I apologise now to any women I may offend, particularly if they are committed to fighting the good fight for equality but this is my blog and I’ll write what I like! As far as I’m concerned there are some things in life that men are just better at than women. Ball control – of the tennis and football variety I hasten to add, bbq-ing – there’s something about men, meat and fire!, changing tyres (after all what woman wants to get her hands dirty?), and of course map reading.
I KNOW men hate to ask for directions but they do at least know one end of a map from the other. But what is it about maps that turns me from a practical, sensible woman into a neurotic, foulmouthed, demented harpie? The dangers of using pieces of paper covered in directions range from near death by paper cut to locked brakes as you avoid riding into the vehicle in front of you cos you were distracted trying to read the blasted things.
And don’t even get me started on a road atlas – WHY are they never printed in the direction of travel? Surely I can’t be the only person fed up trying to read them upside down?
Perhaps I should say that my lack of map reading skills is legendary – even my licence plate bore the legend “Yes- I am definitely lost!” as a warning to others.
So my introduction to sat-nav was an epiphany. I started out with a Garmin Quest and suddenly the world – or at least navigating the M25, was within my reach! Six years on and I’m still a convert and moved onto the Garmin Zumo about four years ago. I must admit I’m almost evangelical in my desire to tell the world just how great it is.
Petrol stations, cafes and places to lay my weary head appear as if by magic, moments after I seek them out. Enjoying a great day’s biking is no longer marred by fearing I won’t remember the way home – now I can spend all day out just enjoying unknown roads before punching in for the most direct route home 🙂
My beloved Garmin and I have been up and down the country together and several times around France. With it unchartered territories hold no fear – his gentle reassuring voice coaxes me ever onwards, and with the ability to adjust the size of the map or directions I have overcome yo-yo head syndrome from constantly needing to look down to reassure myself. If I miss a turn, he doesn’t rant or rave at me but simply calculates a new route to guide me along. Strangely I also find it rather reassuring to find out my ETA – even if I’m running late it seems to calm me to know!
And I am seriously impressed by its robust design – not only has it survived monsoon like conditions, but this time last year my bike, an FZ6s was bouncing down the road in a series of cartwheels 😛 . As you can see from the pictures – the screen and bikini fairing disappeared, the Garmin cradle rotated to face skywards and the Zumo dug into the tarmac several times.
Yet they stayed intact (the Garmin and Cradle – not the bike!) are both in still in great working order and we’ve been on many an adventure since 🙂
Don’t get me wrong – at times you really have to remember not to be a slave to it and to think for yourself. There’s many a time I’ve looked at a road it suggests I take my bike on and thought “hmmm I doubt even a mountain goat has been up that – I think I’ll give that a miss!”. And often I’ll ignore it in favour of a better route just because I’ll know the area. Once you remember to hang on to your common sense you’ll find the Garmin a wonderful tool 🙂
I know the Garmin is not to everyone’s taste… “It’s a load of crock, give me my Tom Tom back” is a regular cry from my bruv Fatboy Ginge lol!
Well I don’t know about that, but if you are looking for a robust, intelligent sat-nav, that you can programme routes on even when wearing thick motorcycle gloves and that seems designed to last, then you’ll go a long long way before you’ll find a better bit of kit!
Ride safe
A bird's eye view to biking! 