Originally Posted by
terrymorse
I don't know about that, I like spending quality time with ridewithgps designing a cool route. Then while on the bike, a voice from the phone in my pocket tells me where to turn, leaving me to enjoy the ride.
Like
this ride from last Saturday.
+1. If I’m riding in an unfamiliar place I use a combination of Strava, RWGPS and google street view to figure out where the locals ride. When we went to Girona I used the training routes from Robert Gesink and a couple others to plan our daily rides. Took us through some very obscure quiet paths (including a few gravel roads) that we’d have been unlikely to find without some advanced planning. I load it into my Garmin but it’s not that hard to keep the rough route in your head along with the key roads and turns. There’s usually 5+ riders so someone always has a map on their phone for backup.
If I see riders from out of town looking lost I’m inclined to stop and chat and direct them on the best route. The most direct route through a city is seldom optimal for cyclists.