How to find new cycling routes?

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Location
España
I'm very weary about using these pre made routes by route planners. I only use tested routes, from other riders who have done them and I use their GPSx file or I make the route myself using strava route planner.
Well, cycle.travel has brought me pretty far in places I'm not familiar with.
I'm confused now because you appear to be using other people's routes yet this thread is about finding new routes? And making your own?
So....we have a solution!^_^

Happy riding!
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34702727
Nottingham to Quorn
Once you escape Nottingham the area around Ruddlington ,Bunny ,Keyworth offers some lovely cycling . I'd use Wilford bridge as the Trent crossing . Plenty of shops in Quorn and cafes when open for a break . If Quorns a bit far shorten the route by heading from Wysall ,Rostock to East leake again plenty of refreshment chances check out snow and piste
 
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oreo_muncher

Guest
Well, cycle.travel has brought me pretty far in places I'm not familiar with.
I'm confused now because you appear to be using other people's routes yet this thread is about finding new routes? And making your own?
So....we have a solution!^_^

Happy riding!
I just have one cycling club route and used audax GPSx files when I was doing them, and that's it. The rest I made myself.
 
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oreo_muncher

Guest
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34702727
Nottingham to Quorn
Once you escape Nottingham the area around Ruddlington ,Bunny ,Keyworth offers some lovely cycling . I'd use Wilford bridge as the Trent crossing . Plenty of shops in Quorn and cafes when open for a break . If Quorns a bit far shorten the route by heading from Wysall ,Rostock to East leake again plenty of refreshment chances check out snow and piste
I have cycled through Ruddington, Kegworth,Wysall. So you think i should make a route and cycle to Quorn? Haven't been to Rostock or East Leake.
 

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
I have cycled through Ruddington, Kegworth,Wysall. So you think i should make a route and cycle to Quorn? Haven't been to Rostock or East Leake.
The whole area between Nottingham an Loughborough is good for cycling just one main road to avoid where possible A60 you just need to Navigate out of Nottingham . Quorn is a lovely village but no nicer than any other village but does have plenty of refreshment options
 
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oreo_muncher

Guest
The whole area between Nottingham an Loughborough is good for cycling just one main road to avoid where possible A60 you just need to Navigate out of Nottingham . Quorn is a lovely village but no nicer than any other village but does have plenty of refreshment options
If you have any other nice looking villages in mind, feel free to list.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
It's not going to happen.
It sounds as if you are determined not to learn!
I think you're chancing your luck a lot if you lack basic map-reading skills and rely solely on a mobile phone for navigation. You will still require these basic skills to operate gps etc.,effectively. Why not spend these dark winter evenings learning to map read, it's not that complicated.
In the meantime you can always ask someone for directions if in doubt, you're never far from another human in Nottinghamshire:smile:.
 
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oreo_muncher

Guest
It sounds as if you are determined not to learn!
I think you're chancing your luck a lot if you lack basic map-reading skills and rely solely on a mobile phone for navigation. You will still require these basic skills to operate gps etc.,effectively. Why not spend these dark winter evenings learning to map read, it's not that complicated.
In the meantime you can always ask someone for directions if in doubt, you're never far from another human in Nottinghamshire:smile:.
I can map read Google maps and that's enough. I read my strava map well. I don't like paper stuff.
 
To me the solution is to improve your map reading skills.
Follow the directions on your phone but also carry a paper (photocopy or printout) of an OS style map. Stop frequently and draw the route you have covered. You will soon get the hang of scale, time and distance and orientation.
Draw a big red North arrow on the map and try and orient the map by rotation to your direction. Your phone will have a compass and google maps can orient itself.
When I am routefinding I frequently stop and consult a map. I take side routes and detours just to see what is there or to find a small or unofficial bikeable connection.

I always wonder at the mental picture that people have, if all they do is follow directions like Next Left 400m.
I once rode with a woman from the pub to her home and we set out in the opposite direction and did a big loop around. She had no map in her mind and was just riding familiar roads.
Im a bit like that when it comes to reading relationships.
 
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gavgav

Guru
Just a warning
I saw a thing a while ago where some people were looking on popular cycle route websites for people who seemed to have expensive bikes
then looking for them on Strava (and others).
They sometimes found someone who had a lot of routes logged that started and finished in the same place - which was likely to be where they lived
Then they broke into the person's shed hoping to find the expensive bike - or sold the info to someone to do the same
so if you log routes on an app and make them public - don't start logging until you are away from home!!
You can set a security boundary, on Strava, around your home, which means it doesn’t show exactly where you start and finish from. Mine is set at 1 mile.
 
I went on the website, I don't understand what makes it a better route planner than strava, ride with my GPS etc? The routes they have listed only one in the Midlands and it starts from around Derby and goes through Leicester towards Peterborough but it's quite far away from Notts. Didn't see any other routes they had listed. Maybe I'm missing the point of this website?
I think you are missing the point. The main thing with cycle travel us that it is superb for planning your own routes. Either by using the 'From' and 'To' facility or using the 'round trip' or 'suggested route' facilities.
 
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