# Bryton Rider 50 GPS Review



## Matharvey (Feb 20, 2009)

I am lucky enough to have got my hands on a brand new Bryton Rider 50 Cycling GPS unit. This unit has just been released in Australia and complements the limited range of GPS cycling computers currently available. Its good to see another company enter the arena giving cyclists more choice.
I will conduct a review of this item in 4 parts.


Item specs and Price
Unpacking and first impressions
Trail and commuting use - Stay tuned
Post ride analysis - Stay tuned

1.Item specs and price
While all this information is available on the companies website, i thought i would copy it here for the sake of completeness.

The Rider 50 has digital compass , barometer and a 12 hour battery plus intuitive menus showing distance , navigation , step counter, stop watch , alerts , altitude, slope analysis , personal settings , PC data analysis , website data sharing and a virtual training partner . It is even capable of Immersion in up to 1 metre of water (must be for those epic over bars and into river crashes!)

The unit is priced at about $549au which makes it a viable alternative to other cycling GPS units

*2.Unpacking and First impressions*
While unpacking the Bryton Rider 50 from the box my first impressions are of slick packaging, aka Apple products. This is a small thing, but is always nice when you get the unit home. The next thing i did was put the unit on charge for four hours to give the lipo battery some juice.










While waiting for the GPS to charge i checked out the Bryton website. I found it to be user friendly and I was particularly impressed to find video tutorials on how to operate the Bryton unit (https://corp.Brytonsport.com/rider50.html) . In order to download data to the computer and hence share it online you need to install the 'Bryton Bridge Software' which can be found online (https://corp.Brytonsport.com/support.html). At this point in time there is no support for Macintosh computers. This will be offered in the future apparently. I was also excited to see a "community Bryton" website that allows me to upload my rides to the web for other users to see and share (https://www.Brytonsport.com/login). I will look at this in more detail during my post ride analysis review.

Eventually the charging finished so i got to play with my new toy. The unit is small, compact and housed in a durable case. I found the interface and menu navigation to be be intuitive, and managed to do most things without consulting the manual (although i recommend you do). The first thing that grabbed my attention was the polish or bling that the main display has.

The best parallell i can think of is that Bryton Rider 50 is to other Cycle GPS's as the Macintosh is to PC. In two words: Pretty, Intuitive.

The data layout on the main information screen is unique and eye catching. By default you get a compass rose in the middle of the 4 data fields. While this may look nice and balanced I have never managed to use a compass effectively while hammering down trails or navigating busy streets. Thankfully the main screen is fully customizable as are the number of data fields (1 - 6).










Over the years I have managed to lose two cycling GPS's on the trail. It had gotten to the point that i no longer trusted the GPS mount and had to fashion an ugly but effective cable tie lanyard. The historic loss of GPS's is mainly due to the combination of inadequate clips that attach the GPS to the bike and gnarly rock gardens. I was therefore very keen to see how Bryton have addressed this critical problem.

Overall, I am optimistic that Bryton have nailed the solution with a very robust tongue and groove mount and a thick durable rubber strap to hold the entire unit to the bike. I am a little worried that the rubber strap will allow the mounted GPS unit to wobble around over rough terrain, but I am also curious to see whether this will reduce the likelihood of losing a unit to a particularly nasty rock garden at high speed.










Another ongoing complaint i have had with cycling GPS's is that to get high quality maps you need to either: Buy them (expesive) then install clunky mapping software to upload to the GPS unit OR Download open Source maps, Install clunky mapping software, trawl through forums for instructions to get the maps to work and then upload to the GPS unit.

Now, I'm not saying that there isn't a simple way to get maps onto other units, I'm just saying I haven't found it yet. Needless to say i was delighted to read that the Rider 50 unit comes with a CD full of all the open source maps for Australia (at no extra cost). I found the process of loading these maps onto the GPS very simple and efficient.










Over the next 2 weeks i will use the GPS unit on both my mountain bike and commuter road bike, give all the functions a good work out and report back on how the unit copes with the bashing.

I have found one other review of this product, which if you are looking at buying one, would be good to look at:
https://highlytunedathletes.blogspot.com/2010/09/Bryton-rider.html

*3. Trail and Commuting Use*
Stay tuned
*4. Post ride analysis*
Stay tuned


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Interesting. GUI looks clean, but unfortunately it's still got that God-forsaken joystick controller I hate so much.

I wanna know about this unit's compatibility with software. Being that it's a different brand, will it do direct uploads to any websites, or interface with 3rd party software? Does it natively use .gpx files? Does it have a proprietary data format you have to convert manually?

What is the band on the left?

I assume that since it uses the open street/open cycle maps that you've essentially got worldwide coverage, and so this thing should be ready for a global market with only minor tweaks?


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## inkognito (Oct 7, 2010)

been using this one for a couple of days now. It's a nice unit but has some issues when it comes to transfering data from/to the unit. It does not share GPX files. You have to use BrytonBridge to access the device. You can upload your data to brytonsport.com and view a small summary but that's it. No way of seeing your data in any other suitable format like Sporttracks or Training Center. Neither you are able to load any kind of existing GPX trails to the unit. That was pi**ing me off, so I took a deep look: When conntecting the Rider to BrytonBridge (even when not logged in) and selecting to upload data to brytonsport.com, the software creates GPX files in your profiles "local" folder. For my Vista PC this is: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\BrytonBridge\tmpdir\ You can view those file instantly in tools like easygps but since cadence and heartrate is hidden in extensions, I had to do some coding. If you like, here is a tool to convert those GPX to either Sporttracks Fitness Logs *.fitlog or GoogleEarth KML: http://www.codepointer.de/downloads/BRGPX_setup_103.exe - sorry for the German, when the software starts the first time, You can switch to English in the options  Using TCX Converter You can even convert the fitlogs to TCX.
Next thing I found out today is, that there is a debug option (click the gear in upper right corner of BrytonBridge and go to "Debug"), which let's you import tracks to device. This feature reads all GPX files from a file called "demo.zip" located in the Program Files folder. Unforunately those files have to match Brytons history format, but for your first step you can copy the entire "trkseg" node from another GPX track to an existing history file and then put it into the zip.

I hope there is some future development which lets us handle GPX files directly in the device. I'm going to enhance my tool to do the import conversion, but for now I'm spending the next 3 days riding the Alps in Austria 

Cheers from Germany,
Matz


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

inkognito said:


> been using this one for a couple of days now. It's a nice unit but has some issues when it comes to transfering data from/to the unit. It does not share GPX files. You have to use BrytonBridge to access the device. You can upload your data to brytonsport.com and view a small summary but that's it. No way of seeing your data in any other suitable format like Sporttracks or Training Center. Neither you are able to load any kind of existing GPX trails to the unit. That was pi**ing me off, so I took a deep look: When conntecting the Rider to BrytonBridge (even when not logged in) and selecting to upload data to brytonsport.com, the software creates GPX files in your profiles "local" folder. For my Vista PC this is: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\BrytonBridge\tmpdir\ You can view those file instantly in tools like easygps but since cadence and heartrate is hidden in extensions, I had to do some coding. If you like, here is a tool to convert those GPX to either Sporttracks Fitness Logs *.fitlog or GoogleEarth KML: http://www.codepointer.de/downloads/BRGPX_setup_103.exe - sorry for the German, when the software starts the first time, You can switch to English in the options  Using TCX Converter You can even convert the fitlogs to TCX.
> Next thing I found out today is, that there is a debug option (click the gear in upper right corner of BrytonBridge and go to "Debug"), which let's you import tracks to device. This feature reads all GPX files from a file called "demo.zip" located in the Program Files folder. Unforunately those files have to match Brytons history format, but for your first step you can copy the entire "trkseg" node from another GPX track to an existing history file and then put it into the zip.
> 
> I hope there is some future development which lets us handle GPX files directly in the device. I'm going to enhance my tool to do the import conversion, but for now I'm spending the next 3 days riding the Alps in Austria
> ...


What a pain. It's disappointing to see a potentially viable competitor pop onto the market, especially one willing to support open source maps, but who drops the ball entirely when it comes to interfacing with 3rd party software and by making it so incredibly difficult to share ride data.


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## erginguney (Dec 30, 2005)

I wonder if they're trying to pull off the same trick Apple has mostly utilized (and, to some extent, Sony) by trying to create their own proprietary ecosystem of standards, tools, and formats in the market. The problem with that is, at the very least, you need to be at a certain market share scale before there's any potential to achieve something like that. And I don't think "Bryton" is anywhere near that level.

If that's what they were shooting for in doing it this way, it's a pretty sneaky yet feeble attempt...


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## Napfgeist (Jan 4, 2004)

Interesting alternative, I am just wondering whether there are now maps for other regions available?

Can I install OSM (Open Source Maps) for Switzerland by myself, or do I need the official CD-ROM from Bryton?


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## inkognito (Oct 7, 2010)

maps are OSM but packed into a database. You can only load maps from the DVD set. 

Gruss, Matz


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## nitelights (Mar 16, 2010)

*Bryton Support*

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bryton-GPS-Cycling-Computers/166471213379876?v=wall

Anything you need to know about the units, systems etc, just get in touch


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## Napfgeist (Jan 4, 2004)

Thanks for the answers.

Just received feeback from [email protected]:


> When you buy Rider 50, you can import Switzerland map from CD inside box.
> You can import KML files to Rider 50 now. We are also developing to export GPX file from Rider 50 too. It will be ready soon.
> 
> Hope it answers your questions.


All I have to do is buying the European version.


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## nitelights (Mar 16, 2010)

So you require Swiss Bryton Maps right?


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## Napfgeist (Jan 4, 2004)

nitelights said:


> So you require Swiss Bryton Maps right?


Yes, that's correct - as detailed as possible.


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## GrayBeard Pirate (Dec 26, 2009)

I see these are now available in the US. How is this product evolving to compete with the Garmin Monopoly? Anyone have extended experience?

I'm really interested in being able to convert tracks to/from Google Earth as well as easily plot out future rides and download data and current rides.


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## masterofnone (Jun 21, 2009)

I'm all for legitimate competition against the garmin monopoly. I really like the looks of the mount BTW. Competition creates better and more reliable products, right? I'm anxious to see how this turns out.


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## nitelights (Mar 16, 2010)

Have a look at www.bryton.co.nz, go into the rides section and select a ride link. The road rides show more detail.

You can then play with the features that the Bryton user gets, download GPX, JPG, PDG, SVG files etc and make an opinion.

I bet you will love the technology

We have had the units for a while and they are just exploding in popularity


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

It still looks like there's not any other software that can use these things. Seems like you have to upload to their site before you can get a GPX to put it into any other programs or sharing websites.

I suppose if something is going to offer support first, it'll be sporttracks, yet I see nothing.

I dunno about anyone else here, but I am traditionally not satisfied with the supplied software with any of my peripherals. Photo software, video software, GPS software, the list goes on. Why would this device be any different?

It looks good until I see the closed system it uses. I thought it used OSM maps, but all I can find about the maps is that you need their software to load maps from the provided DVD. And you need their software to download data from the device. Wrong way, folks (and the same goes for Garmin creating .fit files that are not yet universally supported).


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## nitelights (Mar 16, 2010)

Try c/users/username/appdata/local/brytonbridge/tmpdir

This is where the data is stored in GPX format when downloaded off the device

From here there are many programs that you can use the data


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

nitelights said:


> Try c/users/username/appdata/local/brytonbridge/tmpdir
> 
> This is where the data is stored in GPX format when downloaded off the device
> 
> From here there are many programs that you can use the data


Um, no...that's not cool. With pretty much any other GPS I know, you can download data directly from any number of programs. With my Oregon 450, I have Topofusion, Garmin Training Center, Garmin Mapsource, Garmin Basecamp, SportTracks, GPSBabel, Google Earth, MN DNR Garmin, QGIS, Manifold GIS, ESRI ArcGIS (using MN DNR Garmin as an extension), and several other programs that interface directly with the GPS and I can pick and choose depending on what I want to do with my data.

Furthermore, I really don't even need to use a program. When I plug my GPS into my computer, it pops up as a USB Mass Storage device, and I can navigate through its folder structure and drag the .gpx file out of it and onto the desktop. From all appearances, you cannot do that with the bryton.

Why would you want to plug in the GPS, use ONLY Bryton Bridge to download from the device, and then change programs to do what you need to do with the data. I'd much rather interface it directly with the program I need unless the program did something special with the data that nobody else does, like differential corrections or something like that (and I do deal with that regularly - I don't have a choice because only one or two programs do differential corrections on Trimble files, but that hassle is worth it since I get improved accuracy in my data).

bryton is shooting themselves in the foot by overlooking something this simple.


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## GrayBeard Pirate (Dec 26, 2009)

Being new to this, I am completely lost in this conversation.

If I were to download through Bryton Bridge, what kind of time does that take to get the files so that they can be put into say Google Earth (use that as an example as it is what I have on my current computer, no other GPS programs)? Can I take a track I put together on Google Earth and then upload it to the Bryton?

How long does it take?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

GrayBeard Pirate said:


> Being new to this, I am completely lost in this conversation.
> 
> If I were to download through Bryton Bridge, what kind of time does that take to get the files so that they can be put into say Google Earth (use that as an example as it is what I have on my current computer, no other GPS programs)? Can I take a track I put together on Google Earth and then upload it to the Bryton?
> 
> How long does it take?


How long will depend to a large degree on your computer and how long it takes to load up each different piece of software you need.

The manual for the Bryton Bridge software ought to let you know about the file types it's compatible with.
http://www.bryton.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bryton-Bridge-UserManual-1125.pdf
If it's not compatible with .kml or .kmz that Google Earth creates, you will need an extra step to convert to .gpx using some other program, and of course, how much time that adds will depend on the program you use for conversion.


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## GrayBeard Pirate (Dec 26, 2009)

NateHawk said:


> How long will depend to a large degree on your computer and how long it takes to load up each different piece of software you need.
> 
> The manual for the Bryton Bridge software ought to let you know about the file types it's compatible with.
> http://www.bryton.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bryton-Bridge-UserManual-1125.pdf
> If it's not compatible with .kml or .kmz that Google Earth creates, you will need an extra step to convert to .gpx using some other program, and of course, how much time that adds will depend on the program you use for conversion.


OK, I think I am starting to understand. Is the proprietary software issue the only drawback you see with the Bryton? I understand it could be a huge drawback, possible deal breaker.

As an accountant I am trying to get the best deal possible...Weighing cost against features. It's tough to do when you don't understand all of the features/issues/good stuff.

Thanks for the help.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

GrayBeard Pirate said:


> OK, I think I am starting to understand. Is the proprietary software issue the only drawback you see with the Bryton?


The deal breaker for me is the lack of available maps.

Look at the maps from GPS File Depot. There are many free and better than Garmin Maps. I bought plenty of Garmin maps at the start of mg GPS use, and I still buy desktop programs; I am not cheap, the free maps are just superior. I do donate to those who accept them.

With the whole Open software movement, and Open Street Maps in particular, you can now get route able maps of most of the world for free as well. And since it is OSM, you can contribute your local trails as well and they will be added.

I live in CA with many riders and the OSM maps are great. I have contributed gps tracks of new trails that we have added to the local land management agencies.

Having a very limited supply of maps is the downside. You are shut off from the millions of Garmin users who can contribute to better, more detailed maps. The Bryton manual states maps come on the DVD, and searching the site, I do not see much in the way of maps available.


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## GrayBeard Pirate (Dec 26, 2009)

Oh, so it sounds like the problem is getting shared maps onto the device, not getting rides/tracks off of the device. That is a big deal.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

GrayBeard Pirate said:


> Oh, so it sounds like the problem is getting shared maps onto the device, not getting rides/tracks off of the device. That is a big deal.


They are both big deals. The website is really vague about the maps. Those are a huge unknown. If you buy the model without maps, that's a non-issue (similar to an Edge 500 in many ways), but with the mapping models, I can't tell what you're going to get. Competition is good because it drives innovation, but how can you even compete when you do stuff like this?

What I can tell is that getting your data off of the device would be a big hassle for me, knowing that I would be unlikely to favor the included software.

I am also not cheap when it comes to software. I don't have bottomless pockets, but I will purchase something if it is superior and worthwhile (I spent about $300 on Manifold GIS software because I needed a decent GIS software package to work with at home). The ESRI software I have is only a 1yr student license I got at school for taking GIS courses. If Bryton forces me to use their software whether I want to or not, then I'm not going to be very likely to buy their hardware. Magellan, to some degree, does that, too. It's not completely closed, but there are not as many programs that can work with Magellan models.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Looks like Garmin thinks the Bryton GPS receivers look too much like the Edge series models. http://garmin.blogs.com/pr/2011/03/garmin-announces-patent-litigation-.html

FWIW, I thought there was an eerie similarity with the same sort of joystick control interface located in the same spot.


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## nitelights (Mar 16, 2010)

Garmins alleged patent infringement by Bryton is not owned by them - by Paul Johnson
The alleged patent infringement by Bryton regarding its Rider 30 in the USA reveals that the patent is registered to William Fry. This form of defense is typical of a company scrambling for protective rights when feeling threatened by a competitor.

Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius has requested the council to register electronic notification pursuant to the court's Administrative Procedures by completing a CM/ECF Electronic Filing Registration Form whereafter a firm decision to take the matter further will be announced.



Suit Summary

RFC Case Number: P-G11-2162B
Court Case Number: 2:11-cv-02162-RDR -KGS
File Date: Monday, March 21, 2011
Plaintiff: Garmin International, Inc.
Garmin USA, Inc.
Garmin Switzerland GMBH
Plaintiff Counsel: Adam P. Seitz, Michelle L. Marriott, Mary Jane Peal, Aaron W. Purser of Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Defendant: Bryton, Inc.
Cause: 35:271 Patent Infringement
Court: Kansas District Court
Judge: District Judge Richard D. Rogers
Referred To: Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius
Notes: 
Patent Details: 
Number Class / Subclass 
D632,984 D10/65 
6,002,982 701/213 
6,463,385 701/213


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## Napfgeist (Jan 4, 2004)

nitelights said:


> Try c/users/username/appdata/local/brytonbridge/tmpdir
> 
> This is where the data is stored in GPX format when downloaded off the device
> 
> From here there are many programs that you can use the data


There was mentioned somewhere that a new firmware will allow import/export of any common files.

Is this new firmware for the Rider 50 released now?

Thanks


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## nitelights (Mar 16, 2010)

It is in the software on www.brytonsport.com.

It now allows you to upload GPX/KML or KMX files in the My Collection page

Fantastic news as many were asking for it

http://www.brytonsport.com/Collection?m=track


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## HamiltonCloggs (Jun 6, 2011)

I've read with great interest the posts here and I'm not sure this is the right place for this but I'm still not sure that I'm any clearer about which GPS unit to get. I've never owned one and know really nothing about using one. I'm looking for a GPS that I can use on my road and mountian bike. I've got a demo Bryton for a few days and I like the interface and it's got more going on it than I know what to do with. But ultimately I want something that's worth the money I part with and will allow me to download routes to follow whether they're road or off road.
It seems to me that maps are the issue. The Bryton ties you to NAVTEQ maps while with the Garmin you can use the entire multiverse of maps and mapping tools. What I don't know not being able to compare them and having no experience of this is what's the best/better?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

HamiltonCloggs said:


> I've read with great interest the posts here and I'm not sure this is the right place for this but I'm still not sure that I'm any clearer about which GPS unit to get. I've never owned one and know really nothing about using one. I'm looking for a GPS that I can use on my road and mountian bike. I've got a demo Bryton for a few days and I like the interface and it's got more going on it than I know what to do with. But ultimately I want something that's worth the money I part with and will allow me to download routes to follow whether they're road or off road.
> It seems to me that maps are the issue. The Bryton ties you to NAVTEQ maps while with the Garmin you can use the entire multiverse of maps and mapping tools. What I don't know not being able to compare them and having no experience of this is what's the best/better?


My personal feeling is that being tied to a single vendor for maps makes you heavily reliant on their workflow for map quality. I've noticed Garmin feels a little competitive heat from a lot of the free map offerings, so their products have been improving somewhat in recent years. Not enough for me to want to spend money on those maps...but for some it might be.

Delorme is another option that ties you into a single map vendor. That said, I think Delorme is much much better quality than anything I've seen offered with this Bryton from Navteq. And, Delorme packages its maps with the GPS. For a little more money, Delorme does give you the option to load other map data through its higher end software, too...so it's something like a blend between single vendor (out of the box) and an open framework (upgrade). When I'm ready to upgrade in a few years, Delorme will be one I consider. But, they don't really make any fitness models. They do handhelds, and I use handhelds.

I'd personally hold off on buying a Bryton until this lawsuit is decided. It could result in Bryton being forced to make changes to its product and who knows what will happen to the units they've already produced with regards to support?


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## ggaiote (Jun 4, 2011)

Hi from Brazil guys!

Do you know if Bryton Rider 30 / 50 works with some Polar heart rate strap?

Best Regards!!!


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## geoff7 (Feb 25, 2014)

Haven't seen many recent reviews these, but there are cheap ones available due to a new model coming out.

I use one and and it simple to use and pretty easy to upload onto strava although it is loaded via bryton website.

For the price these are now available they are a sure bet imho.

in Australia
Bryton Rider 50 T GPS Computer
$299 free delivery with hrm and cadence.
Will run power meter.

I have no connection.


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