Audax navigation?

[markemark]

Look at the Beeline 2. It is made for this type of thing and battery life is barely an issue. The phone does the processing/GPS but does not power a screen so will last for many many hours. The beeline itself is only a small secondary screen so again the battery will last for many many hours.

 

[oldandslow]

GPS tracks are usually available. I still have a map trap on my bars and carry a route sheet there but, in reality, it's the GPS I'm normally looking at.

But to answer the question, no-one normally cares in an Audax. Use whatever suits you - bike, navigation, clothes, everything. It's one of the attractions.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@Donger uses the clipboard map.

 

[Gritstone]

A key element which really applies to any rider who's actually going to navigate on a ride is to exercise due diligence as part of ride preparation. The OP clearly does this, though I suggest carrying one's brevet per OP image is inviting a "Hummer's Fen Hazard" iykyk (LEL 2017).

I quite enjoy the ride prep!
I’ve no idea what Hummer’s Fen Hazard is but given the context I assume it’s about a lost brevet card. So, I’ll keep it in a safer place.
And just an extra note to all of you involved in volunteering to make Audax happen, thank you very much!!

 

[Dogtrousers]

GPS warning. If you are a bit of an idiot, don't mentally prepare for the route, and just merrily trundle along saying "hullo trees, hullo sky" with half an eye on the GPS map then you won't get lost but you might ride straight past a control and not get your card stamped.

That was a minor contributory factor in me DNF-ing the last Audax I attempted. The main factor was feeling unwell in the heat so I think I would have bailed anyway, stamp or no stamp.

 

[BrumJim]

It's an Audax. It is mandatory that at least one person on the ride uses the printed notes rather than GPS, either because they haven't got a GPS device, because they are terified of change and think that an Audax isn't done properly unless you use printed notes (and don't follow the route exactly because it isn't mandatory), or because it was in the Ts and Cs when they bought their Carradice bag.

It is a good conversation starter.

 

[matticus]

It's an Audax. It is mandatory that at least one person on the ride uses the printed notes rather than GPS, either because they haven't got a GPS device, because they are terified of change and think that an Audax isn't done properly unless you use printed notes (and don't follow the route exactly because it isn't mandatory), or because it was in the Ts and Cs when they bought their Carradice bag.

(There is a little truth in the above!)

Fun stats:
Last year I route-checked the london Arts 600. Although I had my GPS on, the main task was checking the routesheet.

Organiser Ian sent out a rider Q'aire thingy after the event, which showed that whilst almost everyone used a GPS (and just a few % navigated just by routesheet), almost everyone carried a copy of the routesheet. They presumably knew that it makes an excellent robust backup system

 

[Donger]

@Donger uses the clipboard map.

Certainly do. I call it the "Flatnav". It has never let me down and it doesn't need batteries. I also rather enjoy following the typed route instructions .... even if they are a bit like heiroglyphics at first. On longer club rides I used to sometimes produce a playing card sized route summary with bullet points set out using the same symbols. I've occasionally seen motorcyclists do the same thing.

 

[ColinJ]

They presumably knew that it makes an excellent robust backup system

I carry a second GPS as a tech backup system!

(My old Edge 200, which has been 100% reliable. My newer Wahoo GPS is a much more powerful device but navigation glitches on that have caught me out on a few rides. I have not yet worked out what the problem is. The Edge 200 is tiny so it isn't much hassle to carry that as well.)

 

[blackrat]

The nice thing about having the turn by turn route on the handlebars is that if you are unfamiliar with the route (although if you were familiar with the route you wouldn't need any navigation system) you can go to street view and look for any clues - such as turn at the house with the thatched roof, for example- and add that to the sheet. It is what I do and my Wahoo merely tells me the miles so I know when to turn as shown on the route sheet - plus I can mark where a cafe is or any point of interest. It really is like going for a ride with a story written out in front of you telling you all about the places you will visit. Much better than staring at a little moving line on a device.

 

[lazybloke]

It wasn't an audax, but the London Lockdown route gave a few GPS navigation issues due to tall buildings attenuating & reflecting signals. I couldn't be sure exactly where I was, and took plenty of wrong turns.

Thankfully I've never had the same experience on an Audax, and a Garmin does the job for me.


Although I do always carry the route-sheet in my pocket, and refer to it surprisingly often!

Update: even if the file for navigating has POIs/waypoints, the routesheet (and accompanying info) is usually far more detailed.