Ordnance Survey launch cycling-specific GPS devices

Yet more overpriced crap.

I bought a unit that new is 1/3 the price, 3.5" screen, better resolution (480x800) and able to upload maps from any country you want direct from the website for free.

It'll sell a few on the back of the name but the reality is there's a lot of other units out there that do much better in virtually all departments but are much, much better value. 

Of maps & the Ordance Survey ..... The National Libary of Scotland has on-line digitized copies of OS maps from the 1840's~>1960 which if, like me, you have your head stuck in the past - and- enjoy finding & exploring tracks that used to count as roads.

See:

https://maps.nls.uk/os/

for details.....

Personaly I find the option : "As indervidual sheets using a zoomable map...."  from the set of: "Ordnance Survey Maps - Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952" https://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-england-and-wales/index.html

the most useful.

As an aside..... if you take a look at the 1900 map of Bedford you'll see that it used to have a velodrom (just to the east of Kimbolton Road) http://maps.nls.uk/view/101567771

Over the course of time it became allotments & then a housing estate....which carries an echo of the velodroms shape

I do love OS paper maps.  I believe my internal mapmaking thinks in OS 1:25K.

Anyone know how tough the "Active" range are?

1:250,000? That's a scale designed for road atlases. I'd rather have OpenStreetMap.

EDIT: 3 days ago, I wrote:

I'm a bit confused by what OS says about the price of maps.  On the one hand I see the prices quoted by "Cycling DAG", on the other I see "3-year OS Maps subscription (to redeem)".  Doesn't the subscription mean that you get access to all the map tiles?

I like what I've just read about the Horizon, but the big sticking point would be use abroad.

I've written to Customer Support at OS for clarification.

EDIT: Today OS have replied to the effect that the 3 year subscription is to the maps via browser or 'phone app.

You can't load it with Open Cycle Maps when abroad, but you can choose from a limited range of maps in Europe, North America, Australia and South Africa, supplied by TwoNav<https://www.twonav.com/en/maps>  So tough if you're going to the rest of the Americas and Africa, Asia and many parts of Europe!

You can transfer routes as GPX files to the device.

Sorry OS, I think that's not good enough.  I like OS Maps, but I'd like a device that's a Garmin beater.  (Not really that hard, is it?)

FURTHER EDIT:  I've just noticed that Spanish company CompeGPS  makes the TwoNav/OS GPS units:

e.g. https://www.twonav.com/en/gps/horizon-bike

2015 review in which BikeRumor! (sic) was quite impressed

https://www.bikerumor.com/2015/08/22/detailed-off-road-mapping-with-twon...

so perhaps road.cc could pick up the baton and do a detailed comparison of CompeGPS with Garmin/Acer/<name your favourite bike satnav>?

Can't see that this is a close alternative to the Garmin range.

For the Velo:

What's in the box?

OS Velo handheld GPS device with QuickLock attachment
QuickLock stem bike mount
QuickLock upfront bike mount
OS 1:250k base mapping (installed on device)
USB cable for data transfer and charging
Wall charger
Documentation including: Quick Guide and Warranty
3-year OS Maps subscription (to redeem)
6-month SeeMe subscription (to redeem)
6 x OS 1:25k map tiles (to redeem)

Adding maps
All OS GPS have OS 1:250k scale mapping included

Your OS Veo GPS includes six free map tiles, each of which covers 625km² (25km x 25km) - you can access these as soon as you register your new device. You can also purchase additional map tiles as required.

OS Explorer (1: 25 000 scale): £5.00 each
OS Landranger (1: 50 000 scale): £1.00 each

Tiles with large amounts of sea are discounted.

On that basis, mapping is so restrictive - 6 x OS 1:25k map tiles for detailed routing will get me nowhere and 1:250k is not that usable. This device will rapidly get expensive if you regularly need mapping for a wider area.

There does not appear to be any means of uploading other maps (OSM?) so the device becomes totally redundant for riding in France, or wherever else.

Can't wait to see a proper review of these. Ordnance Survey mapping is the best in the world, if this actually has some decent navigation and route planning software it could blow Garmin out of the water.

My major bugbear with GPS bike computers is how much they've focussed on performance rather than route finding, mapping and navigation. Knowing that I'm putting out 400W is useless if I have to stop and read a paper map or get the phone out to find out where I'm actually going because the bloody Garmin has crashed again while trying to negotiate a junction.