Route Reconnoiter.

[Mallory]

RideWithGPS is a nice site to play with Joe very good for route planning with 'street view' integrated, have you tried that ?

do you have to subscribe to use those features???

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Here's another vote for ridewithgps. I planned my entire 3000 km ride across Sweden and Norway with it last year and it was very useful.

 

[HLaB]

do you have to subscribe to use those features???

Nope, I'm too much of a tight wad for that; just create the free account

 

[Globalti]

Er.... Ordnance Survey maps have contour lines, which tell you the length and angle of the slope. They also show you points of interest and cafes, pubs etc. that you might want to visit just off the route. You can even fit them in a jersey pocket!

 

[Biker Joe]

You're going to be busy! It's time consuming all this cycling.

With a lot of careful planning I might, just might, get a couple of minutes actually on my bike.

 

[Biker Joe]

I played about with those that were mentioned.
I decided I liked RideWithGPS the best.
It does all that I require.

Thanks to everybody for their responses.
I'm glad I started the thread.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Er.... Ordnance Survey maps have contour lines, which tell you the length and angle of the slope. They also show you points of interest and cafes, pubs etc. that you might want to visit just off the route. You can even fit them in a jersey pocket!

might be a bit too old fashioned for some - but this ex-IT engineer much prefers paper maps as well!

 

[youngoldbloke]

- but OS maps (much as I love them - I can spend hours reading them) don't actually tell you what is written on a signpost, or even if there is a signpost at a junction, Streetview is invaluable for this sort of information. OS maps are not always up to date, either. I can fit an A4 printout or two from Bikehike in my jersey pocket much more easily too, and it doesn't matter if it gets soaking wet or lost either.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

- but OS maps (much as I love them - I can spend hours reading them) don't actually tell you what is written on a signpost, or even if there is a signpost at a junction, Streetview is invaluable for this sort of information. OS maps are not always up to date, either. I can fit an A4 printout or two from Bikehike in my jersey pocket much more easily too, and it doesn't matter if it gets soaking wet or lost either.

takes all the fun out of it! I rarely if ever plan my route - just head out and see what happens. It did find me a 10% grade which would have been OK on my tourer or mtb but on the road bike I curse like ... well you can guess but I did make it in one go. Now I know only to go down that hill instead! part of the learning process but I'm not worried about getting lost - somehow I always manage to find my way back home, much to my husbands amusement...

 

[deanE]

I am using Garmin connect and Streetview on Google maps to plan my JOGLE, this May. Unfortunately can’t check out the quality of many of the cycleways though.

 

[youngoldbloke]

takes all the fun out of it! I rarely if ever plan my route - just head out and see what happens. It did find me a 10% grade which would have been OK on my tourer or mtb but on the road bike I curse like ... well you can guess but I did make it in one go. Now I know only to go down that hill instead! part of the learning process but I'm not worried about getting lost - somehow I always manage to find my way back home, much to my husbands amusement...

"takes all the fun out of it! I rarely if ever plan my route .... " - I don't bother much if I am heading out by myself, just take a general map of the area if I am unfamiliar with it, but If you are writing a route sheet for a club run the information you can get from Streetview can be very useful - of course you can always ride the route beforehand, or (shock, horror) drive it

 

[Hacienda71]

I quite enjoy just going for a ride if on my own. Often this will be in The Pennines. I find it quite liberating to come across a hill that you have no knowledge and ride up it with no preconceptions it might be a total bugger where you get that sense of achievment went you get to the summit. I have come across most of the most notorious climbs in the area in this way. I do record where I have ridden and look at it on Strava or Endomondo afterwards to see the ride data, but planning for me tends to be more about riding with others so everyone is comfortable with the distance and elevation beforehand. Bikeroutetoaster seems best for this. I do also look at 1:25000 or 1:50000 os maps pre-ride, particularly if I am in an area I don't know so I can get an idea of local places etc as a guide for location/returning if I get lost, although my Garmin does have a take me home type function if all else fails.