelvios have been the default tires on my Brompton. How does this Kojak compare to the old faithful?

FEATURES

// Shape

• Kojak is a wider, baloonier slick: 32 mm (1.26 in) vs Stelvio’s 28 mm (1.1 in) wide.
• When inflated at exact same pressures, the road contact area of the Kojak is about twice as wide: approx 2 cm (0.79 in) compared to Stelvio’s approx 1 cm (0.39 in).
• Kojak’s circumference is also a bit larger: 1 300 mm (51.18 in) vs Stelvio’s 1 285 mm (50.6 in).

// Pressures

• Kojak: 70 psi min to 115 psi max
• Stelvio: 85 psi min to 120 psi max

// Surface

The Kojak is a completely bald, pure slick. The Stelvio featured a micro-tread pattern on the sides, mainly to indicate the location of the softer, grippier rubber band optimized for cornering.

// Rubber compound

The Kojak uses a vastly improved rubber compound for better grip, especially on wet surfaces.

// Puncture protection

Both the Kojak and the Stelvio use a nylon fabric protection belt called RaceGuard. Although not as puncture-proof as a Kevlar tape or a layer of densely woven Vectran, RaceGuard is still better than no protection at all. And it adds little weight and rolling resistance to the tire.

// Manufacturer weights

• Kojak folding (Kevlar bead): 175 g (6.17 oz)
• Stelvio folding (Kevlar bead): 160 g (5.6 oz)

// My measured weights

• Kojak folding (Kevlar bead): 165 g (5.82 oz)
• Stelvio non-folding (wire bead): 185 g (6.52 oz)

Measured on electronic scales with 1 gram precision. Average of 2 tires per model.

PERFORMANCE IN THE REAL WORLD

I’ve changed the Stelvios on my Brompton to the Kojaks in November 2008 and have ridden about 700 km (435 mi) in different weather and road conditions (see below for details).

// Pressures

I weigh 65 kg (143 lb) on average (clothing and helmet included), but often carry stuff in my backpack, sometimes over 10 kg (22 lb).

• First, I have been inflating the Kojaks to the same pressure as the Stelvios, so I could compare them as closely as possible (100 psi front + 110 psi rear).
• Then, I’ve experimented with lower pressures. I’ve ended up with a 95 psi front + 105 psi rear combination, which yielded a better ride without any sacrifices in speed.

// Ride and handling

The Kojak is fast, smooth and silent. Accelerating from 0 km/h to 35 km/h (22 mi/h) in seconds? No problem. Riding downhill at 55 km/h (34 mi/h)? Every day.

However, something is lost… barely noticeable. At times, the Stelvios were giving those magical sensations, especially on smooth, dry asphalt – it felt just so buttery smooth and… well, super racy, crazy fast. Again, a very subtle difference, but it’s there. I’d say a -5% decrease in speed on the Kojaks. But my bike computer can’t tell the difference.

Also, cornering on Kojaks is not exactly as good as on Stelvios. Steering feels a bit bizarre, as if the Kojaks deform / shift horizontally just a little bit. The Stelvios cornered as if on rails. The Kojaks ask for less lean and more prudence.

But the Kojak is way, way more stable overall. More cushioning, less jitter. Riding on the 16" Stelvios on the Brompton was super-reactive but sometimes erratic. The Kojaks just ride straight. Well, in a Brompton sense, that is…

// Grip

The Stelvios would glue to new, clean Swiss asphalt. Amazing feeling.

But add some sand… or, worse, some rain and riding the Stelvios becomes a skating game.

The Kojak grips the wet asphalt as if it was dry, incomparable to the Stelvio. The Kojak stays on the road under pouring rain: hit the brakes and the bike stops.

The Stelvios were simply scary in the rain. The rear wheel would just skid and I had to use the front brake almost exclusively. 2 of my serious crashes on the Brompton – one involving a bus, and another a car – happened on rainy evenings riding the Stelvios. So, a huge improvement here.

The Kojak is a lot more versatile. It works on cobblestones, a frequent road “feature” in Paris. Oh so romantic… I’ve ridden the Kojaks at about 35 km/h (22 mi/h) on cobblestones, an impossible feat on the Stelvios.

Polished wet sandstone slabs? Yes, a wonderful surface material for Paris’ bike lanes. Stelvios: change route. Kojaks: ride on.

Moreover, the Kojak “works” a lot better with road-parallel irregularities, such as cracks, asphalt edges and so on. It has happened to me to sort of ease on these “features”, at 0° angle, at speed. Something that had sent me to the ground on Stelvios in the past: I do experiment to the limits.

// Puncture resistance

Amazing. I don’t know if it’s pure luck or if the wider road contact surface leads to lower point pressure… But I haven’t had a single puncture yet! 700 km (435 mi) and counting (and praying).

I stopped counting when I hit a 5 cm nail going downhill at 50 km/h on my Brompton on March 30, 2012! First puncture since November 5, 2008.

However, the front tire now has 7 small cuts, with the largest about 4 mm in length. The rear tire has 11 such cuts. Some of them are filled with a micro particle of gravel. Should I worry about sudden cabin decompression? From my 4 years of experience, the answer is no.

With the Stelvios… I too got the cuts. But I also got the punctures. Quite often. Lots of quality time dreaming of wheel quick releases, under rain, at night.

VERDICT

While the Kojak has lost just a tiny bit of something “racy” compared to the Stelvio, it’s a much, much more versatile slick tire for fast, urban and intercity asphalt use. Especially on a winter rainy day in Paris.

Get those slicks, they’re very good.

ALTERNATIVES

A narrow, high-pressure, 16-inch slick? Maybe a Primo Comet, but it’s 37 mm (1.46 in) wide, rated at 85 psi and has a micro-tread all over…

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF 16" SLICK TIRES?

The end of Stelvio has brought up uneasy feelings and reminded a few things:

• the small wheel market is a small market
• the slick tire part of this already small market is tiny: a micro-niche market
• there’s essentially only one serious tire manufacture still committed to this micro-niche market

Will Schwalbe continue to manufacture boutique tires for folding bikes and recumbents?

In part, it depends on the number of users of such bikes. If everything goes as planned with Peak Oil, Global Warming and Growth Economy Collapse, more people will ride bicycles. Maybe even folding bicycles: a smarter way to implement intermodal transportation, avoid bike theft and keep away from vandalism.

And in part, the people at Schwalbe themselves are the guarantee: bike tires products’ manager, Carsten ZAHN, rides a Bike Friday Pocket Llama with “enough clearance to test all our 20" tires”.

Photo: Schwalbe’s Carsten ZAHN on his Bike Friday Pocket Llama equipped with 20" knobbies

I guess as long as Schwalbe guys like Carsten ride a folder, we’ll continue to benefit from their unique products.

Photo: Schwalbe’s Carsten ZAHN’s Bike Friday Pocket Llama with 20" Schwalbe Marathon Supreme

REVIEW CONDITIONS

• bike: Brompton P3L customized for speed
• timeframe: November 5, 2008 to present
• distance: approx 700 km (435 mi) as of April 10, 2009
• surfaces: mostly asphalt (ranging from execrable Paris avenues to excellent Swiss intercity roads), cobblestones, sandstone slabs, some gravel, some wet and dry dirt
• temperatures: -5° C (20° F) to +20° C (70° F)
• weather: dry, light rain, heavy rain, snow (melting on the ground)
• tire pressures: first 100 psi front + 110 psi rear to match my Stelvios, then lower, down to allowed minimums, then 95 psi front + 105 psi rear (rides better)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Carsten ZAHN, Schwalbe Germany and Caroline VIVIER, Schwalbe France for their extensive help with this review.

CHANGE LOG

Bicycle touring is a great way to travel and (re)discover places:

• slow enough – to enjoy the scenery, down to every crack or up to every leaf
• fast enough – to cover 150 km a day or more, just by the power of your own body
• open to the outdoors – to enjoy the wind, the sun and the rain on the skin, being part of the environment
• silent – to marvel at the sounds of birds and rivers
• continuous – to connect the geographical dots, to form a complete picture in the mind, instead of hopping from place to place in a plane
• interactive with the local people – to appreciate each other without the windows between us
• free – to move in any direction, regardless of the traffic jams or the public transport timetables

Bicycle touring on a folding bike is even better, because it allows:

• intermodal transportation by train, bus, ferry or cars (taxies, friends, hitchhiking) without advance reservation or bike fees – easy to get to the starting point, skip a dull or dangerous portion of the route, or simply move forward when too tired to ride
• theft protection – the bike is folded, with you, in museums, restaurants and supermarkets, instead of waiting for a thief outside
• storage in small spaces (hotels, urban flats)

Of course, appropriate gear can make the experience much more enjoyable, so I include my very detailed and very personal bike touring gear list. It might give you a different perspective, or it might even suggest an idea or two.

MY FOLDER BIKE FOR TOURING

When touring on good asphalt roads anywhere in the world, I choose the Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro. It rides like a top of the range road bike, yet still folds into a bag I can carry on my shoulder.

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro loaded for self-sufficient touring (with lights, GPS, bottle, fenders, Tubus Airy rack, Ortlieb Back Roller Plus panniers)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (with lights, GPS, bottle, fenders, Tubus Airy customized titanium rack)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories, folds the same with the rack)

If you’d like to find out more about my bike and understand the selection process, read my detailed description of its components and modifications. But here, let’s focus on the touring gear and techniques that work with this folding bike.

WHAT INFLUENCES MY CHOICES FOR THIS GEAR LIST?

• riding conditions
  • good asphalt roads
  • intercity routes
  • versatility to weave through traffic jams and slow urban traffic when needed
  • night and day
  • day temperature (most frequent): +20° C
  • night temperature (minimum): 0° C
  • sustained rain
  • geographical example: summer Scandinavia
• duration: 30 days or more
• food
  • ready-to-eat food, mostly fruits, vegetable salads and fish, bought at food markets and supermarkets
  • restaurants and cafés
  • although I could carry a lightweight stove cooking set, I prefer to spend the cooking time riding or sleeping
• sleeping versatility
  • stealth camping whenever and wherever I like (tired? get a rest!)
  • campsites with amenities (showers)
  • friends’ places (sleeping outside, on the floor or wherever my hosts allow)
  • hotels
• cycling to walking conversion: ability to switch from the Tour de France look to the “walking around town” mode when stopping at major cities or visiting friends
• solo travel
  • I’m comfortable with myself
  • few people live the flexible schedules that would fit my spontaneous planning
  • even fewer like the combination of long and fast cycling with unplanned eating and sleeping
• weight
  • I try to reduce the weight to the lowest comfortable, as I tend to ride only slightly slower when compared to my long training rides, hill climbing included (I use the same chainset and cassette combination with a 120" highest gear and 30" lowest gear)
  • the 2 areas where I allow myself some luxury are sleep (because I have sleep problems) and organization (because a messy bag wastes my energy)

WHAT ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY?

As you may know, I’m a professional photographer, shooting a lot of landscapes. I’ve tried various transport solutions and techniques and I’ve found that for me, cycling is too fast to really focus on photography. Walking is better.

So, when bike touring, I rely on my iPhone to record an occasional place I may find interesting. A reference for a future shoot. But I leave the 11 kg of my photography equipment at home.

MY GEAR LIST CONVENTIONS

• sorry, but most weights and measurements are metric, primarily because of space constraints
• I remove most labels and redundant features, then weigh the items on my electronic scale (1 g precision)
• items are listed by theme, not in the order of packing or weight distribution (example: the rain jacket can go in the left pannier, while the rain pants can go in the right pannier for better bike balance)
• items are grouped by container bag
• manufacturers change their products at least every year, or, in the outdoor gear industry, twice a year, so to give you a more precise reference, I mention the item’s retail season, in other words, an approximate date when the item was manufactured and first hit retail stores
  • SS 2004 means the Spring / Summer retail season, from mid-March 2004 to August 2004
  • AW 2004 means the Autumn / Winter retail season, from September 2004 to mid-March 2005
• water-repellent means an item resists liquid penetration for some time but will eventually leak through (soft-shell, lack of seam tape…)
• water-proof means an item will resist liquid penetration indefinitely (hard-shell, seam tape…)
• civilized clothing means the city “sportswear” look
• I link to an item’s manufacturer page if:
  • the product is still listed despite the frequent changes in season line-ups
  • the manufacturer’s web site allows deep linking (that excludes Flash sites)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (folds the same with rack; prepared to fit inside custom shoulder carrying bag: cranks immobilized, chainwheel teeth covered by aluminum protector, exposed greased headset parts covered with kid’s socks)

Photo: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV ultralight 398 g (14 oz) Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro shoulder carrying bag made of Dyneema Cross-Rip Gridstop fabric (fits with rear rack)

GRAND TOTALS

FURTHER READING / ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB

• My Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro specs and mods.
• My Garmin Dakota vs Garmin Oregon GPS comparison review.

CHANGE LOG

BIKE PURPOSE

• fast and long cycling
  • minimum 25 km/h (16 mi/h) on flats
  • ability to spin to 45 km/h (28 mi/h) on flats
  • no speed limit going downhill
  • long rides over 1 h 30 min
  • at least 3 rides per week
  • no racing
• self-supported, fast bike touring
  • maximum 13 kg (29 lb) lightweight stealth camping kit
    (panniers’ weight included, minimum 0° C (+32° F) night temps)
  • bike mechanic friendly
  • bends but doesn’t break on impact
• perfect fit, perfect ergonomics
  • works with my body
  • suits my riding style and habits
• quick folding
  • intermodal transportation by train, bus or ferry (no bike fees)
  • air-travel as regular checked-in luggage
    (fits in standard suitcase, the Samsonite Termo Spinner 84 cm, no bike fees)
  • storage in small spaces (urban flats)
• riding conditions
  • good asphalt roads anywhere in the world
  • intercity routes
  • versatility to weave through traffic jams and slow urban traffic when needed
  • night and day
  • year-round
  • any weather except snow

DESIGN THEME

• red
  • Red Army
  • Swiss flag
• metal
  • steel
  • aluminum
  • some plastic and leather
  • no carbon fiber
• no labels
  • purity
  • minimalism
  • ease of cleaning
  • uniform ageing
  • disguise

BIKE HISTORY

I got a new, custom-sized 2009 Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro in April 2009. I continue to customize the bike to suit my needs and tastes.

PICTURES OF THE CURRENT BIKE CONFIGURATION

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (with lights, GPS, bottle, tools)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (with lights, GPS, bottle, tools, fenders)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (with lights, GPS, bottle, tools, fenders, Tubus Airy customized titanium rack)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro loaded for self-sufficient touring (with lights, GPS, bottle, tools, fenders, Tubus Airy rack, Ortlieb Back Roller Plus panniers)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories)

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (prepared to fit inside custom shoulder carrying bag: cranks immobilized, chainwheel teeth covered by aluminum protector, exposed greased headset parts covered with kid’s socks)

Photo: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV ultralight 398 g (14 oz) Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro shoulder carrying bag made of Dyneema Cross-Rip Gridstop fabric (fits with or without rear rack)

Photo: Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro inside a standard check-in luggage Samsonite Termo Spinner 84 cm (includes Sidi shoes, Giro helmet, lock, tools, clothes) for air travel

CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS

• Configuration date: August 2010
• Base model: Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro early 2009
• My modifications: the entire bike was specced by me, with precious input from the Bike Friday team, then further refined once received

CURRENT WEIGHTS

PICTURES OF THE PREVIOUS BIKE CONFIGURATIONS

Photo: Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories) 2009-08

Photo: Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (with accessories) 2009-08

Photo: Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro (without accessories) 2009-08

FURTHER READING / ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB

• My Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro touring gear list.
• My Garmin Dakota vs Garmin Oregon GPS comparison review.

CHANGE LOG

WHY A MENTOR?

I’m interested in someone that would be more than just a coach. Most of the crucial skills I have learnt in my life were passed to me by people more akin to close friends. Mutual interest and respect. Focus on the individual. Life-changing.

I’m not looking to attend a class of 30.

One-on-one would be ideal. 4 students per session is the maximum.

APPROACH

I’m looking for someone who shares my approach to life, art and design, someone who:

• is open-minded, non-dogmatic, unorthodox, universal – not closed in one style, one way, one tradition
• adapts its teaching to the student’s needs and capacities
• focuses on efficiency
• has an eye for aesthetics, but avoids flowery ornamentation
• thinks any skill requires constant improvement

TIME

I’d like to dedicate at least 7 hours per week to learning. I’m ready to start tomorrow.

4 hours every day, for 4 days followed by a 2-day break, for at least 3 months to begin, would be optimal.

LEVEL

I’d like to start from zero. I have some background in karate, which I didn’t like, and real-life street fighting, but not much.

However, I have a runner / cyclist / climber body ready for hard work. I run distances longer than the marathon, speed cycle for days and climb challenging rock and ice routes.

LANGUAGES

So we can understand each other, I’m searching for someone who speaks English, French or Russian.

LOCATION

I’m looking for someone in Hong Kong, Paris or Geneva.

EXCHANGE

I’d be delighted to barter the lessons for my expertise. I can teach:

• photography
• digital retouching (Photoshop) and color management
• web and print design
• web programming (HTML, CSS, PHP, mod_rewrite)
• Mac OS X use
• Russian language
• English language
• French language

beginning at any level.

I’m also ready to pay, if money is preferred.

REASONS

I’d like to learn tai chi for 2 reasons:

1 / A way to wind down and relax

I’m a workaholic. I’ve been taught and conditioned to work really hard and produce above average results. I became quite good at working 3 full-time jobs (photographer, designer, journalist), simultaneously. But I have no clue how to stop my constant on-going creative process and give my body and mind a break.

Running or cycling for 2 hours each day leave me fresh and energized, ready for more work, not for some sleep.

I’ve considered yoga, but I’m a dynamics, movement person. Yoga is too static for me.

2 / Defense

As a photographer, I always work on location, often at night and sometimes in risky places. I’d like to learn to better defend myself and my equipment.

Thanks in advance for any help!

So my tweets from the major outdoor and cycling shows quickly disappeared in the unsearchable archives. Not a good idea.

But I’ve solved Twitter’s short-mindedness. I now import all my tweets and store them in my own database, and republish them on my own web site. So you can read through the stuff I’d found interesting during the shows:

• Outdoor 2009 tweets
• Eurobike 2009 tweets

Sorry it took me some time to understand the issue and create a solution. And although most products announced then should be hitting the stores now, and although Outdoor 2010 is only 3 months away, I still hope you might find some of my information useful.

In my previous article, I’ve selected the Garmin Oregon as the better tool, albeit with hefty drawbacks. Specifically, screen readability.

• Fortunately, Garmin has worked on the issues and the new Dakota solves most of the Oregon’s weaknesses.
• Unfortunately, Garmin has complicated matters by also introducing the Oregon 550 and, shortly afterwards, the Oregon 450. Which, because of their glossy screens and 3D compasses, are quite different products from the usability standpoint compared to the earlier Oregon 200, Oregon 300 and Oregon 400.

So, to give you a complete picture of the current situation, I’d have to carry and use 7 devices at the same time!

• Dakota 10
• Dakota 20
• Oregon 200
• Oregon 300
• Oregon 400
• Oregon 450
• Oregon 550

I think a compass is a must-have, especially for backpacking, so I’ve reduced the list to units with a compass:

• Dakota 20
• Oregon 300
• Oregon 400
• Oregon 450
• Oregon 550

The only difference between the Oregon 300 and the Oregon 400 is the preloaded maps. So I could use the Oregon 300 to describe both. The Oregon 450 is essentially the Oregon 550 without a camera. I had occasional access to the Oregon 550, so, in the end, the units I’ve actually held in my hands are:

• Dakota 20
• Oregon 300
• Oregon 550

To make it manageable, I’ve concentrated my attention on the Dakota 20 and the Oregon 300, with occasional reference to the Oregon 550.

Photo: Garmin Dakota 20 handheld in direct sunlight (no backlight)

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 handheld in direct sunlight (no backlight)

And although the 2 units allow a very wide range of activities – driving, cycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, hunting, training, geocaching, weather trending, calculating, even waking you up and taking pictures – my focus is much more narrow.

DEFINE THE CONTEXT: NEEDS AND OPERATING CONDITIONS

When choosing a GPS unit, I’d suggest to first answer 2 questions:

1. what problems does the device need to solve?
2. in what conditions will the unit operate?

Ideally, a GPS receiver should solve your problems in the most effective and efficient way.

MY NEEDS AND OPERATING CONDITIONS

I’ve tested the Dakota and the Oregon in 3 contexts:

1 / Road cycling

• daily transportation
• training rides
• longer self-supported touring
• GPS as the only bike navigation system for:
  • complicated city navigation in European capitals
  • intercity navigation in Western Europe
• clear skies and direct sunlight
• cloudy skies
• night
• rain
• open spaces
• urban canyons
• temperatures from -5° C (20° F) to +35° C (95° F)
• opportunistic, omnivore battery power generation

2 / Hiking

• day hiking
• climbing approaches
• photography location scouting
• multi-day backpacking
• GPS as a map complement, navigation aid in difficult situations in the European “wilderness” areas:
  • “humanized” forests’ trail maize
  • white-outs and heavy snow
  • off-trail
  • night navigation
• clear skies and direct sunlight
• cloudy skies
• snow
• rain
• open spaces
• mountains
• dense forest
• temperatures from -30° C (-22° F) to +35° C (95° F)
• opportunistic, omnivore battery power generation

3 / Running

• long training runs over 15 km (9 mi) in unknown areas anywhere in the world
• GPS as the only navigation system for:
  • complicated city navigation
  • road running in the suburbia
  • trail running
• clear skies and direct sunlight
• cloudy skies
• night
• rain
• sweaty hands
• open spaces
• urban canyons
• temperatures from -5° C (20° F) to +35° C (95° F)
• mains supplied power at homes, hotels, train stations and airports

So, how do the Dakota and the Oregon answer my precise needs and perform in these conditions?

FORM FACTOR

The Dakota is a puffy cutie. The Oregon is a clumsy overweight.

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 (left) and Dakota 20 (right)

// Size

Do you remember the days of the Garmin Geko? Well, we’re finally going back there.

• Garmin has trimmed the bulk of the Oregon to create the smaller Dakota. A definite improvement. Even though it won’t fit in a trousers’ pocket like an iPhone, the Dakota disappears in a backpack’s belt pocket.
• The Oregon remains big and fat. An oversized soap.

Photo: Apple iPhone 3Gs (left), Garmin Oregon 300 (center) and Dakota 20 (right)

Photo: Apple iPhone 3Gs (left), Garmin Oregon 300 (center) and Dakota 20 (right)

Photo: Apple iPhone 3Gs (left), Garmin Oregon 300 (center) and Dakota 20 (right)

// Weight

The Dakota is 30% lighter than the Oregon. Still, both are far from anything feathery.

As measured on my electronic scale (1 g precision):

	Garmin Dakota 20	Garmin Oregon 300
Empty:	103 g (3.63 oz)	146 g (5.15 oz)
With 2 AA rechargeable NiMH:	164 g (5.78 oz)	205 g (7.2 oz)

// Build quality

• The Dakota feels like a tank: solid, no squeaks, rubber everywhere.
• The Oregon inspires less confidence. The battery cover of my Oregon 300 squeaked and moved 1 mm when pressed. Garmin has reassured me that it’s normal. The plastic cover contacts the rubber seal around the battery compartment. When compressed, the rubber gives in a little, but it does not compromise the unit’s IPX7 waterproofness. As an advantage, the cover is a bit easier to remove than on the Dakota: changing batteries is simpler.

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 (left) and Dakota 20 (right)

I’ve dropped both units from about 1 m (3.28 ft) onto wooden floor. I’ve also ejected the Dakota from my bike handlebar mount to slide 5 m (16.4 ft) on polished concrete. No complaints.

// Weather resistance

According to Garmin, both the Dakota and the Oregon will drown but will remain alive for 30 minutes at a 1 meter depth, as per IEC 60529 IPX7 standard.

• I’ve ridden both units in torrential, sustained downpours, for hours, with puddles forming inside the screen frame. No problem.
• However, I haven’t checked the IPX7 compliancy of either unit in a bathtub.

What about low temps? LCD displays tend to slow down in subfreezing conditions. The lowest I could take the units was a mildly cold -15° C (5° F) in the Alps. No effect on performance.

// Handheld

• The Dakota merges with the palm of the hand like an ergonomic tool. It feels like a handle of a big power drill.
• The Oregon feels like an oversized soap, ready to slip out of control when you relax the grip.

Photo: Garmin Dakota 20 handheld in direct sunlight (no backlight)

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 handheld in direct sunlight (no backlight)

I can hold each unit with just one hand and operate the functions with my thumb.

// Bike mounted

The Dakota and the Oregon share the same rail-mount. A Garmin plastic adapter attaches either to the handlebars (crosswise) or to the ahead stem (lengthwise) with 2 nylon zip-ties. A small rubber insert is supposed to keep the mount in place, but both units rotate downwards or sideways after a series of bumps, no matter how much I tighten the zip-ties.

Photo: Garmin bike mount compatible with Dakota and Oregon GPS on a Brompton

The solution, shared by Dominique BLACHON, is to:

1. wrap the handlebars or the ahead stem with a layer of inner tube (cut to size)
2. attach the Garmin mount over the wrap

As a result, both units stop rotating so much on the handlebars and barely budge on the ahead stem.

However, the slide-in and slide-out process remains cumbersome:

• attaching lacks a positive feel: I have to double-check the unit is held securely
• removal requires a fair amount of force to push down the retaining flap and release the unit (the reason I once ejected the Dakota)

The Dakota’s more compact form saves precious handlebar space.

Photo: Garmin Dakota 20 on ahead stem (drop handlebars) under low-angle sunlight (no backlight)

On my road bike with FSA Omega Compact 42 cm / 31,8 mm drops, I can fit:

• the Dakota (on a Ritchey Comp 90 mm / 6° / 31,8 mm ahead stem)
• a Sigma BC 1606L DTS Cadence wireless bike computer (left handlebar)
• a Busch & Müller Ixon IQ LED powerful intercity headlight (right handlebar)
• both hands on the top section (in thick winter gloves)

An impossible combination with the Oregon.

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 on ahead stem (drop handlebars) under low-angle sunlight (no backlight)

// Running

Both units weigh more than a map and a thumb orienteering compass. However, if you want to focus on the fun of running rather than on the fun of orienteering at a 175 BPM heart rate…

• The Dakota’s low weight and low bulk is a clear benefit when holding the unit in sweaty hands for hours of hard running.
• The Oregon is way too bulky, at least for my standard hands. However, if you already run with water bottles in your hands, the weight might be OK for you.

USER INTERFACE

// Screen dimensions, resolution and color depth

The main, and crucial, difference between the Dakota and the Oregon is the screen dimension, resolution and color depth:

	Garmin Dakota 10 / 20	Garmin Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 / 450 / 550
Dimensions (physical):	3,6 x 5,5 cm (1.43 x 2.15 in) 2.6 inch diagonal	3,8 x 6,3 cm (1.53 x 2.55 in) 3 inch diagonal
Dimensions (pixels):	160 x 240 px	240 x 400 px
Resolution: (pixels per inch)	111 PPI	157 PPI
Color depth:	65 000 colors	65 000 colors

In other words, the Dakota’s screen:

• is smaller in physical dimensions
• has lower resolution (lower pixel per inch count): you can easily see the pixel grid when the unit is switched off, as well as the pixels of the interface elements (typography, maps and pictures appear “grainy” and “pixelated”)
• appears coarse
• shifts the grays from neutral to yellowish
• darkens medium colors like shading relief or vegetation cover (light olive becomes dark green)
• looks like an outdated second-generation color cell phone

While the Oregon’s screen:

• is larger in physical dimensions
• has higher resolution (higher pixel per inch count) and millions of colors to provide detailed, smooth, full color imagery
• looks like your notebook computer or desktop LCD display: gorgeous and contemporary

For your reference, Garmin’s GPSMAP 60CSx display seems really antique compared to both the pretty Oregon and the utilitarian Dakota.

So, looks like the Oregon has the best display? Well, in a dark room with screen backlight switched to the max, yes. But things get more complicated outdoors.

// Screen technology

The Dakota and the Oregon use the transflective screen technology (with additional layers of resistive touchscreen on top):

• under brightly lit conditions, outside light – the sun – passes through the screen and bounces back to illuminate the pixels
• under moderately lit conditions or in the dark, inside light – a lamp behind the screen, the backlight – illuminates the pixels

Ideally the system works in such a way that instead of fighting strong illumination from the outside by even stronger illumination from the inside, the technology lets the outside light source do the work. The backlight, which requires a lot of electrical power, is switched off to preserve the batteries.

The differences between the units?

• Dakota 10 / 20 and Oregon 450 / 550 have high-gloss, plastic-mirror-like screen finish. While less reflective than the glass of the current MacBooks and iPhones, the new Garmin screens allow you to get a general idea of your make-up.
• Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 have a diffused, matte screen finish, similar to the old-school notebook computers and PDAs.

The gloss adds contrast to the picture, so readability improves about 10%, if you don’t mind the reflections.

The matte touchscreen of the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 has an advantage: it’s less sticky. Fingers slide from point to point. The glossy screen of the Dakota 10 / 20 and the Oregon 450 / 550 tends to grip moist fingers, but not as badly as the iPhone’s screen.

// Screen performance

A bright, easy-to-read screen is crucial. What’s the use of a high-tech mapping GPS if you can’t see where you’re going?

But display readability is a combination of 2 factors:

1. hardware (the screen assembly)
2. software (the interface and map design)

So I’ll assume a nicely designed map – high contrast, simple shapes, restrained or switched off relief shading – to gauge the hardware performance:

• Fortunately, the Dakota’s screen is bright and easy-to-read in any lighting condition, except when viewing heavy shaded relief or dark colored vegetation cover.
• Unfortunately, the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 screens are dim. As in “hard to see”.
• The Oregon 450 / 550 fare a bit better, but still lack the instant readability required for dependable navigation.

direct sunlight

By design, transflective technology works best in direct sunlight, so the Dakota is perfectly readable, while the Oregon is quite readable. All without backlight. But direct sunlight occurs either at noon, or when you tilt the unit towards the sun.

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 (left) and Dakota 20 (right) under direct sunlight (no backlight)

indirect sunlight

If the sun isn’t shining directly on the screen at a 90° angle, as, for example, in the morning or in the evening due to sun angles, or on your handlebars:

• the Dakota 10 / 20 are instantly readable, although heavy relief shading looks black
• the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 are simply dim
• the Oregon 450 / 550 are sub-optimal, but gloss does help

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 (left) and Dakota 20 (right) under indirect sunlight (no backlight)

You can try to compensate the Oregon’s dimness by switching on the backlight. Unfortunately, it’s not powerful enough to counteract the well-lit outdoors. Backlight at 100% hardly makes a difference:

• In cycling mode, the light pink used to indicate anything off-road on the Oregon looks exactly like grey asphalt.
• In hiking mode, the problem is a bit less severe. You can tilt the Oregon this way and that way and find a point when it’s more readable. But it’s still nothing like instant and clear read-out.

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 (left) and Dakota 20 (right) under indirect sunlight (no backlight)

clouded

Without backlight:

• the Dakota 10 / 20 remain easy to read
• the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 are unusable
• the Oregon 450 / 550 are more readable because of the glossy screen, but barely over the tolerance threshold

With backlight:

• the Dakota 10 / 20 don’t show any difference
• the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 / 450 / 550 become somewhat useable

But to become readable on a lightly overcast day, the Oregon requires its backlight to be set at about 80%. Essentially a flashlight fighting the sky: the batteries go fast.

night

No problem, great displays. If we’re talking navigation, of course. Because the Dakota is bad for watching photos back in camp.

At maximum setting, Dakota’s backlight is about 20% weaker than Oregon’s. However, it’s not a problem in my opinion.

Although both the Dakota and the Oregon lack a “night mode” used on most in-car GPS, including Garmin’s and TomTom’s, you can adjust the backlight to your liking and preserve a bit of night vision.

sunglasses

Everything above just gets worse.

However, the Dakota remains very readable. While with the Oregon you have to choose screen readability… or glare discomfort, UV damage and flies in the eyes.

// What’s the problem with Oregon’s screens? What’s the solution?

The smaller and lower resolution Garmin Dakota is very readable in the outdoors without any supplemental backlight. Shouldn’t the bigger, higher-resolution Garmin units be even better?

Unfortunately, no. The resolution is the root of the problem. Garmin faces the resolution vs luminosity dilemma:

• higher resolution screen = more pixels = lower transmittance = lower reflectivity = dimmer screen but better picture

In order to draw the beautiful images on the modern high-end screens of the Oregon, Garmin improves resolution. More pixels per square inch equals more optical definition, detail and subtler color gradation for the user interface, maps, compass, etc.

The screen holds a grid of pixels. Each pixel unit is like a window, a combination of a glass pane and a window frame. The “window frame” holds the pixel in place and transfers electrical current to the pixel. Light can pass only through the “glass panes”, but not through the “window frames”.

To achieve higher resolution, in other words, higher pixel density, each pixel needs to be smaller. The whole “window” gets tinier, there’s more “windows” in the screen, but the “window frame” density grows as well, decreasing the overall transparency of the system. Result: a dimmer screen.

The solutions would be to:

1. make the pixels’ “window frames” super-micro-tiny
2. make the pixels’ “window frames” transparent
3. increase the backlight intensity to overpower the outside light
4. decrease the resolution to enlarge the “glass panes”, sacrificing image quality

Solutions 1 and 2 would require some yet to be invented technology. Solution 3 would require either a more efficient backlight (such as LED) or much more powerful batteries. Of course, it’s possible to work on the 3 solutions at the same time.

But, for now, you’ll have to choose between either:

• high resolution (Oregon)
• OR
• high readability / visibility (Dakota)

And it’s not even a Garmin-only problem. Magellan faces the same challenge, as well as any manufacturer of electronic devices used outdoors.

Astonishingly, Garmin has made the right choice of a lower resolution screen in the new Dakota to obtain a readable device. A counterintuitive move, against all marketing hype and technical evolution. They’ve recognized that lower tech works better, at least for now. I applaud Garmin for such an honest self-assessment and corrective action.

// We forgot something: the ambient light sensor

Neither the Dakota nor the Oregon carries an ambient light sensor that would control the backlight! You have to manually press a button on the side and then adjust the backlight level.

Bearable when hiking. A pain when cycling.

Suppose you ride through the fields and the sun is shining. Great. But then you get under the trees, or, worse, into a tunnel. Reach out for the backlight button. Adjust. Then back into the fields. Adjust again. Or leave the backlight on. And drain the batteries in no time.

Bike lights have illumination sensors to automate the hassle of frequent adjustment. Even basic cell phones have ambient light sensors. The iPhone: of course. But not the Garmin’s high-end GPS.

// Touchscreen

Garmin uses the resistive touchscreen technology in the Dakota and the Oregon: 2 thin sheets of electrically conductive material separated by a thin space. When something or someone pushes from the top, the 2 layers touch together and the system registers a “mouse click” in that area of the screen.

The touchscreen requires simple pressure to work. So far, I’ve used the Dakota and the Oregon with my:

• fingers
• nails
• Assos winter cycling gloves
• Outdoor Research Omni gloves
• Versant Nord super warm, waterproof, 3 finger mittens
• pen tops
• Wacom stylus (both ends)
• backpack belt’s webbing ends
• actually, anything that can bring the 2 layers together

and in all weather conditions:

• under sustained rain
  (literally with a puddle on the screen)
• when snowing
• in sub-freezing temperatures

Very reliable, although not as precise as on the iPhone.

Despite screen size differences, the Dakota and the Oregon share similar graphic design to work with the touchscreen. All functions have large, dedicated icons, the same as on the Mac or on the iPhone. Additional features appear as needed: zoom buttons, back button, contextual menus, scroll buttons, input areas, etc.

Screenshot: Garmin Dakota main menu (left) and setup menu (right)

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon main menu (left) and setup menu (right)

The Dakota and the Oregon feel natural and intuitive:

• “click and drag” the map to see what’s ahead, or just check the course: feels like a “real” map, albeit seen through a tiny window, especially on the Dakota
• tap on the map to place a waypoint

Screenshot: Garmin Dakota road map (left) and topographical map (right)

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon road map (left) and topographical map (right)

• type on a virtual keyboard: although Garmin uses an alphabetical layout instead of the standard QWERTY, it’s still quick to type in a name of a street

Screenshot: Garmin Dakota alphanumeric input methods

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon alphanumeric input methods

• navigate through the menus like on the iPhone

Well, it’s not as magical as on the iPhone. Both units annoy with their alphabetical keyboard layout, especially when compared to iPhone’s QWERTY landscape mode. Both drop frames during animations here and there. The map takes some time to redraw. And the design lacks a bit of Apple’s refinement.

Nonetheless, Dakota’s and Oregon’s interface is a real pleasure to use:

• hold the unit in your hand and quickly thumb through the options
• pan the map with a thumb while hiking
• tap through the menus to change the route while riding
• point with the index finger to tell the unit to get you there or add a waypoint

The interface allows for extreme precision when placing waypoints or choosing objects on the map:

• tap once in the area of interest (approximately)
• a pin appears
• “click and drag” the map with a finger
• the map moves, but the pin does not
• position the map precisely under the pin, zooming in if necessary
• check the readout from the pin and choose the options

Screenshot: Garmin Dakota precise object selection on the map

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon precise object selection on the map

OK, but how does the Dakota’s smaller screen accommodate the user interface?

• the Dakota shows the exact same amount of buttons and menus as the Oregon
• a lot of buttons manage to share the same size
• the Dakota and the Oregon use the same iType font engine by Monotype

But:

• the Dakota reduces spacing between buttons
• some buttons are scaled-down variants of the Oregon interface
• the Dakota plays with tighter letter-spacing, increases font size and adds bold variants, which, surprisingly, yields better readability when compared side-by-side with the Oregon

However, 2 factors make touchscreening more difficult on the Dakota:

1. Garmin places an elevated frame around the screen to protect it. So, unlike with Apple’s iPhone, which has its screen flush with the surrounding body, you can’t place the thumb at the screen / frame border to control either the Dakota or the Oregon. A slightly thicker screen frame – 3,3 mm (0.13 in) for the Dakota compared to 2,9 mm (0.11 in) for the Oregon – gives a bit of advantage to the Oregon.
2. Dakota’s smaller screen reduces the size of some graphic interface elements. Smaller buttons, arrows and icons – smaller margin for error when touching the screen. Typing or selecting at the screen’s edge is more difficult on the Dakota than on the Oregon. While you can pan the map toward the center to make things easier, there’s no way to make the keyboard bigger. With the Dakota, I tend to mistype the left column letters A, E, I, M, Q, U, Y, inadvertently choosing the next column’s letters.

So if you plan to type often, the Oregon may be a better choice.

But overall, once you’ve used either the Dakota’s or the Oregon’s touchscreen, there’s no going back to wheels and buttons. Same as with the iPhone.

// User-interface quirks

• In simulation mode (GPS reception off), the Dakota and the Oregon always suggest to simulate “driving” a route… No matter if I’ve chosen a bicycle or my feet as my transport. The heritage of the American driving culture, I guess…
• Waypoint names are limited to 30 characters! Less than a Twitter post. Amazing for a XXI century gadget. Even worse, the user-interface shows only the first 20 characters or so. And it can’t scroll a long name horizontally like the primitive Nokias. So if you have a lot of waypoints, you’ll have to resort to some coding system, using ISO country codes, for example.
• There’s no way to subdivide and classify waypoints into sub-folders or live filters. The Dakota 10 / 20 and the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 are able to store 1 000 waypoints and 50 routes. The Oregon 450 / 550 expand the capacity to 2 000 waypoints and 200 routes. Now, imagine a list of 2 000 waypoints on a 3 inch screen… Yes, Garmin shows the closest waypoints first, and yes, you can search through, but what if you don’t remember the name?
• Neither the Dakota nor the Oregon provide orthographical approximation or spell-checking. Real-life example: downtown Geneva, Switzerland. I needed to navigate myself to “rue du Pré Jérôme”. Street name given over a cell phone, just before its battery died. No written reference. Should I type that as “Pres-Jerome”? “No results found”. “Pres Jerome” without a dash? “No results found”. Just “Jerome”? Nope. I finally had to search for a hospital that I knew was nearby, then pan the map around and locate the street visually.
• Both the Dakota and the Oregon don’t know how to insert and type! Overtype only. Ugh… I mean, even the most basic cell phone can do that!

// Screen durability

fingerprints

The matte screens of the Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 collect fingerprints, but not as much as the glossy screens of the Dakota 10 / 20 and Oregon 450 / 550.

scratches

The elevated frame around the screen helps. But if you take several additional precautions:

• place the units into pockets without sharp objects inside
  (keys, climbing hardware, cooking gear, coins…)
• keep the screen side towards the body
• protect the screen from branches when going through
• avoid rubbing sand or small debris into the screen when interacting with the unit

Then both the Dakota and the Oregon screens will remain relatively scratch-free.

If you do not plan to baby the unit like an expensive cell phone or a pro camera lens, then expect rapid screen deterioration. As with any tool.

POWER SUPPLY

Both the Dakota and the Oregon use 2 standard size AA batteries of any type:

• alkaline
• lithium
• rechargeable NiMH

Very smart. No proprietary battery packs like in the Garmin Edge 705. Or Apple iPhone.

Want to charge your batteries with a solar panel? A hub-dynamo? No problem. Want to swap the batteries with some other device? Here you go. Unplanned power shortage? Get a pair of AAs in any store, anywhere on the planet.

Whereas, a proprietary battery:

• isn’t widely available, so can’t be swapped for a fresh one easily
• will degrade one day and you’ll overpay the replacement
• might disappear from the market (planned obsolescence), making your GPS unit unusable

POWER USE (BATTERY LIFE)

Same batteries. Different screen sizes, different backlight outputs and thus, different power appetites.

• The Dakota runs at least 20% longer on the same batteries when all other things are equal (for example, backlight). In the real world, the Dakota requires less juice because its screen remains readable without backlight, most of the time.
• The Oregon gulps down batteries. A 2-hour, 205 km (127 mi) drive from Geneva to Goppenstein in Switzerland has exhausted 2 fresh alkaline AAs (3D in-car view with backlight set to max).

To squeeze more juice:

• switch to NiMH rechargeables (in my case, 2700 mAh by GP Batteries)
• choose the correct battery type in the unit’s setup (so that the software can estimate the remaining charge precisely)
• ration the backlight (but you may get to a point where you won’t see much on the Oregon’s screen)
• switch off the tracklog

Battery life:

• In cycling mode, for maximum efficiency (weight and bulk carried, distance and speed), you’ll need to forgo the paper maps and keep the GPS switched on. If you plan to tour with the Oregon, plan to recharge every night if you have access to AC power, or exchange for batteries charged on solar / hub-dynamo during the day. The Dakota will last a day of touring, a backlighted search for the campsite and the morning ride to the lunch restaurant. Well over 200 km (124 mi).
• In hiking mode, both the Dakota and the Oregon can last quite a while if you keep the devices switched off and use them only in challenging conditions that I’ve described in the beginning of this article (“humanized” forests’ trail maize, white-outs and heavy snow, off-trail, night navigation). Carrying and tracking a paper map for easy sections when hiking is more efficient than on the bike, because of the lower speed and shorter distance.
• In running mode, I guess you’d need to run a 2-day ultra to deplete the units’ power. I haven’t run an ultra with a GPS yet. The longest I’ve run with the Dakota was an improvised 20 km (12 mi).

MAPS

A GPS receiver is almost worthless without a map. Sure, it could still help in 2 cases:

• record your track and later help you follow this track back, for example, on a glacier to avoid the crevasses (use your brains and rope-up anyway!)
• report your position to the rescue teams

It’s the combination of a GPS receiver with a map that realizes the full potential of GPS navigation. In yester days, you would use a transparent GPS plotter to find your position on a paper map. Sometimes under pouring rain and raging wind. Nowadays, the exact same maps are available directly on the screen of the GPS receiver. Pure luxury, as long as you have juice in the batteries.

// Why should you worry about maps when choosing a GPS unit?

Problem is, maps are intellectual property, same as music or movies. And most of mapping data is proprietary, DRM-protected, often tied to a particular brand of GPS receivers.

It’s like with the FairPlay music bought from the iTunes Store before 2009. You could listen to these tracks only on the Apple’s iPod.

So, before you choose a GPS unit, consider the maps available for it. And as with the choice of a paper map, choose carefully. Bad maps can kill you.

// What is a vector or pixel map?

• A vector map uses mathematical equations that combine geometrical primitives (points, lines, curves, shapes or polygons) to represent forms and colors. You never see the pixels. Zoom in, zoom out: the image is rendered in real-time. Always crisp and beautiful.
• A pixel map, on the other hand, uses a bitmap, fixed representation. When you zoom in, you loose resolution, when you zoom out, you also loose precision and sharpness.

When choosing a digital map, prefer the vector variant.

// Cycling maps

Statistically, cycling over long distances or traveling with a folding bike to unknown cities is the domain of exceptional weirdos. Not a lucrative mass market. Result: no one makes cycling maps for GPS devices.

So, for urban navigation and intercity biking, we have to use maps made for cars. 2 companies dominate the road maps market:

1. NAVTEQ, an American company (wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia)
2. Tele Atlas, a European company (wholly-owned subsidiary of TomTom)

TomTom manufacturers in-car GPS navigation devices, and thus, stands as Garmin’s direct competitor. As TomTom owns Tele Atlas, it won’t sell you a map to help you use a Garmin GPS. If you want a road map for a Garmin, you’ll have to buy NAVTEQ maps. Not much choice.

Unless you consider the OpenStreetMap as a dependable navigation tool, of course.

NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe NT

I’ve been using the NAVTEQ’s map of European roads compiled into a proprietary Garmin format. The map covers:

• Albania (major roads only)
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria (partial coverage)
• Croatia (partial coverage)
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Great Britain
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia (major roads only)
• Moldova (major roads only)
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania (partial coverage)
• Serbia & Montenegro (major roads only)
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland and Liechtenstein
• Turkey (partial coverage)
• Ukraine (major roads only)

I’ve totaled about 3 500 km (2 175 mi) with this map in the Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Bern and Valais cantons of Switzerland; the Île-de-France (Paris agglomeration), Ain and Haute Savoie departments of France; as well as on the Canary Islands of Spain. Part of that mileage was done by car in Switzerland and France with a TomTom also onboard. I wasn’t driving. I was in the side seat, comparing the 2 systems.

• The City Navigator map has zero bike-specific information. Unlike France or Spain, Switzerland is a rather bike-friendly country, with thousands of kilometers of bike lanes and one-way streets open for two-way cycling. None of this is on the map.
• In general, I’ve found NAVTEQ / Garmin’s maps to be less up-to-date than Tele Atlas / TomTom’s. For example, on the Place des Nations, a major square in front of the United Nations in Geneva, NAVTEQ advises a left-turn where it’s forbidden by a sign and simply dangerous. I guess the mapmakers initial focus – USA for NAVTEQ / Garmin and Europe for Tele Atlas / TomTom – partially explains the differences in data quality.
• The NAVTEQ map display on the Dakota and the Oregon units, as well as in the Garmin RoadTrip and MapSource software, lacks any indication of one-way streets. No blue arrows like on the GoogleMaps provided by Tele Atlas. Oddly, NAVTEQ maps do contain information about one-way streets and Garmin’s routing engine does take one-way streets into account. They just lack any visual clue. It’s an inconvenience in Switzerland where most streets are two-way, a huge pain in Paris where most streets are one-way and a major hassle on the Canary Islands where a navigation detour means a lot of hard climbing.

Screenshot of Paris Marais district in GoogleMaps

Screenshot of Paris Marais district in Garmin RoadTrip

• The POI (Point of Interest) database is fairly up-to-date for Switzerland and France and has helped me find a place to eat on several occasions. It’s totally inadequate for the Canary Islands, lacking even the largest shopping malls.

But the main advantage of NAVTEQ’s map easily outweighs its drawbacks. The entire European road network, with even the tiniest streets, all wraped in a very compact package… It’s so liberating! The digital map saves weight, bulk and time:

• no need for a backpack or panniers just to carry tons of paper
• no need to correlate the real world to the map and keep track of turns
• no need to carry a separate list of restaurants, lodging and shops

You can go cycling in any direction, for as long as you wish, and never get lost. Unless your batteries are dead, of course.

// Hiking and backpacking maps

For backcountry travel, a detailed (1:25 000 cm) topographical map allows you to move faster, easier and safer.

Generally, such maps are made by government organizations and either sold or sometimes made available for free. The mapmakers, not the end-users, choose the digital format and compatibility, so, before you buy a GPS unit, check if the country you’re heading to makes maps that work with it.

In Europe, that means checking for each country, as there’s no centralized European Union cartographic organization. Yet. If you live in the USA, that’d be like checking whether the State of California supports Garmin GPS units. And then finding out if the State of Nevada does as well.

Topo Swiss v2

The Topo Swiss v2 is a digital vector map developed by the Swiss Topo, the cartographic agency of the Swiss Confederation.

They have been making gorgeous paper maps for more than a century. Their 1:25 000 maps are the most accurate and detailed topographic representations of Switzerland used by hikers, climbers and of course, the military.

The Topo Swiss v2 map is compiled for Garmin devices. It combines data from 1:25 000 cm and 1:50 000 cm cartography, in vector form, and includes tons of information:

Photo of paper map (left) compared to Garmin Dakota screenshot of digital map (right)

Photo of paper map (left) compared to Garmin Oregon screenshot of digital map (right)

• complete and detailed road and trail network:
  • highways (divided lanes)
  • junctions
  • rest areas
  • parkings
  • 2nd class highways (undivided lanes)
  • trunk roads
  • 1st class roads (at least 6 m wide)
  • 2nd class roads (at least 4 m wide)
  • suburban roads (at least 4 m wide)
  • 3rd class roads (at least 2,8 m wide)
  • 4th class narrow roads (at least 1,8 m wide)
  • 5th class paths, trails and bicycle paths
  • 6th class footpaths
  • traces (!)
  • mountain passes
  • bridges
  • underpasses and overpasses
  • tank roads (!)
  • traces of historic roads
  • airports, airfields and grass strips
  • ferries
• complete and detailed rail network:
  • railway tracks (normal gauge, narrow gauge, rack, cable)
  • railway stations and stops
  • platforms
  • freight or nostalgic railways
  • railways out of service
  • intercommunal tramways
  • industrial tracks
  • tunnels
  • aerial cable ways
  • chairlifts
  • goods lifts
  • skilifts
• boundaries:
  • national boundaries with numbered markers
  • cantonal boundaries with markers
  • district boundaries with markers
  • municipal boundaries with markers
  • boundaries of The Swiss National Park or protected areas
• individual features:
  • houses
  • remote inns
  • alpine huts (!)
  • towers
  • ruins
  • greenhouses
  • storage tanks
  • allotments (gardens)
  • monuments
  • churches
  • chapels
  • cemeteries
  • shrines
  • crosses
  • cooling towers
  • wind power stations
  • chimney-stacks
  • castles
  • lookout towers
  • radio transmitters
  • large and small antennas
  • camp sites
  • walls
  • avalanche barricades
  • caves
  • erratic blocs
• detailed topography:
  • contour lines (with various colors for ground, scree / shingle, ice / lake)
  • trigonometric points
  • spot heights
  • mountain peaks
  • lake levels
  • spot heights at lake bottom
  • terrain (relief) shading
  • small depressions
  • dolines
  • escarpments
  • stones
  • cuttings
  • embankments
  • ground slips
  • gravel pits
  • clay pits
  • quarries
  • rocks
  • scree
  • glaciers
  • moraines
• detailed vegetation:
  • forests with defined outlines
  • forests with undefined outlines
  • scattered forests
  • isolated trees / groups of trees (!)
  • scrubs
  • hedges
  • orchards
  • tree nurseries
  • vineyards
• detailed hydrography:
  • springs
  • streams
  • waterfalls
  • dry gullies
  • stream weirs
  • rivers, backwater
  • river weirs
  • marshes
  • peat cuttings
  • lakes
  • ports, quays and piers
  • dams
  • maximum flood levels
  • lakes with varying water levels
  • overground and underground pipelines
  • ponds
  • fountains
  • wells (!)
  • reservoirs (!)
  • water towers
• detailed and differentiated representations of settled areas (down to a building shape precision)

Plus, the digital map includes information not present on the 1:25 000 paper maps:

• complete official network of the Swiss marked (blazed) trails network (huge!)
• country-wide SwitzerlandMobility marked routes (to cross the whole country)
• POI (Points Of Interest) like hotels, restaurants, Post Offices, etc. by Tele Atlas (!)
• routing on roads and trails (read further for details)

Photo of paper map (left) compared to Garmin Dakota screenshot of digital map (right)

Photo of paper map (left) compared to Garmin Oregon screenshot of digital map (right)

The map’s detail is stunning. An amazing work of graphic design.

I’ve been using the paper versions of the map for years and its accuracy and minutiae have always impressed me. The digital vector map goes even further, as you can zoom in beyond what you could do with a loupe and yet maintain sharp object display.

However, sometimes the amount of information can become overwhelming, especially on the smaller screen of the Dakota. To improve the readability of any topographical map, adjust the settings of your device:

• reduce the level of detailing: “Setup > Map > Advanced Map Setup > Detail > Less / Least”
• switch off relief shading: “Setup > Map > Advanced Map Setup > Shaded Relief > Do Not Show”

// Watch out for the difference between maps on SD cards, maps downloads and maps on DVDs / CDs!

The Topo Swiss v2 is sold on a CD.

But the NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe is available in 3 forms:

• precompiled on an SD card
• precompiled download from Garmin’s web site
• uncompiled on a DVD / CD

All cost the same, but, consider the differences!

SD card map:

• the SD card is included for “free”
• insert the card into the GPS unit and use the map right away: plug-and-play
• it is absolutely impossible to download the map from the GPS unit or from an SD card reader to your computer, Mac or PC, to see the map in Garmin RoadTrip, Garmin BaseCamp or Garmin MapSource software: you won’t be able to create or edit routes or waypoints on your Mac or PC
• you can’t buy a reduced price map updates if you’ve bought an SD card map – you’ll have to pay full price for a new SD card map containing the latest map data

map download:

• you have to get your own SD card if there’s not enough internal “disk space” on your GPS unit: for example, the complete NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe takes approximately 1,6 gigabytes (Dakota 10 / 20 and Oregon 200 / 300 / 400 have 850 megabytes of internal memory)
• as in the case of SD card maps, it’s impossible to download the map from the GPS unit or from an SD card reader to your computer, Mac or PC, to see the map in Garmin RoadTrip, Garmin BaseCamp or Garmin MapSource software

DVD / CD map:

• you have to get your own SD card if there’s not enough internal “disk space” on your GPS unit
• you have to compile the map on your Mac / PC in order to upload it to the GPS unit: a lengthy and convoluted process, especially on the Mac (see below)
• you can see the map on your Mac / PC, create and edit routes and waypoints in Garmin RoadTrip, Garmin BaseCamp or Garmin MapSource

Honestly, the only reason I can find for you to buy an SD card or download version of a map is if you don’t have a Mac or PC. SD cards are cheap and the power to create and edit stuff on your computer is priceless. Buy the DVD / CD versions!

ROUTING

// What is routing and why it’s a trade secret?

The ultimate navigation aid, routing allows you to select the point of departure, then the point of arrival, and let the GPS unit:

• select the most appropriate route (shortest duration, shortest distance, scenic route, etc.)
• show you the route
• guide you through the route by telling you when to turn or head straight

Routing requires:

• a routing engine (software) inside the GPS unit
• a routing capable map (a map that describes its features like roads and trails in such a way that a routing engine can use it to calculate the optimal route)

A routing engine involves a huge number of parameters and algorithms: a lot of math and logic.

Each GPS manufacturer tries to build a better routing engine to differentiate itself from the competition. The result – a piece of proprietary software – is kept secret. So neither Garmin nor TomTom will discuss the details of route selection.

Maybe a good thing for the GPS manufacturers. Not so good for us, end-users, as we have to reverse-engineer the logic behind the few options available in the GPS setup and the routing engine’s real-world performance.

// Garmin’s routing engine

Garmin says they do their best to keep the routing engines of their current GPS units as similar as possible. My personal experience with the Dakota and the Oregon confirms that: both are identical when it comes to routing.

The units’ Setup menu provides several ways to control the routing:

transportation type:

• car
• bicycle
• on foot

The car mode is Garmin’s main mode. Most people that can buy a GPS receiver use cars to move around, right?

So, from a market share viewpoint, it makes sense to first develop a routing engine for car navigation. The GPS-buying cyclists and pedestrians… Well, as I’ve said already, we are a minority in the real world, and we are a minority in the GPS world as well.

As I understand it, the bicycle and pedestrian modes build upon the car mode with maybe some differences and adjustments that Garmin prefers to keep to itself. I haven’t found major differences. According to Garmin, “no elevation data is currently considered in bicycle routing”. I’d extrapolate that to the pedestrian mode as well.

For now, whether you’re on a bike or on foot, you’re still a car in Garmin world. You can’t ride against traffic on one-way streets open for two-way bicycle traffic or use bridges closed to cars. But you can walk (run?) on toll-roads and highways, no problem. Just remember to adjust the avoidance settings below.

avoidance setup:

• u-turns
  • Bicycle: anytime. Well, almost. I generally ignore Garmin’s “make a u-turn when possible” suggestions because I know an even easier solution will present itself for a cyclist. But I regret not following this advice once, when missing the last turn before going downhill at 65 km/h (40 mi/h) into a classic suburban cul-de-sac.
  • Pedestrian: you bet!
• toll-roads
  • Bicycle: not an option, at least in Western Europe.
  • Pedestrian: only if you run and hop over fences real fast so the cops can’t get you if you don’t get hit by a car. Avoid.
• highways
  • Bicycle: surprisingly, I ride my bike on what NAVTEQ / Garmin considers “highways”. If you avoid these, sure, you’ll ride on some beautiful backcountry roads but you may add at least half an hour to your ride. Also, a lot of Swiss “highways” feature semi-segregated bike lanes. Bring it on!
  • Pedestrian: avoid? I can walk on the side if I want to, but I do like silence.
• unpaved roads
  • Bicycle: Perfect for a mountain bike. OK for a “normal” bike with multi-function tires such as the Schwalbe Marathons. Not a good idea for a road bike on slicks. Or a folding Brompton.
  • Pedestrian: that’s where we’re going.
• carpool lanes
  • Bicycle: never seen these “carpool lanes” in Europe. I ride in the bus lanes. Great fun!
  • Pedestrian: avoid.

guidance method:

• on road for time
  • Bicycle: choose this one if you ride a road bike. I’ve determined experimentally that this mode tends to choose the “normal” asphalt roads, at least in Switzerland, France and Spain. Just remember that Garmin doesn’t care if you like climbing or not. Garmin considers you a Tour de France rider. No panniers. Unlimited muscle power. Cheers, food and water in the car that follows behind. On the Tenerife island in Spain, where all roads go either up or down, the Dakota brought me onto super steep roads where I struggled out of the saddle while in my lowest 30.4 in gear. And the Garmin’s “shortcuts” would go on for 5 km (3 mi) or more!
  • Pedestrian: Garmin will recommend to climb up and down a hill just to walk on a highway. Skip.
• on road for distance
  • Bicycle: again, by trial and error, I’ve determined that this methods pulls me onto roads used by the local farmers: rarely maintained, huge number of potholes, horse and cow fecal matter. Might be OK if you ride a mountain bike.
  • Pedestrian: this is the method to choose. Go the shortest route.
• off-road
  • Off-road is the weirdest routing method I’ve ever seen. It means: straight line. Go man, go! A building? Go through. A lake? Swim buddy! A forest? Machete, machete!
  • Don’t use it. It’s useless. Use your brains instead.

// The special case of routing for cycling in Paris

I’ve tested the Dakota in Paris and its suburbs. Poor fellow tried its best to navigate the madness…

• Most of the time, I couldn’t even take a look at the screen: so much is going on in this city. Better be lost but intact. Try going from boulevard Richard Lenoir through Bastille to rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine to Nation and then back through boulevard Voltaire. In the evening rush hour. Going minimum 35 km/h (22 mi/h). In the winter darkness.
• Most routes proposed by the Dakota in Paris are simply ridiculous. The device knows nothing of the dangerous spots, the bus lanes, the streets’ width, the average traffic speed and the bike-only shortcuts.
• Because of the absence of one-way street indicators, neither Garmin’s Mac / PC software nor the map on the device allow to select a safe, optimal route through the Parisian maze. I have always been using GoogleMaps for routing through lesser-known parts of Paris, and while testing the Dakota, I’ve ended up having RoadTrip open alongside GoogleMaps just to copy the waypoints.
• Once an optimal route is uploaded to the device, navigating is a lot simpler with a GPS than with a map, especially in the Paris suburbs.

// The special case of routing for cycling on the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands, especially Tenerife, is a hostile place for a road / city bike. The car and the bus shape the islands’ infrastructure, just like in the US. Of all the times I’ve been there, I’ve seen at most 2 commuting “utility” cyclists. Only tough “sport” riders in Spandex brave the shoulderless roads, tourist drivers, zapping locals, 2 000 m (6 560 ft) elevation gains, unmaintained portions and the lack of road signs…

Despite sending me climbing steep village roads more often than I’d like, the Dakota literally saved my life on numerous occasions when navigating around the dreadful TF-1 Autopista del Sur toll highway. You see, they use the same interchange ramps to get you onto the highway, as well as onto the unnamed, unmarked, little-used auxiliary roads running parallel (the only way to cycle the island along the coast).

So, when you’re blasting along cars accelerating in their 3rd gear to reach the 100 km/h (62 mi/h) entry speed and the only thing you see is the highway 50 m (164 ft) away… you have to trust Garmin and NAVTEQ for making the right choice 5 m (16 ft) before the death lanes. And it works! With repeatable results.

Screenshot of Autopista del Sur of the Tenerife island in GoogleMaps

// The special case of driving on trails or how to route with Topo Swiss v2

The amazing feature of the Topo Swiss v2 is its ability to route on trails. The Garmin routing engine thinks we’re driving, slowly, on some road, while, in reality, we’re hiking on a path. The Dakota and the Oregon will reassure you with indications like “NE on trail”, and even tell you when to take the next turn. Very cool.

Screenshot (Garmin Oregon): route over the Jura ridge (left) with routing directions on the trail (right)

// Routing quirks and bugs

• The Oregon 300 fails to route over great distances. Not enough processing power.
  • Example: I want to ride from where I am, in Geneva, Switzerland, to Paris, France. 550 km (342 mi). Satellites acquired, weather great. Please, get me there. No way, man: “Route calculation error: not enough memory available”. Does not compute on this device, while the Dakota, as well as Garmin’s RoadTrip / MapSource on the Mac / PC calculate the route just fine.
• Both units fail to draw the screen as quick as the incoming GPS and compass data.
  • Example: On high-speed roundabouts, the map reorients a bit too late. Was that the 2nd turn? Am I going out at the right exit? I’d like to eliminate the guesswork. Especially on the heavy traffic, 2-lane roundabouts.

COMPASS

A compass is very helpful when:

• you move too slowly to calculate your direction just from the change of coordinates (under about 3 km/h (1.8 mi/h))
• you stand still and turn around to check the heading on the map with what you actually see

Garmin either omits or includes different types of compasses in the Dakota and the Oregon models:

• no compass: Dakota 10, Oregon 200
• 2D electronic compass: Oregon 300, Oregon 400
• 3D electronic compass: Dakota 20, Oregon 450, Oregon 550

A 2D compass requires you to hold the GPS unit parallel to the ground, similar to an old-school, analogue compass. A 3D compass works no matter how you hold it. Much more user-friendly.

My advice: get a device with a 3-axis compass. You’ll be glad you did.

ALTIMETER / BAROMETER

Personally, I rarely use either the barometer or the altimeter on a GPS device:

• When hiking in the mountains, I switch to my Suunto t6 wrist computer to keep an eye on ascent and descent speeds and intersect my position with the paper map’s contour lines.
• I also prefer local weather forecasts to nightly barometer pressure trending.

But it’s nice to have a backup just in case.

As with the compass, Garmin omits or includes the barometer / altimeter depending on the model:

• no barometric altimeter: Dakota 10, Oregon 200
• barometric altimeter: Dakota 20, Oregon 300, Oregon 400, Oregon 450, Oregon 550

GPS SIGNAL RECEPTION: ACCURACY AND SPEED OF ACQUISITION

// Antennas

Both the Dakota and the Oregon have no protruding antennas. Instead, they use a variant of the ceramic patch antenna that wraps around the body’s internals, like in most cell phones of the last 10 years. Also following the mobile technology trends, the units lack a connection port for an external antenna.

// GPS signal processing

Because radio signals from the GPS satellites are very weak when they reach the GPS receiver, the quality of signal processing is very important to filter out the noise and calculate a correct position, quickly. Signal processing occurs both at the hardware and software levels in the GPS receiver.

• Both the Dakota and the Oregon use contemporary, high sensitivity GPS microcontroller chips that apply extensive digital signal processing and complex quantum field’s correlation functions to acquire a satellite fix despite heavily attenuated GPS signals. In other words, both units manage to compute their positions in urban canyons and under heavy foliage despite the smallish receiving antennas.
• Both units benefit from the HotFix software. Basically, it’s a cache of the possible GPS satellite orbital positions (the ephemeris) for the next 3 days, at your current location. Unlike geostationary satellites, GPS satellites move in relation to a fixed point on the Earth surface. Each satellite flies around the Earth twice a day. Because the satellite constellation keeps moving even though you keep still, the GPS receiver needs to constantly adjust to the changes. The pre-computed GPS satellites’ positions can speed up the process of finding the satellites the next time you power on your GPS receiver. Of course, the HotFix system fails if you move over a considerable distance with the GPS unit switched off.

Animation: the GPS satellites’ constellation moves around the Earth (author: El Pak)

// Real-life performance

• The Dakota 20 gets a satellite fix faster than the Oregon 300. The Dakota also tends to receive more satellites in challenging conditions. For example, it keeps the GPS signal indoors farther from the openings to the sky, compared to the Oregon.
• In the city, the Oregon has a hard time acquiring a satellite fix when switching it on and immediately riding away. I’ve ridden 3 km (2 mi) with the unit still displaying the “acquiring satellites” message.

MAPS, WAYPOINTS, ROUTES AND FIRMWARE MANAGEMENT ON THE MAC / PC

A GPS management software on the Mac / PC maximizes the potential of the unit. It allows you to use the power and ergonomics of a “normal” computer (large screen, full-size keyboard, mouse or tablet) to:

• view your maps
• create, edit and transfer waypoints, routes and tracks from and to your GPS unit
• search for points of interest (POI)
• add custom points of interest
• import navigation data from other sources, like GoogleMaps
• update your unit’s firmware

// Maps, waypoints and routes management

Garmin provides 2 programs for each platform, Mac and Windows, to manage your maps, waypoints, routes and tracks:

Mac OS:

• BaseCamp: management of topographical maps containing digital elevation model (DEM) data only
• RoadTrip: management of road and topographical maps

Windows

• BaseCamp: management of topographical maps containing digital elevation model (DEM) data only
• MapSource: management of road and topographical maps

I have no idea why Garmin develops and supports 4 different, but very similar programs. I want one program for all my waypoints, routes and maps!

MapSource for Windows has been available for years, and, from my experience, provides a solid, extensive and efficient toolset.

RoadTrip for Mac became available only in September 2008, while BaseCamp for Mac appeared even later, in July 2009. Despite their young age, the 2 combined offer an almost 90% feature parity with MapSource and BaseCamp on Windows.

• Fortunately, the user interfaces differ to conform to the general Mac OS and Windows look and feel.
• Unfortunately, RoadTrip on the Mac lacks some of MapSource features:
  • It refuses to download any waypoints or routes from the Dakota, which is a real pain. Keeps showing me “The selected device has no waypoints or routes on it” message. So I have to download stuff via BaseCamp on Mac or MapSource on Windows, export it as .gpx and import it into RoadTrip.
  • It is currently unable to route on trails, edit tracks, draw shaded reliefs or build elevation profiles for routes. You have to switch to BaseCamp for all that.
  • It has no distance / bearing tool.

All Garmin programs share the same awkwardness: no simple synchronization. Nothing like the iPhone / iPod synchronization with iTunes.

• If you create a waypoint on the GPS device with an auto-generated name like “Road 001”, then download that waypoint to your Mac / PC, then rename the auto-generated name in RoadTrip / BaseCamp / MapSource to something meaningful like “Bench with a view”, then upload it to the GPS device, the old “Road 001” will still remain on the unit. A duplicate. You’ll have to manually delete it from the GPS receiver. And that’s exactly 4 clicks once you get inside the “Waypoint manager” menu. Per waypoint. So if you have a bunch of duplicate waypoints, the process becomes a hassle. No, you can’t delete waypoints selectively en masse.

// The special case of Mac OS and maps “Made for Windows and Garmin MapSource”

Fortunately, the newest maps from Garmin, such as the NAVTEQ City Navigator Europe, install on the Mac just fine. Straightforward, out of the box.

Unfortunately, most non-Garmin maps, precisely, the topographical maps of Europe, are officially made only for the Garmin’s MapSource on Windows. Usually, they use an oh so Windowsy installer, so you can’t just drag and drop an open-standard file somewhere.

So, what if you want that awesome Topo Swiss v2 on your Mac? There is a solution. Follow the convoluted procedure:

1. install the map on a Windows machine (either virtual or real)
2. unlock it on Windows via the not so easy-to-use, special plug-in required, web-based process
3. install the Garmin MapConverter software on the Windows machine
4. convert the unlocked PC map in the MapConverter
5. save the converted map somewhere a Mac can access (virtual folder, USB drive, network volume…)
6. install Garmin MapManager on your Mac
7. open the converted map in MapManager
8. MapManager installs the map into RoadTrip and BaseCamp

As easy as 1, 2, 3… 8! But doable. Normally, any map made to work with Garmin MapSource on Windows should work with Garmin RoadTrip (or BaseCamp if the map has elevation data) on Mac OS.

// GPS firmware management

Firmware is the software that runs your GPS unit, its operating system, like Mac OS or Windows. Keep it up-to-date for best performance.

On the Mac OS, Garmin provides an easy to use Garmin WebUpdater to update the firmware of your unit. On Windows, MapSource performs this role. Hook up the Dakota or the Oregon via USB, make sure you’re connected to the internet and the software will check that you have the latest and greatest from Garmin. Rather neat!

However, it turns out WebUpdater does not install “beta” software. Uh oh!

So when Garmin tech support tells me I need to install the “Beta Software 2.95” in order to be able to select restaurants by their cuisine on the Oregon… Well, I have to manually download the “convenient” self-expanding Zip package (.exe), unpack it on Windows, then copy the needed file over to the GPS unit, then reboot the GPS. Halleluiah! I no longer have to ride to a restaurant to find out if they do veggies!

I suspect that either Garmin’s quality assurance department is entirely focused on FAA certification of its aircraft systems, or its development team has embraced the perpetual beta paradigm.

So let me rewrite that statement. If you want the latest and greatest from Garmin, like POI subcategories, manually install the latest beta software. At your own risk, of course.

TRAINING FEATURES

In theory, the Dakota 20 and Oregon 300 / 400 / 550 can connect to all ANT+ heart rate belts and cadence sensors. In practice, that means Garmin’s products, because neither Polar nor Suunto make ANT+ devices. The Finns use an older version of ANT (without the +) for their systems that’s incompatible with the newer one. As an owner of a Suunto t6, I can either forget EPOC analysis and switch to Garmin, or suffer crowded handlebars and devices overload.

Moreover, both the Dakota and the Oregon ignore power meters. Unlike Garmin’s cycling specific units, the Edge 500 (no mapping) and the Edge 705 (mapping without car view). Frustration induced by marketing.

SPECIFICATIONS

Before I get to the conclusions and alternatives, compare the specs of the units I’ve reviewed:

	Garmin Dakota 20	Garmin Oregon 300
Dimensions: (width x height x depth)	5,3 x 10 x 3,3 cm (2.1 x 3.9 x 1.3 in)	146 g (5.15 oz) (2.3 x 4.4 x 1.4 in)
Weight empty:	103 g (3.63 oz)	146 g (5.15 oz)
Weight with 2 AA rechargeable NiMH:	164 g (5.78 oz)	205 g (7.2 oz)
Display size (physical):	3,6 x 5,5 cm (1.43 x 2.15 in) 2.6 inch diagonal	3,8 x 6,3 cm (1.53 x 2.55 in) 3 inch diagonal
Display size (pixels):	160 x 240 px	240 x 400 px
Display resolution: (pixels per inch)	111 PPI	157 PPI
Display color depth:	65 000 colors	65 000 colors
Display technology:	transflective LCD with backight	transflective LCD with backight
Display finish:	glossy	matte
User interface:	resistive touchscreen	resistive touchscreen
Waterproof:	yes (IPX7)	yes (IPX7)
Bike mount:	yes	yes
Built-in memory:	850 Mb	850 Mb
Data cards:	micro SD	micro SD
Max number of waypoints:	1 000	1 000
Max number of routes:	50	50
Turn by turn routing:	yes	yes
Compass:	yes, 3D	yes, 2D
Barometric altimeter:	yes	yes
European road maps:	yes	yes
European topographic maps at 1:25 000:	yes	yes
Computer interface:	USB 1	USB 1
Mac OS support:	yes	yes
Windows support:	yes	yes

For detailed feature comparisons of the Dakota 10 and the Oregon 200 / 400 / 450 / 550, take a look at Garmin’s web site. Select several units, then click the “compare” button. Just remember that you’ll be looking at manufacturer’s data.

VERDICT

• Garmin Dakota or Garmin Oregon? Except when viewing shaded relief or dark colored vegetation cover, you’ll be able to easily read the Dakota’s screen in any lighting condition. Mostly without backlight, saving battery power. You’ll appreciate its better ergonomics: more compact and lower weight. Although perfectible, the Garmin Dakota 20, with its 3-axis compass, is currently the best GPS mapping device available, in my opinion. Even if it was twice as expensive as the Garmin Oregon 550, I’d still get a Dakota 20.
• Garmin Dakota or Garmin’s GPSMAP 60CSx? If you’ve been waiting for a worthy replacement to the Garmin’s GPSMAP 60CSx, the Dakota 20 is most probably it. GPSMAP 60CSx may still look a bit brighter because of the simpler map drawings. It may also be more precise for low-budget surveying-type applications when used with an external antenna. But for cycling and backpacking use, I think the Dakota 20 is now better.
• NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe? Not much choice. Get it if you plan to ride on the European roads.
• SwissTopo v2? Absolutely. Gorgeous, awesome, superb. Get it if you plan to hike, climb or mountain bike in Switzerland.

ALTERNATIVES

• Garmin Edge 705. Bike-specific. Smaller, 2 inch screen. Buttons interface. Works with any Garmin-compatible maps. No 3D “car view”. Max 100 waypoints. No compass. Uses a proprietary battery pack. Mac OS and Windows software.
• Garmin Nüvi 550. Built mainly for in-car use. Works with any Garmin-compatible maps. Although waterproof to IPX7 standard, it lacks an outdoor-viewable, transflective screen and uses a proprietary battery pack. Bike mount available. Mac OS and Windows software.
• Magellan Triton. Apparently (have to see it myself), touchscreen display as dim as the Oregon’s. I still need to research more on the maps available for the unit. Uses 2 standard AA batteries. Bike mount available. No Mac OS software, Windows only.
• Delorme Earthmate GPS PN-40. Apparently (have to see it myself), bright but small 2 inch screen. From what I’ve found, no European maps. No routing? Uses 2 standard AA batteries. Bike mount available. No Mac OS software, Windows only.
• Satmap Active 10. Huge size! Uses 3 standard AA batteries or a proprietary battery pack. No vector maps. UK maps and selected Western Europe locations. No routing. Bike mount available. No Mac OS software, Windows only.
• Apple iPhone 3Gs. Requires cellular coverage to navigate, which can be an issue in the wilder areas… and in Paris, where I frequently have a hard time connecting to the 3G network. Data roaming is still expensive (1 EUR per 1 Mb with my French provider). No topographic maps. Screen barely readable in bright sunlight, requires full backlight. Otherwise, when you do have a connection, when money is not an issue and when you can shadow the screen, the compass-assisted GoogleMaps navigation is simply awesome! Tiny compared to any outdoor GPS mapping device. Waterproof when placed inside a LokSak – touchscreen continues to function. However, the iPhone’s capacitive touchscreen does not work with ordinary gloves. Bike mounts available. Extremely multi-functional. Replaces a phone, a music player and a desktop computer. Proprietary battery pack. Mac OS and Windows software.

REVIEW CONDITIONS

• bike: Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro
• feet: bipedal, humanoid, optimized for long-distance / high efficiency transportation
• timeframe: end of August 2009 till present
• distance: approx 3 500 km (2 175 mi)
• locations: Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Bern and Valais cantons of Switzerland; Île-de-France (Paris agglomeration), Ain and Haute Savoie departments of France; Canary Islands of Spain
• temperatures: -15° C (5° F) to +25° C (77° F)
• weather: sunshine, overcast, light rain, heavy rain, snow

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Simon GILBERT of Garmin Europe (UK), Romain WALT of Bucher + Walt (Switzerland) and Dominique BLACHON.

FURTHER READING / ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB

• Garmin Dakota GPS Wiki by GPS Fix.
• Garmin Oregon GPS Wiki by GPS Fix.
• My Garmin Oregon vs Garmin Colorado GPS comparison review.

CHANGE LOG

Let’s see what Garmin has to offer. A huge choice! But let’s trim it to the mapping / routable GPS units, the ultimate in navigation luxury.

2 Garmin models stand out: the Oregon and the Colorado.

I’ve played with both at the Friedrichshafen Outdoor show in July 2008 and then posted my initial preview. Hoping I’d waited enough for the beta-bugs to disappear, I got a Colorado 300 and an Oregon 300 in the first days of March 2009 and have tested them extensively till mid-May 2009.

Both units can do a lot. Driving, cycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, hunting, training, geocaching, weather trending, calculating, even waking you up and now taking pictures… Allow me to narrow the focus of my review.

DEFINE THE CONTEXT: NEEDS AND OPERATING CONDITIONS

When choosing a GPS unit, I’d suggest to first answer 2 questions:

1. what problems does the device need to solve?
2. in what conditions will the unit operate?

Ideally, the GPS receiver should solve your problems when and where you need it, in the most effective and efficient way.

MY NEEDS AND OPERATING CONDITIONS

I’ve tested the Oregon and the Colorado in 2 contexts:

1 / Road cycling

• daily transportation
• training rides
• longer self-supported touring
• GPS as the only bike navigation system for:
  • complicated city navigation in European cities
  • intercity navigation in Western Europe
• clear skies and direct sunlight
• cloudy skies
• night
• rain
• open spaces
• urban canyons
• temperatures from -5° C (20° F) to +35° C (95° F)
• opportunistic, omnivore battery power generation

2 / Hiking

• day hiking
• climbing approaches
• photography location scouting
• multi-day backpacking
• GPS as a paper map complement, navigation aid in difficult situations in the European “wilderness” areas:
  • “humanized” forests’ trail maize
  • white-outs and heavy snow
  • off-trail
  • night navigation
• clear skies and direct sunlight
• cloudy skies
• rain
• snow
• open spaces
• mountains
• dense forest
• temperatures from -30° C (-22° F) to +35° C (95° F)
• opportunistic, omnivore battery power generation

So, how do the Oregon and Colorado answer my precise needs and perform in those conditions?

FORM FACTOR

// Size

Both the Oregon and the Colorado are big. And fat.

Photo: Garmin Oregon 300 handheld in direct sunlight (no backlight)

Yes, Garmin has definitely improved upon the GPSMAP 60CSx… But compared to contemporary gadgets? The Nokias, the iPhones and the iPods? What’s taking all that space inside?

Photo: Garmin Colorado 300 handheld in direct sunlight (no backlight)

The Oregon is smaller than the Colorado, but not by much. It’s basically the Colorado without the antenna and the thumb wheel.

// Weight

The Oregon is a bit lighter than the Colorado. Both are far from anything feathery. Do you remember the Garmin Gecko days?

As measured on my electronic scale (1 g precision):

	Garmin Oregon 300	Garmin Colorado 300
Empty:	146 g (5.15 oz)	167 g (5.9 oz)
With 2 AA rechargeable NiMH:	205 g (7.2 oz)	226 g (8 oz)

// Build quality

• The Colorado feels like a tank: solid, no squeaks.
• The Oregon inspires less confidence. The battery cover of my Oregon 300 squeaked and moved 1 mm when pressed. Garmin has reassured me that it’s normal. The plastic cover contacts the rubber seal around the battery compartment. When compressed, the rubber gives in a little, but it does not compromise the unit’s IPX7 waterproofness. As an advantage, the cover is much easier to remove than on the Colorado: changing batteries is simpler.

// Weather resistance

According to Garmin, both the Oregon and the Colorado will drown but will remain alive for 30 minutes at a 1 meter depth, as per the IEC 60529 IPX7 standard.

• I’ve ridden both units in torrential, sustained downpours, for hours. No problem. Keep on riding.
• However, I haven’t checked the IPX7 compliancy in a bathtub.

What about low temps? LCD displays tend to slow down in subfreezing conditions. The lowest I could take the units was a balmy -10° C (14° F) in the Alps. No effect on performance.

// Handheld

I’m thankful I can hold each unit with just one hand and operate the functions with my thumb. But still, I would expect something more compact these days. Both units feel like supersized soaps.

// Bike mounted

The Oregon and the Colorado share the exact same rail-mount. A Garmin plastic adapter attaches either to the ahead stem (lengthwise) or to the handlebars (crosswise) with 2 nylon zip-ties. A rubber insert is supposed to keep the mount in place.

Photo: Garmin bike mount (next to stem) compatible with Oregon and Colorado GPS on a Brompton

• When mounted on the handlebars, both units rotate downwards after a series of bumps, no matter how much I tighten the zip-ties. I’ll try to find some narrow, screw + metal band hose clamps and see if they stabilize the mount.
• The slide-in and slide-out process is cumbersome:
  • attaching lacks a positive feel: I have to double-check the unit is held securely
  • removal requires a fair amount of force to push down the retaining flap and release the unit

Photo: Garmin Oregon on a Brompton under indirect sunlight (backlight off)

USER INTERFACE

// Screen dimensions, resolution and color depth

The Oregon and the Colorado screens feature the same:

• dimensions (3 inch diagonal)
• resolution (240 x 400 px)
• color depth (65 000 colors)

Both units provide detailed, smooth, full color imagery. Things look like on your notebook computer or desktop LCD display. Gorgeous and contemporary. In comparison, Garmin’s GPSMAP 60CSx looks really antique, like the first cell phones with color displays.

// Screen technology

The Oregon and the Colorado use the transflective screen technology:

• under brightly lit conditions, outside light – the sun – passes through the screen and bounces back to illuminate the pixels
• under moderately lit conditions or in the dark, inside light – a lamp behind the screen, the backlight – illuminates the pixels

Ideally the system works in such a way that instead of fighting strong illumination from the outside with even stronger illumination from the inside, the technology lets the outside light source do the work. The backlight, which requires a lot of electrical power, is switched off to preserve the batteries.

The differences between the units?

• Oregon’s screen has additional layers of resistive touchscreen technology on top, with a diffused, matte finish, similar to the old-school notebook computers and PDAs
• Colorado’s screen has a high-gloss, mirror-like finish, similar to the current MacBooks

// Screen performance

A bright, easy-to-read display is crucial in the outdoors. What’s the use of a high-tech mapping GPS if you can’t see where you’re going?

Unfortunately, both Oregon’s and Colorado’s screens are dim. Very dim. As in “hard to see”.

I was aware of the problem, reading reviews on the web and listening to friends’ feedback. But I wasn’t expecting it to be that bad.

direct sunlight

Thanks to the transflective technology, both the Oregon and the Colorado are quite readable in direct sunlight, the Colorado doing about 5% better.

Photo: Garmin Oregon (left) and Garmin Colorado (right) in direct sunlight (backlight off)

indirect sunlight

If the sun isn’t shining directly on the screen and bouncing back into your eyes, as, for example, in the morning or evening due to sun angles, both screens are dim.

Photo: Garmin Oregon (left) and Garmin Colorado (right) under indirect sunlight (backlight off)

No strong external light to pass through the screen and bounce back? Well, let’s turn on the backlight. Unfortunately, the Oregon’s and the Colorado’s backlights are not powerful enough to compensate for the well-lit outdoors. Even if I switch the backlight to 100%, it barely makes a difference.

• In cycling mode, the light pink used to indicate anything off-road looks exactly like grey asphalt.
• In hiking mode, the problem is a bit less severe. You can tilt the units this way and that way and find a point when they’re more readable. But it’s still nothing like instant and clear read-out.

clouded

• Without backlight, the Colorado is about 20% more readable under clouded skies than the Oregon. The Colorado shows more brightness and contrast. In part because it has a glossy, iPhone-like screen and in part because it doesn’t have the supplemental layer of touchscreen technology on top. Still, there’s not enough light coming through to make the screen easy to read.
• With backlight, it’s the opposite: the Oregon is about 20% more readable. Simply because the Oregon’s backlight lamp is more powerful. To become readable on a lightly overcast day, the Oregon requires its backlight to be set at about 80%. Essentially a flashlight against the sky: the batteries go fast.

night

No problem, great displays.

Although both the Oregon and the Colorado lack a “night mode” used on most in-car GPS, including Garmin’s and TomTom’s, you can adjust the backlight to your liking and preserve a bit of night vision.

sunglasses

Everything above just gets worse. Screen readability vs glare discomfort, UV damage and flies in the eyes: you choose.

// What’s the problem with these screens? What’s the solution?

The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx screen is quite readable in the outdoors without any supplemental backlight. Shouldn’t the newer Garmin units be even better?

Unfortunately, the newness is the root of the problem. Garmin faces the resolution vs luminosity dilemma:

• newer unit = higher resolution screen = more pixels = lower transmittance = lower reflectivity = dimmer screen but better picture

In order to draw the beautiful images on the newer screens (user interface, maps, compass, etc.), Garmin improves resolution. More pixels per square inch equals more optical definition, detail and subtler color gradation.

The screen holds a grid of pixels. Each pixel unit is like a window, a combination of a glass pane and a window frame. The “window frame” holds the pixel in place and transfers electrical current to the pixel. Light can pass only through the “glass panes”, but not through the “window frames”. With higher resolution, or pixel density, the “window frame” density grows as well, decreasing the overall transparency of the system. Result: a dimmer screen.

The solutions would be to:

1. make the pixels’ “window frames” super-micro-tiny
2. make the pixels’ “window frames” transparent
3. increase the backlight intensity to overpower the outside light

Solutions 1 and 2 would require some yet to be invented technology. Solution 3 would require either a more efficient backlight (such as LED) or much more powerful batteries. Of course, it’s possible to work on the 3 solutions at the same time.

But, for now, you’ll have to choose between either:

• high resolution
• OR
• high readability / visibility

And it’s not even a Garmin-only problem. Magellan faces the same challenge, as well as any manufacturer of electronic devices used outdoors.

// We forgot something: the ambient light sensor

Neither the Oregon nor the Colorado carries an ambient light sensor that would control the backlight! You have to manually press a button on the side / on the top and then adjust the backlight level.

Bearable when hiking. A pain when cycling.

Suppose you ride through the fields and the sun is shining. Great. But then you get under the trees, or, worse, into a tunnel. Reach out for the backlight button. Adjust. Then back into the fields. Adjust again. Or leave the backlight on. And drain the batteries in no time.

Even basic cell phones have ambient light sensors. The iPhone: of course. But not the Garmin’s high-end GPS.

// Touchscreen vs buttons

OK, here’s the big one:

• Oregon’s user interface is a touchscreen
• Colorado’s user interface is a combination of buttons and “Rock ‘n Roller” input wheel (somewhat like on classic iPods)

Oregon’s touchscreen

Garmin uses the resistive touchscreen technology in the Oregon: 2 thin sheets of electrically conductive material separated by a thin space. When something or someone pushes from the top, the layers touch and the system registers a “mouse click” in that area of the screen.

The touchscreen requires simple pressure to work. So far, I’ve used the Oregon with my:

• fingers
• nails
• Assos winter cycling gloves
• Outdoor Research Omni gloves
• Versant Nord super warm, waterproof, 3 finger mittens
• pen tops
• Wacom stylus (both ends)
• backpack belt’s webbing ends
• actually, anything that can bring the 2 layers together

and in all weather conditions:

• under sustained rain
• when snowing
• in sub-freezing temperatures

Very reliable, quite amazing. Diffused all my initial skepticism.

The software interface is changed to work with the touchscreen. All functions have large, dedicated icons, the same as on the Mac or on the iPhone.

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon main menu (left) and setup menu (right)

Additional features appear as needed: zoom buttons, back button, contextual menus, scroll buttons, input areas, etc.

The Oregon feels natural and intuitive:

• “click and drag” the map to see what’s ahead, or just check the course: feels like a paper map
• tap on the map to place a waypoint

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon road map (left) and topographical map (right)

• type on a virtual keyboard: although Garmin uses an alphabetical layout instead of the standard QWERTY, it’s still super quick to type in a name of a street

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon alphanumeric input methods

Well, it’s not as magical as on the iPhone. The Oregon drops frames during animations here and there. The map takes some time to redraw. And the design lacks a bit of Apple’s refinement.

Nonetheless, the Oregon’s interface is a real pleasure to use:

• hold the unit in your hand and quickly thumb through the options
• pan the map with a thumb while hiking
• tap through the menus to change the route while riding
• point with the index finger to order the unit to get you there

The interface allows for extreme precision when placing waypoints or choosing objects on the map:

• tap once in the area of interest (approximately)
• a pin appears
• “click and drag” the map with a finger
• the map moves, but the pin does not
• position the map’s precisely under the pin, zooming in if necessary
• check the readout from the pin and choose the options

Screenshot: Garmin Oregon precise object selection on the map

Honestly, once you use it, there’s no going back. Same as with the iPhone.

Colorado’s “Rock ‘n Roller” input wheel and buttons

When compared to the Oregon’s touchscreen, the Colorado’s interface is frustratingly slow and unintuitive:

• Want to get to the main menu? Press the “shortcuts” button on the right. And watch the “icons on a wheel”, a rather confusing graphical metaphor.
• To navigate the menus, scroll with the wheel.

Screenshot: Garmin Colorado map with “shortcuts” button pressed (left) and setup menu (right)

• Want to change something? Press the “options” button on the left.
• Want to select an object? Push one of the hidden direction buttons to show a mouse cursor, then move it… slowly.

Screenshot: Garmin Colorado map with “options” button pressed (left) and object selection (right)

• Want to go somewhere? Type in the street name. The whole alphabet spins around the input wheel. First letter: rotate the wheel through “A B C D E F G…” till the letter you want, confirm with the “enter” key in the middle of the wheel. Next letter? Repeat through the alphabet. Next? Repeat. A long street name? Keep on rollin’! Oops, too fast, too far, scroll the other way.
• Want a low-case letter for your waypoint? Keep on turning. You’ll get the low-case “a b c d e f g…” after we scroll the upper case “A B C D E F G… X Y Z”

Screenshot: Garmin Colorado text input for upper case letters (left) and lower case letters (right)

• Annoyed yet? Add the Colorado’s “enter” button that has a tendency to ignore your commands. I push the button, I feel and hear the “click” but no action is registered. Press again. Works. Doh!

The only reason I thought Colorado’s interface might be useful was for gloved use. Forget about it! Oregon’s touchscreen is much, much more glove-friendly than Colorado’s wheels and buttons.

// User-interface quirks

• In simulation mode (GPS reception off), the Oregon and the Colorado always suggest to simulate “driving” a route… No matter if I’ve chosen a bicycle or my feet as my transportation device. The heritage of the American driving culture, I guess…
• Waypoint names are limited to 30 characters! Less than a Twitter post. Amazing for a XXI century gadget. Even worse, the user-interface shows only the first 20 characters or so. And it can’t scroll the long name horizontally like the primitive Nokias. So if you have a lot of waypoints, you’ll have to resort to some naming system, using ISO country codes, for example.
• There’s no way to subdivide and classify waypoints or routes into sub-folders or live filters. The Oregon / Colorado 200, 300 and 400 are able to store 1 000 waypoints and 50 routes. The Oregon 550 expands the capacity to 2 000 waypoints and 200 routes. Now, imagine a list of 2 000 waypoints on a 3 inch screen… Yes, Garmin shows the closest waypoints first, and yes, you can search through, but what if you don’t remember the name?
• Neither the Oregon nor the Colorado provide orthographical approximation or spell-checking. Real-life example: downtown Geneva, Switzerland. Need to navigate to the “rue du Pré Jérôme”. Street name given over the cell phone, just before the battery died. No written reference. Should I type that as “Pres-Jerome”? “No results found”. “Pres Jerome” without a dash? “No results found”. Just “Jerome”? Nope. I finally had to search for a hospital that I knew was nearby, then pan the map around and locate the street visually.
• Both the Oregon and the Colorado don’t know how to insert and type! Overtype only. Ugh… I mean, even the most basic cell phone can do that!
• The Colorado forgets your backlight settings after you switch off the unit. Very inconvenient.

POWER SUPPLY

Both the Oregon and the Colorado use 2 standard size AA batteries of any type:

• alkaline
• lithium
• rechargeable NiMH

Excellent! Very smart. No proprietary battery packs like in the Garmin’s Edge 705. Or Apple’s iPhone.

Want to charge your batteries with a solar panel? No problem. Want to swap the batteries with some other device? Here you go. Unplanned power shortage? Get a pair of AAs in any store, anywhere on the planet.

Whereas, a proprietary battery:

• isn’t widely available, so can’t be swapped for a fresh one easily
• will degrade one day and you’ll overpay the replacement
• might disappear from the market (planned obsolescence), making your GPS unit unusable

POWER USE (BATTERY LIFE)

Both units gulp down batteries. A 2-hour drive from Geneva to Goppenstein in Switzerland exhausted 2 fresh alkaline AAs (3D in-car view with backlight set to max).

To squeeze more juice:

• switch to NiMH rechargeables (in my case, 2 700 mAh by GP Batteries)
• ration the backlight (but you may get to a point where you won’t see much on screen)
• switch off the tracklog
• choose the correct battery type in the unit’s setup (so that the software can estimate the remaining charge precisely)

Battery life:

• In cycling mode, for maximum efficiency (weight and bulk carried, distance and speed), you’ll need to forgo the paper maps and keep the GPS switched on. I got max 12 hours of cycling out of either the Oregon or the Colorado. If you plan to tour with one of the units, plan to recharge every night if you have access to AC power, or exchange for batteries charged on solar during the day.
• In hiking mode, both the Oregon and the Colorado can last quite a while if you keep the devices switched off and use them only in challenging conditions that I’ve described in the beginning of this post (“humanized” forests’ trail maize, white-outs and heavy snow, off-trail, night navigation). Carrying and tracking a paper map for easy sections when hiking is more efficient than on the bike, because of the lower speed and shorter distance.

MAPS

A GPS receiver is almost worthless without a map. Sure, it could still help in 2 cases:

• record your track and later help you follow the track back, for example, on a glacier to avoid the crevasses (use your brains and rope-up anyway!)
• report your position to the rescue teams

It’s the combination of a GPS receiver with a map that realizes the full potential of GPS navigation. In yester days, you would use a plastic GPS plotter to find your position on a paper map. Sometimes under pouring rain and strong wind. Nowadays, the exact same maps are available directly on the screen of the GPS receiver. Pure luxury, as long as you have some juice in the batteries.

// Why should you worry about maps when choosing a GPS unit?

Problem is, maps are intellectual property, same as music or movies. And most of mapping data is proprietary, DRM-protected, often tied to a particular brand of GPS receivers.

It’s like with the FairPlay music bought from the iTunes Store before 2009. You could listen to these tracks only on the Apple’s iPod.

So, before you choose a GPS unit, consider the maps available for it. And as with the choice of a paper map, choose carefully. Bad maps can kill you.

// What is a vector or pixel map?

• A vector map uses mathematical equations that combine geometrical primitives (points, lines, curves, shapes or polygons) to represent forms and colors. You never see the pixels. Zoom in, zoom out: the image is rendered in real-time. Always crisp and beautiful.
• A pixel map, on the other hand, uses a bitmap, fixed representation. When you zoom in, you loose resolution, when you zoom out, you also loose precision and sharpness.

When choosing a digital map, prefer the vector variant.

// Cycling maps

For urban navigation and intercity biking, a map made for cars works pretty well. 2 companies dominate the road maps market:

1. NAVTEQ, an American company (wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia)
2. Tele Atlas, a European company (wholly-owned subsidiary of TomTom)

TomTom manufacturers in-car GPS navigation devices, and so is Garmin’s direct competitor. As TomTom owns Tele Atlas, it won’t sell you a map to use on a Garmin GPS. If you want a good road map for a Garmin, you’ll have to buy NAVTEQ maps. Not much choice.

NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe NT

I’ve been using the NAVTEQ’s map of European roads compiled into a proprietary Garmin format. The map covers:

• Albania (major roads only)
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria (partial coverage)
• Croatia (partial coverage)
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Great Britain
• Greece
• Hungary (partial coverage)
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia (major roads only)
• Moldova (major roads only)
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania (partial coverage)
• Serbia & Montenegro (major roads only)
• Slovakia (partial coverage)
• Slovenia (partial coverage)
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland and Liechtenstein
• Ukraine (major roads only)

I’ve totaled about 1 500 km (932 mi) with this map in the Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Bern and Valais cantons of Switzerland, as well as in the Ain and Haute Savoie departments of France. Part of that mileage was done on a car with a TomTom also onboard. I wasn’t driving. I was in the side seat, comparing the 2 systems.

• The City Navigator map has zero bike-specific information. Switzerland is a rather bike-friendly country, with thousands of kilometers of bike lanes and one-way streets open for two-way cycling. None of this is on the map.
• In general, I’ve found NAVTEQ / Garmin’s maps to be less up-to-date than Tele Atlas / TomTom’s. For example, on the Place des Nations, a major square in front of the United Nations in Geneva, NAVTEQ advises a left-turn where it’s forbidden by a sign and simply dangerous. I guess the mapmakers initial focus – USA for NAVTEQ / Garmin and Europe for TomTom / Tele Atlas – partially explains the slight differences in data quality.
• The NAVTEQ map display on the Oregon and Colorado units, as well as in the Garmin RoadTrip and MapSource software lack any indication of one-way streets. No blue arrows like on the GoogleMaps provided by Tele Atlas. Oddly, NAVTEQ maps do contain information about one-way streets and Garmin’s routing engine does take one-way streets into account. They just lack any visual clue.
• The POI (Point of Interest) database is fairly up-to-date and has helped me find a place to eat on several occasions.

But the main advantage of NAVTEQ’s map easily outweighs its drawbacks. The entire European road network, with even the tiniest streets, all wraped in a very compact package… It’s so liberating! The digital map saves weight, bulk and time:

• no need for a backpack or panniers just to carry tons of paper
• no need to correlate the real world to the map and keep track of turns
• no need to carry a separate list of restaurants, lodging and shops

You can go cycling in any direction, for as long as you wish, and never get lost. Unless your batteries are dead, of course.

// Hiking and backpacking maps

For backcountry travel, a detailed (1:25 000 cm) topographical map allows you to move faster, easier and safer.

Generally, such maps are made by government organizations and either sold or sometimes made available for free. The mapmakers, not the end-users, choose the digital format and compatibility, so, before you buy a GPS unit, check if the country you’re heading to makes maps that work with it.

In Europe, that means checking for each country, as there’s no centralized European Union cartographic organization. Yet. If you live in the USA, that’d be like checking whether the State of California supports Garmin GPS units. And then finding out if the State of Oregon does as well.

Topo Swiss v2

The Topo Swiss v2 is a digital vector map developed by the Swiss Topo, the cartographic agency of the Swiss Confederation.

They have been making gorgeous paper maps for more than a century. Their 1:25 000 cm maps are the most accurate and detailed topographic representations of Switzerland used by hikers, climbers and, of course, the military.

The Topo Swiss v2 map is compiled for Garmin devices. It combines data from 1:25 000 cm and 1:50 000 cm cartography, in vector form, and includes tons of information.

Photo of the paper map (left) compared to the screenshot of the on-device digital map (right)

• complete and detailed road and trail network:
  • highways (divided lanes)
  • junctions
  • rest areas
  • parkings
  • 2nd class highways (undivided lanes)
  • trunk roads
  • 1st class roads (at least 6 m wide)
  • 2nd class roads (at least 4 m wide)
  • suburban roads (at least 4 m wide)
  • 3rd class roads (at least 2,8 m wide)
  • 4th class narrow roads (at least 1,8 m wide)
  • 5th class paths, trails and bicycle paths
  • 6th class footpaths
  • traces (!)
  • mountain passes
  • bridges
  • underpasses and overpasses
  • tank roads (!)
  • traces of historic roads
  • airports, airfields and grass strips
  • ferries
• complete and detailed rail network:
  • railway tracks (normal gauge, narrow gauge, rack, cable)
  • railway stations and stops
  • platforms
  • freight or nostalgic railways
  • railways out of service
  • intercommunal tramways
  • industrial tracks
  • tunnels
  • aerial cable ways
  • chairlifts
  • goods lifts
  • skilifts
• boundaries:
  • national boundaries with numbered markers
  • cantonal boundaries with markers
  • district boundaries with markers
  • municipal boundaries with markers
  • boundaries of The Swiss National Park or protected areas
• individual features:
  • houses
  • remote inns
  • alpine huts (!)
  • towers
  • ruins
  • greenhouses
  • storage tanks
  • allotments (gardens)
  • monuments
  • churches
  • chapels
  • cemeteries
  • shrines
  • crosses
  • cooling towers
  • wind power stations
  • chimney-stacks
  • castles
  • lookout towers
  • radio transmitters
  • large and small antennas
  • camp sites
  • walls
  • avalanche barricades
  • caves
  • erratic blocs
• detailed topography:
  • contour lines (with various colors for ground, scree / shingle, ice / lake)
  • trigonometric points
  • spot heights
  • mountain peaks
  • lake levels
  • spot heights at lake bottom
  • terrain (relief) shading
  • small depressions
  • dolines
  • escarpments
  • stones
  • cuttings
  • embankments
  • ground slips
  • gravel pits
  • clay pits
  • quarries
  • rocks
  • scree
  • glaciers
  • moraines
• detailed vegetation:
  • forests with defined outlines
  • forests with undefined outlines
  • scattered forests
  • isolated trees / groups of trees (!)
  • scrubs
  • hedges
  • orchards
  • tree nurseries
  • vineyards
• detailed hydrography:
  • springs
  • streams
  • waterfalls
  • dry gullies
  • stream weirs
  • rivers, backwater
  • river weirs
  • marshes
  • peat cuttings
  • lakes
  • ports, quays and piers
  • dams
  • maximum flood levels
  • lakes with varying water levels
  • overground and underground pipelines
  • ponds
  • fountains
  • wells (!)
  • reservoirs (!)
  • water towers
• detailed and differentiated representations of settled areas (down to a building shape precision)

Plus, the digital map includes information not present on the 1:25 000 paper maps:

• complete official network of the Swiss marked (blazed) trails network (huge!)
• country-wide SwitzerlandMobility marked routes (to cross the whole country)
• POI (Points Of Interest) like hotels, restaurants, Post Offices, etc.
• routing on roads and trails (read further for details)

Photo of the paper map (left) compared to the screenshot of the on-device digital map (right)

The map’s detail is stunning. An amazing work of graphic design.

I’ve been using the paper versions of the map for years and its accuracy and minutiae have always impressed me. The digital vector map goes even further, as you can zoom in beyond what you could do with a loupe and yet maintain sharp object display.

// Watch out for the difference between maps on SD cards and maps on DVDs!

The Topo Swiss v2 is sold on a CD.

But the NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe is available in 2 forms:

• precompiled on an SD card
• uncompiled on a DVD / CD

Both cost the same, but, consider the differences!

SD card map:

• the SD card is included for “free”
• insert the card into the GPS unit and use the map right away: plug-and-play
• it is absolutely impossible to download the map from the GPS unit or from an SD card reader to your computer, Mac or PC, to see the map in Garmin RoadTrip or Garmin MapSource software: you won’t be able to use the map to create or edit routes or waypoints on your Mac or PC

DVD / CD map:

• you have to get your own SD card if there’s not enough internal “disk space” on your GPS unit: for example, the complete NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe takes approximately 1,6 gigabytes (Oregon has 850 megabytes of internal memory)
• you have to compile the map on your Mac / PC in order to upload it to the GPS unit: a lengthy and convoluted process, especially on the Mac (see below)
• you can see and use the map on your Mac / PC to create and edit routes and waypoints

Honestly, unless you have neither a Mac nor a PC, I don’t see a reason to buy the SD version. SD cards are cheap and the power to create and edit stuff on your computer is priceless. Buy the DVD / CD versions!

ROUTING

// What is routing and why it’s a trade secret?

The ultimate navigation aid, routing allows you to select the point of departure and the point of arrival and let the GPS unit:

• select the most appropriate route (shortest duration, shortest distance, scenic route…)
• show you the route
• guide you through the route by telling you when to turn or head straight

Routing requires:

• a routing engine (software) inside the GPS unit
• a routing capable map (a map that describes its features like roads and trails in such a way that a routing engine can use to calculate the optimal route)

A routing engine involves a huge number of parameters and algorithms: a lot of math and logic.

Each GPS manufacturer tries to build a better routing engine to differentiate itself from the competition. The result – a piece of proprietary software – is kept secret. So neither Garmin nor TomTom will discuss the details of route selection.

Maybe a good thing for the GPS manufacturers. Not so good for us, end-users, as we have to reverse-engineer the logic behind the few options available in the GPS setup and the routing engine’s real-world performance.

// Garmin’s routing engine

Garmin says they do their best to keep the routing engines of their current GPS units as similar as possible. My personal experience with the Oregon and Colorado confirms that: both are identical when it comes to routing.

The units’ setup provides several ways to control the routing:

transportation type:

• car
• bicycle
• on foot

The car mode is Garmin’s main mode. Most people that can buy a GPS receiver use cars to move around, right?

So, from a market share viewpoint, it makes sense to first develop a routing engine for car navigation. The GPS-buying cyclists and pedestrians… Well, we are a minority in the real world, and we are a minority in the GPS world as well.

As I understand it, the bicycle and pedestrian modes build upon the car mode with maybe some differences and adjustments that Garmin prefers to keep to itself. I haven’t found major differences. According to Garmin, “no elevation data is currently considered in bicycle routing”. I’d extrapolate that to the pedestrian mode as well.

For now, whether you’re on a bike or on foot, you’re still a car in Garmin world. You can’t ride against traffic on one-way streets open for two-way bicycle traffic or use bridges closed to cars. But you can walk (run?) on toll-roads and highways, no problem. Just remember to adjust the avoidance settings below.

avoidance setup:

• u-turns
  • Bicycle: anytime. Well, almost.
  • Pedestrian: you bet!
• toll-roads
  • Bicycle: not an option, at least in Western Europe.
  • Pedestrian: only if you run and hop over fences real fast so the cops can’t get you if you don’t get hit by a car. Avoid.
• highways
  • Bicycle: surprisingly, I ride my bike on what NAVTEQ / Garmin considers “highways”. If you avoid these, sure, you’ll ride on some beautiful backcountry roads but you may add half an hour or so to your ride. Also, a lot of Swiss “highways” feature semi-segregated bike lanes. Bring it on!
  • Pedestrian: avoid? I can walk on the side if I want to, but I do like silence.
• unpaved roads
  • Bicycle: Perfect for a mountain bike. OK for a “normal” bike with multi-function tires such as the Schwalbe Marathons. Not a good idea for a road bike on slicks. Or a folding Brompton.
  • Pedestrian: that’s where we’re going.
• carpool lanes
  • Bicycle: never seen these “carpool lanes” in Europe. I ride in the bus lanes. Great fun!
  • Pedestrian: avoid.

guidance method:

• on road for time
  • Bicycle: choose this one if you ride a road bike. I’ve determined experimentally that this mode tends to select the “normal” asphalt roads, at least in Switzerland and France. Just remember that Garmin doesn’t care if you like climbing or not. Garmin considers you a Tour de France rider. No panniers. Unlimited muscle power. Cheers, food and water in the car that follows behind.
  • Pedestrian: Garmin will recommend to climb up and down just to walk on a highway. Skip.
• on road for distance
  • Bicycle: again, by trial and error, I’ve determined that this method pulls me onto roads used by farmers: rarely maintained, huge number of potholes, horse and cow fecal matter. Might be OK if you ride a mountain bike.
  • Pedestrian: this is the method to choose. Go the shortest route.
• off-road
  • Off-road is the weirdest routing method I’ve ever seen. It means: straight line. Go man, go! A building? Go through. A lake? Swim buddy! A forest? Machete, machete!
  • Don’t use it. It’s useless. Use your brains instead.

// The special case of routing on trails with Topo Swiss v2

The amazing new feature of the Topo Swiss v2 is its ability to route on trails! The Garmin units’ routing engine is able to process the trail data and calculate a route using the foot paths. The Oregon and the Colorado will reassure you with indications like “NE on trail”, and even tell you when to take the next turn. Very cool.

Screenshot: route over the Jura ridge (left) with routing directions on the trail (right)

How to make it work:

• in Garmin Oregon or Garmin Colorado
  • on road for distance
  • calculate routes for pedestrian, or bicycle if you’re on a mountain bike
  • off road transitions set to auto
  • do not avoid unpaved roads
• in Garmin RoadTrip on Mac OS
  • in automatic calculation mode, RoadTrip will insist to choose roads whatever the routing settings, so, unfortunately, you will have to use the route tool to manually indicate the trails

Screenshot: Garmin RoadTrip automatically calculated route from A (north) to B (south)

Screenshot: manually created route from A (north) to B (south) using the route tool in Garmin RoadTrip

• in Garmin MapSource on Windows
  • use auto-routing
  • vehicle: bicycle (even though you’re on foot)
  • shorter distance
  • do not avoid unpaved roads

// Routing quirks and bugs

The units fail to route over great distances. Not enough processing power.

Example: I want to ride from where I am, in Geneva, Switzerland, to Paris, France. Distance: 550 km (342 mi). Satellites: acquired. Weather: great. Please, get me there. No way, man: “Route calculation error: not enough memory available”. Does not compute on the device, while on the Mac / PC, Garmin’s RoadTrip / MapSource calculate the route just fine.

COMPASS

Both the Oregon (models 300, 400 and 550) and the Colorado (models 300 and 400) carry an electronic compass.

A compass is very helpful when:

• you move too slowly to calculate your direction just from the change of coordinates (under about 3 km/h (1.8 mi/h))
• you stand still and turn around to check the heading on the map with what you actually see

However, I wonder why Garmin has opted for a much less user-friendly 2D compass for the 300 and 400 models. A 2D compass requires a perfectly level unit. No tilting the screen.

Fortunately, the newest Oregon 550 has a modern electronic 3D compass that works regardless of the inclination of the GPS receiver. Unfortunately, it also includes a camera, instead of shedding some weight and bulk.

ALTIMETER / BAROMETER

Both the Oregon and the Colorado include a barometric altimeter (models 300, 400 and 550).

Personally, I rarely use either the barometer or the altimeter on the GPS:

• When hiking in the mountains, I switch to my Suunto T6 wrist computer to keep an eye on ascent and descent speeds and to intersect my position with the paper map’s contour lines.
• I also prefer local weather forecasts to nightly barometer pressure trending.

But it’s nice to have a backup just in case.

GPS SIGNAL RECEPTION: ACCURACY AND SPEED OF ACQUISITION

// Antennas

• The Oregon has no protruding antenna. Instead, it uses a variant of the ceramic patch antenna that wraps around the body’s internals, like in most cell phones of the last 10 years. Also following the mobile technology trends, the Oregon lacks a connection port for an external antenna.
• The Colorado has a rather classical, prominent quad-helix antenna. And it carries a connection port for an external antenna.

// GPS signal processing

Because radio signals from the GPS satellites are very weak when they reach the GPS receiver, the quality of signal processing is very important to filter out the noise and calculate the exact position, quickly. Signal processing occurs both at the hardware and software levels in the GPS receiver.

• Both the Oregon and the Colorado use contemporary, high sensitivity GPS microcontroller chips that apply extensive digital signal processing and complex quantum field’s correlation functions to acquire a satellite fix despite heavily attenuated GPS signals. In other words, both units manage to compute their positions in urban canyons and under heavy foliage despite the smallish receiving antennas.
• However, the Oregon has a software advantage: the HotFix. Basically, it’s a cache of the possible GPS satellite orbital positions (the ephemeris) for the next 3 days at your current location. Unlike geostationary satellites, GPS satellites move in relation to a fixed point on the Earth surface. Each satellite flies around the Earth twice a day. Because the satellite constellation keeps moving even though you keep still, the GPS receiver needs to constantly adjust to the changes. The pre-computed GPS satellites’ positions can speed up the process of finding the satellites the next time you power on your GPS receiver. Of course, the HotFix system fails if you move over a considerable distance with the GPS unit switched off.

Animation: the GPS satellites’ constellation moves around the Earth (author: El Pak)

// Real-life performance

• Overall, the Oregon is about 25% better than the Colorado. It gets a satellite fix faster, in more difficult conditions.
• To me, both units seem less accurate than the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, but I haven’t calculated the differences in a rigorous way.
• In the city, both the Oregon and the Colorado have a hard time acquiring a satellite fix when switching them on and immediately riding away. I’ve ridden 3 km (2 mi) with both units still displaying the “acquiring satellites” message.

MAPS, WAYPOINTS, ROUTES AND FIRMWARE MANAGEMENT ON THE MAC / PC

A GPS management software on the Mac / PC maximizes the potential of the unit. It allows you to use the power and ergonomics of a “normal” computer (large screen, full-size keyboard, mouse or tablet) to:

• view your maps
• create, edit and transfer waypoints, routes and tracks from and to your GPS unit
• search for points of interest (POI)
• add custom points of interest
• import navigation data from other sources, like GoogleMaps
• update your unit’s firmware

// Maps, waypoints and routes management

Garmin provides RoadTrip for Mac OS and MapSource for Windows to manage your maps, waypoints, routes and tracks.

While MapSource for Windows has been available for years, RoadTrip became available only recently, in September 2008. Despite its young age, RoadTrip offers quite a close feature parity with MapSource. Both programs are solid, stable and work at the same speed. Fortunately, the user interfaces differ to conform to the general Mac OS and Windows look and feel.

Unfortunately, RoadTrip on the Mac is still a work in progress and lacks some of MapSource features:

• No shaded reliefs. Sure, you can guess from the contour lines, but why not simplify things? Humans are visual.
• No elevation profile for a route. No way to check how hard your route will be.
• No distance / bearing tool. Well, we can do without, but still.
• No track drawing and editing tools. Handy for off-trail navigation.
• No fine-grained routing control. MapSource allows for a much more precise control over the automatic routing. Unlike MapSource, RoadTrip has difficulty routing on trails.
• No simple route cloning and refactoring. If you create a route in RoadTrip, then duplicate it, the “via waypoints” (created when dragging the route) will not duplicate. So if you drag a “via waypoint” on the new duplicated route someplace else to modify the route, the old route will change as well.

Both RoadTrip and MapSource do not allow simple synchronization with the GPS unit:

• If you create a waypoint on the GPS device with an auto-generated name like “Road 001”, then download that waypoint to your Mac / PC, then rename the auto-generated name in RoadTrip / MapSource to something meaningful like “Bench with a view”, then upload it to the GPS device, the old “Road 001” will still remain on the unit. A duplicate. You’ll have to manually delete it from the GPS receiver. And that’s exactly 4 clicks once you get inside the “Waypoint manager” menu on the Oregon. Per waypoint. So if you have a bunch of duplicate waypoints, the process becomes a hassle. No, you can’t delete waypoints selectively en masse.

// The special case of Mac OS and maps “Made for Windows and Garmin MapSource”

Fortunately, the newest maps from Garmin, such as the NAVTEQ City Navigator Europe, install on the Mac just fine. Straightforward, out of the box.

Unfortunately, most non-Garmin maps, precisely, the topographical maps of Europe, are officially made only for the Garmin’s MapSource on Windows. Usually, they use an oh so Windowsy installer, so you can’t just drag and drop an open-standard file somewhere.

So, what if you want that awesome Topo Swiss v2 on your Mac? There is a solution. Follow the convoluted procedure:

• install the map on a Windows machine (either virtual or real)
• unlock it on Windows via the not so easy-to-use, special plug-in required, web-based process
• install the Garmin MapConverter software on the Windows machine
• convert the unlocked PC map in the MapConverter
• save the converted map somewhere a Mac can access (virtual folder, USB drive, network volume…)
• install Garmin MapManager on your Mac
• open the converted map in MapManager
• MapManager installs the map into RoadTrip

As easy as 1, 2, 3… 8! But doable. Normally, any map made to work with Garmin MapSource on Windows should work with Garmin RoadTrip on Mac OS.

// GPS firmware management

Firmware is the software that runs your GPS unit, its operating system, like Mac OS or Windows. Keep it up-to-date for best performance.

On the Mac OS, Garmin provides an easy to use Garmin WebUpdater to update the firmware of your unit. On Windows, MapSource performs this role. Hook up the Oregon or the Colorado via USB, make sure you’re connected to the internet and the software will check that you have the latest and greatest from Garmin. Rather neat!

However, it turns out WebUpdater does not install “beta” software. Uh oh!

So when Garmin tech support tells me I need to install the “Beta Software 2.95” in order to be able to select restaurants by their cuisine on the Oregon… Well, I have to manually download the “convenient” self-expanding Zip package (.exe), unpack it on Windows, then copy the needed file over to the GPS unit, then reboot the GPS. Halleluiah! I no longer have to ride to a restaurant to find out if they do veggies! A feature that has been working on the older Colorado, by the way.

I suspect that either Garmin’s quality assurance department is entirely focused on FAA certification of its aircraft systems, or its development team has embraced the perpetual beta paradigm.

So let me rewrite that statement. If you want the latest and greatest from Garmin, like POI subcategories, manually install the latest beta software. At your own risk, of course.

SPECIFICATIONS

Before I get to the conclusions and alternatives, compare the specs of the units I’ve reviewed:

	Garmin Oregon 300	Garmin Colorado 300
Dimensions: (width x height x depth)	6 x 11,5 x 3.5 cm (2.3" x 4.5" x 1.4")	6 x 14 x 3,5 cm (2.4" x 5.5" x 1.4")
Empty:	146 g (5.15 oz)	167 g (5.9 oz)
With 2 AA rechargeable NiMH:	205 g (7.2 oz)	226 g (8 oz)
Display size (width x height):	3,8 x 6,3 cm (1.53 x 2.55 in)	3,8 x 6,3 cm (1.53 x 2.55 in)
Display size (diagonal):	3 in (7,6 cm)	3 in (7,6 cm)
Display resolution (width x height):	240 x 400 px	240 x 400 px
Color depth:	65 000 colors	65 000 colors
Screen technology:	transflective LCD with backight	transflective LCD with backlight
Display finish:	matte	high-gloss
User interface:	resistive touchscreen	buttons and input wheel
Waterproof:	yes (IPX7)	yes (IPX7)
Bike mount:	yes	yes
Built-in memory:	850 Mb	384 Mb
Data cards:	micro SD	SD
Max number of waypoints:	1 000 (2 000 on Oregon 550)	1 000
Routes:	50 (200 on Oregon 550)	50
Turn by turn routing:	yes	yes
Compass:	yes, 2D (3D on Oregon 550)	yes, 2D
Barometric altimeter:	yes	yes
European road maps:	yes	yes
European topographic maps at 1:25 000:	yes	yes
Computer interface:	USB 1 (USB 2 on Oregon 550)	USB 1
Mac OS support:	yes	yes
Windows support:	yes	yes

VERDICT

• Garmin Oregon or Colorado? A no-brainer: the Oregon is much, much better because of its touchscreen user-interface. Garmin tells me they prefer to offer a huge choice to the customer. I’d reduce their product range and focus on improving their obviously better products.
• Garmin Oregon or Garmin Dakota? My extensive review of both units has shown that, except when viewing shaded relief or dark colored vegetation cover, you’ll be able to easily read the Dakota’s screen in any lighting condition. Mostly without backlight, saving battery power. You’ll appreciate its better ergonomics: more compact and lower weight. Although perfectible, the Garmin Dakota 20, with its 3-axis compass, is currently the best GPS mapping device available, in my opinion. Even if it was twice as expensive as the Garmin Oregon 550, I’d still get a Dakota 20.
• NAVTEQ / Garmin City Navigator Europe? Not much choice. Get it if you plan to ride on the European roads.
• SwissTopo v2? Absolutely. Gorgeous, awesome, superb. Get it if you plan to hike, climb or mountain bike in Switzerland.

ALTERNATIVES

• Garmin Edge 705. Bike-specific. A bit brighter, but smaller, 2 inch screen. Buttons interface. Works with any Garmin-compatible maps. No 3D, “car view”. Max 100 waypoints. No compass. Uses a proprietary battery pack. Mac OS and Windows software.
• Garmin Nüvi 550. Built mainly for in-car use. Works with any Garmin-compatible maps. Although waterproof to IPX7 standard, it lacks an outdoor-viewable, transflective screen and uses a proprietary battery pack. Mac OS and Windows software.
• Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. I’m astounded by the number of people preferring this old-tech but very readable, bulky but more accurate unit. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I should get over my aesthetic objections. Works with any Garmin-compatible maps. Uses 2 standard AA batteries. Mac OS and Windows software.
• Magellan Triton. Apparently (have to see it myself), similarly dim touchscreen display. I need to research more on the maps available for the unit. Uses 2 standard AA batteries. No Mac OS software, Windows only.
• Delorme Earthmate GPS PN-40. Apparently (have to see it myself), bright but small 2 inch screen. From what I’ve found, no European maps. No routing? Uses 2 standard AA batteries. No Mac OS software, Windows only.
• Satmap Active 10. Uses 3 standard AA batteries or a proprietary battery pack. No vector maps. Mostly UK maps and some selected European locations, mostly at 1:50 000 cm. No routing? No Mac OS software, Windows only.
• Apple iPhone 3Gs. Requires cellular coverage to navigate, which can be an issue in the wilder areas… and in Paris, where I frequently have a hard time connecting to the 3G network. Data roaming is still expensive (1 EUR per 1 Mb with my French provider). No topographic maps. Screen barely readable in bright sunlight, requires full backlight. Otherwise, when you do have a connection, when money is not an issue and when you can shadow the screen, the compass-assisted GoogleMaps navigation is simply awesome! Tiny compared to any outdoor GPS mapping device. Waterproof when placed inside a LokSak – touchscreen continues to function. However, the iPhone’s capacitive touchscreen does not work with ordinary gloves. Bike mounts available. Extremely multi-functional. Replaces a phone, a music player and a desktop computer. Proprietary battery pack. Mac OS and Windows software.

REVIEW CONDITIONS

• bikes: Brompton P3L customized for speed and Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro
• feet: bipedal, humanoid, optimized for long-distance / high efficiency transportation
• timeframe: first days of March 2009 till mid-May 2009
• distance: approx 1 500 km (932 mi)
• locations: the Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Bern and Valais cantons of Switzerland, as well as the Ain and Haute Savoie departments of France
• temperatures: -10° C (14° F) to +25° C (77° F)
• weather: sunshine, overcast, light rain, heavy rain, snow

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Simon GILBERT of Garmin Europe (UK) and Romain WALT of Bucher + Walt (Switzerland).

FURTHER READING / ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB

• Garmin Oregon GPS Wiki by GPS Fix.
• Garmin Colorado GPS Wiki by GPS Fix.
• My Garmin Dakota vs Garmin Oregon GPS comparison review.

CHANGE LOG

But it’s only part bogus. The year is correct. The month is the right one.

The day isn’t.

I give away my age, even my astrological sign. I’m fine with that.

But don’t wish me a happy birthday this February 15. Wait till the month is over. ;-)

CHANGE LOG

Andrey is one of the main artists behind the excellent DeepMix.eu web radio. He prefers to play deep and minimal techno DJ sets, mostly vinyl, with a focus on quality, precision and finesse. If you like electronic music, I definitely suggest a listen. Available as mp3 downloads.

My pictures reflect the music and the person. I was listening to PUSHKARËV’s mixes while editing the images. Audiovisual. Full circle.

Photo: melting snow in MSR Quick 1 pot on MSR SimmerLite (notice windscreen burn-through)

COOKWARE CHOICE

3 major parameters define the choice of cookware for backpacking:

1. backpacking style
2. number of backpackers
3. season

1 / Style

You either choose to:

• move and see a lot
• camp and cook a lot

Both extremes have their pleasures, but let’s focus on the joy of movement through beautiful scenery. In this case, light is right, cook in a bag is fast.

2 / Number of backpackers

Selecting gear for 2 or more allows you to spread common items like cooking pots between members of the group. Going solo? No cheating. One on one with nature, one on one with gear.

3 / Season

• In the summer, water flows in streams or collects in wells. I either eat cold, or just boil water to rehydrate freeze-dried food. A 600 ml titanium mug is enough, a 1,3 liter pot is overkill.
• Winter is different. Water is frozen and you have to melt snow to drink. 1 volume of snow contains only about 10% of water. A chunk of snow melts into a tiny puddle: the bigger the pot, the easier it is to make water.

So, what would work best for a go light, go fast, go solo, go in the winter backpacking trip?

SNOW MELTING SPEED VS PACKING VOLUME

The ideal combination to melt snow as fast as possible in winter is:

• a powerful white gas stove, such as the MSR XGK-EX
• a huge volume, 5 L pot

Fire the stove, fill the pot with snow, wait, fill up again, wait, and here you go, a liter of water. No spoon-feeding the mug! Fill your bottle / insulated reservoir, fold the stove, pack the pot… Ready to go?

Ugh… That round 5 L thing is a pain to fit in the backpack! It doesn’t fold, it doesn’t compress. OK, get out the sleeping bag, put it into the pot – oh it’s still wet inside – try to jam the combo back in…

Smaller items are always easier to pack together. Moreover, soft, rectangular shapes fill up the voids of the backpack much better than hard cylinders. The solution might be to just get a bigger backpack.

But, a larger volume backpack means:

• more fabric
• more structural support
• more weight
• more bulk on the back
• less balance when walking

Hence, the dilemma. We need:

• largest pot for melting snow
• tiniest pot for carrying

From my experience, for solo winter use, a pot:

• less than 1 L (33.8 fl oz) is way too slow to melt snow
• more than 2 L (67.6 fl oz) is way too big to carry

So, the new 1,3 L MSR Quick 1 pot has the perfect intermediate volume for solo winter backpacking. Sure, it’s slower than the MSR Titan 2 L pot, but it also packs smaller. Smaller backpack, easier going through the snow. For 1 person, I think it’s a good compromise.

FEATURES AND REAL-LIFE PERFORMANCE

// Weight

The MSR Quick 1 pot is made of titanium, the lightest and toughest material available for outdoor cookware.

However, the lid is aluminum. Unfortunately, Cascade Designs have decided that the small weight savings from using titanium for the lid would not justify the higher price to consumers. Well, I’d prefer a titanium lid whatever the price. Titanium is a better material.

The total weight is 184 g (6.49 oz) on my digital scale, which is very good for a 1,3 L pot with a lid and a handle.

Photo: MSR Quick 1 pot with unfolded handle / Used with permission from CD / Author unknown

// Handle and lid

A unique feature of the latest MSR pots, the integrated Talon handle locks the lid when folded, creating a very neat package.

How does it work?

To fold:

• the lid goes under a hook opposite the handle attachment point
• a red button at the base of the handle unlocks the handle from its unfolded position
• a horizontal hinge allows the handle to swing up and over the pot
• the opening in the middle of the handle encircles the lid’s rubbery lift knob, locking the handle and the lid

Photo: MSR Quick 1 pot with folded handle / Used with permission from CD / Author unknown

Simple and elegant.

Talon folding handle system materials:

• stainless steel for the lid hook, handle hinge assembly and part of the handle frame
• plastic for the release switch (protected from flames by aluminum beneath)
• aluminum for part of the handle frame
• glass-filled nylon (heat-resistant, extremely durable, insulating and lightweight) for the handle body
• rubbery lid lift knob on a blended polyphenylene oxide and high-impact polystyrene base (insulating)

Performance in the real-world:

Honestly, the system looks shabby and prone to melting. Horrific images come to mind: the handle folds while pouring a kilo of boiling water…

But, in reality, the Talon system works as advertised. No movement, no leaks, no problem. And the handle does not melt. So don’t trust your eyes, trust the facts. I started with just moving cold water in and out, then boiling, then burning the whole thing. Still works, no complaints.

And the package is really nice. No need for rubber bands to hold the lid. No need to search through the pockets for a separate MSR LiteLifter handle.

Photo: MSR LiteLifter pot handle / Used with permission from CD / Author unknown

With the Quick 1 pot, everything’s there, in one place, and really compact.

Moreover, the system is glove friendly. Tested with Outdoor Research Omni gloves.

// Quality

Just as you would expect from Cascade Designs, the finish is great: round edges, high tolerances.

// Durability

• Titanium can withstand high temperatures and a lot of abuse even though the MSR Quick 1’s walls are very thin. You can blaze the pot till it shows pretty rainbow colors. You can bend and unbend it with hands.
• Titanium is very corrosion resistant. Any scratches will self-oxidize to a protective TiO₂.
• The handle does not twist, bend or move under full loads and keeps on going.

// Leeching into water

Titanium is biocompatible with the human body. It’s even used for implants. So leeching of titanium into water is OK for your health. However, don’t chew the pot – you may damage your teeth.

// Additional touches

• The inside of the pot is stamped with 0,5 L (16.9 fl oz) and 1 L (33.8 fl oz) marks.
• The lid has strainer holes and a vent hole. Not super valuable when melting snow, but a good boiled state indicator when the steam starts to escape.

// With and on the stove

I use the MSR SimmerLite white gas liquid fuel stove in winter. It always works in low temperatures without complaining. It’s also lighter and more compact than the bomber MSR XGK-EX.

Photo: MSR SimmerLite stove with fuel bottle / Used with permission from CD / Author unknown

• The folded MSR SimmerLite fits neatly inside the MSR Quick 1 pot, together with the ground reflector and windscreen.
• The unfolded MSR SimmerLite is a stable platform for the MSR Quick 1 pot filled with snow.
• However, the flame diameter of the SimmerLite is a bit wider than optimal for this pot. The flame tends to escape to the sides, instead of heating just the bottom. If the windscreen encircles the pot tightly, SimmerLite’s flame burns through aluminum foil, as seen in the first picture above. That never happens with my wider MSR Titan 2 pot. A wider, although less efficient, windscreen avoids this problem.

// Snow melt / boil times

As expected, melting the same amount of snow in a smaller 1,3 L pot takes more time than in a 2 L pot. But unlike with smaller mugs or even the 0,85 L MSR Titan Kettle, the process of adding snow remains bearable.

SPECIFICATIONS

Before I get to the conclusions and alternatives, here’s the detailed specs of the pot:

• Manufacturer: MSR, a Cascade Designs’ brand (CascadeDesigns.com/MSR)
• Model: Quick 1 Pot
• Year: 2009
• Materials: titanium pot, aluminum lid, rubbery lid knob, stainless steel lid hook, stainless steel handle parts, heat-resistant glass-filled nylon handle wrap
• Height of the pot: 7,8 cm (3.07 in) (stepped bottom, deepest point)
• Height with protruding lid knob: 9,8 cm (3.86 in)
• Diameter of the pot: 15,3 cm (6.02 in)
• Length of the handle: 16,5 cm (6.5 in)
• Volume of the pot: 1,3 L (44 fl oz)
• Weight of the pot: 148 g (5.22 oz) (with integrated handle)
• Weight of the lid: 36 g (1.27 oz)
• Weight of the pot, handle and lid: 184 g (6.49 oz)

VERDICT

A compact, yet still useable pot for snow melting on solo winter trips. The pot holds everything needed inside, except the fuel bottle, while remaining nicely locked. The weight is minimal even with a sturdy handle.

My current favorite for winter backpacking. A must get.

ALTERNATIVES

• BackpackingLight.com FireLite SUL-1100 Titanium Cookpot without handles (1,1 L)
• Evernew 1,3 L Ultralight Titanium Pot with handles (1,3 L)
• Vargo Titanium Non-Stick Pot without handles (1,3 L)

REVIEW CONDITIONS

• timeframe: prototype testing since November 2008; extensive use of the final pot in the field from the beginning of March till mid-April 2009
• temperatures: -15° C (5° F) to 0° C (32° F)
• weather and location: sunny / cloudy / windy early spring in the snow-covered Alps and Jura mountains

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Tami FAIRWEATHER, Kerri DELLISANTI, Steve GRIND and Drew KEEGAN of Cascade Designs USA; Lisa WALL and Maurice GOWEN of Cascade Designs Europe; Stephan HAGENBUSCH of Eastside PR for their help with this review.

Some previews develop into reviews. Example: my Garmin Oregon preview in 2008 evolved into a Garmin Oregon vs Garmin Colorado review in 2009.

Some reviews skip the preview stage. This is generally the case of products or services already available to me, allowing me to focus on a comprehensive review sooner.

• lightweight
• compact
• functional
• versatile
• easy to use
• minimal
• aesthetical
• high-quality
• durable

But instead of bringing home piles of printed material and then publishing selected gear previews on my web site, I’ve decided to change my workflow and experiment with live coverage on Twitter. The result: my #OutDoor09 tweets.

While tweeting had become a standard practice at the Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City, I was the only journalist, out of 944, to tweet from the European OutDoor this summer. So, unless I’m mistaken, I’ve provided an exclusive Twitter coverage of the event. Europe lags behind, but I predict it will catch up later, as always.

In any case, I’ve liked the separation of my efforts in 2 groups:

• Twitter: short, barebones, live notes from the show
• my web site: long, detailed, post-factum articles

Some of the tweets become either a short preview or a full-blown review on my web site later on (a dedicated post explains the difference between previews and reviews.)

• If you’re looking for the immediacy of hot news, follow me on Twitter. I was tweeting about the new gear even before the show opened.
• If you prefer the detail of my in-depth posts, either follow me on Twitter anyway, as I’m tweeting links to my articles, or just keep an eye on my web site, manually or via RSS. But please expect more of a time lag, as depth requires more effort. As an example, I’m publishing this post about a month after the show closed.

And of course, you can read more about my reasons to publish on Twitter and find out the possible benefits to you in one of my previous posts. Or express your opinion about my new modus operandi below.

Well, for a start, I’ve shot some West Zurich urbanism.

Tell me what you think.

Twitter is a simple, adaptable micro-blogging and social networking platform. It’s like blogging, but posts are limited to 140 characters. It’s like Facebook’s status updates, but it’s open to the whole world.

Twitter’s flexibility allows you to publish from any device (web browser, iPhone, SMS, etc.) anything you like (updates on your daily routines, breaking political news, interesting tips, finds on the web, etc.)

So, how do I use Twitter and how it could be of use to you?

CONTENT

Here, in the ANATOLY IVANOV / PROSE section of my web site, I tend to publish long, detailed posts that take a lot of time and effort to write and illustrate.

On Twitter, I publish brief, time-sensitive content:

// Original content

• quick thoughts
• mini gear reviews
• real-time news from outdoor sports and cycling industry shows and fairs, such as Friedrichshafen Outdoor and Eurobike
• event notices, such as quality music sessions, exhibition openings and public debates
• my web site’s updates, including new photos and posts in the ANATOLY IVANOV / PROSE section
• questions and quick-polls

// Recycled content

• interesting finds on the web: links to texts, music, videos, pictures, graphics and maps
• remarkable tweets by others (retweets)
• some quotes

// Languages

I favor English as it’s understood globally, but I do mix in some tweets in French and Russian.

RSS ALTERNATIVE

To stay up to date, I now prefer to follow Twitter updates instead of RSS updates. Probably because of the minimalism, ease-of-use and sociality.

If you’re subscribed to my RSS feed or, on the contrary, dislike RSS, you might want to try Twitter as an RSS replacement.

EXPERIMENTATION

My Twitter use is still an on-going, real-time experiment. Follow me on Twitter to participate.

YOUR THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS

What do you think about Twitter? What would you like to see in my Twitter stream?

If you haven’t already, you might also want to browse through the other “RECENT” photography gallery: portraits of German / Russian architect Jan SKURATOWSKI.

I apologize, but “recent” has become to mean “last added to my web site”. I have a huge backlog of photographs waiting to be published on my web site, some of them dating back to 1998. Most of my pictures skip direct to the client’s media, bypassing my own web site. I’m currently looking for ways to balance my photography creation process (for clients) with my photography publication process (for you).

A new top of the line Garmin outdoor GPS? No antenna? No buttons? No thumbwheel?

Photo: Garmin Oregon GPS unit / Used with permission from Garmin / Author unknown

WHAT’S NEW AND INTERESTING?

The new Garmin Oregon GPS looks very similar to the Garmin Colorado GPS. I almost missed it at the Garmin booth during the Friedrichshafen European Outdoor 2008 show.

The main differences are the user interface, dimensions and weight.

// Touchscreen

Click and drag the map with your fingers. Add waypoints with a thumb. The Oregon is much easier to use than the Colorado’s buttons and scroll-wheel. But still, the Oregon is far from iPhone’s responsiveness and Wow! effects.

Photo: Garmin Oregon touchscreen display / Used with permission from Garmin / Author unknown

// Weight

The Oregon is lighter!

// Dimensions

The Oregon is smaller!

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

• Manufacturer: Garmin (garmin.com)
• Model: Oregon 400
• Year: 2008
• Materials: plastic body, silicon chips, metal wiring
• Main features: color touschscreen display, high-sensitivity GPS receiver, microSD card slot, barometric altimeter, compass
• Size (width x height x depth): 6 x 11,5 x 3,5 cm (2.3" x 4.5" x 1.4")
• Weight: 193 g (6.8 oz) with 2 AA NiMH batteries (manufacturer specification)

AVAILABILITY

Should be in stores worldwide this autumn 2008.

GARMIN OREGON VS GARMIN COLORADO COMPARISON

The Oregon and the Colorado are so similar (except for the user interface), it’s natural to compare them:

	Garmin Colorado 400	Garmin Oregon 400
Dimensions: (width x height x depth)	6 x 14 x 3,5 cm (2.4" x 5.5" x 1.4")	6 x 11,5 x 3.5 cm (2.3" x 4.5" x 1.4")
Prominent antenna:	yes	no
Display size:	3" diagonal (7,6 cm)	3" diagonal (7,6 cm)
Display resolution:	240 x 400 px	240 x 400 px
Display type:	Transflective color TFT	Transflective color TFT touchscreen
User interface:	Thumbwheel and buttons	Touchscreen
Weight:	207 g (7.3 oz) with batteries	193 g (6.8 oz) with batteries
Battery:	2 AA batteries	2 AA batteries
Battery life:	15 hours	16 hours
Waterproof:	yes (IPX7)	yes (IPX7)
High-sensitivity receiver:	yes	yes
Connection interface:	USB	USB
Accepts data cards:	SD card	microSD card
Compass:	yes	yes
Barometer / altimeter:	yes	yes
Bike mount:	yes	yes

MY QUESTIONS AND DOUBTS

// Touchscreen

In my opinion, a mapping GPS is especially useful in 2 cases: winter navigation (recognizable terrain features hidden by snow, whiteouts, glaciers) and speed cycling in unknown areas.

• Will the Oregon touchscreen still work with gloves? I couldn’t try the Oregon with my gloves on: it was a sunny +25° C.
• Will the Oregon touchscreen still respond in sub-zero temperatures? Liquid crystal displays tend to slow down in freezing temperatures. What happens to the touch-sensitiveness of the Oregon in winter?
• What will happen to the Oregon touchscreen interface in the rain?Imagine scrambling or cycling in a cloud: 1-meter visibility, torrential rain, map soaked… Oregon GPS to the rescue! Uhmm… Sliding fingers in a water puddle?

// No protruding antenna

Both the Garmin Colorado and the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx feature a prominent antenna. The Oregon does not.

• How does the lack of external antenna affect the Oregon’s satellite signal reception?
• Is the Colorado more sensitive than the Oregon?

// Maps

I am still compiling a list of maps that will work on the Oregon.

The European Oregon 400t will sell with a preloaded 1:100 000 cm vector topographic map of Europe.

• What about the more detailed topographic maps at 1:25 000 cm? Of France? Of Switzerland?

// Mac support

Garmin’s Mac OS X page talks about “fall 2008 support for most Garmin Outdoor Handhelds with USB cables”.

• Does that mean my Mac will talk to Oregon?

// Product positioning

I puzzle over Garmin’s marketing strategy: the Oregon and the Colorado cost the same!

• Is the Oregon a replacement of the Colorado in the mid-term?
• What’s the marketing thinking behind the Oregon?

I’ve sent my questions to the Garmin team…

I also plan to get an Oregon unit to test in the near future. Or should I wait for winter?

That’s what I did in March 2009. I got both the Oregon and Colorado and reviewed them extensively.

CHANGE LOG

How about putting your bike in a backpack?

• carry the bike on your shoulders – much more efficient than in your hands
• hide the bike from the ticket controller (fare inspector) on urban public transport and intercity trains that prohibit bikes or require an additional fee for a bike
• leave the bike at the coat checks (cloakroom) in museums, restaurants and night clubs without anyone knowing there’s a bike inside
• walk or take the public transport (mass transit) with your non-cycling friends

In other words:

• stay open to any transportation
• save money
• leave the bike in a dry, secure place inside
• remain sociable

Of course, not any bike will fit in a backpack in less than 5 minutes. You’ll need a folding bike. And not any folding bike either. In my case, I’ve chosen the Brompton folder specifically for its ability to travel on my back.

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s unfolded Brompton P3L / See my bikes gallery

Also, not any backpack will welcome a Brompton. Few off-the-shelf rucksacks will.

OFF-THE-SHELF BACKPACKS

In fact, I’ve tried all 3 current backpacks made to carry a folded bike. And I disliked all of them for several reasons:

• heavy: more than 1 kg (35 oz)
• bulky: require a small backpack to carry the empty bike backpack, which is inefficient
• unergonomic: once in the bag, the folded bike remains unstable and far from the body center of gravity

No satisfactory off-the-shelf, ready to buy solutions? Well, I’ll make my own bag!

MY DIY BACKPACK

Photo: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV Ultralight Brompton carrying backpack

I’ve teamed up with fellow lightweight backpacker Jean-Christophe LEBEAU in Paris. An engineer by day and a DIY guy by night, he sews impressive backpacks, sleeping bags and tarps.

I got bleeding edge fabric for our project: a rip-stop blend of Dyneema and nylon. Weaved in a grid pattern (white lines in the picture) inside nylon (green in the picture), Dyneema is:

• very tough: steel has comparable yield strength, which is what we look for to carry the 11 kg (24.3 lbs) Brompton
• highly resistant to abrasion: 15x more resistant to abrasion than steel, which is just what’s needed to enclose a folded bike containing abrasive metal parts
• extremely water-repellent: great for a wet bike and rainy skies
• slippery: handy for shoveling the bike in and out

Together with Jean-Christophe, we’ve designed a minimal backpack following the current ultralight principles:

• no frame
• no back padding
• no hip belt
• wide, non-padded shoulder straps: OK to carry the loaded backpack, perfect to fold the empty backpack
• unconventional shoulder straps positioning: instead of placing them close to the back, the straps cross over the backpack to work as the conventional load-lifters would, automatically pulling the load closer to the spine
• limited zipper-use: the backpack has only 1 zipper on top, saving weight and improving structural strength
• 320 g (11 oz)

MY DIY BACKPACK CONTAINER POUCH

Additionally, Jean-Christophe invented a special backpack container pouch that fastens to the Brompton’s main frame by 2 cross-inverted elastic straps.

Photo: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV Ultralight Brompton carrying backpack

Look ma: the backpack is on my bike! No need to carry anything. And the Brompton folds even with the backpack attached.

Photo: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV Ultralight Brompton carrying backpack

MY FOLDING BROMPTON BIKE IN A BACKPACK PROCESS

1. Attach the backpack container pouch (with the backpack inside) to the bike frame.
2. Ride.
3. Stop at the destination.
4. Detach the backpack container pouch.
5. Fold the Brompton.
6. Detach the left MKS AR-2 Ezy toe-clipped pedal. The right pedal stays on the bike.

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Brompton P3L / See my bikes gallery

7. Place the pedal into a plastic bag. The pedal has an exposed greased part.
8. Pull out the backpack from the backpack container pouch.
9. Place the folded Brompton inside the backpack.
10. Pull out the Brompton’s seat post with its seat to reduce the package volume (you will need to push the seat post back in to pick up the bike out of the backpack).
11. Place the seat post horizontally between the main frame and the pedal crank.

Photo: current Anatoly IVANOV’s folded Brompton P3L with removed seat post / See my bikes gallery

12. Place the MKS AR-2 Ezy toe-clipped pedal and my Assos half-gloves inside my Giro Atmos helmet.
13. Place the helmet on top of the folded Brompton.
14. Zip the backpack.
15. Clasp the adjust squeeze buckle.

Photo: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV Ultralight Brompton carrying backpack

16. Put the backpack on the back.
17. Go!

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

• Manufacturer: Jean-Christophe LEBEAU (webmarinajc.fr) and Anatoly IVANOV (anatolyivanov.com)
• Model: Ultralight Brompton carrying backpack
• Year: 2008
• Materials: Dyneema Cross-Rip Gridstop, traditional zipper, webbing, adjust squeeze buckle
• Main features: ultralight, super compact backpack for carrying a folded Brompton
• Backpack weight: 320 g (11 oz)
• Backpack container pouch weight: 33 g (1 oz)

ALTERNATIVES

• Carradice Folding bike case with or without rucksack
• Radel Max Tragetasche für Falträder 16" & 20"
• Vélo Pliant Globe Trotter

TRANSLATIONS

• FR / Le post de Jean-Christophe LEBEAU en français.

CHANGE LOG

If your priority is intermodal transport and maximum flexibility, 16-inch folders are the way to go.

Both the Bike Friday Tikit and the Brompton ride on 16" wheels. Unlike the Dahon’s 16" models, both compete in the top-quality market share. How do they compare?

FOLDED SIZE

Photo: folded Bike Friday Tikit (left) vs folded Brompton P3L (right)

The folded Tikit is approximately 2 times bulkier than the folded Brompton.

Photo: folded Bike Friday Tikit (left) vs folded Brompton P3L with removed seat post (right)

Brompton’s orderly, tidy look helps to pass security inspection.

Choice: if you want the most compact folded size, choose the Brompton. If you want to carry your folded bike in a backpack, choose the Brompton as well. If you want to fit your bike into tight places (overhead compartments, squeezed bars and Paris apartments), choose the Brompton. If you want to maneuver with the folded bike in dense crowds, like in shopping malls, or pass the security checks… like in shopping malls, choose the Brompton.

FOLDING / UNFOLDING PROCESS

I give my own average folding / unfolding times. When unfolding the Brompton, I double-check the saddle alignment, the latches and the brake cables.

Some Brompton and Tikit users claim even faster folding times: 10 seconds to fold the Brompton and 4 seconds to fold the Tikit.

Even though both bikes require a negligible amount of time to fold or unfold, the Tikit comes forward as a clear winner: world’s fastest fold, no latches or clamps to unscrew. Moreover, the Tikit’s folding process maintains the bike’s fit.

Choice: if you’re looking for the absolute fastest and easiest folding process, choose the Tikit.

RIDE QUALITY

I compare the ride quality to that of the mid- and top-of-the-line non-folding road bikes. Both the Brompton and the Tikit offer an exceptional ride when compared to lower-end folders.

Still, although the Brompton’s over-responsive handling allows for some crazy maneuvers in traffic, the Tikit is way, way better to ride. While I routinely go over 50 km/h (31 mi/h) on the Brompton, the Tikit can handle a lot more.

Choice: if you prefer a stable, predictable ride, choose the Tikit.

BIKE FIT

Either the Brompton fits you or not.

I’m 1 m 80 cm (5.9 ft) and wear size 45,5 EUR (11.5 US) shoes. I had to modify my P-type Brompton and replace its “butterfly” handlebars with flat bars to obtain a more aerodynamic position. The fit remains sub-optimal.

Choice: if the bike’s fit is paramount, choose the Tikit.

STANDARDS

Choice: if you’d like to customize your bike “just so”, choose the Tikit.

GEAR SYSTEMS

In my opinion, the Brompton and the Tikit “derailleur + internal gear hub” mixtures combine the worst of both worlds.

The Brompton’s gear systems do work, and work reliably. The latest 3-speed Sturmey-Archer BWR is a bit of an improvement. But frankly, that kind of gear ranges and spacings still struggle to maintain optimal pedaling cadence.

I have tried only the “8-speed SRAM cassette + derailleur” Tikit. A disappointment. The chain angle in high gears is huge. The Tikit owner and myself were derailing too often to stay calm and clean. Besides, with the 16" wheels, the chain runs very close to the ground. Much lower than the front sprocket (chainset). Curb hopping, anyone?

For urban, everyday riding I would select a modern internal gear hub like the Shimano Nexus, Shimano Alfine, SRAM i-Motion 9… Or even the Rohloff Speedhub 500/14.

Choice: if you prefer a wide-range, evenly-spaced gear system or a fixie, choose the Tikit.

BRAKES

Brompton’s custom brakes pale in comparison with most standard brakes. Even after tinkering, Alhonga’s production squeaks and misaligns. While the recent introduction of Fibrax pads to the standard Brompton configuration has largely improved toe-in adjustment and overall performance, the brake brackets themselves continue to creak under load, similar to brakes in the entry-level Shimano road groupos like Tiagra. These are no higher-end Shimano or Campagnolo.

Choice: if you require dependable, powerful braking in any weather, choose the Tikit.

WHEELS

Choice: if you plan to puncture every week, choose the Tikit.

TIRES

All tires available in the 16" size (not much) fit both the Tikit and the Brompton.

Choice: parity.

FENDERS (MUDGUARDS)

Both the Tikit and the Brompton provide built-in fenders. A must for any weather riding.

Choice: parity.

TIME-TEST

The Brompton has been around for 20 years. User and dealer feedback through all these years have helped to incrementally improve the machine.

Although the Bike Friday Tikit lacks such hindsight, its manufacturer has been producing high-quality, performance folding bikes since 1993. Their experience trickles into the new 16-inch wheel Tikit.

Choice: if you prefer a time-proven, fully-known product, choose the Brompton.

GUARANTEE

Choice: if a lifetime frame guarantee is important, choose the Tikit.

PRODUCTION PLANT LOCATION

Both Brompton and Bike Friday are small-sized companies that currently lack the global reach and leverage of some bike giants. Their location impacts distribution, technical support and prices. The closer to the home-plant, the lower the prices and the better the availability of spares.

Choice: if costs and logistics matter, choose depending on where you live. Choose the Brompton if you live in Europe. Choose the Tikit if you live in the USA or Canada. For all other places, production location is irrelevant.

MY PERSONAL CHOICE: A MODIFIED BROMPTON P3L

I need a folding bike that rides fast and fits in a backpack. These 2 requirements have selected the Brompton for me.

I have customized my bike to reduce some of its shortcomings. I still have to live with many of the Brompton’s inconveniences, but in the end, this bike gets me into places where a Tikit would never fit.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Rebecca NOTORANGELO HALDEMAN for letting me inspect, ride, photograph and break her Bike Friday Tikits on numerous occasions, as well as for debating all things cyclable / foldable.

CHANGE LOG

The quick answer: none of them. You’ll have to assemble your own kit.

BROMPTON’S TOOL REQUIREMENTS

// A quick look

The Brompton’s not a mountain bike. So, you won’t need any Torx tools.

A chain tool is probably overkill in the city. The straight chain line of non-derailleur Bromptons, including my own, further reduces the risk of unexpected chain failure.

You’ll need a Philips screwdriver. For example, to change the dead batteries in your rear light. And a flathead as well.

And, oh yeah, a 15 mm hex wrench to fix that flat tire. Clever folding contraptions, but no quick release skewers on the Brompton.

// A thorough analysis

When riding a Brompton, I used to carry just a sawed off 15 mm wrench (AKA home-made tire lever), a set of tube patches and a micro-pump. The purchase of my latest P3L became an incentive to optimize my take-along tool kit.

So I first proceeded to measure almost every component of my new Brompton.

The results of my survey brought up the following needs:

• hex Allen keys: 2 mm, 2,5 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm
• metric hex wrenches (flat): 7 mm, 7,8 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 19 mm
• metric hex wrenches (socket): 14 mm
• thin (cone) wrenches: 13 mm, 15 mm, 16 mm, 36 mm
• flathead screwdrivers: 9 mm
• Philips screwdrivers: size 1
• Pozidriv: size 1
• spoke wrench: 3,2 mm

Quite a variety! Let’s trim it down:

• I doubt I will ever need cone wrenches on the road. However, I might need a thin 15 mm wrench to tighten my MKS AR-2 Ezy removable pedals with toe-clips. These allow max 3,6 mm of tool purchase.
• I have rarely seen the cranks loosen up after a day of riding. Carrying around a 14 mm socket wrench just for the pedal cranks would be overkill.
• The only Pozidriv screw is used in a non-critical area of the rear hinge retention clip.

With these parameters in mind, I’ve assembled the lightest and most compact combination of tools I could find.

Photo: the majority of my take-along tools to field-repair my Brompton P3L

MY TAKE-ALONG TOOL KIT FOR THE BROMPTON: CONTENTS

// Park Tool AWS-10 fold up hex (Allen) wrench set (x1)

• Covers my needs for 2 mm, 2,5 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm hex Allen fasteners.
• The only unused tool is the 1,5 mm hex Allen key.
• Features a “multi position” plastic “composite handle that is comfortable, lightweight, slip-resistant, and 40% stronger than steel”. “Keys have chamfered tips for a perfect fit and are made from Bondhus Protanium high torque industrial steel for long life.”
• Unusual for marketing copy, but Park Tool’s description is 100% accurate. I’ve used this multi-tool to assemble IKEA furniture applying maximum torque. The tool would not even squeak. Absolutely great. Would buy another one any time. Highly recommended.
• Weight: 105 g (3.7 oz).

// Park Tool RW3 36 mm x 15 mm open-end wrench (x1)

• 36 mm headset wrench on one end.
• If you’re wondering why I need a headset wrench… Well, since my early childhood, I keep having bike accidents. Some of them result in misaligned handlebars. Yes, and on the Brompton as well. I ride hard and often. Shit happens.
• 15 mm pedal wrench on the other end.
• The RW3 is only 3 mm thin. Unscrewing or tightening hurts, but the tool fits my MKS AR-2 Ezy pedals. Suboptimal for the wheel’s 15 mm nuts – it leaves small dents – but OK for an occasional roadside flat tire repair.
• Heat-treated steel.
• Rather compact size.
• Park Tool no longer makes this tool. Fortunately, Rando Boutique in Paris still had it. Eternal thanks, guys!
• Weight: 110 g (3.9 oz).

// Facom 113A.4C adjustable wrench (chromed, unsheathed) (x1)

• Adjusts from 0 mm to 13 mm.
• Covers my needs for a 3,2 mm spoke wrench, as well as 7 mm, 7,8 mm, 8 mm and 10 mm hex nuts / bolts.
• So far, I’ve torqued really hard with this wrench, without any problems. Best quality available in France.
• Nicely contoured handle for comfort.
• Tapered jaw tips – better access.
• Non-protruding moving jaw at maximum capacity.
• Graduated to pre-set the jaw opening or use as an improvised caliper.
• Clockwise rotating worm screw.
• Very compact.
• Weight: 65 g (2.3 oz).

// Spokey flathead + Philips interchangeable screwdriver (x1)

• This tool features a disk-shaped handle with a hexagonal insertion tube running along the handle’s radius. A hexagonal steel shaft inserts into this tube and has a flathead screwdriver on one end and a Philips screwdriver on the other. To convert, pull the shaft out, flip over, push back in.
• Covers my needs for a flathead and a Philips screwdriver (OK, with a stretch).
• Super compact, allows sufficient torque, German quality.
• Of course, its limitation is the shortness of the shank.
• Yet another amazing, hard-to-find product sold to my by the Rando Boutique guys. I definitely recommend this LBS if you’re in Paris.
• Weight: 17 g (0.6 oz).

// Rema Tip Top sandpaper, patch and glue kit (x1)

• A zip-lock repackaged version of their Touring Kit.
• Pure luxury.
• Tip Top’s sterility and ergonomics easily outdo Soviet-era medical bandages… yet another experience from my childhood bike crashes…
• Weight: approx 10 g (0.4 oz) (varies depending on the current quantity of patches and glue).

// Schwalbe tire lever (x2)

• Compact, flat, light and very strong tire levers that can lock onto the spokes.
• Clip together for easy storage.
• Weight: 23 g (0.8 oz) (for 2 levers)

// Park Tool MG-1 nitrile rubber mechanic’s glove (x1)

• One glove used mainly to remove the chain and keep the hands relatively clean.
• Weight: 4 g (0.14 oz) (size M).
• Note: not shown on the photo above.

// Zefal X-Light Carbon pump (x1)

• An incredible, super-minimal pump that does work. Especially when inflating the smallish 16" Shwalbe slicks.
• Carbon fiber barrel and handle (lockable).
• Aluminum thumblock.
• Maximum attainable pressure: 7 bar (100 psi). I floor-pump my tires to 100 psi on the front and 110 psi on the rear, so for an urban repair pump, 100 psi is plenty.
• Weight: 52 g (1.8 oz).
• Note: not shown on the photo above.

// Jean-Christophe LEBEAU and Anatoly IVANOV Ultralight Brompton Tool Pouch (x1)

• I describe this DIY pouch in a separate post.
• Weight: 10 g (0.4 oz).

MY TAKE-ALONG TOOL KIT FOR THE BROMPTON: TOTAL WEIGHT

• 400 g (14 oz) including the carrying pouch.
• Give or take several grams for tube patches variability.

Not the company’s vice president’s Surly bike loaded with touring panniers! Riding off across Europe right after the show.

Ultegra components aside, the bike was showing off Pacific Outdoor’s new line of bike-specific bags and panniers. The waterproof LTW Front Fender pannier may be the lightest available.

Photo: Pacific Outdoor LTW Front Fender / Used with permission from PO / Author unknown

WHAT’S NEW AND INTERESTING?

A pair of front rack-mounting bike panniers from Pacific Outdoor, the company with a long history of waterproof products for the backpacking and water sports enthusiast.

• Each pannier weighs 450 g (15.9 oz) for an 18 L (1 100 cu in) volume!
• Not as indestructible as the Ortlieb’s de facto touring standard, but they weigh approximately 2 times less for the same volume.
• As a lightweight bike tourer, you would of course put these on your rear rack.
• Lightweight 50D diamond ripstop fabric.
• Compression straps! Yay!

Photo: Pacific Outdoor LTW Front Fender / Used with permission from PO / Author unknown

• Classical roll-top closure.
• Articulated frame allows the bags to be rolled up and stuffed away.

Photo: Pacific Outdoor LTW Front Fender / Used with permission from PO / Author unknown

• R&K attachment hardware.

Photo: Pacific Outdoor LTW Front Fender / Used with permission from PO / Author unknown

Photo: Pacific Outdoor LTW Front Fender / Used with permission from PO / Author unknown

• Universal shape fits left or right.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

• Manufacturer: Pacific Outdoor Equipment (pacoutdoor.com)
• Model: LTW Front Fender
• Year: 2009
• Materials: lightweight 50 denier diamond ripstop waterproof nylon
• Size of each pannier: height 41 cm (16 in) x width 25 cm (10 in) x depth 18 cm (7 in)
• Volume of each pannier: 18 L (1 100 cu in)
• Weight per pannier: 450 g (15.9 oz)
• Rack attachment system: R&K
• Colors: high visibility green and silver

AVAILABILITY

Should be available in spring 2009.

MY QUESTIONS AND DOUBTS

I’ll have to use the bags to see how well they function. Shifting? Packing? Ergonomics? Water resistance?

I have few doubts about durability. I wouldn’t mountain bike with these… or, hopefully, slide on asphalt too often.

ALTERNATIVES

The following companies provide a wide range of bike panniers. But, to my knowledge, none of them makes a lightweight waterproof bag.

• Carradice
• Ortlieb
• Vaude