All OCC club rides have electronic routes (or courses) available to download to your GPS-enabled bike computer. These routes are on RideWithGPS.com (RWGPS) and links to the routes are in our ride calendar and on the RWGPS smartphone app. To use them, you can use the app with the RWGPS  club account or download them to your compatible bike computer. This post will help you download routes to your bike computer.

If you have a Bluetooth Garmin device, you will need a Garmin Connect account. Sign up for it here. You will also need the Garmin Connect app and have the Garmin device paired with your phone. Here are instructions to pair them. 

Method 1: Using Garmin Connect IQ –
This method only works with newer Garmin Edge devices. For example, 1000’s or devices that end in 30 or 20. This method does not require a computer. You could even do it in the parking lot while you are waiting for the ride to start. Not that I recommend or encourage that. It uses the RWGPS IQ app that you can install on compatible Garmin devices. Check your device, you may already have it installed. RWGPS  has detailed instructions to install and set it up. 

To use it, I like to choose the route to download by “pinning” the route with the RWGPS phone app or the website. Once pinned, you can easily select the route in your Garmin in the RWGPS IQ app. If you need help using the RWGPS app, click here.

  • To pin a route in the RWGPS app on your smartphone, tap “send to device” in the RWGPS route’s header in the OCC website calendar event page.
  • Also, if you select the route from the OCC event, it will open the route in the RWGPS app and tap Save and then Pin. 
  • You can also pin a route on the RWGPS website using the Pin button in the upper left of the route’s page. 
  • Be sure to unpin routes when you are done with them or the list will get too long and it will be hard to find the one you want on the Garmin.

Method 2: Using a computer and USB cable –
This method can be used with any brand of GPS bike computer that can use GPS routes.

  1. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable.
  2. Next, you need to open the RWGPS route. Visit the OCC calendar in your web browser on your computer and select the ride you want. 
  3. Once the ride is opened, scroll down to the RWGPS maps and click on the title of the ride with the distance you want. This will open the route in your browser. 
  4. Once at  RideWithGPS.com, click the three-dot menu icon in the big orange export button and select “Send to a different device”. This will lead you through downloading the route to your device. For more details see these instructions for Garmin users.

Method 3: Computer and any Bluetooth Garmin –
This method works on any Garmin with a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone. You will also need the Garmin Connect app on your phone paired with your Garmin device. The nice thing about this method is that you don’t have to attach the device to your computer. 

  1. To begin with, you need to open the RWGPS route. Visit the OCC calendar in your web browser on your computer. Then select the ride you want. 
  2. Once the ride is opened, scroll down to the RWGPS maps and click on the title of the ride with the distance you want. This will open the route in your browser.  
  3. Select “Export as File” from the “More” menu button at the top of the left side of the screen.
  4. Select “TCX Course” and click the “Download” button. Save the file to a folder where you can find it again in the next step. 
  5. Now open the Garmin Connect website on your computer. In the black vertical menubar on the left, select Training and then select Courses. A map will be displayed with a panel on the left. 
  6. Click in the word “Import” at the bottom right of the panel. Click “Browse” in the popup, find and select the TCX you just saved. 
  7. Then click “Get Started”. Select “Road Cycling” from the “Course Type” menu and “Continue”.
  8. Then click the pencil icon in the panel to the right of “Untitled”. This will let you rename this course. 
  9. When done, click the green checkmark and “Save New Course”. This course will now be available in your Connect app on your phone. Follow the instructions at the bottom of this page to send a course to your device.

Method 4: Using only your phone for older Bluetooth Garmins –
This method works on any Garmin with a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone. This method is the same idea as Method 3 but only uses your phone. You will need the Garmin Connect app on your phone paired with your Garmin device. 

  1. Visit the OCC calendar in your web browser on your phone. Then select the ride you want. 
  2. Once the ride is opened, scroll down to the RWGPS maps. This is important, long tap on the title of the ride with the distance you want and select “Open in New Tab”. This will open the route in a new tab of your browser, not the app, you must be in the browser. 
  3. Switch to the new tab and select “Export as File” from the “More” menu button at the top of the right side of the screen. Select “TCX Course” and click the “Download” button. Save the file somewhere you can find it again in the next step. Depending on your phone, you may be given the option on where to save it, maybe even on the cloud such as iCloud or dropbox. 
  4. Now open the Garmin Connect website on your phone, again use a browser, not the app. In the menubar on the left, select Training and then Courses. A map will be displayed with a panel on top of it. 
  5. Click in the word “Import” at the bottom right of the panel. Click “Browse” in the popup, find and select the TCX you just saved. 
  6. Then click “Get Started”. Select “Road Cycling” from the “Course Type” menu and “Continue”. Then click the pencil icon in the panel to the right of “Untitled”. This will let you rename this course. 
  7. When done, click the green checkmark and “Save New Course”. This course will now be available on your Connect app on your phone. Follow the instructions below to send a course to your device.

Instructions to send a course to your Garmin:
To send a course from your phone to your Garmin device:

  1. Turn on your Garmin and open the Garmin Connect app on your phone.
  2. In the app, click the three-line menu at the upper left and tap “Training” and then “Courses”. You should then see a list of courses with your new course at the top of the list. You can change the order of the list to “by date” with the triangle button at the upper right. 
  3. Tap the course name. Then select “Send to Device” in the three-dot menu at the upper left. Select the device and tap “Done”. 

Garmin’s website has more detail instructions here.

I hope this is helpful and I’ll see you on the road.

 

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