GPS
Using Tracks
To use tracks, you first need to be familiar with Track Definitions & Terminology. Please read if you have not already done so.
Active Track Log Recording
Especially on Day-Loop rides to avoid confusion, if possible, turn your Active Track Log “OFF”, make it “Record but Not Show”, or make it “Transparent” so it does not confuse you.
Ride Files Names
If it is a multi-day "Point-to-Point" ride, the Files should be named:
- 1st by some form of the Name of the ride. (Rally, DV350, CL)
- 2nd by what Type of Route (DS or Adv) Make sure I gave you the correct version.
- 3rd by some form of Which Day of the ride it is.(1, 2, etc. or Sat, Sun, etc.)
- By an Abbreviated Name from the Loop Name on the Flyer. (Husky, Bodie)
Other Files Names
If you have your GPS set to “Archive Daily” per my Setup Instructions", you will also see a file for every Day you have ridden. Each titled
with the Date you rode it. (e.g. 2022-10-04)
Not sure how the Files are sorted -- it may be by date. Be sure to look at the bottom.
Track Names
If it is a multiday Point-to-Point ride, the Tracks should be named:
- 1st by some form of the Name of the ride (Rally, DV350, CL)
- 2nd by 2 Digits. The 1st Digit is the Day of the Ride, the 2nd Digit is the Order of the Gas-to-Gas Section of that Day. In most cases "1" is AM, and "2" is PM.
- 3rd perhaps a Suffix like EW for Easy way, HW for Hard Way, & SC for Short Cut.
- 1st by an Abbreviated Name from the Loop Name on the Flyer. (Husky, Bodie).
- 2nd on Files for Adv bikes there may be an “Adv” to help prevent DS riders from using it.
- 3rd a Digit for the Order of the Gas-to-Gas Section of that Day.
- 4th perhaps a Suffix like EW for Easy way, HW for Hard Way, & SC for Short Cut.
Using Tracks with a Garmin (Except Zumo)
Downloaded Tracks at Ride
As described in Managing Tracks, I will have downloaded a File for each day of the ride into your "Archive Folder".
Each file has several Tracks and Waypoints.
The "Archive Folder" is found on your "Track Manager" page.
Make 1st Day Favorite
Go to the “Archive Folder” which is found on your “Track Manager” page.
You should see a File for each Day of the Ride.
Find the File for the Day you wish to ride next, you must bring it forward to the "Track Manager" page.
Click on the File and then either;
Touch “Make Favorite” and it will move up to the "Track Manager" page.
-or-
Touch the STAR and then Click “Show on Map” and it will move to the "Track Manager" page.
Click “Back” which takes you back to the "Track Manager" page and you will now see a list of every Track that is for that Day’s ride.
NOTE: "Making Favorite" is the ONLY operation you use in the "Archive Folder".
NEVER click on “View on Map”, it is useless.
Ordering the List of Tracks
On newer Montanas, go to the Track Manager page. If it has the “Menu” 
, Icon, Touch it.
Touch “Sort” and pick “Alpha-Numeric”.
This will make life much easier to find the tracks you will need to turn ON/Off.
Track OFF/ON Status
All Tracks default as "OFF" when downloaded. You must turn "ON" the desired Tracks. On most Point-to-Point rides, you can usually turn
Every Track for the Day "ON".
However, on Day-Loop rides, the inbound might cross over the outbound and there is a possibility of riding the loop backwards.
Therefore, the "Instructions" and/or the "Paper Map" should instruct you to ONLY turn "ON" the tracks to lunch/gas at the start.
Then at lunch, turn the morning Tracks "OFF" and turn the afternoon Tracks "ON".
Toggling OFF/ON Tracks on Older Units
To turn ON a Track, Click on the Track, if it reads “Show on Map”, it means it is currently "Hidden" from the Map.
Touch it or push the "Enter" button and it should toggle to read “Hide on Map” which means it's now "Showing" on the Map (Polish Notation).
Toggling Tracks on Newer Units
On newer units they have fixed the above dumb nomenclature and use the more obvious “On” or “Off” terminology.
Clearing Your Track Manager after 1st Day of Ride
At the end of the 1st day, you must clear your Track Manager (Delete or Archive every Track) before making the 2nd day a Favorite (move it from the Archive folder to the Track Manager page). You do this ONE track at a time manually on your GPS or bring it to me and I can do it in a few seconds with File Explorer.
Using Tracks with a Zumo XT
As stated in the Managing Tracks section, the Zumo cannot see its own Archive Folder, so I will download your GPS Files for each Day into the "GPX"
sub-folder in the Garmin folder in your "Memory Card".
The good news is that they will be listed in Numeric-Alpha order. Not scrambeled by Proximity like on the Track Manager page.
Make 1st Half of 1st Day Tracks Favorite
Viewing the Track Manager (Saved Tracks) page
On the Home page, Touch the “Apps” Icon, then Touch the “Tracks Icon”.
-or-
On the Home page, Touch the word “Track” at the bottom, then touch the “Track Icon” (2 Stick Pins with Track Points between them) at the upper left.
Both of these will take you to the Track Manager page.
It is very important to have ALL Tracks cleared from your Track Manager page.
Make Favorite (Import) Tracks for the 1st Half of the 1st Day
On the Track Manager (Saved Tracks) page, touch the “Wrench Icon” at the upper left to see the Track Options.
On the Track Options page, Touch “Import” to see the Import selection page.
Importing Desired Tracks to the Track Manager (Saved Tracks) page
On the Import Selection page, Locate each track for the 1st half of the 1st day and Check the “Box” of each one. They will all be grouped in Numeric-Alpha
order. See Track Names above.
Touch “Import”. The Zumo will jump back to the “Track Manager” (Saved Tracks) page with the selected Tracks now listed but this time all scrambled up.
Turning Tracks ON to Show on Map
Touch the Track to be turned ON.
Touch the Wrench Icon.
Scroll down to “Show on Map” and Touch it.
Check the box to make that Track Show on the Map page.
Do this for all Tracks. This is why you need to clear your Track Manager page before starting.
Make 2nd Half of 1st Day Tracks Favorite
At Lunch/Gas, go to your Track Manager and Delete all the Morning Tracks.
Then repeat the above to Copy (Import) the Afternoon Tracks to the Track Manager and Turn "On" each Track.
Tracks for 2nd Day
Obviously Repeat all of the above for Day 2 of the ride.
Track Colors
On all Countdown rides, the Main Gas-to-Gas Track is “Dark Green”, Easy Ways are “Dark Magenta”, Extra-Hard Ways are
Red.
These are the same colors used on the provided "Paper Map".
Use "Navigate" for Wide Pink Track
Many people complain about the thin Track lines on Montanas. You may want to try this:
- At the start, touch "Where To" (Spy Glass) Icon
- Touch "Tracks"
- Find the Main Gas-to-Gas Track you are going to follow and Touch it
- Then Touch "Go"
That Track will now change to a Wide Pink line. The downside is that on older units, the other tracks (HW, EW) will NOT show on your map. Garmin fixed that on at least the 7x0s. On these models, ALL Tracks will still Show when "Navigating" the main Gas-to-Gas Track.
Color Blind?
Many people are Red/Green color blind and can’t see the difference between a Red and a Green Track. These riders will also need to change the color of each Track on the "Track Manager" page to what works for them.
Ready to Ride
If ...
- You followed the recommended Setup Instructions,
- I have Downloaded the ride Tracks,
- and you have the Tracks set for the correct ON/OFF status
After it boots (to the map page), set the zoom level to “0.2 Mi”.
You should see a Dark Green Track leading away from under the big black arrow which is you.
Start riding and the map should rotate so that you are always riding up.
The big black arrow should follow the colored Track as the map now moves down under the arrow.
If the arrow gets off the Track, you have made a wrong turn. Go back and get back following the Track.
In the city or if there are a lot of intersections, you may have to zoom in to “800 ft”.