Cycle routes - how do you find yours?

[Pduk]

We all have our favourite / go to routes that we default to, but I'm trying to find other routes to venture along.
Curious as to how members on here go about it, do you...
Plan it all out ahead of time?
Just head to a certain area and make it up as you go?
Use an app to follow and track your progress?
Up till recently I've been more into mtb-ing so Forestry England has been handy for that. I have Komoot but find the info given is a little limited (could be user error ).
Answers on a postcard please

 

[biggs682]

I just make it up as I go majority of the time.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I spend a lot of time poring over maps and planning routes which I download to my GPS. After doing all that I often end up ignoring my meticulously planned route and winging it.

I do most of my riding from home, so I'm pretty familiar with a lot of my riding, especially the "London escape" routes. I don't experiment with those, I just stick with what I know.

 

[JtB]

I used to make them up as I went along until one day I found myself on a very busy dual carriageway and that scared me. That’s when I decided to buy a Garmin cycling SatNav that allows me to meticulously plan new routes paying careful attention to the types of road.

[Edit] PS. In addition to avoiding busy dual carriageways I also need to avoid tracks which would be unsuitable for road bike wheels.

 

[Drago]

Maps or make it up.

 

[Oldhippy]

OS map and meander.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I used to just head for a general area and go down any roads I liked the look of that might be going in the right direction if I have not got turned round

but round Runcorn that can be a problem as everything is designed to lead onto the "almost motorway" roads all around it and through it
I do not even know if bikes are allowed on them - never seen any signs - but there is no way I am trying it!!

nowadays I generally find a likely looking area on Google Maps and go there and wander round - just see how it goes

sometimes I am wandering along a well know route and start wondering what happens if I go up that road/path/track
OK - I often end up at a style going into a field and don;t really want to try lugging an ebike up and over onto a path that might turn out to be "not a path" - but I can always just turn round

I do have a trail I have been meaning to try
I take the grand kids for walks to Pex Hill - which is quite a small area of woodland
but there is a path I have noticed that might be good for a bike - Google Maps is unclear
it might just cease to be after a mile or so

but one day I will try it!

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Usually planned around hill climbs by memory if riding my usual area in the western South Downs (having scoped out some ideas on komoot/connect) or in the hills west/south of Longleat.

Still got so many hills to climb again in eastern Hampshire or West Sussex for the first time since my long covid began in Oct '22, nevermind climbing for the first time this year, still trying to work out how far my ebike battery will take me with plenty of hill assistance and how the motor preserves my weak stamina.

 

[raleighnut]

Leicester Council produced a set of 6 (free) maps that cover the whole county with one dedicated to the City,any further afield and it's O/S landranger series

 

[All uphill]

I have several regular rides and try to vary these a bit by taking turns off the familiar route, but my favourite is to take the train to a distant station and cycle home using a cycle.travel planned route on my SIM free phone

 

[ianrauk]

I usually pre plan a route on Garmin or RWGPS but sometimes when in the mood I go off map and just follow my nose.

 

[derrick]

Just follow my nose, sometimes there good, some time there rubbish, But have found some nice country pubs along the way. Nowadays i stick to routes i nose.

 

[Punkawallah]

Like you, I have regular routes depending on how long I want to go out for.
If I’m off for days I’ll look at Google maps first, and then refine it with an app to check height climbed and so on. Tried using the app for routes on the go, but a bit too much faff for me. I’ll pick a road, and a ‘back stop’, pedal until I get there, and then check Google for the next road. Lather, rinse repeat until I get there.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

OS map and meander.

Correct answer.

 

[prestonhere]

OS map and meander.