Review: ATech Bicycle GPS Computer
Posted by The GPS Advisor in ATech Products, GPS Bike Computers, Product Reviews
Verdict: “Good Basic Bike GPS Computer for less than $100“
We like the simplicity of the Atech GPS design…reminds us of the old days when a basic speedometer was all you needed on the bike. If you are not into paying $300-$600 for a fancy Garmin unit (which could also buy you an extra bike), this may be the unit for you.
I like to think of the Atech Bike GPS navigational computer as a super charged GPS-enabled bicycle computer. This slightly oversized GPS bicycle computer mounts on to standard one inch handlebars, providing more navigation functionality than any typical cycling computer can do.
At about $100, the ATech GPS Bike computer is a good buy and a good option for people who want to augment their cycling experience with accurage GPS coordinates. If you want to graphically see a map of where you are in relation to the world, I would suggest that you check out the Garmin Edge products instead.
Limited GPS Navigation Support
The ATech GPS is not in the same class as the Garmin Edge receivers. If you are looking for color maps and sophisticated graphics software, look elsewhere. Don’t get us wrong, this GPS receiver will allow you to save up to 110 coordinate navigation waypoints as well as saving data for up to 20 trips.
Additionally, it will show you your lattitude, longitude and altitude…just bring your map to plot where you are to see it visually. We like setting the starting point of the ride as the home base bookmark, then using the ATech to help us get home if we get lost. Be aware that it will show you how to get home as the crow flies (so bring your mountain bike!).
Additional Features of the Atech GPS
The GPS has 16 channels all-in-view tracking and can save up to 110 waypoints and 20 trips, and provides latitude, longitude, and altitude. The altitude profile setting allows you to plot the cross-section of a mountain you climbed.
The speedometer displays the time, current, maximum, and average speeds, speed comparison with your average speed, and has a trip odometer; a compass ring provides your bearing while riding. The Atech GPS comes in a splash-proof casing that is also shatter-resistant and measures 4.25? x 2.75? x 1.25?.
We Would Definitely Buy to Upgrade Our Bike Computer
The Atech is not the most user-friendly cycling GPS system, as moving between the displays can be a bit confusing when you are new to the product. Make sure you spend time with the manual to get the most out of it.
I would buy this computer if I could not afford the $300+ Garmin Edge units and wanted to upgrade my bike computer to enable GPS coordinate mapping (manally, of course). This computer is “old school”, as they say - meaning you had better understand how to map coordinates on a paper map - to get any benefit out of it.
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