Why is cycle navigation so complicated?

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Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Photo Winner
Location
Inside my skull
Which are ?

In my case Edge Explore 2
 
Location
España
But likewise when the rain has soaked a paper map, the GPS comes into its own? :smile:

@Old Hippy likes his paper maps and there's nothing wrong with that at all.
Each option has its potential pitfalls.
If the battery on my gps runs out I still have my phone.
If that's stolen I still have a paper map of some detail somewhere.
In the rain trying to use my phone is a PITA (the same in hot, sweaty weather).

There's nothing wrong with being familiar with another way of doing things, especially if away from home.

I recently had another "Dumbass" navigation moment when I cycled into another country having completely forgotten to download the relevant map to my GPS.:blush: Ironically, I had downloaded it to Osmand.
A few Kms from the border I still had my arrows to follow but a map with absolutely no detail^_^
 

Badger_Boom

Über Member
Location
York
There's an OS app that gets round the cycling off the sheet problem. This is a 1:50,000 screenshot. If you zoom in, it snaps to 1:25,000, etc



View attachment 663855

View attachment 663856

The OS maps app is one of the most used things I have, and the subscription version is value for money if you need to look at maps or or plan routes regularly.

As well as the various map scales mentioned above, it also has a handy layer for the National Cycle Network.
 

berty bassett

Legendary Member
Location
I'boro
I wouldn’t consider plotting a route with an app a faff ?! - open , current location , destination, go
I have spent hours looking at maps , following b roads just to have to backtrack because spat on to an Aroad
But it’s each to their own but maybe it’s best not to poo hoo things before you get used to it
On a long route somewhere I haven’t been before I use a wahoo , a power bank if needed , my phone is always there and usually got a couple of pages out of an old aa book
For ultra no faff riding - get a turbo and stay indoors - nearly impossible to get lost
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
But you and others have rubbished the question....

Which is why Can't we have a GPS that takes up from A to B without having to jump through so many hoops to get there!

I had such a satnav 10 years ago in my delivery van. Tech gas come on leaps and bounds in that time, so is it to much to ask for a bike satnav that gets me from A to B without having to upload off a phone etc.

It might suit you if your a world traveller whose life is on the bike. But for those who want to get out on an evening or weekend without having to upload routes a simple GPS bike nav is all we ask for.

I have enough to do maintaining the bike, making sure lights are charged that I don't want to have to go about downloading uploading routes etc!!
I'm not sure how you reached the conclusion in your first sentence? I've never seen @HobbesOnTour be anything other than polite and helpful. I've checked my contribution which answered the points and showed one option to achieving the objective.

With your last sentence this isn't necessary with a Wahoo. Once a route is created or copied from elsewhere it's available on both the phone and app. It takes no more than 30 seconds to find, select and load any route. The "Go To" function is just as quick and easy.

It simply doesn't take any time, technical expertise or messing around and leaves hours available for maintenance!! :smile:
 
Location
España
OK, now that really is "faff" ;)

^_^^_^

It's something that I know little about but as soon as I settle down I will be learning how to do it.

From my experience I can see places where it is done...... and places where it isn't.

Imagine what a small group of people could do in a local area with a bit of time and effort? Elimination of the muddy fields and stiles, more inclusion of quiet lanes.

I'd like to fix the suggestion that this is good for cars and bikes! ^_^
IMG_20220116_162536.jpg
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
It's something that I know little about but as soon as I settle down I will be learning how to do it.

From my experience I can see places where it is done...... and places where it isn't.

Imagine what a small group of people could do in a local area with a bit of time and effort? Elimination of the muddy fields and stiles, more inclusion of quiet lanes.

I'd like to fix the suggestion that this is good for cars and bikes! ^_^
Going OT I remember when OSM first kicked off. I'd been playing with GPSs for a few years and, being a bit of a nerd, thought this would be my kind of thing. Maybe I could contribute a bit. I soon learned that I wasn't a real nerd. This was a whole level of nerdery that was way beyond me. I never managed to figure out how or indeed whether I could contribute.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
But you and others have rubbished the question....

I haven't seen any sign of that.

Which is why Can't we have a GPS that takes up from A to B without having to jump through so many hoops to get there!
It isn't rubbishing the question to explain what we do have.

I had such a satnav 10 years ago in my delivery van. Tech gas come on leaps and bounds in that time, so is it to much to ask for a bike satnav that gets me from A to B without having to upload off a phone etc.
As has been explained, it really isn't practical to fit all that into a 3" by 2" device that also has to hold the battery.

It really isn't much faff to create the route on your phone and allow it ti synch automatically, which most devices will do.

It might suit you if your a world traveller whose life is on the bike. But for those who want to get out on an evening or weekend without having to upload routes a simple GPS bike nav is all we ask for.
The devices we have can do that, it is just easier if you are pre-planning to do it on your phone. If you are already out, and just want a route home, or to a specific place, that is usually doable directly on the device.

I have enough to do maintaining the bike, making sure lights are charged that I don't want to have to go about downloading uploading routes etc!!

You probably haven't tried it, if you think "downloading from a phone" is significant. It is genuinely no effort.
 
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Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
And on my 530 if it comes up with a Radar error message from my Varia, something that happens at exactly the same point on one road, the only way that it seems to clear it is by stopping the Garmin recording the ride and then starting again; on my Elemnt Bolt 1 it is simply a case of pressing dismiss.
Press the bottom right hand side button to clear the sensor error - since firmware 9.1 I have to do it 5 or 6 times a ride. Feel free to moan on the Garmin forums about it too.
 
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