Do OS maps show cycle routes ?

[MighyG]

Hi all,

I use a Garmin etrex for plotting routes, but when I am out I want to be able to divert of that route and sometimes that will mean using a different cycle path. Do you know if the OS maps show the regional and national cycle routes ?

Or has anyone had any success printing off the open cyclemap ?

thanks


Paul

 

[HLaB]

Hi all,

I use a Garmin etrex for plotting routes, but when I am out I want to be able to divert of that route and sometimes that will mean using a different cycle path. Do you know if the OS maps show the regional and national cycle routes ?

Or has anyone had any success printing off the open cyclemap ?

thanks


Paul

Some times OS maps show a National Cycle Route but this isn't always up to date. I've looked at open cyclemap a few times but found it could be a bit incomplete. Some sites I find better are cyclestreets, streetmap.co.uk, gooogle maps and sustrans for planning (I've also bought Multi map, electronic OS) or I check out others previous routes on bikely, Bikehike, mapmyride, etc. All of these are easy to print off.

 

[Davidc]

The Landranger series show cycle routes as green dots. They're either a green circle outline for off road or filled in for on road. The NCNs are marked with their number, as are some of the local ones if they have a number.

 

[theloafer]

hey mightyg .....try these i find them great http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7773..

 

[soulful dog]

That link comes up as:


"Description     

Item discontinued - no longer available to purchase."


?

 

[MighyG]

hey mightyg .....try these i find them great http://www.chainreac...?ModelID=7773..

link doesn't work for me so not sure what you are pointing at ?

good idea about printing off googlemaps, am going to have a look at that and gpsies cycle map and see how they look

 

[marinyork]

Some times OS maps show a National Cycle Route but this isn't always up to date. I've looked at open cyclemap a few times but found it could be a bit incomplete. Some sites I find better are cyclestreets, streetmap.co.uk, gooogle maps and sustrans for planning (I've also bought Multi map, electronic OS) or I check out others previous routes on bikely, Bikehike, mapmyride, etc. All of these are easy to print off.

I disagree about opencyclemap, it's looking in fairly reasonable shape these days. You're having a laugh saying sustrans, even their new look mapping system with the fadded out maps are much poorer to use. It's a shame they went for this as it renders it much less useful.

OS maps aren't particularly accurate on NCN in the sense that it classifies things as 'paved' and not. It's not particularly accurate, not that it's an easy job as the ncn varies so wildly.

To clarify the opencyclemap is the best show in town when it comes to overall NCN/cycle routes. The others bar sustrans are very useful for checking. There's plenty not on there but you know what why not add some missing cycle track like I have today - doesn't take long.

 

[mcshroom]

Open cycle Map is good in popular cycling areas but when you get out into the wilds (like West Cumbria) it can be a little patchy in my experience. Where is is well developed it is definitely the best out there and I suppose I should really be logging some more on the GPS to update round here.

I tend to use Landranger OS maps, which are reasonably accurate but don't always have the most updated routes. Also there are a lot of maps that have been issued by councils that are collected here. In cities and towns they can be the most useful.

The 1:250k OS road maps however do not show cycle routes.

 

[HLaB]

I disagree about opencyclemap, it's looking in fairly reasonable shape these days. You're having a laugh saying sustrans, even their new look mapping system with the fadded out maps are much poorer to use. It's a shame they went for this as it renders it much less useful.

OS maps aren't particularly accurate on NCN in the sense that it classifies things as 'paved' and not. It's not particularly accurate, not that it's an easy job as the ncn varies so wildly.

To clarify the opencyclemap is the best show in town when it comes to overall NCN/cycle routes. The others bar sustrans are very useful for checking. There's plenty not on there but you know what why not add some missing cycle track like I have today - doesn't take long.

Open cycle map is pretty ropey round my way but I guess that's down to where you live. When ever I've looked for my area there is quite a few roads not shown as continuous or not shown at all. Sounds like it is better your way. B)

If you are looking for info on NCN cycle paths Sustrans is one of the places I'd look. Got to admit though I've never printed it off but I like the default level of mapping and the new maps seem to be more navigable but as with all sites I'd only cross reference it.

I'd agree OS aren't all that accurate and its best to use a combination of places and the NCN has a habit of changing.

I tried updating the main roads in Open cycle map but it was taking too long, it didn't seem a user friendly site but thats probably down to me I'll have to give it another bash sometime.

 

[HLaB]

Also there are a lot of maps that have been issued by councils that are collected here. In cities and towns they can be the most useful.

Thats a good site (added to my bookmarks) but I noticed that a some of the councils (up here at least) that I know have good info on their web site have not been uploaded to that site.

 

[marinyork]

Open cycle map is pretty ropey round my way but I guess that's down to where you live. When ever I've looked for my area there is quite a few roads not shown as continuous or not shown at all. Sounds like it is better your way. B)

There were plenty of roads missing a year ago, even six months ago. Sorted now. There are a few towns that are unlucky but they are being worked on. It's much more complete than it was a year ago.

If you are looking for info on NCN cycle paths Sustrans is one of the places I'd look. Got to admit though I've never printed it off but I like the default level of mapping and the new maps seem to be more navigable but as with all sites I'd only cross reference it.

I know it's their own site but I find the Opencyclemap much easier to work out where the NCN routes are. It's as clear as day on that map where it is (unless a bit is missing). But then depends, a bridge was built for the NCN and someone added it on the opencyclemap within two weeks.

I tried updating the main roads in Open cycle map but it was taking too long, it didn't seem a user friendly site but thats probably down to me I'll have to give it another bash sometime.

Potlatch basically sucks if you were using that - turning off pointer in the options speeds it up. If you were using linux and josm that's better but much harder to initially get used to. The actual tags once you get beyond a certain few it's very easy, just edit and look at an example of someone else's or look on the wiki. The big annoying thing I find with it is that the Opencyclemap takes about a week/two weeks to update (randomly) whereas the OSM takes half an hour (used to be about 2 mins until fairly recently).

 

[GrumpyGregry]

There's plenty not on there but you know what why not add some missing cycle track like I have today - doesn't take long.

Is there any guidance online as to how to go about this? I've found a few local bridleways and cycling legal white roads locally that aren't on the otherwise excellent OpenCycleMap

 

[marinyork]

Is there any guidance online as to how to go about this? I've found a few local bridleways and cycling legal white roads locally that aren't on the otherwise excellent OpenCycleMap

Yes there is, are you using linux or windows? For linux I know someone that authored a fairly extensive guide to JOSM. I'm familiar with potlatch.

There's the OSM wiki that actually has a lot more info than people think on it. http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Main_Page Most things are theoretically in there although it's not necessarily easy to find. It's good if you add stuff, one always finds there are POIs and stuff to do after the roads.

What sort of level of explaining were you wanting?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Yes there is, are you using linux or windows? For linux I know someone that authored a fairly extensive guide to JOSM. I'm familiar with potlatch.

There's the OSM wiki that actually has a lot more info than people think on it. http://wiki.openstre.../wiki/Main_Page Most things are theoretically in there although it's not necessarily easy to find. It's good if you add stuff, one always finds there are POIs and stuff to do after the roads.

What sort of level of explaining were you wanting?

Twould need to suit the better class of idiot my parents bred.

I'm reasonably techno-literate and at home, to varying degrees, in Ubuntu, Mac OS and Windows, SQL, XML and HTML

 

[marinyork]

Ah. Well in that case I'd have a fiddle in potlatch in windows first. http://www.openstreetmap.org/edit

potlatch is within the browser. Basically everything works on the idea of nodes and ways.

You click and it creates a green dot. You draw it across the screen and press again and you have a way. You use tags for everything. You can get tags from the drop down menus and selecting or from pressing the + bottom on the right and typing it in.
so highway=bridleway is to get a bridleway when you have that way selected.

If you add the additional tags foot=yes and bicycle=yes then it'll change colour on OSM. If it's just a stereotypical country bridleway I'd leave it with highway=bridleway that gets you the green colour.

The best way to learn if you're unsure is go into OSM, find something you want to do the same thing for, press edit, look at the tags and then copy them (within reason).