How to set up your Garmin Edge to record really long rides

Do you have an older Garmin GPS unit and want to charge it 'on the go'? If so, the solution may be a lot simpler (and cheaper) than you thought...

Later this summer I am planning a properly long ride. Not in the Mark Beaumont league of long rides, but maybe trying to do for one day what he amazingly managed to sustain for the best part of eighty days!

One of the things that had been blocking my progress (apart from the obvious matter of getting fit enough!) was my little Garmin GPS device. It allegedly had an 18-hour battery life when new, but since it's now 5 years old I'm guessing that might be closer to 12. In any case I don't want to attempt what, in ideal conditions, might be a 16 hour ride with only 2 hours of battery life as a contingency: If it's not on Strava, it didn't happen, right? 

Anyway, over the past few months, on and off, I have read a number of articles suggesting different ways to make an OTG (on the go) cable, since any regular USB-mini cable will switch the Garmin to data-transfer-mode, rather than charge-and-still-record-your-ride-mode, when plugged into a power bank. Initially I found some of these confusing, and was ready to start performing surgery on a USB cable with craft knife and soldering iron at the ready, but have found a way to do it that is really simple and cheap - and doesn't require any knowledge of grounding Pin X to earth, or whatever!  I'm so pleased with the solution that I wanted to share it with the world (or at least that tiny subsection of our planet that owns an ancient Garmin and might be interested in recording some really long rides!)

So, what do you need?

Just two items (and some electrical tape)

1. a USB-mini to standard USB socket OTG adaptor cable
2. a standard USB to standard USB (male-to-male) cable

To help you locate these it may be worth noting how mine were listed on eBay at the time I purchased them in the UK in June 2018:

1. Mini USB B Male to Standard USB Host Cable A Female OTG Adapter Cable
2. 0.5m USB Cable A Male To A Male Plug Shielded High Speed 2.0 28awg Lead Black

In June 2018 these two devices together cost me the princely sum of £3.17, including delivery!

Just over three quid gets you these two cables

Be careful with this one. Plug it in and tape it a.s.a.p!

It goes into the female on the OTG adaptor cable

And this bit goes in the back of your Garmin

Almost there...

Generous binding of PVC tape finishes the job!

In essence all you do is plug one end of the male into the adaptor socket and that then means you have a USB-mini male on one end (this goes into the Garmin Edge) and a standard USB male on the other end (this goes in the power bank of your choice).  However, since a male-to-male USB cable gives you the potential to inflict all sorts of misery on your PC equipment, if it falls into the wrong hands, I would take the additional step of winding a generous helping of PVC electrical tape around the join, thus preventing this and also ensuring that your device doesn't accidentally come unplugged when you're at your tiredest on a really long ride.

I am aware that several others have had a go at explaining this, but having read several articles I was still a little unsure of the process and what I was supposed to buy, so thought I would have a go, too... I hope you find it useful! Happy pedalling!!!