sigh..which one?
 

Been searching for 3 days. The more i search the less i understand. The large threads here are too far offtopic for my tiny head to get around. I don't have the money for a Montana which would have stopped the question in the first place:D I also get lost in my own backyard if that makes a difference.
Used for
small bike (sometimes medium one)
trails (maybe a few FS roads)

Needs
Card slot
Priced around $250(hoping)
waterproof
Rugged
Run on batteries
Backtrack for when I'm lost
Save my traveled tracks and be able to upload/edit/download and travel again later
Download someone else's tracks
Lanyard
Good inexpensive mounting system (not $150 one :eek1 )


Don't care
touch screen
easy to read while riding
floats

Don't need
Tide tables
moon phases
tutorials on how to blow my nose

I was looking at the Montana or 60/62st priced at around $500. If I can get one that will work fine for half that now....all over that! So seeing the 78 for $230 has my interested peaked. I'm assuming the 62 that is only a couple bucks more would also need hundreds of dollars worth of maps? Sigh...Help this befuddled old man.

Garmin 76cx comes up for sale for about 150$ at West Marine from time to time.

hmmm. I see the 62st for $350, best deal i've seen so far. Trying to resist the urge........

Are the Garmin 60Cx still avalible? Ram mounts have worked fine for me. Just use a lanyard to tie the device to the handle bar in case it comes loose.

Just looked on Amazon and a few were up for sale. Also the Garmin 62? Dunno, just throwing out ideas.

David

For about $165 you could get a Garmin eTrex 20 which will do everything you listed and more and still save you enough money to buy City Navigator or a regional 24K topo map and stay under well your budget. The nice color screen is on the smaller side, but a larger screen size did not seem to be one of your requirements. I have an eTrex 20 as a hiking/skiing pocket-size gps and as a back up for my Montana and have been very happy with it.

Thanks FC. You know, I kept going back to those (and others like it) but they never clicked because really didn't see others using them. Figured maybe there was a reason.

Anyway, my stupid A@@ impulsiveness got the best of me. Ordered a 62st last night. (should have waited until cyber Monday )
*guess i just added another 6months onto my 2year new bike plan:cry

Which one
 

Thanks, same boat as Inspector. One other consideration is for group ride tracking for all members. Did not even consider a backup at this point- but I have an etrex as well.

Where did you see this?

I have zero experience with these things myself, know what you mean about the threads. I'm basically looking for the same stuff you are.

I've kept looking at the Oregon over the past few days. The more experienced say to skip the "T" version w/preloaded topos & get better ones for free at GPS File Depot. These are out there for either side of $200 depending where you look.
I'm thinking this unit, with City Navigator added for the car, will just about cover everything I can see needing (at this point).

One of the factors in making a decision is if you are going to want to follow a "route" and want turn by turn directions or not. Routes give you turn-by-turn directions, and alert you before the next turn. Following a "track" does not give you turn-by-turn directions or let you know a turn is coming or anything, you have to look down at the screen. A "route" or a "track" can be created in MapSource or BaseCamp and then pushed to your GPS unit via a USB cable or loaded into a small memory card. Not all GPS units can use routes or tracks. Some can do both, some can do only one.

Additionally, for those units that can follow "routes," some units offer audio output via a jack or bluetooth. Others make a beep as a turn approaches. Many riders pipe the bluetooth or output jack audio into their helmets, so they can watch the road instead of the screen. Units that merely make a beep may not have any means to output the sound.

These are just things to consider. They may or may not be important to you.

I started of with a 62C. It only beeped and there was no way to get audio into my helmet to hear the prompts. If you are in completely unknown territory and your route takes many turns, it may drive you nuts (and be less safe) to have to watch the screen all the time.

tdvt
I ended up getting a 62st for a good deal. I think I would have been just as happy with a less expensive GPS, but too late now. Mine is for 95% trails and 5% roads between trails.
Also don't understand how a topo map helps me...LOL
Have only used the GPS once so far and had to use a paper map as well. That should change as soon as I get a Micro card thingy and upload a trail map.
:freaky

*I downloaded Northwest Trails and that is pretty sweet. Most all trail systems i would use are in there.