NaviGadget

TomTom RIDER 2 which has been around for about a year just got updated with some new features:

• Map Share technology
• “Help Me” menu
• latest map guarantee
• trip statistics
• itinerary planning

The new TomTom RIDER 2 will be available as early as next month in the U.K. If you go with local maps only it will cost about £350, but if you opt for maps for all of Europe prepare an extra £50. Also owners of older TomTom RIDERs can update their GPS navigation system from TomTom HOME… read »

Quarq is a GPS enabled trainer for cyclists. It just got the Australian International Design Award for the promise to revolutionize the way cyclists train.

Quarq works hand in hand with multiple sensors to record and display heart rate, power generated, exact location, temperature, cadence, torque, acceleration, and more. The device is made up of two pieces: Qranium and Cinqo. Qranium is the piece that attaches to your handlebar and carries the display and the GPS receiver; it does the computing part. Cinqo is the piece that attaches to your wheels to measure torque, power, etc.

Qranium - the computer and the display - uses 2.4 GHz digital wireless, is fully customizable, uses Linux OS, and runs on open source code. It comes with 512MB of memory. This will cost you only $995.

Cinqo - the power sensor - also uses 2.4 GHz digital wireless technology, is ANT+Sport compatible, has 10 Strain gages, and uses a replaceable CR2450 battery. Weighing only 130 grams it should not be too much of a hassle when climbing up hills. Cinqo sells for $1195. Yes, those prices are not typos.

More features of this high end trainer include waterproof, lightweight, and rugged body; and a 2.8″ backlit display module. It seems like a device only pros can afford… via

XRoad RM-A4000 which we talked about here at Navigadget before made another appearance in Korea just the other day under the Tibo name. Like we mentioned before this GPS navigation device for bikes is a nice alternative to TomTom Rider and Garmin Zumo who are pretty much in control of the whole market right now.

XRoad RM-A4000 features a nice joystick to make it easy to control with your gloves and a big bluetooth button to enable you to pair with your helmet or other bluetooth device.

It is expected to cost about $600… via

The market for GPS navigation systems designed for riders is quite limited. The best ones out there are the Garmin Zumo and the TomTom Rider. Today we present a new brand - XRoad - entering the arena with their new model RM-A4000. There’s nothing too special about the circuitry or the software inside the RM-A4000; you get your usual 3.5″ screen, 64MB memory, SD card slot, and support for multimedia files.

The difference is in the exterior design, such as the visor-like cover to minimize the reflection, and the special joystick button to control the menus which make RM-A4000 quite unique. There’s also big button to activate bluetooth so you can pair up with your helmet - and possibly your cell phone.

There’s word that it would be available next month for about $600 - but not sure which country… via

In addition to Edge 705 which we just mentioned Garmin also announced Edge 605 today. Edge 605 has the same for factor and features as with its more expensive version for the most part but it just lacks the heart rate monitor and the speed/cadence sensor. You’ll also miss out on the barometric altimeter, unit-to-unit wireless transfer and the ability to attach a power meter to it. However you’ll save some money since Edge 605 costs $430. Of course you’ll still need to buy maps if you want turn by turn directions.

Edge 605 has great training features for cyclists such as:

• virtual partner lets you race a virtual competitor over a specified distance and speed
• courses let you race against a previously recorded workout, so you can compare your current and past performances over the same ride
• auto pause pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride
• auto Lap automatically starts a new lap each time you pass a specified location or travel a preset distance

Garmin today made available a new device - Edge 705 - both a trainer and a navigator designed mostly for cyclists. It can get heart rate, cadence, turn-by-turn directions, and power data (needs third-party power meters). You can also share your data with other Edge 705 users who are within 3 meters.

Edge 705 offers 3 different versions with three different prices:

• Edge 705, Heart Rate: $540
• Edge 705, Heart Rate & Speed/Cadence: $595
• Edge 705, Heart Rate, Speed/Cadence & Data Card with Street Maps: $710

Edge 705 can provide with information such as your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and thanks to the barometric altimeter you can get extra-precise climb and descent data - all on a 2.2″ color screen.

Edge 705 accepts microSD cards but if you choose not to pay for any additional maps you can just rely on a basemap which is already installed on the device. Edge 705 will store data on 1000 laps, 100 waypoints, and 50 routes.

TomTom RIDER 2, which was announced months and months ago here at Navigadget, today officially became available in the U.S. for an MSRP of $700.

RIDER 2 is the latest and greatest navigation device from TomTom for bikers featuring high-quality bluetooth headset for in-helmet spoken instructions which also features noise cancellation feature to ensure that bikers can hear directions and phone calls clearly.

New RIDER 2 also has a new rugged RAM mount that can fit on almost anything with a handle bar and is waterproof to IPX7 standards.

It will come with maps of US and Canada preloaded on 1GB SD card and the internal lithium-polymer battery should last you up to 5 hours on a single charge.

Clarion just announced a new waterproof casing for its DrivTrax line of GPS navigation systems. The new protection includes a speaker that works with AA batteries as well as stylus to operate the touch screen interface. However it will cost you 125€ to get this luxury on your motorcycle… via

This morning we would like to talk about Sunday Morning Rides. SundayMorningRides.com is an online resource for unique GPS/GPX motorcycle rides. But they claim they are more than just a regular Google mashup. They feature a sophisticated mapping interface that integrates Google maps with geographic information systems, including selectable information and WMS layers, etc.

They also let their users embed their mapping interface into other sites as well as forums. Other features include building utilities that allow people to draw new tracks, place POIs, GeoTag images and save the creations as sharable GPX files and even widgets to allow our users to interactively browse rides from their iGoogle homepages. SMR is a totally free resource with no login or registration requirements for download.

ATech bicycle GPS receiver can mount to a standard 1″ bicycle handlebar, and with its integral antenna and a speedometer, it can accurately display your location within 10 meters and your speed on an easy to read LCD. 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 GPS comes in a splashproof casing that is also shatter-resistant. It measures 4.25″ x 2.75″ x 1.25″ and can be purchased from this site that resembles in flight shopping magazinesfor $150 .