I had my first Adventure!!

[icowden]

So yesterday I decided to cycle from my home in Walton on Thames to my in laws on the far side of the New Forest (approx 85 miles). Took me about 8 hours.
I learned many things.

• Google maps is very good but does tend to reroute taking you where you hadn't planned to go, even when using a pre-planned route.
• Sometimes it thinks you can go somewhere you can't (tried to go through a stately home)!!
• When converting the route to ridewithgps and sending it to your brother in law, you get a nice long break when he gets lost.
• There is some beautiful countryside to be explored
• The A30 near Hook and Southampton in general is fairly horrible (although the cycle path through Southampton is good)

Most of all I learned that 50 miles is reasonably comfortable. 75 miles is manageable. The last 10-15 miles however were very hard work, especially as it started raining.
On the plus side, the in-laws have a hot tub, so recuperation was good!

The original plan was that the BiL was going to follow the same route but overtake me and get there for lunch time. However as he failed to check the route, didn't take a baterry pack for his phone and got lost, we ended up doing it together (after i had directed him back to the route, where I was sitting on a grass bank with my phone, powerpack, and spare powerpacks - be prepared!!).

The other nice thing was that whilst sitting on my grass bank enjoying the sunshine, almost every cyclist or group of cyclists passing, and one mopedist checked in to see if I was OK, either verbally or with the internationally recognised thumbs up gesture. I therefore think that anyone on two wheels is nicer than those on 4.

 

[PeteXXX]

Many others will be along to recommend different / better routing apps so I'll leave it to them..

Well done, and that's a decent length ride!

🍻

 

[fossyant]

Potentially worth investing in a Cycling GPS. My Edge Explore is loads better than my old 705 for navigation. I use Garmin connect and state either Road or MTB for rides. I've been busy exploring tiny roads in North Wales where I haven't even driven. Just double check the elevation profiles as you mark up the route - I knew there were some big hills at the start of my 50 miler than again at around 30. Fortunately the last 13 were flat. The last two were hard as I was sore by then.

Well done !

 

[icowden]

Thanks - I have a slight antipathy towards GPS devices as the BiL seems to get lost every time he uses his, whereas I don't when I'm using the phone...*
I started by comparing notes between Strava Routes and Google Navigation. Strava seems to be quite good at finding routes most cycled and reducing elevation. Google maps is a pain to export and I find RideWithGPS an absolute nightmare to use. Always seems to want to do it's own thing.

*of course it could be that I check through the route programmed before setting off....!

 

[Andy in Germany]

A good solid ride, well done.

 

[si_c]

Thanks - I have a slight antipathy towards GPS devices as the BiL seems to get lost every time he uses his, whereas I don't when I'm using the phone...*
I started by comparing notes between Strava Routes and Google Navigation. Strava seems to be quite good at finding routes most cycled and reducing elevation. Google maps is a pain to export and I find RideWithGPS an absolute nightmare to use. Always seems to want to do it's own thing.

*of course it could be that I check through the route programmed before setting off....!

I understand the antipathy, but they're quite easy to use; when navigating I have the screen on the map display permanently and it shows the path ahead as well as how far to the next turn and which direction. Pretty hard to get lost when using it to be honest, especially as it beeps at you when you are off track.

 

[icowden]

It's also worth saying that once i got past the nasty bit there is some lovely cycling gong down through Hampshire.
I discovered Upton Grey, Preston Candover, Brown Candover, etc. Some lovely pubs there too. Shame I didn't have the time or inclination to stop!

 

[mjr]

Well done!

As you've already discovered: don't use google maps for cycling; above about 45 miles a day, most people won't have time to look at interesting things along the way.

I generally use osmand (for prompts) or AAT (for a line on a map), using routes mostly from https://cycle.travel

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Well done and it seems like there will be more in the future - first adventures can be so important!

It's amazing the things we can see and notice that are close to us that never normally impact on out consciousness.

On the navigation side of things there are lots of previous discussions on route planners and units. My experience with Google Maps for a bike is that it can never be trusted. In NL, a country not short of dedicated cycle paths it would try to direct me across fields.

If using RWGPS (or Strava) you can add any photos taken and throw in some notes or comments too. It may not seem like much now but it's a really good way of building up a bank of memories - and very easy!

Anyways, well done and where's next?

 

[Blue Hills]

well done, a good ride and a good time.
I love the New Forest - I bivvied there in the between lock-down late last summer.
For routeing I would avoid googlemaps.

I much prefer cycle-travel
https://cycle.travel/map
quickly check the route, maybe tinker with it ever so slightly, dump it into my (cheap bottom of the range fine and dandy) garmin etrex20.

 

[cwskas]

So yesterday I decided to cycle from my home in Walton on Thames to my in laws on the far side of the New Forest (approx 85 miles). Took me about 8 hours.
I learned many things.

Congratulations! So much to see and so much to learn, two of the great joys of cycling somewhere.

On the plus side, the in-laws have a hot tub, so recuperation was good!

How considerate of them!

The other nice thing was that whilst sitting on my grass bank enjoying the sunshine, almost every cyclist or group of cyclists passing, and one mopedist checked in to see if I was OK, either verbally or with the internationally recognised thumbs up gesture. I therefore think that anyone on two wheels is nicer than those on 4.

👍

Willie

 

[cwskas]

Thanks - I have a slight antipathy towards GPS devices as the BiL seems to get lost every time he uses his, whereas I don't when I'm using the phone...*

*of course it could be that I check through the route programmed before setting off....!

Getting to know your software preparation (if used) and device and what the strengths and weaknesses are is part of the process. There is a lot of good advice and opinion here and in other forums, but nothing beats understanding your chosen method and having confidence in it.

But, for me, a sense of exploration (new places and routes) and giving myself plenty of time are also very important. That is something that I can credit to the many joys I have had reading the tales of HobbesOnTour and so many others on this and other forums.

Reading about someone else's ride is not as much fun as taking one, but on a day when I can't ride, it recharges my personal desire to ride.

Recently I took a new route only to find out that it turned into a very bumpy dirt road about 2 miles down. I ride a trike and climbing is highly motivated by the joy of the downhill. But this was so rough, I had to keep my speed down as low as 7-8 mph on the downhills. I was mentally making note to never take this route again and thinking of how it was killing my average speed and adding to the time required to finish the day.

Then I came over a hill and it was a very nice view of quite a distance into a river valley ahead and later I passed the largest ranch I think I have seen in my area which seemed to go on forever on either side of the road and in one pasture, there were buffalo roaming. Just before regaining the pavement a quite large snake crossed in front of me.

In the end, it took me at least 30 minutes longer than I had anticipated, but I will likely take it again.

Willie