Garmin 'Popularity Routing'

[gxaustin]

Surely Garmin Popularity Routing must be the worst misapplication of data ever. Every route taken by any Garmin device is collated and the most popular are favoured when writing a route. OK unless you are a road biker who wants a road route. Unless you put dozens of route markers on to your route Garmin will try to take you down every footpath, tow path and even across fields. Why? because lots of runners, walkers and MTBers like routes other than roads.
Worst still, the map writing screen defaults to popularity routing every time you save. And I'd suggest saving frequently in case the route crashes, which means you have to remember to click off popularity routing.
My life would be improved if popularity routing could be eradicated, or at least if the screen stopped defaulting to it.
Any ideas how this stupid feature can be disabled, anyone, please

[Psamathe]

I disabled it very quickly (though I'd assumed it was using popularity of routes used by cyclists!). I had to get my Garmin mid tour and without power/data/time to work out accounts, etc. I finished the last 4 week of tour creating each days route evening before on Garmin. I found it was taking me on some significant detours to get to some "popular road". Quickly disabled and it started coming-up with far more sensible routes.

I was creating routes on my 1030 and it was a setting somewhere in the on-device settings option. (Can't remember where but quite a few other options in same section like "Avoid ferries Y/N").

Ian

[Mick F]

In all my years with Garmin devices, I've rarely allowed it to navigate. Done it once or twice so I could have a giggle.

Best thing, is to create your route and upload it into your Garmin, and follow that.
You design it, you follow it, and all's well.

I like BikeHikeUK.
Simple and has an OS map too.
http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php

Download your route in whatever format your Garmin needs.
If you need a different one to what BikeHike can do, use a program to change it.
I like JaVaWa RTWTool.
https://www.javawa.nl/rtwtool_en.html
My Edge20 wants FIT files, and that converts to them happily.

[Jdsk]

If anyone is wondering:



Jonathan