Cycling (custom) route planner with TBT instructions....does it exist?

[Sloth]

Hi, I have a literal maze of country lanes near me and am always getting lost.
Therefore, I'm looking for an app that will allow me to plot my own specific route around these lanes and obscure little hamlets (like you can on Google Maps) rather than 'pre-set' or 'fastest' etc. which most apps only seem to offer.
I also want turn by turn directions.
Free is good of course but I will pay although I'd rather avoid costly monthly subscriptions but may consider paying a one off purchase if it's not too much and the app does what I want it to do.
I have downloaded (and deleted again) apps that do not allow me to plot my own route turn by turn or do not give directions.

This does not seem to be particularly difficult and yet....?

 

[Baldy]

RidewithGPS will do that as well as komoot. You can use them with just a smartphone but they're better with a bike computer like a wahoo or Garmin.

 

[iluvmybike]

Bikehike is good for UK

 

[HarryTheDog]

If you are a member of Strava already (subscription only I think not the free version) theirs is pretty simple , go to Explore in the menu then create a route. You can look at heatmaps to see whats popular etc.

 

[Blue Hills]

I think OSMand will do this.
Got to ask though, why do you need turn by turn instructions?
And do you mean talking at you?
I have done very long trips (160 miles, lots in the dark) without this - just following points I have plotted or a line-track on an etrex.
The advantage of this is that there is no calculation being done by the GPS - I have been on rides lead by folk using turn by turn and they have encountered the odd problem as the unit gets itself confused.
IF you are referring to something talking to you as you ride, I can think of little worse.

 

[Sloth]

Yes, I want turn by turn. As I explained I am riding in a maze of back roads and country lanes and often get lost or end up going ion the w0rng direction, adding considerable miles onto a ride on occasion.
It's what I want.

None of the apps you suggest seem to have TBT directions or if they do then they don't have custom route options where I can literally use points to plot a turn by turn route and save it?

 

[KnittyNorah]

I don't think it's an app 'as such', and it certainly doesn't talk to you, but bike map enables you to plan your own route and gives you turn-by-turn directions which you could print out - it that any use? I use it to plan routes through the mazes of lanes north and west of where I live. You can save your routes once you join up (free).

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Yes, I want turn by turn. As I explained I am riding in a maze of back roads and country lanes and often get lost or end up going ion the w0rng direction, adding considerable miles onto a ride on occasion.
It's what I want.

None of the apps you suggest seem to have TBT directions or if they do then they don't have custom route options where I can literally use points to plot a turn by turn route and save it?

Osmand does

 

[PaulSB]

Yes, I want turn by turn. As I explained I am riding in a maze of back roads and country lanes and often get lost or end up going ion the w0rng direction, adding considerable miles onto a ride on occasion.
It's what I want.

None of the apps you suggest seem to have TBT directions or if they do then they don't have custom route options where I can literally use points to plot a turn by turn route and save it?

Both Komoot and RWGPS offer TBT. I've used RWGPS for this feature for years. If you plot a waypoint just before and just after the turn it will definitely work but it's not essential to do this.

I've never used the apps for plotting as I find the onscreen view too small and have always plotted on a laptop.

One thought occurs to me when you say TBT do you mean you want spoken directions?

 

[Sloth]

Thanks, I suppose what I mean to say is that I don't just want pre-et routes or the apps 'fastest' or most 'direct' route. That often misses some interesting routes I'd like to try.
I want to plot on a turn by turn basis a route of my choosing, however 'illogical' it may seem to the app.
I'm not bothered about plotting the route on the phone/app and I don't mind pre-plotting it on a laptop before loading it into the app/phone etc?

I don't have to have voice commands providing the turn by turn (TBT) instructions are clearly visually outlined on the screen of my phone.
I don't want to have to keep stopping to faff about with my phone if I get lost.
I hope that makes sense?

 

[PaulSB]

@Sloth both RWGPS and Komoot will allow you to do this. I plot and follow routes on RWGPS this way every week.

Another thought for you. Are you simply putting a waypoint at the start and finish? If so the software will decide on the route for you.

If you place waypoints along the route you will definitely get TBT on a route of your choosing. As I said placing a waypoint immediately before and after a turn will ensure this but it's not essential.

If you've already tried RWGPS and/or Komoot and don't get this result I think you must be doing something wrong.

I'd better add I'm using a Wahoo. Perhaps it works differently on a phone?

 

[sheddy]

Try komoot on your home patch for free, it does talk back.

 

[iluvmybike]

Bikehike does too - you save the file and download to your GPS then go ride

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Just drag the route where you want it to go on the websites mentioned. The TBT are a paid feature on Ridewithgps.

 

[chriswoody]

I'm in exactly the same situation as you, only instead of country roads, I ride through a veritable maze of forest roads. As @PaulSB mentions, I plot the route at home on the ride with gps, website, by placing an array of markers along the route I wish to ride, here's a screen grab of a section of a typical route I've created myself:

Once uploaded to my garmin, I get turn by turn instructions to follow. As well as the gps, it also works on my phone with turn by turn directions as well.

@Blue Hills, I like to have turn by turn, because I keep my Garmin on the screen which just gives me my speed and a couple of other metrics. Off-road in the forest It means I can concentrate on where I'm going and avoiding tree routes etc.. When a turn is coming up, the unit beeps gently and shows me a quick picture of the map and the turn I need to make. The unit doesn't actually talk to me at all. All it takes is a quick glance and I can see which direction I'll be turning and what to be looking out for in real life. I find it a much more safer and relaxing way to ride in the forests.

Edited to add, reading Mings comment above, I'm actually a paid up member of Ride with gps, so thats why I have turn by turn, I'd forgotten it was a paid benefit. Personally, I use the site a lot to create my own routes and find it a really useful tool so was happy to stump up for a yearly subscription.