rm -rf

tl;dr
I "think" this is the thread topic:
I'm guessing that navigating a gravel route might be harder than a paved route. The road signs might be incomplete or gone.
If it's an event ride, you'll see lots of bike tire tracks indicating the route.

I've been depending on GPS, and now I usually don't have any paper copy of the route with me, even in areas I've never seen before.

Back in the distant past, at least 5 year ago, I edited my own cue sheets. I copied the automatic cue sheet from the mapped route (usually ridewithgps.com) and cleaned it up:

I added "Tee" to the roads that ended at a T intersection. Then I knew I didn't have to pay much attention until that turn.
I bolded or highlighted turns off the main road that would be easier to miss.
I added occasional "crossing highway X" or "reaching smallville" notes even if there's no turn so I would know I was on track.
I dropped the "continue on Route 123" entries where the name of the road changed, or the only turn is a short distance dead end road.
I merged the multiple "Turn Left", followed by "Turn Right in 200 feet" entries into one "Left, then Right..." entry.

Many automatic cue sheets are way too wordy. "Turn Left" should be just "L" for example. I liked a fairly narrow strip of paper, but with letters large enough to easily read.

This also helps a lot by making me review the route in detail before the ride.

Yes, bringing some kind of map is necessary if you accidentally go off route or a road is closed.

jfowler85

"Turn left" is too wordy?

DirtRoadRunner

For gravel rides, I usually make my own map out of 7.5' USGS topos. This is nice even if there are no road signs because I can usually figure out where I am (e.g. I can clearly see on the map if the intersection is at the top of a hill, right after a bridge, etc).

When riding somewhere unfamiliar, I print out a hard copy and stick it in the clear map pouch of my handlebar bag. The only time I've had issues with this is when I don't look at the map enough and miss a turn or when the map is inaccurate. In the backwoods areas I ride, some of the USGS topo maps show roads connecting that don't actually connect - hence a bike walk though the woods. Now I look at these questionable areas in Google Earth first to see if the road is actually there.

jfowler85

Sure.

jfowler85

merci beaucoup

njkayaker

Quite sure.

BadBurrito

wow, I feel old, when I started bervets, they didn't have smart phones or hand-held gps. I survived just fine with a cue sheet. Although I wouldn't stop anyone from using a gps - go ahead, if you want to. You'll be ok either way. It's not like you setting off on a ocean voyage for months with only a compass - oh wait some people were ok with that too.

jfowler85

I wouldn't go quite that far.

jfowler85

Next question:

I'm trying to use google to map the route. However, I am only allowed a handful of route alterations (from when it tries to auto-re-route me) and checkpoints. Is there a way around this? Another map site maybe?

Thanks.

Edit: the coordinator has a route on garmin connect. I made a profile - is there any way to export to google or another map that will list the turn-by-turn so I can print off cue sheets?

njkayaker

It's a an obvious economic argument.

It's clear that the value of the built-in GPS units compared to standalone units is poor. The prices for the built-in units have dropped but updating them might still be expensive.

It's a bit more convenient but one (typically) pays alot for that convenience. It's a luxury.

Good luck with your ride.

njkayaker

It doesn't seem that you can do anything much with the routes created in Google outside of Google.

Try ridewithgps. Ridewithgps is one of the standard ways of creating routes for cycling.

You can turn off "Follow roads" and draw the route "free hand".

Ridewithgps creates cue sheets but you need to have a subscription to get a PDF of them. You should be able to print them out from the browser but it won't be that optimal.

bikeroutetoaster is another popular site. I'm not sure what it provides in the way of cuesheets though.

Garmin Connect (GC) doesn't make it easy to export the route so that they can be used in other programs.

The course on GC has a number associated with it. Replace "number" in the following URL's to get the course as a tcx or gpx file (which you can import into other programs).

TCX: https://connect.garmin.com/proxy/cou.../course/number
GPX: https://connect.garmin.com/proxy/cou.../course/number

Alas, it is going to take a fair amount of work on your part to get a cuesheet out of that.

It would be easy to use the gpx in a smartphone app.

They aren't providing cuesheet???

CliffordK

What did the world do before GPS?
Did all those Century and Bike-a-thon riders get lost?

I was doing solo bike-a-thons as a gradeschool student.

You can always just follow a crowd of riders that you hope know where they're going.

On my recent ride to Portland, for a while I followed these "O" symbols.
The dash indicates which direction to go.



There were more of these painted on the road than signs for the Oregon Scenic Bikeway.

At the point where the route diverged from the Scenic Bikeway, there was an O with an X to indicate the wrong way.

I'm not quite sure which group had painted the Os. Perhaps Tour Oregon.

njkayaker

Most of those rides are on roads and also well-marked. You really don't need a cue-sheet for them.

It doesn't seem anybody is discussing those sorts of rides at all.

The course isn't on a paved road (it's on dirt/gravel). Which would be apparent if you were paying attention to the thread.

And the OP apparently has no idea whether the course is otherwised marked or whether a cuesheet will be provided.

Carbonfiberboy 

Backup, backup, backup, the three rules of computer use and rando. If you use a cue sheet, always bring at least 2, the spares in a ziplock. If it's a route you haven't ridden, draw it yourself with RideWithGPS. If there are published cue sheets, compare the route to them and make certain you have it right. Seeing where it goes on the map gives you a sense of what to expect. I hate blindly following a cue sheet because I really hate bonus miles.

My method is to use a GPS plus another wired cycling computer for distance and cadence plus 2 or more copies of the cue sheet with the one I'm using in a waterproof holder like this. All the GPS really has to do is to say "off route." It is said you can tell a GPS rider because they overshoot turns by about 100'. But only 100'.

Carbonfiberboy 

Use RideWithGPS. It's designed to do what you want to do.

jfowler85

.

Cool, thanks. Yes cue sheets can be made using google maps, but apparently the limit for such a thing is the amount of route edits.

I can make cue sheets at work while the er is slow...honestly, nothing on a computer, short of a philosophy paper on Augustine's Confessions is what I would consider a fair amount of work.

I'll keep you in suspense about the rest.

jfowler85

Right on, thank you.

jfowler85

You keep assuming just because I haven't volunteered the information.

FrozenK

Without a GPS you'll have to rely on cue sheets and/or a map.

The only other alternative I could possibly see is to pre-ride or pre-drive the course to familiarize yourself with it. But with as many turns as you mention I don't know that it is a realistic option.

Since it is a gravel event you may be able to follow other people's tire tracks so you can see which way they went at an intersection if you get confused. I wouldn't make this my primary navigation tool, but it may help at some intersections or to confirm you are on the right track.

Good luck!

njkayaker

No. It's somewhat odd to redo a cuesheet the organizer's provide.

People might be able to help you or save you effort if you were less weirdly coy about it.

Keep in mind that I'm trying to help you.

Carbonfiberboy 

OTOH, I always do my own cue sheets from my own routes drawn on RWGPS. I just make sure they match the organiser's cue sheet, at least within tenths. I greatly dislike most organizer's cue sheets. They either have too little info or too much or the type is too small or the format is in some other way unwieldy. Among the poor choices are the PDFs one can get as a RWGPS paid subscription.

It's relatively easy to make your own custom sheets. Simply export the .csv file from RWGPS into a spreadsheet. Massage as you like, then copy and paste into a word processor where you can do the fine tuning. I always add the address or coordinates of the ride start to my cue sheets. I like 1/4 sheet booklet format in my favorite typeface and size.

njkayaker

Still sounds to me like more effort than it's worth. I suspect that most people will feel the same way.

As far as I can tell, you have some experience. That means it doesn't surprise me that you have a good reason for doing something somewhat odd. The OP, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have much experience at all (e.g., using Google for this).

Anyway, it's even easier (and works better), with the route in ridewithgps, to just use a GPS.

jfowler85

Not according to an above poster who prefers to make his own cue sheets to guarantee accuracy.

Weird? You're wanting the information from me but I don't see a need to give it as I've already got the answers I was looking for. I find it a bit off that you keep hounding me for information like you're going participate in the discussion but all you're doing is trolling for an argument...which admittedly I am giving to you.

jfowler85

Why did you chide an above poster for not paying attention to the thread when in the op I said "I'M NEW TO THIS" ?

I'm sorry that you find it too much work to click out a route on a computer. I assure you, it's no that hard.

unterhausen

well, I asked for civility and forbearance of grievances, and didn't get it, so I'm closing this