hi

what’s the easiest / numpty proof tool for planning off road routes for use on a Garmin 800?

thanks!

Map my ride or similar

Bikehike

http://Www.bikehike.co.uk or http://www.ridewithgps.com depending on how committed you are to using OS maps.

Try ridewithgps.com.

If you have OS map SD card I’d also use http://www.garmin.com/en-GB/shop/downloads/basecamp

Basecamp is very good it will use your OS map and it’s free.

The Strava route tool is pretty good. It can show you which paths are popular, and where segments are.

Basecamp

another vote for ridewithgps – you can toggle the map view options which include OSM which shows quite a lot of actual cycle stuff depending on location and easily export as a gpx file

not sure as have a subscription but think to export a gps from strava you need to subscribe?

not sure as have a subscription but think to export a gps from strava you need to subscribe?

You need a subscription to export a GPX for other people’s activities. But you can export your own activities or routes for free.

tried basecamp – it seems to refuse to go down half the trails I want to use even though they are on my os map?

I’ve set it to mountain biking and shortest distance. Even when I put a waypoint in half way along a trail it u turns and takes me down a road (sometimes!)

You need a subscription to export a GPX for other people’s activities. But you can export your own activities or routes for free.

Partly true. You can create a route from any activity you have access to and then you can export the GPX of that. So although it’s not as easy you can do it.

I’ve been using BikeHike for years, but the problem is that for off-road planning, it won’t “follow” footpaths and bridleways – only roads.

I’ve been using Plot A Route more recently as it’s pretty good at path-following, but because it doesn’t support OS maps, I still find myself flipping back to BikeHike for more tricky bits. Just make sure you flip the track following to “foot” rather than “bike” as it shares OSM’s poor classification of bridleways and footpaths, so when left on bike mode often refuses to use certain trails.

Might give ridewithGPS a try next time – seems to be the most popular one at the moment.

Just make sure you flip the track following to “foot” rather than “bike” as it shares OSM’s poor classification of bridleways and footpaths, so when left on bike mode often refuses to use certain trails.

I thought ridewithgps had a similar issue as refuses to work with some paths near me but a quick check of UK stuff and seemed to work fine with OSM and Wharncliffe downhills that are shown as paths rather than cycle specific

suspect the problem might be slight gaps in the plotting of paths by whoever has contributed them

charliemort – Member
tried basecamp – it seems to refuse to go down half the trails I want to use even though they are on my os map?

This is a mapping issue. Set Basecamp to Direct routing or create a track and it’ll draw straight lines between the points you plot. If you have OSM mapping installed then some of those tracks you want to use might be routable but there’s no guarantee.

I’ve been using a mix of bikehike, viewranger and Basecamp, but recently discovered http://cycle.travel

They all have strengths and weaknesses, hence the mix.

Just been plotting a route on the Strava new route tool. Generally pretty straight forward but occasionally you have to undo your last point as it uses a huge loop to connect it then engage manual mode, click to where you want to go (this uses straight lines to join the two points) then go back into auto mode.

Must be the underlying mapping missing tracks here and there.

Slight hijack but I’m having problems importing gpx routes into os maps routes. It doesn’t like routes with more than 3k waypoints.

I’ve tried to upload the Devon coast to coast and can’t as it maxes out the waypoint numbers.

Either use something like BikeHike to split the route into two or more parts or use a tool that reduces the number of waypoints.

right – tried basecamp and ride with gps and neither worked! Didn’t even recognise byways….

think I’ll stick to paper

As I said – it’s the maps that are the problem, not the software. If you accept that, and plots tracks instead of routes (or choose Direct routing), then it all works just fine.

a couple of tips for plotting on ridewithgps – as mentioned above direct routing and selecting options help with all the solutions mentioned above – just I’m more familiar with ridewithgps and use OSM a lot since moved down under as it supports shared paths

with OSM make sure the Bike Paths toggle is on

change the options to Walking

if get a big loop around because a path is not connected correctly to another path then:

use Undo to remove the bad routing

toggle to Draw lines (Direct routing) – draw a short straight line to enter the path you want then Toggle back to Follow Roads

[url=https://flic.kr/p/YHs6FY]ridewithgps options for paths[/url]