Latest TomTom Riders .. Missed Opportunity?

Off-topic
1

Just a quick rant, but welcome thoughts and feedback about GPS and Garmin vs TomTom :slight_smile:

I’m looking for a GPS for the London-Tbilisi-Bahrain trip (http://www.london2tbilisi.com/) and next weekend’s trip to France with WeeFrenchie (come along! :slight_smile: ) http://londonbikers.com/forums/Topic729403-52-1.aspx )

I’ve currently got an old TomTom One I tape to my bike’s tank (not good!).

The Garmins seem more friendly for updating maps, using SD cards etc. Their maps also cover Syria etc which TomTom doesn’t. However, reviews on Amazon leave lots to be desired, like being taken down strange little paths etc. Never had quite that problem with the old TomTom. Feel free to tell me otherwise :slight_smile:

Then I noticed the new TomTom Riders. Sound great, but expensive (this place looks cheaper? http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/3093/tomtom-rider-pro---europe).

They’re still more expensive than all the other TomToms, but miss out on some very useful functions of car TomToms.

They come with IQ routes (time of day traffic estimates), which arguably aren’t quite so relevant to bikes filtering. However, the one KILLER thing they don’t include is LIVE traffic and LIVE RoadAngel/SMS safety camera updates. :crazy: I would have bought one in a flash if they’d put that function in.

So, I’m trying to weigh up new TomTom rider vs a Garmin vs a Car TomTom in a waterproof case etc. Its also tempting to buy an iPhone and pack it with TomTom software :slight_smile:

Any thoughts or better alternatives appreciated :slight_smile:

Cheers!

Alex

2

I got a tom tom 630 for £149. Think they must be superceded by a new one. Still a cracking price though.

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Hi Rosso,

I agree, the older/car TomToms seem good value. Have you got a decent holder for yours on the bike?

I’d love to support TomTom and buy the proper Rider … but gosh I’d like the “live safety camera updates” for that price :slight_smile:

4

My TomTom rider2 has live camera and traffic both extra cost mind:) Had it for about 4 years now, never missed a beat and it has taken me for quite a few thousand miles now;) just had a look at the Pro Europe, it has them as well, at extra cost.

5

I was recently having the same debate myself, whether or not to buy the new Tomtom Urban Rider, in the end I got a Tomtom XL IQ europe edition for £139 from halfords,
a waterproof case from www.gpsmoto.com that you can strap to the handlebars or to your forearm
and a battery that give up 15 hours battery life from the same website if you haven’t got a socket on your bike
all that for less than £200

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Hi Tromboman, I think that’s my kind of thinking at the moment. Thanks for the link too.

Thanks too Busa55 … though can you really get your TomTom Rider to receive the live RoadAngel Traffic Camera alerts without plugging into your PC?! I’d love to know more and how. I gather that takes SMS etc which I can’t see stated on the new Riders spec sheets. For me, I’d love to just know that someone’s semi-automatically warned me a few minutes in advance of a new speed camera, or also me warning them.

Cheers,

Alex

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Not without plugging into PC, I get weekly updates. sorry thought that was what you meant:)

8

got the tomtom GO930 myself its bluetooth, MP3 player, photo album takes SD cards, put a 12 volt socket on my bike and a TELFERIZER mount and jobs a good un, it took me to south france/spain last year and normandy this year, mine got the antenna for the live traffic updates and built in cameras, handy in france :):slight_smile:

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Hey Steve, that sounds promising! Do you have a waterproof cover for your 930? Do you use a regular TomTom Ram-Mount connector on your 930, or do you need something special to connect to the Telferizer?

Cheers!

Alex

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The LIVE TT services in their latest (and most expensive) car products get live traffic and other data through a GPRS receiver and sim cars within the device. I have a 740 I use in the car and it is amazingly good. It even has live Google search so if you want to find the nearest whatever, you search Google and it takes you there. Unfortunately even the latest bike products don’t have this feature.

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I have a tomtom 920 with the ability to connect to your phone to get live traffic updates, IQ routes is something new and I don’t think it’s based on models but base software packs released with new models like the tomtom 930 etc. If you have some IT skills and you really don’t need to be a whiz you could always home brew your own kit.

Go to www.gpsunderground.com but I warn you in advance that patience is a virtue. :slight_smile:

BM

12

On the old Tom Tom Rider you can definitely get live traffic reports by bluetoothing a compatible phone.
However I have never bothered as I am on a bike and my phone is not compatible and it would mean carrying a second phone (no officer I am not a drug dealer!! its my Sat Navs phone).
Also if you using it like this when abroad I presume you will get charged overseas roaming rates

However the new units do look interesting

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As well as an unmetalled farmyard, a cart track, and a pedestrian grassy pathway ending at a river, all on the same day:D

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PMSL:w00t: that was such a good days riding:hehe::hehe:

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if it looks like rain I put it in a clear sandwich bag, but my screen keeps most off it, came back from france last week in torrential rain without a problem.

go to TELFERIZER.COM get the phone number and ring Bob tell him your sat nav brand and bike he will tell you which cradle and fitment you need, plenty of people on here have used him, not sure what bike you running but I purchased a 12volt marine socket from Ebay for around £4 fitted it near the clocks to power it also charge MP3/phone up

oh and you can update the 930 to cover eastern europe as well, it comes with uk/europe/america/canada as standard hope that helps