MTB Trail Navigation - How SHOULD it work?

The Trailforks integration on the Edge 840 was a key feature I was hoping to make use of.  It is not documented very well.  In particular, the 'MTB Trail Navigation' is confusing and I'd like to know how this is supposed to work.  Here is what happens when I select this option...

1.)  Select 'MTB Trail Navigation' from the Navigation widget on the home screen.

2.)  From there I have an option to enter search criteria...

  • Trail Network (nearby ones are properly listed)
  • Start Location (can set with a pin)
  • Difficulty
  • Distance

I presume this search criteria is used by the Edge 840 to construct a few different routes in the selected Trail Network.  In my experience, 1-3 routes are generated (but sometimes it locks up during route calculation)  that adhere to the search criteria, although the length of these routes is often significantly shorter or longer than the value I put in the search criteria.

3.)  When I select a route I am immediately placed into a map screen with a 'Ride' button.

4.)  Now, I am often not at the selected Trail Network, so when I hit 'Ride' I get a navigation prompt that tells me to proceed to the selected start point, but there is no route/navigation support to get me to the starting point.  It simply says 'Continue to XYZ' point, the same point I entered in the search criteria.

Q:  Is the lack of routing/navigation to the 'Start Point' the expected behavior?  The routes within the Trail Network work, once I arrive but I was hoping to have route/navigation support to get to the starting point within the Trail Network.
Q:  After the Edge 840 calculates the route (within the Trail Network), I can either select one of the calculated routes but there is also a button that says 'Search for Trails'.  What is the purpose of this button if the system has already calculated route(s) from the search criteria.  Is this to force the route calculation to include the selected trail?

  • I’m new to Garmin but have been playing with the Edge 840 settings. Related to routing, what ive found is that you can select how to route to your course under the Profile Navigation settings. There you select how you plan to travel to the start; ride, drive, walk, etc. Garmin will use that to determine how to route you to the start. I haven’t tried it yet so hopefully it works as i expect.