As title really.
I’ve got a second hand Garmin Edge Touring GPS. It’s fiddly as hell to use but I only want it for following a route.
The bit I’m finding difficult is creating routes in other apps or software isn’t as intuitive as I’d like. Strava seems the best so far, I’m on a 30 day trial ATM, either creating or modifying an existing route, I like the heat map over lay to give me some pointers.
I’ve tried Komoot on phone app and desktop, I find it almost impossible to map anything. It’s just not intuitive at all.
Garmin Connect on desktop is easy enough, except it doesn’t do the heat map thing like Strava. Off road is just fire and access roads, no “trails”. It seems fine for road riding.
Is Strava the best there is? Or am I missing some else that’s free? I’m kind of accepting that I’ll be be subscribing to Strava for the mapping function.
Any ideas?
I've always used Strava. Tried a few others like ride with GPS and komoot, but always go back to Strava. I usually cross reference with OS maps though.
I find Komoot simple to use - even in the phone app. It's synced with Garmin Connect so the routes automatically appear on my Edge 530 and/or Fenix 6.
Edit: that's not a dig at anyone struggling to use it. Maybe there's just a difference in how some folk process things so some prefer one way and some another
I've mostly settled on RideWithGps. I'm not sure what are premium subscription features these days (I'm a subscriber) but you definitely used to be able to plot routes for free.
It has heat maps, various map layers, and some features that have been rare until recently, like tracing routes or moving start and finish points on a loop. I think it's easy to use but then it's what I'm used to.
Can send route straight to Garmin or Wahoo via WiFi. (you do it by pinning the route for Garmin, which isn't intuitive).
My Garmin is sync over cable. No link via WIFI.
With Garmin Connect I can export a GPX file from Strava, upload into Garmin Connect and send to device. It takes seconds.
I’m more interested in the ease of creating a route. I’ll have a look at RideWithGPS and see how I get on.
There's also https://www.plotaroute.com. I think that's the one I've liked least.
RWGPS you can plot for free, but need to pay to be able to download a GPX route. Tbf that's the same with them all, just depends what you want to pay for, as I already pay for Strava I just stick with that now.
I sold my Garmin and bought a wahoo but still use Garmin connect for planning my rides. I use it on my phone.
Heat maps is an option you need to tick. Sometimes if you zoom out too far it disappears
I have an os map Subscription. Create a gps and then send to gps device. I also use Strava. I’d usually be looking at both plotting a route. Os mapping, app or website, has snap to path for the whole country and caching of maps for if you loose signal. I wouldn’t be without on my phone as Back up. The actual navigation via a hammer head Karoo on the bars
RideWithGPS, definitely. Strava mostly works but if you use the "follow heat map" setting it will occasionally take you down some very dodgy routes - in one case straight across a main railway line, on a bend, where there was a gap in the fences.
You can either install the RideWithGPS ConnectIQ app or download the GPX to your phone and open it in Garmin Connect, which will push it over to your Edge.
There's definitely no charge to download a GPX on RWGPS ("More" > "Export as File" > GPX or FIT).
There’s definitely no charge to download a GPX on RWGPS (“More” > “Export as File” > GPX or FIT).
Hmmm.... well there is with the app, or atleast there was last week when I tried it on holiday. Maybe the web version is different??
There’s definitely no charge to download a GPX on RWGPS (“More” > “Export as File” > GPX or FIT).
It used to be a premium feature to import a file. Also to follow a route on RWGPS. Plotting and exporting a route was always free.
I've been a subscriber for a while now though so not sure what's changed.
I use the following:
Off-road: https://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php (unclick the Follow Road box)
Road / gravel: https://cycle.travel/
This website has given me some cracking variations on routes I thought I knew well.
Download the gpx and then open that on my phone using GarminConnect
As above I use RideWithGPS - you can plot for free, and it's definitely free to download via the website. Never tried the app, I much prefer plotting a route on full size PC with a big monitor then I can easily flick between tabs and check their suggested routing against google streetview / strava heatmap
I’ve tried Komoot on phone app and desktop, I find it almost impossible to map anything. It’s just not intuitive at all
Agreed, but for me (as I paid for it) it was worth persevering with, and once you understand how it wants you to plot a route, its less frustrating. I think the one take away that I've found with it, is that you need to be super-accurate with your way-marker placement, otherwise it will start going around in circles. Its useful to remember that it's designed primarily as a "start here; find me an interesting route" and not "I want to plot a route of my own devising" system, and once you get your head around that obstacle; why it does certain things a particular way is easier to understand and correct for.
I use Strava, it is the easiest for me and seems the most up to date with footpath vs bridleway classification (often an issue around here for some reason).
I’ve always used Strava. Tried a few others like ride with GPS and komoot, but always go back to Strava. I usually cross reference with OS maps though.
Same. I find the heatmaps (both personal and global) super handy, and the easy sync with my Wahoo is good as well. I did use gpx.studio when breaking the King Alfred's Way route down into components though and found it pretty straightforward, though I ended up importing the GPX files back into Strava to share/sync anyway.
Another cycle.travel user here. Very good for on road though off road some routing fails. It's not the fault of the website, it gets its routing from OSM which is sometimes badly maintained by people who don't understand routing. Plotaroute.com works well in these cases as you can manually plot through areas that aren't routed correctly in OSM. Strava is very useful to check out the global heat map for obvious (or not so obvious) links. I don't find Komoot particularly nice to use other that looking at other people's routes.
Outdooractive here. With an OS maps sub for about £26 a year.
Planning routes works really well. It does 'snap to track' type routing which will follow a bridleway or whatever. You can sync your Garmon account with your OutdoorActive account which makes transferring routes from phone/ pc to the Garmin super easy.
It has an MTB layer which will show popular routes/ trails. The snap to track will follow the mtb trail even if it's not on the OS map.
If you have a Strava paid account try the fatmap app.
OS mapping, plus EU equivalents. The snapping occasionally gets confused but generally pretty good.
I don't think it links to garmin so you have to download and upload the gpx, well that's what I do.
