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On holiday we got chatting to one of the locals on Rousay who worked on the ferry.
He was saying that they have few resources, or skills, to encourage more visitors. The locals call the route 'NEO13' - as a Neolithic 13 mile route homage to the NC500.
One thing they did want to do was promote the lap of the island as a great day out - and it is a great day out. He asked us and another couple as cyclists how they could share a route or information. All of us said on sites such as OS and Komoot. Two of us agreed to create a route and try to help as best we could.
I have created a route for the NEO13 cycle on Rousay on Komoot. Complete with pics, highlights and some information about the waiting room etc.
It is not picked up on a public search - not on maps, not if you search Rousay, not if you use google etc. How therefore do you make it discoverable?
We had similar conversation with the cafe owner on Shapinsay - again, I can create a route but what is the point if it is not discoverable?
You could also do the same thing on Outdoor Active which is also popular, and don't forget to make a Strava segment!
I don't have Strava - but if someone does, please do go ahead and create a (counter clockwise) ride. There are at least two good hills to put as Segments uphill and at least one downhill..
First suggestion: call it something else so that it's not confused for a musician.
I hear you - but that is what the locals were calling it.
Neo21?
Neolithic Ride?
The Neo?
I'm not (totally) daft and pretty IT savvy but I just fail to 'get' kamoot. I want to like it, I think I know how it works but I'm constantly disappointed/baffled maybe my expectations are too high and it doesn't do quite what I think it does.
^ I am very much in that boat. But it does seem to attract a lot of folk.
The OS maps is excellent -if you can read and want an OS Map. It is not the 'ooh, shiny pictures, HIGHLIGHT, ooh easy route map to follow' that is the Komoot schtick.
Ok I’m don’t have much knowledge here. But my thoughts are
The Hash Tag #Neo13 might help. A few signs and stickers on the ferry and in the cafe saying Please promote “our route #neo13” and an Instagram symbol
Get some one to upload the ride on Strava with the correct name
Ask “cycling Uk” to add it their data base and see if they will do an article on it
Komoot again appears useless claiming no routes on Rousay. Although i did find a photo that Matt added. Is it Possible it’s waiting for a moderator release or something?
Maybe start a thread. The best place to host a gpx file and route?
If it's a loop on existing paths then tag the paths that make up the look in OpenStreetMap. Most systems use OSM as the base data now (including Garmin) so that's a great place to put it.
Komoot I've found a bit random in terms of finding things that you know are there. Is it worth getting everyone you know to like that route to see if that helps surface it? Maybe add more photos and text to make it appear more interesting
I think it might be because it's an activity rather than a route?
I made it into a (public) route here. Think that might help
Traiforks?
Well I've just found sboardman's route and it can be liked, so if plenty of people do that it may help.
Matt's one is here I think
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1226945582
That's the one with the photos and other info so I've liked that one as well
Hmm, so I need to just plan a route (not cycle it), but somehow add in the highlights and images to encourage folk?
It really is the most confuzzling of sites...
I dislike the competitive nature of Strava and when Singletrack started their collaboration with them I signed up for the premium Komoot. I've got to say it does feel like the most un-intuitive route planning site to use, I've never had to search out so many "How to -...- On Komoot" videos in comparison to nearly every other mapping and planning system, and its pretty obvious that the Komoot cycling ambassadors on YouTube do seem to spend huge amounts of their time/videos explaining how to use it.
For instance, they actually suggest if you want to plan a decent round trip, start planning it as a one way and then when you've gone a way through...turn it into a round trip route, I mean, what?
Or the choices it makes for you if you change the route, you often just stare at it dumbfounded while it does these really strange out/back routes...
Weird
Anyway, I've liked your route Matt, hope it gets some promotion.
I have just gone and looked again. And to summarise:
- If I complete a tour (go and cycle it, record it on Komoot and take photos) I can then save the route and upload images, create highlights and advice. But I cannot then cannot make it publicly discoverable.
- If I only plan a tour (but not complete) it is then discoverable by others. But I cannot add notes, images or highlights.
Is it me?
Edit: so I have just worked out - you have to pre-plan a tour. You then have to follow that tour. Then you can make it discoverable and add in all the photos and highlights...
Is it me?
No, it isn't. Komoot is just filled with this sort of thing
And a further edit: but there is some odd vodoo/AI/staff member at Komoot who uses a logarithm or users on the route / popularity / logic / oooh nice pics to then 'Discover' a route and then allow it to be even more promoted / shared / put on the 'Collection' or 'Pioneer' map.
So a small rural island won't ever get discovered due to lack of numbers doing it and lack of routes.
It is just really oddball!
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds it so daft/uncleaar/befuddling.
I'd like to publish a bunch of walks and rides from the doorstep for our holiday guests and kamoot should be the logical platform but I've really struggled to get started with it.
I've been using Komoot for ages and never had any real issues, are you lot totally computer useless?
I suspect that a random route on a random island saved on a random route planning website is not going to bring the returns you're after.
I suspect that a random route on a random island saved on a random route planning website is not going to bring the returns you’re after.
True - it is not going to be the next NC500.
But I have emailed the people, they plan on adding a cycling section to their island website and sending it in to a few other websites such as the main orkney.com etc. Every little helps and all.