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FENIX 6x PRO bicycle activity BUGS & FEELINGS

Former Member
Former Member over 5 years ago

I'm using FENIX 6x PRO.

I'm after my first bicycle ride. I ride a bike recreationally. Let start from the beginning.

Firstly, I use garmin connect to prepare my route, set start location and distance - I've got an automatically prepared route. (It's really nice, I don't have to make checkpoints - only set distance, appreciate that)

But leave web browser, let focus strictly on the smartwatch

1) BUG: I'M NOT ON ROUTE.

Explanation: I drove through the prepared route. But If I'm on the other side of the street, Garmin says 'You are not on route!"

I even make a photo . Right side - correct route, left side - my route. It's really annoying. (see number 2. It could solve the problem)

2. BUG?: LOST THE ROUTE. If you use google maps to drive, and you will turn wrong, the application automatically prepares a new route. But not garmin. Garmin instead of prepare new route, wants me to always get back, even If I'm one kilometer from the prepared route.

In my opinion, Garmin should recalculate the route (even using a phone CPU) to get back on correct route.

3. FEATURE - I'm not a sportsman (for now :D) and on the route I see green arrow moving through route. I think its a simulation of how fast I have to drive. But for now I'm not intrested in this. I search option to turn it off but didn't see.

4. Feature - start activity with loaded route from phone. When I have a lot of prepared routes, its hard to select correct one on clock. It would be better if I could do this via phone. 

What do you think about it?

Best regards,
Tomek

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    2. Bike Settings> Routing> Courses> Use Map

    4. You can delete rarely used courses from the watch, and just send them from the phone again. 

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to mcalista

    2. Thanks I'll check that. But 4 It's still not comfortable.

    If you do cyclic routes. For instance: 6x in a week * 3 weeks = 18.

    It repeats every month and you live in a two cities, some routes start from one city, some of the other - its difficult to find correct one on watch.

    I guess smartfon should provide some filter options (by date / by start location / by route distance etc)

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    These thoughts are not for the 6X, which I have, but have not used for routing/navigation. They are just from general experience of cycling with Garmin bike computers.

    1. If the GPS positioning is not accurate the watch may say you are off route even when you think you are just fine. Also, perhaps the tolerance for such errors is smaller for cycling (and walking) than driving, where a road/route could be 4/5/6 lanes wide. If you are happy that you are in the right place and direction then just ignore the message. Be guided by the visual route rather than your marked position. Hopefully it will self correct soon.

    2. Be careful what you wish for. With cycling the journey is often more important than the destination, so you want to return to the route, not replan a new route to the destination. If you have a round trip planned, auto-recalculate will take you straight back to the start/finish and ignore the round trip you planned entirely. It is better to self navigate back to the correct course of if you can.

    Also, I have found Garmin bike computers to get easily confused on out and back routes. Again, if anything goes wrong the Garmin solution is to simply resume straight towards the final destination, not the coffee stop at the half way point. I recommend to split such routes into the outbound half and the return half. There can be the same complications when a route crosses itself or repeats the same roads at any point. Try not to plan such routes.

    3. Not sure on this. I think you have the correct understanding, but I have not explored the feature or turning it off.

    4. I suspect the best solution is to come up with a naming strategy for your routes that makes it easier to remember and find the correct one.

    FWIW I switched from Garmin to Wahoo for my bike computer 2-3 years ago. I think it handles these things better. I would not use the watch for bike navigation. Walking and hiking sure, but my old eyes can't take in the display from a watch at 30mph on public roads with pot holes and traffic.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to eezytiger

    Excellent tip on #2...to split out-and-back routes into two!