I normally use garmin connect to plan a route to upload to my Garmin 810. But I'm fed up of being taken the wrong way around ring roads, the wrong way up one way streets and fed up of muddy off-roading on my road bike.
I'm looking for an alternative that has an option to avoid the off-road sections garmin like to include in my routes. Garmin has this option but it clearly doesn't work.
I thought bike toaster was the default option so I registered but it appears to be broken. It wont let me (or many other according to various forums) plot a new route. It keeps giving me the following message when I click a point "failed to add new point"
Are there any other worth looking at that I can be as certain as possible wont take me off road?
As much as I check over the routes its not a quick process when the rides get longer.
Thanks
Andy
yup try this: http://www.cyclestreets.net/
plan your route and export the gpx to upload to the garmin.
bike hike course creator is great once you've got the hang of it
bike route toaster is normally good too, but as you mention, currently appears a bit dead.
I used to find mapmyride very good too, but haven't used it for a while. they used to have a really nice simple interface that became unnecessarily cluttered. Not sure what it's like these days.
Garmin Basecamp
Strava works for me
bikehike.co.uk - uses Google for routing and seems good. You can choose which algorithm it uses - car, walking etc.
Bike Route Toaster was great but Google based routing is broken. You can however still switch it off and simply click lots, but that doesn't route you as you require.
Is your 810 re-routing you during the ride?
Thanks for the suggestions. I forgot strava did routing so I'll have a look at that. That cyclestreets looks good though so ill have a good look at that later.
I have no idea what my garmin is doing. I have only just managed to get it all working again after garmins "Updates" cocking it up.
Will I still get turn by turn navigation on the garmin if create a route on another site and import it into garmin connect?
I use ridewithgps, and have turn by turn directions on my Edge 800.
Top tip - use the streetview icon and hover it over your route: it will show up any sections not covered, which usually means you're being routed on a bridleway rather than a road.
RideWithGPS here.
The turn by turn feature comes in TCX files not GPX so whatever app/site you use to create the course you need to export it as TCX. There might be "TCX course" and "TCX history", choose the "TCX course" option.
The turn by turn feature comes in TCX files not GPX so whatever app/site you use to create the course you need to export it as TCX. There might be "TCX course" and "TCX history", choose the "TCX course" option.
That's not true: a Garmin Edge 810 or 800 will do turn by turn from a gpx file.
A Garmin 500/ 510 requires TCX as it has no mapping facility, so relies on TCX cues from the file.
Ah, only have the 510 (not posh enough for the 8xx)
Here's an explanation https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?20113-Difference-between-course-and-route&p=95185#post95185
And from RidewithGPS:
GPX Tracks
The best format (aside from TCX, read about that below) for navigation
A GPX Track contains the hundreds of points used to draw a map, but it doesn't contain cuesheet information, so any custom created cuesheet entries will NOT be present when you navigate. However, the GPS unit will strictly follow the plotted route and will also provide you with true navigation style turn by turn instructions if you have CitiNav or OSM base maps installed. You get a stylized map with a superimposed direction arrow at turns, as well as textual directions. Additionally, whether you have base maps or not, the compass on your GPS unit will always point in the direction you need to go and you can see your route plotted on the Edge's map display. As long as you don't need any custom cuesheet entries, this is the best format to use.
TCX
Great for navigation if you need custom cuesheet entries or don't have basemaps!
The TCX format is great if you want to navigate a route from the site which contains custom cuesheet entries. The Edge 800 will navigate you along the route, giving true GPS style navigation with a stylized map containing an overlayed arrow. When you get within 20-30 feet of the cuesheet entry, it will also beep and display the name of the entry. So, you get navigation plus alerts when you come up on your cuesheet entries. One thing to note: the cuesheet entry alert is "dumb" in that it doesn't take into account your direction of travel. Say you get off course and loop around the block, so your left is now a right to get back on course. The cuesheet entry will still say "Left" even though you need to take a "Right". The navigation instructions on the GPS will be correct, but the entry won't. As long as you recognize that limitation, then the TCX is a great format for navigation.
I turned off most of the features of my 510 route guidance as I found the frequent switching between zoom levels and the off-course warnings too confusing.
I prefer to just have the route consistently displayed (there's no map on the 510). The only problem comes after zooming out if I then forget to zoom back in to see the route detail.
Routes I draw by hand in Viking GPS, takes a bit of time to get enough detail to follow, but can mash-up old rides, as well as access elevation data for when more ascent is required (though bit of a problem with the DEM layers battering the CPU when zoomed out - i4790k).