route planning 101

[chrismisterx]

Simple question, whats the best way to plan your route and then the best way to follow it when on the bike?

I tried to set up a route using the journey planner from cycling uk and something called komoot.

my tour is going from NE29 to AB56

Should I break the routes up into smaller parts, say each days ride? with having a loaded bike was looking to find a route thats a bit quieter, more cycle paths than busy roads.

Any tips or advice on route planning or what apps or programs to use would be most helpful.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

https://cycle.travel/ for planning

If touring I would use a dedicated GPS unit and not your phone. Garmins and wahoo are popular but I prefer Satmap (I have a relationship with them so am may be biased )

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I use Kommot or Cycle.Travel and send the route to my Wahoo Elemnt

Here’s a quick route plan https://www.komoot.com/tour/52421458

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/84008

There are some sizeable lumps in there. Go to Hull and get the boat to the Netherlands.

 

[Reynard]

If you are going anywhere unfamiliar, I would also highly recommend a proper paper map(s). They don't take up much space, but are invaluable. Plus you're not relying on batteries etc.

Something like the OS Explorer series (1:25000 scale) is brilliant, and of course, the OS Landranger (1:50000) plus A to Z sheets for urban areas.

 

[Soltydog]

Should I break the routes up into smaller parts, say each days ride? with having a loaded bike was looking to find a route thats a bit quieter, more cycle paths than busy roads.

Any tips or advice on route planning or what apps or programs to use would be most helpful.

I always have just a day at a time to follow on my GPS, I always worry about how my GPS will pick up a route part way through

I've used various apps/programs but quite often they will route you on bridleways, which are not always suitable for 25 or 28mm tyres so unless you are prepared to check the whole route on google maps you could end up on unsuitable tracks/routes. https://cycle.travel/map is good for giving you low volume traffic roads, but again, it can put you on bridleways/rough tracks

 

[Ian H]

I won't let any app choose my routes. I plan from a map. Any roads I'm unsure of get a quick check via Street-View. Then create a gpx track and download to device.

 

[Dbt]

Simple question, whats the best way to plan your route and then the best way to follow it when on the bike?

I tried to set up a route using the journey planner from cycling uk and something called komoot.

my tour is going from NE29 to AB56

Should I break the routes up into smaller parts, say each days ride? with having a loaded bike was looking to find a route thats a bit quieter, more cycle paths than busy roads.

Any tips or advice on route planning or what apps or programs to use would be most helpful.

Got no advice, but hi to another NE29er.

 

[mjr]

If you are going anywhere unfamiliar, I would also highly recommend a proper paper map(s). They don't take up much space, but are invaluable. Plus you're not relying on batteries etc.

Something like the OS Explorer series (1:25000 scale) is brilliant, and of course, the OS Landranger (1:50000) plus A to Z sheets for urban areas.

OS are shoot for cycling, showing National routes vaguely and local routes and standalone cycle tracks not at all. Not worth the paper. The various renderings of openstreetmap knock it into a cocked hat.

I tend to use cycle.travel with some dragging to plan routes and a phone or route sheet to follow them.

 

[Reynard]

I dunno @mjr - I've had no problems with the OS maps I've been using.

 

[ColinJ]

I use cycle.travel for ideas, then transfer to digital OS maps for review. When I have a route planned I double check any roads that look iffy using Street View.

I upload the finished route to a very simple old Garmin Etrex GPS device which has no 'knowledge' of what roads I am following. It simply displays a grey breadcrumb trail on its screen for me to follow. I have done tens of thousands of miles that way. I never get lost, and can't possibly get rerouted.

There have been just a couple of times in 12 years when I have been caught out when roads had been built or closed since my OS maps were published. Cycle.travel's maps seem to be kept current so I now pick up on that kind of thing before I even look at the OS map.

 

[andrew_s]

If you are going anywhere unfamiliar, I would also highly recommend a proper paper map(s). They don't take up much space, but are invaluable.

If you're going from NE29 to AB56, they do take up a lot of space, and are indeed valuable (as in purchase price), especially if you go for Explorer rather than Landranger.

 

[mjr]

I dunno @mjr - I've had no problems with the OS maps I've been using.

You may be missing out on some great car- free cycling routes, depending where you use OS maps for.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Strava to plot and follow the route, if you can’t reccy any bits or all of it, check any bits that you’re not sure about, regarding suitability for a bike ride, using Google maps, and street view. Break the ride down into manageable chunks, and try and keep the route as interesting as possible ( limit the amount of drudgery caused by going ‘route 1 on main roads’)

 

[slow scot]

I think your route is covered largely by Sustrans route 1; two or three of their maps should see you right and you'll find yourself on either quiet roads or traffic free cycleways.

 

[MichaelW2]

My strategy for route planning is to use a large map showing as much as the route as possible.
Identify any pinch points such as river or estuary crossings, valleys, mountain passes etc.
Identify no-go areas I want to avoid, eg fast 4 lane A roads, pedestrian crossing of similar roads.
Identify cycle friendly facilities such as bridges and tracks, cycleways, entrance and exit to large towns and cities.
Identify bugout routes such as railways.
Join the dots with straight line and look at the prettiest route in that direction.