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Planning rides
Topic Started: Sep 21 2013, 05:37 PM (296 Views)
andyjh
Mud Lover
What do you guys use to plan a ride route and then be able to follow that route once out on the trail? I'm normally out on my own so make it up as I go but have a look at Strava and Google the night before. However, as I'm getting further out and into more and more unknown to me routes, I'm finding it easy to get lost. Not such a bad thing but once out I find the mapping on Strava to be next to useless so there is a lot of guess work going on.

So do you follow your nose from looking at a map the night before or are you using bike computers? If so, which ones are recommended? If I were to buy one I would think the ability to map something on the PC and then upload would be useful??
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Coley
Fairly Muddied
I tend to ride the same routes then just mix them up a bit. Get a decent garmin that. Does o/s maps
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belugabob
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Mudking
Go to BikeHike select 'course creator', switch to 'OSM Cycle' mode and plot a route.

Download it to a Garmin device (or, in my case, my Holux GPSport 260) and follow the route as you ride. If I'm on new ground, I usually rake a map too, for backup.

After a while, you'll get to know the trails and can wing it as you go.

Finding new trails is ace.
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Ollie
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Mudthing
We had the South Downs on Tracklogs which is great for plotting routes. Couple of years ago we eventually went for it and bought the whole of the UK at 1:50k for £115.

Holiday in Scotland/Wales? You have the mapping!
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darth vader
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Mudking
As I am very old I useOS map and compass, I work from the known to the unknown
The best routes aren't on the map :D keep an eye out for interesting areas of land
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SugarHigh
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Liberally Covered
I usually just have a nose over an OS map before I go out, and use the map while out if riding somewhere new. I use strava so once I'm back I can see where I went if I got lost.

I've managed to ride enough of my local area now that I can just go out not actually planning where to go at all and just ride, you'll soon learn what's good in the wet and what to avoid etc.
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Thanks chaps, all very useful feedback. Tend not to have OS maps to hand but guess I ought to get some as probably easier than trying to look on a PC screen sometimes!

Really like that site Bob, very handy. Need to look at a computer of some kind to really make use of it though. That Holux unit looks very reasonably priced, do you rate it? I assume it's not map directions on screen and more just turn indications? Been looking at options and most of the mapping enabled computers are up around £300-400 which is a bit rich right now.

Strava is very useful for reviewing the ride once back but the mapping whilst out is next to useless. My Brother uses and app which is like Strava but seems to have much better mapping whilst riding. Can't remember the name of it now but I do like the segments and social side of Strava.
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SugarHigh
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Liberally Covered
There is another app called Endomondo, which does a similar thing to Strava.
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belugabob
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Mudking
Andy,

The Holux unit displays a line (like the red line you see in Strava) to follow, and you can zoom in to a level that suits you.

I find it just fine - if you do happen to overshoot a turn because you weren't paying attention (not that I've ever done that, you understand) you can usually zoom out, then head back to the point where you went wrong.

Had mine for a couple of years and it's been fine so far.
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darth vader
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Mudking
do some club rides :D will give a good over view of places to go and ideas to build on
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Very tempted by the Holux unit but I might wait and see it in action before I commit to purchase :)

I fully intend to get out on some clubs rides now I think my fitness is at an ok level, can only get better, :lol:
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andyjh
Mud Lover
Has anyone tried the Outdoors GB app and route builder? I was about to download the South East OS maps app to my phone when I was recommended the Outdoors GB app instead which you can download the OS map data and others within. Plus you can download routes created on the website or importing .gpx files from other route builder sites like bikehike.

Although it doesn't direct you as such like the dedicated GPS units I thought it looked quite good for just getting your bearings on a route you have pre planned via bikehike.
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Nero
Mud Lover
I find the following very useful for planning rides:

http://www.opencyclemap.org/
http://maps.the-hug.net/ (OS Mapping)
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andyjh
Mud Lover
They both seem very good site for planning from but I still want something with me so I can check I'm not going completely in the wrong direction. Without going the full GPS device this Outdoors GB app looked really useful. Means you need to check your phone but then I do that anyway once I'm unsure of location and direction. This is where Strava and Google maps let me down.
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andyjh
Mud Lover
First fide out with the Outdoors GB app and OS maps. Fairly impressed to be honest considering the expenditure of only a few quid. Okay so it's not as convenient as having a full mapping GPS device strapped to your bike as you need to keep stopping and unlocking your phone. Having said that, the maps are very good and I really like the little lighthouse style icon it uses that indicates the direction the phone is pointing, makes it very easy to see which route to take and direction to travel.

I downloaded a map I created online and this was very easy to follow and it would of been next to impossible via Strava or google maps on the phone.

For a cheap and cheerful solution I can highly recommend.
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