sustrans - great idea, if only I could get it to b#&**dy work

[stu9000]

Hi all,
I don't know about you but I love my android phone. I've got it so it mounts beautifully on my bike and I'm very happy with Google maps most of the time.

But, I'm riding down to Horsham tomorrow from Worcester park (near Kingston) and thought I'd have another look at sustrans to see if I could navigate through some disused train paths and the like. Someone told me that you can do a lot of the route to Brighton like this.

I have a feeling that Google maps uses sustrans data but I thought I'd have another look. I looked at the sustrans website but found it slow and not very user friendly. I downloaded the cyclestreets app as it will be out on the road trip will need it most.. There was more detail on there which could be useful planning but could also be confusing on the road. I could not for the life of me find a key so I wasn't sure what the blue and brown lines indicated.

I guess some of you will be garmin enthusiasts but I'm not ready yet to shell out for that.
With a battery back up my phone works very well.

Google Maps has steered me through parks and down cycle tracks I never new existed. Gotta say I am loving this aspect of cycling. I thought sustrans might help me explore some more but the cycle street app is coming up with the same route as Google maps.

I'm a bit disappointed. I thought sustrans was all about publishing non road routes.
Am I missing something?

Thanks

S

 

[Kookas]

Yeah, Google maps does use Sustrans data when you use the cycle route option.

What I find annoying is that neither app lets you tick a box to avoid bike-destroying towpaths.

 

[Andy_R]

For a definitive mapping source you need to use Ordnance Survey stuff...rights of way, bridleways, permitted paths etc.etc. I use Mobile Atlas Creator to make maps for my Garmin, but I'm sure there's something similar for Android phones.

 

[young Ed]

i shelled out £180 for my garmin edge touring and love it never turning back here! sorry i'm no help
Cheers Ed

 

[andrew_s]

Try http://cycle.travel/map
It is quite good at coming up with reasonably direct minor road/cycle track routes. It will do things like use a pedestrian underpass under a railway line or tell you to walk the wrong way up a short section of one-way.

Click at start point, click at end point, and if you don't like the route you can drag it to one side and it will change. Click on an intermediate marker flag to remove it and revert to the previous route.
If you want to download the resulting GPS file, you've got to save the route first.

 

[stu9000]

i shelled out £180 for my garmin edge touring and love it never turning back here! sorry i'm no help
Cheers Ed

Yes. Very nice and very tempting. I will almost certainly cave and get something like this at some point. But if I am carrying my mobile anyway why not use it? And I'm paying for a nice HTC one so I'd like to get my money's worth there too.

 

[stu9000]

Try http://cycle.travel/map
It is quite good at coming up with reasonably direct minor road/cycle track routes. It will do things like use a pedestrian underpass under a railway line or tell you to walk the wrong way up a short section of one-way.

Click at start point, click at end point, and if you don't like the route you can drag it to one side and it will change. Click on an intermediate marker flag to remove it and revert to the previous route.
If you want to download the resulting GPS file, you've got to save the route first.

Had a play with this and it looks quite nice. Thanks.
Looking aft it on my tablet it seems to not easily remove waypoints. I will have a look on the Pc.
Cheers all.
Great day for a ride

 

[Salad Dodger]

Try http://cycle.travel/map
It is quite good at coming up with reasonably direct minor road/cycle track routes. It will do things like use a pedestrian underpass under a railway line or tell you to walk the wrong way up a short section of one-way.

Click at start point, click at end point, and if you don't like the route you can drag it to one side and it will change. Click on an intermediate marker flag to remove it and revert to the previous route.
If you want to download the resulting GPS file, you've got to save the route first.

Thanks for the recommendation about this website, which I had not heard of before. I am having a few issues with editing the computer's suggested route, but I will certainly persevere. It has already shown me one cycle path that I was not aware of, which would cut out a main road, if I were to ride to the local country park. Thank you!

 

[ufkacbln]

There are a lot of OSM maps out there.

The OSM Cycle map is free and has lots of data on cycle tracks, paths etc.

It can be used with the Garmin software to devise routes if you wish to.


Personally I use Bike Route Toaster, or similar. Then select the cycle map, plan and download

Finally you can use "CycleStreets" as a planner.

It gives fast, quiet and mixed routes as options.

These form a good basis for route planning and then adapt as you wish

 

[stu9000]

Thanks all. Will have a play with all of these options. Ed, I had another look at your Garmin but I'm not quite ready yet.

Had a great ride to Horsham.
Thee last few miles routed me through the disused rail track at East Grinstead. While very pretty my back and wrists were most pleased to get back on tarmac.

 

[Mark1978]

You could try looking at RideWithGPS. It has a route planner, and android app and can use the OSM.