Garmin Touring Plus settings

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mumbo jumbo

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham
I recently bought a Garmin Touring Plus. One of the features I was attracted by was the circular route option i.e. plug in the sort of mileage you want to do and it will give you three alternative routes to choose from. I've done this twice now and both times ended up totally frustrated with the device. I just want to ride on roads. Yet it seems to insist on trying to send me down canal towpaths and other tracks which I positively do not want to do. And the recalculating route feature seems only to want to take me back to where I went wrong, not reconnect me with my chosen route a mile or two further along.

My settings under Routing Options are currently:

Route Mode = Cycling (the alternatives are Tour Cycling (which is what it was on for my first ride) and Mountain Biking)
Calculation Method = Minimise Distance (the alternatives are Minimise Time or Ascent)
Lock on Road = On
Avoidance Set-up = There are two items to avoid. I've set both: Unpaved Roads and Narrow Trails
Recalculation = Automatic (alternative are Off or Prompted)

Thoughts anyone?
 

Kestevan

Last of the Summer Winos
Location
Holmfirth.
i've never actually used the auto route planner on mine, so cant really comment on it's effectiveness.

However, the auto recalculation is crap, as you say it usually ends up trying to go back to the last point, and then borks up teh remainder of the planned route. I'd turn it off. With it switched off the unit will show you a warning and display a direction arrow to rejoin the route. This seems to work and will allow you to pick up the planned route when you rejoin at any point.

I've used the "return to start" option on the routing, and not had a problem with it picking "off-road" routes, I use the same settings as you. Could this be down to the maps? I know there are some "roads" marked over the tops round here that are little more than footpaths.... but if you look at the on-line maps they show as navigable... this has also caught out many a driver...
 

MikeW-71

Veteran
Location
Carlisle
I heard a lot of criticism of the routing features, so when I got mine, I turned off the recalculation feature straight away.

I've never used it to plan a route yet, I plot a route myself on RideWithGPS and have the Garmin follow it. It works brilliantly for that.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
Mumbo,

I dont have the Touring Plus, just the Touring. But try this.

On the opening screen Press the spanner at the bottom right.

Routing options

Lock on road - change to ON.

Hopefully that will keep you on the roads.

I like the facility where you can just tell it how many miles you want to ride and it plots the route for you. I use it often. The only reservation I have is that it can, and sometimes does, send you down a road and you make a U turn and go back up the same road. You know full well that there is an alternative but it doesnt give you the option.

Having said that it is a great bit of kit once you have been out, got it wrong and played with it. The rerouting option is something I am playing with and have found it can take you the long way round sometimes and the short way at other times.

You can use the little known Plotaroute.com to plot routes and transfer it to your touring very easily. It is an excellent programme, its free and it is being improves all the time.
 
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