i've come across this route planning site...it's brilliant and free!!!

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

it's like bikehike used to be...but better. you can can save routes, have routes on full screen etc etc. it's lightening quick as well.

http://ridewithgps.com/

enjoy!!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

don't know where to put this, so it's here and in the cafe bits.


it's like bikehike used to be...but better. you can can save routes, have routes on full screen etc etc. it's lightening quick as well.

http://ridewithgps.com/

enjoy!!

 

[ianrauk]

Cheers, another one to add to the list of many.

 

[amnesia]

Registered - that's an ace site

I was using Endomondo but it's soooooo slooooowww

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

this is the best one i've come across. but i've only used bikehike, mamyride and bikely. they seem slow and don't have as many features, well freebies anyway. i really like the full screen option, gets rid of the clutter, the incline/decline percentage as you trace the elevation is a nice touch.

 

[HLaB]

I'd heard of it but never actually bothered to check it out till now, it looks good

 

[ianrauk]

Yup, just tested the site and it is very good.

 

[potsy]

Looks good,have never really used a mapping site before,but this is very quick and easy to use.Have just plotted a couple of routes I know well and will experiment more tomorrow

 

[HLaB]

Not that it really matters but it tends to underestimate gradients. It says Gloom hill, Dollar is an average of 4.7% 15.1%, but when I redo the exact same route it averages 9% and max's at 22.1% but the short route taking their elevation gain of 123m in 0.9km, I'd calculate as 13.7%

 

[sarahpink]

ive just started using that site really good and simple which is a plus for me

 

[Crackle]

Not that it really matters but it tends to underestimate gradients. It says Gloom hill, Dollar is an average of 4.7% 15.1%, but when I redo the exact same route it averages 9% and max's at 22.1% but the short route taking their elevation gain of 123m in 0.9km, I'd calculate as 13.7%

Yeah, it's gradients are b044ocks, utterly wrong.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

oh, how do you know?

 

[Crackle]

oh, how do you know?

I've got a couple of hills I've actually got the OS map out for and calculated the gradients off the contours. Most of the mapping software sites are wrong because they all use the same base data. Some of then use an algorithm to try to smooth things out. Mapmyride is by far the most accurate unless you have a road which falls and rises continually in small amounts, such as a Scottish singletrack and then it's very wrong because the algorithm can't cope with small height changes. Mapmyride being almost unusably slow means I tend to use Bikehike and then look at the route post ride/run in Sportstracks where you can apply a data smoothing of your own on a slider. This tends to be 'reasonably' accurate but far from perfect. Basically, you have to take all climb data with a pinch of salt from most mapping sites.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

yeah, i see what you mean. i do tend just use it for info. my main thing i use is the elevation stats. do you think the total elevation stats are correct?

 

[Crackle]

yeah, i see what you mean. i do tend just use it for info. my main thing i use is the elevation stats. do you think the total elevation stats are correct?

Well just a quick comparison with Bikehike shows it to be as accurate on one hill I'm looking at but 300 ft more over another one and wildly inaccurate on the gradient data. Most of these sites tend to overestimate but it's not as simple as saying by a % as it varies with the terrain.

If you are just using them as a comparative measure of one ride over another then it gives a good comparison but if you want accurate data about the height climbed and the gradient then none of them are much good so use the one that you like, is probably the best advice. I still prefer bikehike because of the OS window.