Road Cycling - My GPS / mapping and plotting my rides

I thought this was so cool...

Since I started riding I have had this thing with riding far. but finding the routes that were fresh started to get hard especially when I wanted to make them loops and not out & backs.

So I got some mapping software. Of course i couldn't ge the cheap ones, I went for the gills and bought Delormes TopoUSA so I can use it for mapping our trails as well as road stuff. Its Great, it shows the ride in profile with elevation changes, total mileage, on nice maps all the neat little things taht make it fun to play on the PC while getting ready the night before a long ride. I print out the map and a cue sheet and hit the road.

But of course there are so many routes that I have ridden that I try and plot which dont seem to work well.

So I start thinking GPS! yeah - I get a GPS unit GARMIN venture. Dont really know what it can do, but it does stuff about speed and position right?

This AM I went out a a morning ride 24 miles, se tthe GPS in track mode, came home, uploaded the track to the mapping software and BAM, my route I just rode plaotted out on the right map along all the right roads. I save it and give the short loop a name make a cue sheet and now its a nice shareable route.

Also I make a route on the PC and upload it to teh GPS unit so I can follow it on the unit and help get myself un-lost. So far this is less interseeting, but seems like I am under utilizing the unit in this regard.

I still have a lot to learn, but stay tuned for some screen shots of what I am talking about, and if you live in the farmlands of NJ I have some nice loops to share....

ed

Originally posted by edk


So I got some mapping software. Of course i couldn't ge the cheap ones, I went for the gills and bought Delormes TopoUSA......

I've never heard of it before now - went to their website....

It shows TRAILS?

tell me more about this software - looks neat!

GPS units and mapping software has really become very advanced, last summer I did some volunteer work for the Bureau of land management, we would do surveys and come back with data from our hand held GPS, and download it into mapping programs and print out our results. (on the weekends they would let me 'barrow' the GPS to take on my mtb rides ;)) anyhow I soon got a nice set of maps of trails and stuff, all done on topo maps. We used several different types of software, but the easiest one was called 'National Geographic Topographic maps: Nevada' obviously you get one for the state/region you are in ;) but it seemlessly will upload the gps data and create a map for you, with very little work on your half :) could make some killer route maps I think :D

The problem I have with Topo (I'm still using 3.0) is that it doesn't differentiate between paved and unpaved roads. Around here we have lots of both. Most of the former make for good riding. The latter ain't so great if you're on a road bike.

how much does this thing cost? kinda sounds like a waste of money

Yeah, TOPO USA has burnt me a few times witht he no dirt roads thing.... Today I wond up 7 miles off route trying to get back on after I plotted a route that relied on a dirt road to complete a loop. Only I didnt know it was a dirt road....

I had the GPS witht he route uploaded to it, so if I would have thought to check it right away when I questioned my location I would have seent hat I went to far and pasted the road ( I claearly saw the dirt road, but didin't consider it).

Witht he route in it though I did double back and find an alternative connector.

to Omalley: I guess one could consider it a waste of money, I don't. If your content to ride the same old beaten paths then I suppose a map and compass are of little use to you -- this combo takes map and compass one step further and makes it easir and faster so I spend omre time pedeling and less futzing with maps.

I plan the route on the PC the night before, upload it to the GPS, print out a cue sheet and some maps of tricky parts, then ride. Had a nice 75 miler mapped out for today, went very well.

On days I want to wander I set the GPS to track mode and it records the route I take, I get home, upload it to the PC and viola - new route. very sweet.

ed

Here in Virginia the extension service has been getting into GPS and mapping software. They offer course for a nominal fee to anyone and it may be free to a group. I am trying to arrange one here for the county school.

I would think that it might be worth checking with the extension folks where ever you are. I met a bunch of them in Warren county N.J. this summer visiting my sister.

HTH
Joe
:beer:

Those of you who like to use GPS's check out this website. www.geocaching.com My husband and I like to combine bike rides with geocaching. If you like mysteries and treasure hunting, you'll like this!

Thanks Gun-n-gal I bbokmarked that site, it will be a good one to tell the kids in my 4H club about.
Joe
:beer:

edk,

Could you either post some screen shots or email me some of your routes? I'm not in the area but I'm seriously considering going with your setup as mapping routes here is a royal pain in the neck.

All I need is Garmin's top of the line GPS with the audio prompting. I can turn off my brain and ride straight until I hear "Turn Left" or "Turn Right." :)

I'll post some tracks and route maps up.

This setup gets better and better as I learn more about hte capabilities of the software adn the GPS unit.

I love the profiling tool in TOPOUSA.. put in a route and look at its hill profile.. very cool and helps plan those suffer fests nicely.

ed

Originally posted by Omalley21145
how much does this thing cost? kinda sounds like a waste of money

Which thing is that? Topo USA (http://www.delorme.com/topousa/default.asp) retails for $100, but they discount it pretty frequently, so you can get it for a lot less. I know most of the roads around here pretty well, so don't get bitten by the dirt road problem very often. What I mainly like it for is that you can plot a ride and get the mileage and elevation profile.

As far as road surfaces go, if I really need to know, VDOT (Virginia department of transportation) offers a free map disk that shows all manners of information about roads. The interface, etc., are really poor so I only refer to it as a last recourse.

What kind of paper mapping do you have in the US ?
In the UK, we have national 1:50,000 scale coverage which shows every trail and footpath as well as road, clearly marked with the surface type.

This is a digitised section at the start of a South Downs long distance bike path close to me. The 1:25,000 scale is just a magnified version, and is closer in clarity to the paper map.

http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=557500&Y=102500&width=700&height=400&client=M6&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=gb&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&scale=50000&down.x=19&down.y=15

The orange contour lines at 10m vertical intervals show just how steep some of those hills are.
The scale is a bit too detailled for fast riding, but we dont have good 1:100,000 scale, my fav for road cycle navigation.

Originally posted by roadbuzz
What I mainly like it for is that you can plot a ride and get the mileage and elevation profile.

this sort of goes against the whole "just ride" idea that you have listed under your username. to me the idea of "just riding" means going out and not giving a single worry as to what kind of hills you encounter and how far you end up going.


Originally posted by edk
If your content to ride the same old beaten paths then I suppose a map and compass are of little use to you

i dont need a map and a compass to explore new areas. i get on my bike and i ride. sometimes i turn left, sometimes i turn right, and sometimes, if i'm feeling especially saucy, i'll go straight. plotting out routes beforehand and GPS and all that crap just seems, to me, like it takes the fun/adventure out of riding.

you say that you like to use the GPS so you can spend more time pedalling and less time futzing with maps. i spend NO time looking at maps, and i rarely take the same route twice. how's that?

Good for you Fore. I think you read the wrong profile though.

But what realy miffs me is why what I choose to do pisses you off so? Have you never ridden a ride with acue sheet? a century? think the TDF riders would appreciate the promotoers saying "just go out and ride guys, whoever makes it back from wherever wins/" ??

I ride my way you ride yours. Why does it seem to make you mad that I ride with a map and/or GPS? sometimes I do sometimes I don't... big deal.

I bet there are some folks who can't understand why you even ride right?

jeesh I don't even know why I am bothering with you. Its all good and if you narrow little mind can't see that then enjoy your little self righteous world. I'll make sure to plot a route around it.

Brian_T

Here is an example of an overview map with a route I rode then created.

Basically I went out and rode this route with the GPS in track mode, came home, uploaded it to TOPOUSA andlooked it over. I created the route from the upload and viola saved and shared.

Other time I will plot the route, print out cue sheets and maps then ride with those (also loaded into the GPS). IT really shine when you do this on a trial and lay it agsint a Topo.

Contrary to what FORE thinks there are times and places it pays to know where you are riding and be able to navigate.

But I say again - Its all good and I have fun doing it this way. Sometimes on a ride there are so many twists and turns that knowing which ones you take or TOOK is nice. especially on long distance rides.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid34/p9973ed47b5cfab2cdde2ecf27c49dd8f/fd301aaf.jpg

Want to see something cool?

Check out www.computrainer.com

They have intergrated their sofware with GPS mapping software so you can re-create your saved GPS mapped ride indoors, hills and all.

I am hoping to get it soon (the software) since I have a computrainer and a GPS. I can't wait to save all my favorite loops to ride indoors during the winter.

That is SO cool. :D

I need to map routes before riding as the wrong turn could very easily put me on a road that'd just get me run over. Chicagoland is NOT an especially bike friendly place some days.

I'm in. I've got to get the software AND a GPS but it'll be worth it. Right now I'm copying images from http://www.mapsonus.com and pasting them together to form a giant GIF file and, with a highlighter, I mark out my route--not the best way to chart courses I'm sure. ;)

Thanks for including the screen shot.

Originally posted by edk
But what realy miffs me is why what I choose to do pisses you off so?

it doesnt. i dont know where you got the idea that it does, but well, it doesnt. all i said is that i dont see the real point of using them.


Have you never ridden a ride with acue sheet? a century?

yes. all of the charity/event rides i've been on have had cue sheets, but i didnt need them as the routes were well marked, which brings me to my next counter:


think the TDF riders would appreciate the promotoers saying "just go out and ride guys, whoever makes it back from wherever wins/" ??

that sounds almost as if you've never watched tour coverage. i'll give 10 bucks to any of the riders who cant follow the route. every possible way to turn off is blocked and barricaded. unless you go off the side of the road and into a ditch, like ullrich did.


I bet there are some folks who can't understand why you even ride right?

if someone doesnt understand the idea of riding for fun i feel very, very, very sorry for them.



jeesh I don't even know why I am bothering with you.

neither do i, really.


Its all good and if you narrow little mind can't see that then enjoy your little self righteous world.

the fact that i dont see the need for cue sheets and maps in everyday riding makes me narrow minded and self righteous? whatever man.


I'll make sure to plot a route around it.

i'll be sure and wave while i ride past as you're busy looking over maps and writing up cue sheets.

Originally posted by MichaelW
What kind of paper mapping do you have in the US ?
For hiking and biking, the USGS (http://www.usgs.gov) prints 7.5 minute (1:24000) and 15 minute (1:25000 & 1:63360) contour maps. They're now based on satellite photography as well as old maps, and tend to get updated every several years. Locally, for road detail, the state I live in prints county road maps which get updated every year or two.

Some other non-paper sources of mapping and elevation, if you aren't in a hurry, or have a fast web connection, theres always TopoZone (http://www.topozone.com). Vaguely related (and probably of no use to anyone except in the US), TerraServer (http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/).

Fore

How do you think routes get made? even the ones folks ride first still need to be mapped out so the baricades can be placed, markers set, etc... you use those things on your rides, but what about the sense of adventure from finding and then mapping your own route? what about the folks who put them there for you???

Your reply post had a pompous tone that made it seem like you looked down on those who use a map and cue sheet for a ride. I posted about something that had me excited, you had to jump in and rain on my parade... happy?


ed