How do you navigate when you are riding a bicycle?

[lifeonbike]

I have been struggling with this when I ride my bike to a new place. How do you deal with the problem? Thank you!

 

[lifeonbike]

Oh, here is a quick intro of myself. I live in California and I recently started to get around on my bike. I am eager to meet more people in the community!

 

[alicat]

A laminated map with chinagraph pencil marks showing the route. The map is fastened to the handlebars. It works for me.

 

[alicat]

to the forum.

 

[mjr]

I use Osmand on my phone with voice prompts. Cycle route signs are so poor that sat nav is almost vital. In noisy cities, I either use an earpiece or put the phone in the clear top of a handlebar bag and tell it to turn the screen on at turns.

I used to write route cards but miss one turn and it's difficult to recover.

 

[Joffey]

I have been struggling with this when I ride my bike to a new place. How do you deal with the problem? Thank you!

I use a Garmin. You can navigate round quite well using the base models and the breadcrumb style guidance or get a better one such as the 520 and above that enable you to use maps.

 

[DCLane]

Google maps first then memory of it

For longer distances (100k+) I use a Garmin with the route on it

Or by the stars.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Paper maps, photocopied bits of regular road maps, Garmin GPS, Google Maps directions on smartphone.
Sometimes just by approximation and dead-reckoning.
Choice depends on time, complexity of routing.

But learning to read a map is a pretty basic and valuable skill and then the world is your Oyster!

 

[steveindenmark]

If you want to navigate long distances and want yo use something for navigation only, I would certainly go For the Wahoo Elemnt or the Elemnt Bolt. If you want to use it for navigation plus points of interest, accomodation, gas stations etc. I would go for one of the garmin models.

There is a huge selection to choose from. It all depends on what your requirements are.

There is always paper maps as well. If I am touring I usually have a Garmin and paper maps. I have recently bought the Elemnt Bolt and it is brilliant. I will also have my mobile phone with me which is also useful for navigation.

I shouldnt get lost. But I probably will. Actually, I am never lost. But not necessarily on the route I want to be on.

 

[derrick]

Garmin.

 

[Fonze]

Well hello ..

 

[ianrauk]

Garmin Touring and/or Garmin 200

 

[Ian H]

On our recent tour in Brittany, I had a Garmin with optional tracks (for fall-back routing), and waypoints for our destinations. My companion had maps and we planned our days mostly ad hoc on those, with the Garmin guiding us the last kms to the hotel.

It's nice not to have too much pre-planned.

 

[MikeG]

Paper maps, a sense of direction or a compass, and memory. Longer rides I write out turn-by-turn instructions on a long strip of paper which scrolls around on a little winding device I made.

 

[NickNick]

I use Google maps on my phone fastened to handle bars with a waterproof cheap holder I got from decathlon.

I get 2gb on my pay as you go when when I top-up with a 10er and I save offline maps for the areas I got to the most in case the signal drops.

Works pretty well, would quite like to get a bike specific satnav at some point but funds too tight at the moment.