How to route plan?

[LosingFocus]

I'm debating doing a "tour" of sorts from my house (in Essex) to my parents (in Cornwall). I've done the journey hundreds (if not thousands) of times in my life, but always in a car and nearly always using the A303 or the M4 as the "route west".

If there a good website that lets you plan along cycle friendly roads and predefined routes that others have used before?

 

[HLaB]

You could try cyclestreets.net

 

[LosingFocus]

Ya, shall take a looky.

 

[Tyke]

Bikehike is good.

http://www.bikehike.co.uk

 

[aberal]

Bikemap is another one - Bikemap

 

[vernon]

ViaMichelin

It allows you to use bike as an option.

Use it here

 

[LosingFocus]

Lovely stuff gents

*doffs cap*

 

[doog]

Bike route toaster?

http://bikeroutetoaster.com/

 

[pshore]

A good place to start is to look at the Sustrans Network to see if it goes where you want. OpenCycleMap is good for that. (its also the same openstreetmap data that cycle streets uses).

If you want an automated route planner, then try cyclestreets, openrouteservice is good too (again openstreetmap data)

Another quick option is to do a route on Google Maps, then start dragging the route away from main roads and onto more minor roads.

Note of caution: no site that I know of has good enough elevation data to tell you how much climbing you'll be doing over undulating terrain, like in devon and cornwall.

This question has come up a few times before. Eg: https://www.cyclechat.net/

 

[400bhp]

The way I do it is generally is to use an iterative process:

a) use google maps and drag the mouse over quiter (generally yellow/white) roads to give you a feel for the length of the route

b) use bikeroutetoaster to repeat a) but start to look more closely at actual roads/gradients (using the statistics page to look at total adcent)

c) go back to google maps and check the route by hovering over the roads you have chosen in b) with the street view icon. If they turn blue they are generally rideable.

d) double check the route for roads you suspect might be poor/busy by actually using google street view to see what they are like.

e) Go on sustrans to see if your route is along any cycle paths or if there are roads close by that might be better

f) post the route on here and ask for advice.

The amount of time/detail I spend will depend on how well I know an area and how far the route is. Also more important to spend time if not doing a loop.

 

[srw]

Unless you're planning on being heroic and doing the whole distance in one day I'd suggest deciding how far you want to go each day, then deciding on target stopping points each night, then planning a route between stopping points. Your stopping points and your route are not independent - so you may need to do iterations until you're happy with each day's ride and each night's rest.

You can use google maps "terrain view" to remind you where the ranges of hills are.