Cycling UK Forum

Having forked out for the Cicerone guide to EV15, we now find we only need 29pages. Strasbourg to Koblenz. Is it signposted well enough to just photocopy the maps or are the instructions needed? Cheers

We rode it in 2019, S to N.

I think that you'll be fine with the maps and a few notes.

But we had the Cicerone guide on our Kindles, the Bikeline ring-bound guide, and all of the routes in a satnav.

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑17 Jun 2022, 9:00pm We rode it in 2019, S to N.

I think that you'll be fine with the maps and a few notes.

But we had the Cicerone guide on our Kindles, the Bikeline ring-bound guide, and all of the routes in a satnav.

Jonathan

I chuckled, not that I’m any different - information kings. I like the cicerone books for their info but as hard copies I don’t find them worthy of the pannier space so I’d vote for kindle. The bikeline books are great in a map holder on your bar bag (I slightly prefer the chamina ones as I speak French and they prioritise bakery locations! but it depends what’s available for your route and I’d assume it’s BL for the Rhine). Obviously my routes are organised and pre loaded on cycle.travel and I have google maps as back up. I’ve been brave and stopped taking my ever failing garmin and if I don’t have a map book I’ll usually take the yellow Michelin ones for the area.

I did it Mulhouse to Dutch border without anything printed but using electronics (maps, GPS turn by turn routes created each evening for tomorrow). However, I don't know the guides mentioned nor how detailed the maps are.

Another consideration is where you are staying your overnight may be some distance from EV15 and you might want a map to get to it from EV15.

Is OP totally dependent on paper?

Ian

MrsHJ wrote: ↑18 Jun 2022, 12:42pm

Jdsk wrote: ↑17 Jun 2022, 9:00pm We rode it in 2019, S to N.

I think that you'll be fine with the maps and a few notes.

But we had the Cicerone guide on our Kindles, the Bikeline ring-bound guide, and all of the routes in a satnav.

I chuckled, not that I’m any different - information kings. I like the cicerone books for their info but as hard copies I don’t find them worthy of the pannier space so I’d vote for kindle. The bikeline books are great in a map holder on your bar bag (I slightly prefer the chamina ones as I speak French and they prioritise bakery locations! but it depends what’s available for your route and I’d assume it’s BL for the Rhine). Obviously my routes are organised and pre loaded on cycle.travel and I have google maps as back up. I’ve been brave and stopped taking my ever failing garmin and if I don’t have a map book I’ll usually take the yellow Michelin ones for the area.

I didn't include the back-up methods...

; - )

Jonathan

I simply used Richards site to download a route on my old Garmin etrex. That said I recall it being well signed but the route was sketchy in places around Manheim where it kind of diverts. You really can't go wrong by keeping the river to your left or right dependant on what side you're on. Without doubt it's the easiest long distance route I've cycled in relation to not getting lost

Thanks for the replies. Decided on photocopies of maps, routes from cycle.travel onto Komoot on phone on handlebars, Rough Guide Snapshot book of Middle Rhine and Mosel on kindle. Failing that, downhill to Koblenz, turn left.

I just did EV15 the other way and found the guidebook useful for ideas on when to swap sides of the river. The signposting was pretty good but to be honest it's hard to go wrong with the Rhine as long as you know if you're going upstream or downstream!

Bowak wrote: ↑1 Jul 2022, 12:27pmThe signposting was pretty good but to be honest it's hard to go wrong with the Rhine as long as you know if you're going upstream or downstream!

Now you tell me!

: - )

Jonathan

Thehairs1970 wrote: ↑19 Jun 2022, 8:12pm Thanks for the replies. Decided on photocopies of maps, routes from cycle.travel onto Komoot on phone on handlebars, Rough Guide Snapshot book of Middle Rhine and Mosel on kindle. Failing that, downhill to Koblenz, turn left.

For the first time, I recently had an electronic route on my phone for a bike trip , but if you have battery life concerns, or like me, just don't want to needlessly have the phone on all the time with gps running etc, perhaps try like what I did--using the gps location only when you aren't sure if you've missed an intersection or whatever.
This worked well for us, as the route we were following was generally well signed, but was useful to pinpoint at times either using the Dutch biking app I used, or even just Google maps, at only the times when unsure.

I found it handy not to have the battery drain and or the phone get hot from running all the time and in the sun (kept phone in handlebar bag or in rear pocket)

4 years ago, my wife and I did EV6, and generally we found the signage to be pretty straightforward, although there were the odd confusing bits, usually in more urban settings.

For the first time, I recently had an electronic route on my phone for a bike trip , but if you have battery life concerns, or like me, just don't want to needlessly have the phone on all the time with gps running etc, perhaps try like what I did--using the gps location only when you aren't sure if you've missed an intersection or whatever.
This worked well for us, as the route we were following was generally well signed, but was useful to pinpoint at times either using the Dutch biking app I used, or even just Google maps, at only the times when unsure.

I found it handy not to have the battery drain and or the phone get hot from running all the time and in the sun (kept phone in handlebar bag or in rear pocket)

4 years ago, my wife and I did EV6, and generally we found the signage to be pretty straightforward, although there were the odd confusing bits, usually in more urban settings.

This is what I do after previously using paper maps, I use an old Android phone attached to my handlebar, plan with cycle.travel, use pre downloaded maps (i use maps.me) and keep the device in airplane mode which is normally good for 2 or 3 days cycling, If I come to a junction and I'm unsure which way to go I switch on the screen which in turn fires up the GPS and work out which way to go from there. My other phone stays safely stored away. It's not turn by turn and you still need map reading skills to a certain degree but the beauty for me personally is the ability to change my route on the fly the same as using paper maps but without the hassle.

I did Europoort to Schaffhausen in 2017, took a mate's Garmin and gave up on it just after Arnhem and relied simply on a list of towns for overnights and basically just followed the Rhine which is well signposted. google maps when lost. Also asked plenty of super friendly locals. If you have time to plan ahead, there are a few big industrial sites on the Rhine to avoid. As I recall, entering/leaving Strasbourg is a peaceful canal path, then find and follow the big river!