GPS or Maps?? Urgent help!!

[EmilyCC87]

Ok, so if we got for Maps- (which I am more then happy to do!) then what is the best way to plan the route on the map to begin with and then to follow it whilst cycling?

Would it be best to laminate small sections and use a handle bar mount to display whilst cycling?

Thanks for all the help and advice so far!

 

[Brains]

When leading a group on tour I use both map and GPS.

The map to see where we are going and the GPS to see where we are.

The main advantage to having a GPS is when leading a big group to signal the next left turn will be in 200m.

Given the choice between one or the other the map would win every time on a bike (the gps would win in a car)

 

[jefmcg]

Do any of you have a smart phone? Android or iPhone? Or Windows 8, I guess. You can use that to back up your maps.

 

[jay clock]

Have sent the maps off.

I find the biggest time waster when touring is if the maps are not to hand. So having them in a handlebar bag/map bag on the bars means you can constantly navigate, keeping an eye on side roads to check you are on the right route

The bag I have (and LOVE) is a Vaude Road I, http://www.probikekit.com/uk/vaude-...&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=google_base_gbp also sold as a Revolution from EBC at much cheaper price and seems identical http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/pro...rowse/accessories/bags/handlebar-bags-baskets - note that they also do a bigger Vaude Road II - the model I prefer is 3 litres (smaller in reality - imagine 2 x 1 litre cartons of long life orange juice stacked side by side). Plenty big enough for keys, wallet, phone, camera, a lightweight rain jacket etc, really well made, and really does stay rock solid but removed in under a second

I like this so much I am half tempted to buy a second and store it for the day I need a new one just in case!

 

[rich p]

I use a map case on the handlebars for ease of access as I don't use a bar bag. Cheap and cheerful and readily available - just like me!

 

[Ticktockmy]

Ok, so if we got for Maps- (which I am more then happy to do!) then what is the best way to plan the route on the map to begin with and then to follow it whilst cycling?

Would it be best to laminate small sections and use a handle bar mount to display whilst cycling?

Thanks for all the help and advice so far!

Mark your route with a highlighter on your maps, then use your memory for sections of the route, you just need to check the map at major road junctions along your route, Just remember from the map when you need to turn off a road onto another road or track. It does not take much effort to remember a few route instructions. However if you cannot then either get a Bar bag with a Map cover or as you said a map board on your handle Bars. Regarding GPS, they are not the wonderful piece of technology that people think, Batteries run out when you least want them to, in some places they get jammed by electronic systems operating in the area, sometimes they take ages to get locked on to the Satellites, often it hard to read the display in the wrong light conditions, all of which will delay your journey as you panic and try to sort out the problem.

 

[srw]

http://www.fietsnet.be/routeplanner/default.aspx

Here's the online version of the join-the-dots Belgian route planner. Outside of towns it basically works, and it's possible to construct a route by writing down a series of numbers, then following the numbers on the ground. Most of the routes are on decent surfaces.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

You'll be fine with maps. Is your route not sufficiently flexible to handle you being a little off what you expected? We would roughly plan our route each morning over breakfast - nothing serious, just a 'here, here and here, expecting to be here by evening' type affair By lunchtime it had usually changed (at least in places where there are plenty of roads to choose from). Couldn't tell you where we were staying until we'd arrived.

The downside with paper maps is whether you can read them... The upside is you don't have to worry about charging the batteries, only keeping the map dry. Put them in a map case on a barbag if you have one, or handlebars if not.

Don't over plan, it will spoil a lot of the fun you could potentially have. Just let it happen, and take an "old fashioned" compass - they do come in handy when "temporarily wandering aimlessly" (aka lost) for making the correct decision on direction at junctions if there is no-one around to ask.

As an example last year, we cycled (14,000km/8,700miles) from the UK to the far North of Norway, across to the Russian border with the Barent's sea, through Finland all the way down to Athens, Rhodes and on into Turkey using paper maps alone. Athens was the only time we used the GPS for navigation, to stick to a planned route into (and out of) Athens to find the hotel/harbour uploaded to the GPS using Velomaps (free software) and track points... Otherwise we never used GPS other than for confirming where we were at night (each and every night we took a GPS reading on a basic Garmin GPS 60 and that was for record keeping and sussing out where exactly we had wild camped that particular night...)

 

[BigonaBianchi]

A road atlas..or the relevant pages is all you need really..
I had a GPS on the ride across the USA but only used it a couple of times in towns really.
It's a neat toy but I wouldn't rely 100% on it.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I should add that I think it best to use uploaded track files if you do decide on a GPS ..letting the dam things decide whete to take you is a recipe for disaster in my experience.

 

[Blue Hills]

I should add that I think it best to use uploaded track files if you do decide on a GPS ..letting the dam things decide whete to take you is a recipe for disaster in my experience.

You can pretyy much tell my Etrex 20 which roads you want it to route you over by judicious use of waypoints. You don't always need that many.

 

[jakegil]

I use a map because the battery will never die

 

[srw]

I should add that I think it best to use uploaded track files if you do decide on a GPS ..letting the dam things decide whete to take you is a recipe for disaster in my experience.

The way round that is to do the routing on a PC, and then upload the route onto the GPS.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Yep...I use tracks though because routes used up to much memory for the entire transam.

 

[srw]

On a ride nearly that length we took the computer (netbook) with us.