Cycling UK Forum

I'm a returnee to cycle after many years and have found the Komoot App and OS App extremely useful for planning day trips and longer routes. They are not free, but the most useful software options of this type rarely are.Whatever software you decide to use for planning, trial it well locally on familiar roads before planning a longer trip with it. This way you'll identify some of the peculiarities of how it operates.

Thehairs1970 wrote:Look out for slightly odd routing on cycle.travel. Not sure how the algorithms work but it does pick some oddities at times, even when you use waypoints to force it. Having said that, it's not bad at all. I often use komoot to compare routing and then sometimes check using google earth

The only oddity with cycle.Travel that I find (feature or bug depending on your perspective) is it is overly keen to get you off main roads in urban areas, at least in these parts. In more rural areas it is much better behaved.

Another plus for cycle.travel is that, as of this week, you can now link it to Garmin Connect so you can save routes directly to GC & then load them wirelessly from GC to your Garmin.

It is usually best not to follow any route slavishly. I always have some kind of map - at the very least OS digital but usually a printout of the OS map for the route with the Cycle travel route marked. I can then vary my route, locate local attractions etc and get more perspective, identifying hills and rivers etc. Takes a bit of time to manually transfer the route but that is to me part of the fun and it helps commit the route to memory to some extent.

Cycle travel is always an excellent starting point especially in an unfamiliar area. But even locally it has taken me on roads I would never otherwise have used.

I am beginning to feel I may be missing something with how I plan routes. I do look at Google maps and paper maps then write down a route card. I then ride using the card and double check against the paper map if in doubt. On odd occasions I have used the phone for the last couple of miles to my destination.
It seems to work but my IT mad family keep offering to buy me a GPS device. Would I gain any more peace of mind for the not inconsiderable outlay or do others still use my method. I did have GPS on my boat which I did use on channel crossings so too much of a luddite

Different cyclists like different methods.

I'd suggest:

1 Trying as many methods as possible.

2 Then writing down the advantages and disadvantages of each for you.

Jonathan

PS: In addition to this thread I suggest having a look at:

"Route planning for long tours"
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=143000&p=1562270

Lots of information around and I am getting pressure from an IT oriented family to get one.
Normally I plan trips by using Google maps and paper maps then create a route card. On the road I use the card and sometimes check against the paper map. I have used my phone and WAZE for the last bit to accommodation.
We always used GPS when sailing cross Channel so I am not a luddite but honestly wonder what I will gain from purchasing a GPS which is certainly not cheap. Wavering but not convinced. Thoughts welcome as I cannot be alone thinking this.

I have found my Garmin very useful when away from home. Get one with a good battery life and decent screen visibility in sunshine and at night.

The GPS may not necessarily take the best route but it will at least get you there.

roberts8 wrote:We always used GPS when sailing cross Channel so I am not a luddite but honestly wonder what I will gain from purchasing a GPS which is certainly not cheap. Wavering but not convinced. Thoughts welcome as I cannot be alone thinking this.

Many are more expensive than is needed I feel.
Those tend to be the ones promoted by bike shops - more profit.
I'd take a look at the Garmin Etrex series. Use AA batteries which can be rechargeables.

You could test the water by using a smartphone with one of the many gps/navigation/route planning apps. Cost for that would be very low; few pounds for a bar mount and between zero and a few pounds for the app.

Sorry about multiply entries but as always some really good replies. Can't wait to get the jab and start cycling further afield.