Recently I have got hold of a Beeline Velo 2 GPS navigation system for my gravel bike. I have been looking for a navigation system for ages as I have started rediscovering some routes that I have not been on for many years and I have spent quite a bit of time backtracking after missing turns.
I have been using my old Garmin Etrex 10 with a bike attachment and in its been great and keeps me on the general route I need to go but it is easy to take the wrong track when they are close together and it is pretty basic.
So I did look at either a better Garmin Etrex or a dedicated bike GPS with Maps. The Etrex is relatively affordable and that is what I would have gone for, the dedicated bike ones with maps were much more expensive and difficult for me to justify.
I did get a bike mount for my mobile so that I could use navigation directly from my mobile but this is very bulky and I am a bit of a minimalist on my bike I don't like cluttered handlebars etc. and this was also the problem to some extent with the bigger sat nav devices.
I had been looking at the Beeline for some time and when the Velo 2 came out, I looked more seriously. The reviews were pretty mixed, people complained that it was tied to your phone but I did not see that as a problem as it means the bulk is tucked away in your bag and all you have is a watch sized screen on your bars. Some said it was cheap but I don't agree, its very light and the rocker switch mechanism is easier to use and far better than a touch screen when you have gloves on.
Its extremely easy to use and navigation is easy whether you let the app do your route or you add your own route.
It's definitely only for those who just want basic navigation and simple statistics, not for those who want cadence, heart rate etc. I am 68 and as long as my heart is going at any rate I am happy and my legs will spin at a speed that my dodgy knees and hips allow so I just need navigation and stats on how far I went and how long it took me and the Velo 2 does this perfectly.
So I am glad I chose the Velo 2, it wont suit everyone but I think it should suit people like me who are active riders who spent most of their early cycling with a small Cateye Mity 2 cycle computer and this is what the Velo 2 feels like to me, small, simple and it just works.