Route Planning, when it comes to the ride...

I've done a few tours, and a few day trips, all planned ahead, all nicely laid out.

Perhaps it's laziness, perhaps i'm missing something. But when it comes to the crunch, i never stick to planned routes.

These days it's pretty easy to find advice, and routes set by others, but for example, this route from Paris to dieppe is laid out with markers and points to look out for enroute.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Dieppe-to-Paris-approaching-Paris-on-safe-smooth-forest-tracks

But unless you have a laptop/ gps or print each screen along the way, what is the most logical, easy, light, and ay of sticking to your route?

My current route for this summer's trip looks like this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Viale+Italia&daddr=46.206923,6.153717+to:A5+to:A202%2FVauxhall+Bridge+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FRz1oAIdOumVAA%3B%3BFYSs2wIdcNxOAA%3BFUqrEQMdBP79_w&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1,2&dirflg=w&sll=46.151773,6.505966&sspn=0.646438,0.810928&ie=UTF8&ll=45.843151,6.967049&spn=20.803181,25.949707&t=p&z=6

but how do i make sure we stick to the route?

is it worth buying a GPS?- a load of large scale maps - which i guess you'd dispose of after each one?

what says you? what do you do?

incidentally, i'm off to stanfords to see their maps..

so - i'd need about 10 maps from Stanfords, at about £6.50 each - i didn't buy them, i'd rather get some decent prints done... or a GPS...

Would having a GPS take the fun out of doing a trip like this? or does it make it easier, and more enjoyable??

hmmm.

a road map of the country might be worth it (you would need 3 perhaps four) to get the rough route, which i'm guessing you know, and a compass. I know it sounds stupid and archaic, but it gets you between town and town. If your not on a strict timetable, then thats a really stress free way of doing it, you end up taking guesses on routes, following instincts (and road signs!) and in my experience you see more of the country and people etc - which is the ultimate goal of bicycle touring as opposed to road racing. GPS is far to german*...

*efficient, got nothing against the Gernans me... some of my best friends are German, you know...

For my holiday in Switzerland I ended up buying a new phone with gps. It was well signposted there so I only had to turn on the gps a few times a day - it is a battery muncher. Those garmin thingies are better with battery life I've heard.

So, in case it hasn't become obvious, I'd get a gps device.

I've got a Garmin 705 and once you get the hang of it its amazing. Makes ride flow so much more as you don't have to stop to check your map and you can be confident your not lost. It was expensive but definately worth it in my opinion.
The manuals terrible but theres a few good websites and webprograms that explain things and make it very easy to use.

Alex, Ehren, Scott.
Thanks for your words, SO GPS... I was hoping (and bank was hoping) you'd all say HTFU and use a map and compass. We're up for a pretty fast ride back - averaging about 90 miles a day for 10 days... so getting lost would be annoying.

I have got an iPhone with GPS - but the roaming charges would be shite.

If i was going GPS - i guess it would be Garmin 605 or 705...

one clincher would be the power source... we're not going to be able to charge this thing up... The garmin site, and a quick google doesn't tell me what power it takes... can i use AA or other readily available batteries?

I'm thinking Goole printouts @ A3/2 and a check when needed on the iPhone may be a good solution.. Somehow i want to be properly persuaded i need a Garmin though.. Anyone a Garmin rep here? Anyone know where to get it cheapest? Clefty says Handtec.co.uk in another thread, but the price gone up up up...

Scott, like you, navigating has never been my strong point...

Daccordi, you're helping me head over the edge... now, about those batteries.

My Google phone can download maps so you don't need the data roaming - I'm sure the iphone has an app like it.

Where are you staying that you can't charge it in the evenings?

Fields... petrol station forecourts.

i'll look into the iphone downloady thing...

this is the spec link - the battery is some rechargeable jobbie.. rechargeable, yes, but standard size??

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=10885#specsTab

Thanks Ehren.

about those batteries

get one of these
https://powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/powermonkey-explorer/

charge it during the day while riding, then overnight use the monkey thing to charge the garmin. The garmin gets about 15hrs with a full charge, generally longer than I can cycle!

also the 605 is a 705 without hrm and cadence stuff so if you don't want that stuff get the 605

I've had epic fail with Solar before... i've got one sitting in my cupboard i bought to charge my ipod... didn't get so much as a watt out of it... My friend had a similar experience...

15 hours is two days riding, if i get a spare battery, i reckon we will have power every 4th night at least...

Do you have to leave it plugged in to charge? I mean, do the batteries charge separately? f we are camping, i don't fancy sitting next to Garmin in the toilet while he's busy charging... but i would leave a charging dock thing...

If I go for it, may as well get the 705, probably worth it for XC training.. - and better than my ancient Polar HRM.

found a good solution...

AA battery to USB.

http://www.bixnet.com/usbbaboxc4aa.html

now, to find in the UK.

batteries don't come out unfortunately, its like an ipod

Daccordi, thanks for your help... i'm thinking if i can find a decent charging solution, i'll go for it.

Scott, is the 605 also a sealed in battery?

http://www.batteryvault.co.uk/extreme-500-dual-aaaaa-battery--emergency-gadget-charger-199-p.asp

£10 er.

decided to go balls deep.

Getting a Garmin 605 or 705 tomorrow... and one of these for charging:

http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=108719

I reckon i'll go for the the 605, unless i find a super deal on the 705.

....

thanks to all above for helping in decision process.

....

concluded.

I have the 605 and I really love but be all warned it freezes from time to time during a ride. Well mine does. If it crashes just restart it and it will pick up again the route you are doing.

Use mapmyride.com to plan your route, it is a great site and easy to export to the GPS.

Garmin manual and website are really shite.

Gmap pedometer + MS Word FTW

Indeed! My Garmin does not put the pubs in caps and bold :)

A garmin etrex legend HCX or vista HCX also does the route planning e.t.c but does not do the cadence and other bike related extras, but it is about half the price.

You'll still need a road map of the area and compass for occasions when the GPS does not get signal, runs out of batteries e.t.c

other good sites for making routes on the garmin are www.bikeroutetoaster.com and www.bikehike.co.uk the last ones good for mountainbiking routes as it uses os maps and google maps to plot the routes.

another good site explaining the difference between routes and courses and how to work with them is http://frank.kinlan.co.uk/?page_id=1212

Scott, Try using Bikely.com for your Garmin.