Can anyone help fix Bikehike.co.uk? Is there an alternative?

[hughwill69]

Hi all,

I don't know about you, but I've always gone back to Bikehike.co.uk for route planning as it seems to be the only one offering proper route editing facility and it benefits from having a Ordnance Survey screen to check detail.

In the last week though, the Google Maps screen has greyed out with a Google error box saying that the maps won't show properly on the website. This is particularly frustrating as the greying appears to disable the facility to change to OpenCycleMaps. You can still mark points and routed on the greyed map, but there is no mirror cursor on the OS map. Effectively, the site is disabled.

I've looked at the Google page linked to the error message where they talk about APIs and permissions etc, but the solution is aimed at the website owner. I know from the information on the site that not much has been done since 2014.

Does anyone know the owner? Can anything be done to help the site function again? I can't be the only one still wanting to use it, nor the only one prepared to throw in a bit of money to keep it going.

If not, is there another site that has a good route editor that can be used on desktops/laptops? Most of the '10 best' route creators in lists on the net have no real editing facilities, and many of them now are phone/tablet only- sometimes only the ubiquitous IOS.

Hugh

[fionat]

The 'donate' button on the website gives an email address of admin@bikehike.co.uk - so might be worth dropping a line.

The error message is "You have exceeded your request quota for this API. See https://developers.google.com/maps/docu ... ing-errors"

I know google have recently changed their API pricing, so probably related to that.

[hughwill69]

Thanks for the reply. I have emailed.

I'd not thought of the quota thing- perhaps the quotas are monthly and maybe that's it for the site until September.

Reminds me of the sites that use Ordnance Survey open access maps- often the daily limit is exceeded by 5 in the afternoon!

[Mick F]

The same message has come up on http://www.raintoday.co.uk occasionally. It's like that for a day or three, then fine again. Was fine for years, then not, and been fine for the last week or so.

I don't think it's an issue with them or BikeHikUk, but an issue with Google. Maybe they're doing something with their settings and legal cover.

[Mike_Ayling]

Google no longer provides a free service to mapping sites.

The CrazyGuy on a bike site has decided to move away from Google maps because Google were proposing to charge him in excess of US$1,000 per month which amounts to about 25% of his annual donation income.

Have a look at Ride with GPS which has a no frills free section but if you want more bells and whistles youhave to subscribe.

Mike

[francovendee]

It's a change by Google. I used to convert a google map to a GPX file using another site. I can't do this now due to Google's change of policy.

A real shame for me as with the other mapping sites I don't have the ability of a street view to assess the nature of the road when planning a route.

[tim-b]

Hi

I've always gone back to Bikehike.co.uk for route planning

Me too

...but there is no mirror cursor on the OS map

You have to keep the cursor within the blue border on the Google map, this hasn't changed

Does anyone know the owner?

Email: admin@bikehike.co.uk

...good route editor that can be used on desktops/laptops

Try: http://www.cyclestreets.net/
http://cycle.travel/map
https://www.plotaroute.com/routeplanner
https://www.routeyou.com/en/route/planner/0/outdoor-route-planner
Regards
tim-b

[hughwill69]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes it looks as though there's a reason not to let any organisation get a monopoly- hopefully I wasn't the only one fooled by their 'do no harm' slogan. 'Monetise' is a vile word, and in this case it describes a sad reality.

Thank goodness we still have OpenStreetMaps.

[Mick F]

BikeHikeUK still works fine, it's just dark.

[LollyKat]

It only works up to a point - the 'options' button is missing so you can't switch to OSM which shows contour lines, and you can't route along any off-road paths as you can't choose "walking". At least, you can if you can actually find the cycle routes at all, but you only get straight lines, same as with the OS.

Cycle.travel is working as usual but I find it really difficult to edit a route, and it still makes some silly choices though it's better than it used to be. If I use it at all it is just to give me some ideas -- then I plot my own version on BikeHike.

[Mick F]

It only works up to a point - the 'options' button is missing so you can't switch to OSM which shows contour lines, and you can't route along any off-road paths as you can't choose "walking". At least, you can if you can actually find the cycle routes at all, but you only get straight lines, same as with the OS..

I don't use those facilities, so I hadn't noticed.

I tend to toggle the map sizes so I see the OS mapping properly. Also, I rarely do any off-road riding, so it still works fine for me.

[Sweep]

I have long used the excellent

http://cycle.travel/

for suggesting/creating country routes.

Like many on here.

I download the gpx format which just marks turns.

Chuck that into:

https://www.gpsies.com/home.do;jsession ... 7_hikebike

(that's the classic view which I prefer - just noticed that at the end of the thread it says "hikebike" - curious)

which I find great for editing routes. shifting the points slightly.

It also has good systems for reducing the points if you ever need to.

For long detailed routes for touring I then do some clever stuff with a text editor and number all the points, before chucking that into my garmin, but I won't bore folks with that.

I do all the route working out on a chromebook.

I can also put the gpxs into my android tab to display them on OSMand.

[Mick F]

I have long used the excellent
http://cycle.travel/

Just looked at that, and yes it is excellent.
You put your start point in and your end point, and then it does the rest.

Not for me though, thanks.
I want to create my own route click by click by click, just like on BikeHikeUk.

[1982john]

Like others, I have had a similar problem with a route converter site (after making the route in google maps). I've ended up buying the Komoot package. It's worth it for the time it saves me and ease of use and maybe it helps support a community for the long term?

[Mick F]

Just Googled Komoot.
Like other route planners, they have no idea of geography.

I see so many cyclists passing through and taking the route they planned without knowing anything about the hills involved. Komoot does the same. Take the shortest route between two points.

Like this.

Absolutely the WRONG way to go.
It's a rat run, and it's steep. Very steep and NOT recommended.

Best route, is to use the yellow road round the bend.