# oregon bike mount -garmin



## one4teen (Jul 13, 2010)

Can they handle the rough stuff? I'm not bashing down rock gardens, but I don't want a big hit dislodging $300. Anyone with a decent review of garmin bike mount? I think the colorado is the same mount. I like the slide in idea of the low profile mount on the stem like this, nice tight setup.









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## Ted (Jan 29, 2004)

I have been running mine with my Oregon 450 on the handlebars for over a year. I don't do big drops but I do ride rough trails and crash occcasionally. No problems whatsoever with the Oregon or the mount. Just make sure the Oregon is fully seated in the mount. Also, I run a tether but have not needed it yet.


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## scaribas (Oct 30, 2006)

I like the mount -- it's simple, lightweight, and cheap. The only issue I found is that it can come loose on tapered handlebars and start flopping around. But using a piece of innertube on the bar to hold the zip-ties in place seems to work perfectly.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I use mine on the stem. My trails aren't much compared to more mountainous regions, but we do have jumps and drops and a nice flow section. I've never had a problem with my mount coming loose on the stem.


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## one4teen (Jul 13, 2010)

Sweet. Sounds like it'll handle what I want. Once I get it, I'll need to figure out custom maps, but that'll be fun.


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## bme107 (Jul 23, 2008)

I just ordered 2 of them on monday so hopefully they will work out. Interested in the lower profile of this mount. I will be running it on the stem.

Had the RAM mount for about 3 months and managed to break off one of the twist/lock tabs due to fatigue. Liked the RAM but it sits the GPS quite high off your bars/stem and figure that this extra lever arm contributed to the failure. Could still run mount with 3 of 4 tabs but don't want to risk it.


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## Piloto (Aug 17, 2011)

No issues with mine yet. I have yet to take any serious terrain with the GPS on board though. Mostly mellow trails so far.

Nice idea about running the tether also. I'll brave some tougher trails with that setup.


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

Is that a mount that comes with the Oregon gps unit or an optional one from Garmin?

I'm considering getting either the Oregon or the GPSMAP 62st to use for hiking, dirt biking and mountain biking.


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## Piloto (Aug 17, 2011)

The mount that I have is sold separately. I got it from Amazon.

I ended up with the 62s, and LOVE it. I am afraid that the touch screen on the Oregon would be a little fragile. In addition, the quad helix antenna on the 62 series gets great reception. The 62 series is build almost mil-spec. It is holding up nicely. I use it for hiking too.


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

I didn't know that about the antenna and reception being better with the 62 series. Looking at Garmin's site it seems that they're equal, saying that they both have high sensitivity receivers. I was also considering the Oregon because of the larger screen when riding.

Was the 62st really $550?

I've never had or used a gps before, I was using my iphone with an app to hike and the gps chip just quit. Also the iphone interface is extremely lacking in flexibility, transferring files and whatnot.


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## Piloto (Aug 17, 2011)

Typo on my part... I actually have the 62s. Not the st.... Sorry. Not that there is that much difference.

I shopped around and got the 62s for a shade under $400. Like I said though, it is almost mil-spec, and should last years. The reception is flawless. In the end, I went with the 62 series because I am pretty hard on touch screens. The 62 is a little bigger and bulkier, but seems to be built to last years. I could drop this on a rock face down, and it would survive. The Oregon just seemed a little fragile for my butter fingers.

As for the sensitivity, from my experience in radios, an external antenna will almost always have better reception than an internal. For practical purposes though, for what we do, BOTH should perform fine. Get what works best for you.


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

What's odd is that the cheaper priced S has more built in memory. 1.7gb vs 500mb.

The ST is supposed to be pre-loaded with topo maps. 
Again, never having used or looked at one, I'm not sure what these differences amount to.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

helix66 said:


> What's odd is that the cheaper priced S has more built in memory. 1.7gb vs 500mb.
> 
> The ST is supposed to be pre-loaded with topo maps.
> Again, never having used or looked at one, I'm not sure what these differences amount to.


The overall amount of memory is the same, but with the t, much of that space is occupied by maps with 3d data (they take up more space than maps without 3d data).


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## Piloto (Aug 17, 2011)

I spent a few weeks looking around before pulling the trigger on the 62s.

With the ST, you are paying for the installed TOPO 100K that just does not have the detail level that I was looking for. I went with the S, got an 8MB SD card, then went to GPS file depot and had a field day. With the added SD card, I have not even come close to being able to fill up the memory.

If GPS file depot does not have what I am looking for, there other sites. When in doubt, you can pay top dollar from Garmin. I've used the 62s now in several states, and it will be going to Europe with me next spring. I give it two thumbs up. The screen is easily readable in all lighting conditions.

It IS a little clunky compared to the Oregon or other models. It is the durability that sold me.


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## dberndt (Apr 17, 2010)

I'm using the garmin branded handlebar mount on my Oregon 450 and I have never had a problem with the unit coming lose. I do zip through rock gardens and do moderate drops. 

I did almost lose the unit once after a particularly harsh run down the mountain. But after looking at how it was hanging on I believe that may have been because I did not fully mount it/connect it to the mount.

I am more concerned about the unit being damaged if I have a crash and the unit is still attached to the bars when it meets the ground/rocks than anything else.


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## one4teen (Jul 13, 2010)

Yeah. Now that I have all the pieces in hand, I can see user error as the only thing to blame. As long as I'm upright, it looks solid. Can't wait to test it.


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

NateHawk & Piloto, thanks for that info. That's what I was looking for, I wasn't aware that it had those maps and with less detail than good topos.

Piloto, can you install a larger SD card in it, iirc they are available in 32gb or larger. Also what's that map source you mentioned?


A friend has an older model 62 looking unit, the antenna is shaped differently, he was telling me that the mount he uses was about $140 and seems pretty bombproof. I'll try and get that info. It might be a ram mount. Also, when he ate it the antenna ended up getting whacked, so that seems like it might be an issue too, with a big thing poking out!


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## Piloto (Aug 17, 2011)

helix66 said:


> Piloto, can you install a larger SD card in it, iirc they are available in 32gb or larger. Also what's that map source you mentioned?


There is no limit on SD card memory size that I could find in the manual. I get my free files from GPSFileDepot - Custom Maps, Ximage hosting, tutorials, articles and more for your GPSr.



> A friend has an older model 62 looking unit, the antenna is shaped differently, he was telling me that the mount he uses was about $140 and seems pretty bombproof. I'll try and get that info. It might be a ram mount. Also, when he ate it the antenna ended up getting whacked, so that seems like it might be an issue too, with a big thing poking out!


If the antenna looks different, it is probably the old 60 series, not a 62. The 60's antenna does not look nearly as sturdy as the one on the 62 series. The antenna on the 62 series is molded into the actual backside of the case, as opposed to just being stuck on. In order to break the antenna on the 62 series, you would literally have to crack the case.

When mounted on my bike, the antenna barely sticks out past the handlebar stem. IMHO, if it were hit, the crash would be bad enough to hit "most" anything else mounted there too. Like I said earlier, I'll take the durability of this over a touch screen model any day. If you plan to use this for hiking also, it becomes a no brainer if you ask me.

EDITED: If you do get the 62 series, make sure the mount you buy is compatible. There are many options available now for the Oregon and 62 series. Not all are compatible with each other.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

The card size limit isn't in the manual because that's something Garmin has periodically updated through firmware. For the newer models (including the 62), it appears the limit is currently 4GB, since that's the size of memory card Garmin lists as being compatible with that particular GPS on its website.

IMO, it would be difficult to use all of that up. I have not installed extra memory on my Oregon. I have topos for TX and several cities between TX and SW MI (from a road trip I did last winter), as well as a bunch of Custom Maps tiles, a couple dozen tracks in the archive, and 5,000 geocaches. I still have a decent amount of extra space on the internal memory of my Oregon, and it only has 850mb.


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## ramble (Aug 26, 2011)

I'm thinking of getting an Oregon because I have an Edge 500 but for multi-day bikepacking trips the battery thing is kind of difficult to deal with and so I thought that the Oregon might be better for that. I also would like to be able to make more detailed maps with waypoints and stuff. Do those of you who have an Oregon think that it would work well for that type of thing? Thanks


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

NateHawk, did you consider the 62 at all?? They seem to have similar performance specs, but the 62 doesn't have the touch screen, and is smaller too.



The mount my friend has on his old 60is a touratech, it can be locked and he said it was a lot better than ram.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I considered it. But the reason I was buying a new GPS was because I was selling an Edge 705 and a 76CSx to consolidate into one I could use hiking or on the bike. The 62 was a bit bigger than I wanted with the antenna sticking off and it was also not a touch screen, which I did want (I didn't like the button layout of the 76 - it was better than many models, but I still didn't like it for entering text).

The Oregon fits nicely on my 90mm stem without sticking out anywhere. It would not fit so nicely on the 60mm stem on my wife's bike, though.

Also, the 62 at the time I was shopping was in an early generation and those early models had annoying case squeaks that have since been resolved. Then the Oregon went on sale for $250, which was a no brainer. I could upgrade (with the amount I made from selling two GPS receivers) and actually come out in the end making money.


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

That makes sense! You found the oregon better for hiking over the 62? I'm looking for something to use on the bike, definitely hiking, and possibly dirt biking...maybe even in my car.


That price would do it for me, I haven't searched it around yet but the msrp's for the two oregons (550 & 450t) are the same as the 62s, so I'm not sure which way to go.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

REI currently has the Oregon 450 on sale for $250 and there's a $50 Garmin rebate on top of that right now. No real need to get the 450t because there are tons of free maps out there.

I haven't had any problems with the Oregon and hiking, to be honest. Dappled sunlight is a bit of a pain for viewing the screen, but moving to find the right angle deals with that in most cases. Other times, cranking up the backlight temporarily works. I keep the backlight fairly low (maybe 40% or so) to save on battery.

The touch interface just makes it faster to navigate than using only a few buttons. For most users that probably doesn't matter, but I use the GPS quite a bit and for me, that extra convenience makes a big difference whether I'm hiking or biking or whatever.

And largely, that's the difference between the 62s and the Oregon 450. There's some extra memory on the 62, but as I've said before, the 850mb onboard for the Oregon has been more than enough for me for the past year. I haven't felt the need to even add an extra memory chip. Otherwise the interface is the same. And I LOVE the customizable dashboards. I use a few different ones on a regular basis.



> I'm thinking of getting an Oregon because I have an Edge 500 but for multi-day bikepacking trips the battery thing is kind of difficult to deal with and so I thought that the Oregon might be better for that. I also would like to be able to make more detailed maps with waypoints and stuff. Do those of you who have an Oregon think that it would work well for that type of thing? Thanks


Didn't see this comment earlier, but I think it would work well for your intended use. User replaceable batteries are much easier to deal with than trying to rely on things like solar chargers in the field that are heavily reliant on environmental conditions for optimal use. You can still go that route - have a couple sets of rechargeable AA's you rotate through a solar charger when you REALLY need days (or weeks) of battery power.

And yes, having the capability to save effectively unlimited numbers of waypoints lets you create much more informative maps.


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## helix66 (Jul 15, 2010)

I agree with you about using a touch screen, the only place it might be a problem is when wearing gloves. I'll go to REI and check it out and see. I'm surprised they have it for a good deal, I love that store but they are usually not the bargain!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

helix66 said:


> I agree with you about using a touch screen, the only place it might be a problem is when wearing gloves. I'll go to REI and check it out and see. I'm surprised they have it for a good deal, I love that store but they are usually not the bargain!


Fat gloves, yes, for the fact that they'd often hit two buttons at once and there's no tactile feedback.

But thin gloves, not a problem. I often wear softshell gloves in winter and they've not been a problem on the Oregon screen.


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## one4teen (Jul 13, 2010)

I'm reallllllly enjoying my Oregon. FYI, the mount is slim and works well (stem mount), I took a good dive with it on Saturday, and it shifted minorly, pushed it back to straight and kept going, no sweat. It did also handle the rock gardens. I would not DH with it, but I wouldn't take the gps DHing anyway.
In the first week (received it tuesday), I have added a 4G sd chip, loaded some small topo maps, some custom trail maps, made my own tracks in google earth and loaded them on. Taken tracks off the unit and put them in GEarth, and Garmin Connect. With just a few simple and free programs you can really take advantage of the low price unit and upgrade it yourself, with what you want. I also put some of open street map on there. It's routable, we just tested it out last night (FYI, damn near every bar/pub is marked on open street). I also loaded and found my first geocache on that ride! I'm kicking myself for not getting the REI deal so close to my purchase time, but oh well, I'll live. 
And the thin gloves worked for me, but I would save typing track names for no gloves.

114


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## JStrube (Aug 25, 2011)

Went to go mount my new Oregon today & found the stem was too short! Bummer! I put it on the bar & it rolled around too much. I found my stem is probably aluminum. I might just have to TIG weld something on top of it to mount the mount on. ARGH, I didn't want to mess up the finish on the stem! I hope there is no glue or bonding crap under there & I can actually weld to it. Only one way to find out! Get out the bead blaster!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

just put it on your top tube


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## JStrube (Aug 25, 2011)

NateHawk said:


> just put it on your top tube


I may try it again. I have an Epic with a flat wide tube & wasn't convinced on the fitment.


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## ziscwg (May 18, 2007)

JStrube said:


> Went to go mount my new Oregon today & found the stem was too short! Bummer! I put it on the bar & it rolled around too much. I found my stem is probably aluminum. I might just have to TIG weld something on top of it to mount the mount on. ARGH, I didn't want to mess up the finish on the stem! I hope there is no glue or bonding crap under there & I can actually weld to it. Only one way to find out! Get out the bead blaster!


I really don't recommend you do not TIG weld anything to your stem. The first 2 things that come to mind is............you could create a stress riser. That could = FAIL. You would have to re anneal it to prevent an brittle section. If not................FAIL.

you do not want you stem to fail. It will seriously hurt


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## ARIZycle (Nov 18, 2009)

I've got a Dakota 20 which uses the same mount. I use it on my bike 3-4 times a week so I put it on and take it off to download my tracks that often. I have had the unit since ~Nov. 2010. Since then I have had to replace the battery covers twice. The covers develop play where they contact the handle bar mount due to the plastic on the cover wearing down from putting the unit on and taking it off the mount. Last weekend the gps went flying off my bars into a pile of rocks. Still works fine, but just all dinged up. It could of resulted in a lost gps if I did not notice it Supermanning off my bars.


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## Ted (Jan 29, 2004)

To keep the Garmin mount secure on your handlebars just wrap a piece of an old inner tube around the bars and then zip tie the mount around the inner tube. It is very secure for me.


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## scaribas (Oct 30, 2006)

^^ This is the way to go if you need to mount it on your bars. Nice and secure for me too.


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## Kikapu73 (Jan 23, 2012)

I use a Softplate + RAM cradle for my oregon 550T. Bit pricey but works really well. Secure mounting (without zipties!) and still able to quickly remove the gps from the RAM cradle and take a geotag picture. The softplate is angle adjustable and centred over the stem. Fits both normal and oversized bars, so easy to swap between different bikes as well.


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## mdemm (Aug 4, 2010)

Here are a couple of pictures showing the Oregon mounted on the FSR Comp... Used the stock Garmin mount in conjunction with a small aluminum bracket ( I made ) ... Works like a charm...


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## Ted (Jan 29, 2004)

Looks nice mdemm.

I have to say though, that I think the kids (I do not mean children) might have a problem with that setup if I went otb. Especially if the Oregon was not in place.


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## javelina1 (Mar 10, 2005)

That is a nice looking setup, on the stem. 

I've had my Oregon 450 for almost two years. Have it mounted up on the handle bar. I've gone on many a geocache hunt with my FS and that Oregon.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

mdemm said:


> Here are a couple of pictures showing the Oregon mounted on the FSR Comp... Used the stock Garmin mount in conjunction with a small aluminum bracket ( I made ) ... Works like a charm...


Nice, but watch for fatigue cranks in the aluminum. You may have to go back and search for the GPS.


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## random walk (Jan 12, 2010)

I got this one and so far it's been very stable on fast, bumpy descents (I ride a rigid fork).

I just mounted it to my stem, so the viewing angle is good. There's some flexibility in the base and cradle rotation to maintain a proper viewing angle (if you need to mount it on an "angled" part of your bars, for instance).


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