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Start a route by defining the following characteristics:
* start location
* end location
* distance (+/-/min/max)
* provide generic route preferences independent to intended method of travel or provide weighted preferences for specific road/off-road types
Then drag a route around on the map sticking with the start & end locations but with distance having some elasticity. It would be possible to manipulate the overall shape and position (the extent of manipulation dependent on start, end, and distance). Elements of the route could be sticky to survive manipulation (ie specific coordinates or specific sections of paths/roads/tracks).
So for instance if I wanted to go on a 25 mile cross country doorstep ride, the route might start off as a loosely circular loop emanating northwards from my doorstep. The loop could be dragged around my doorstep with it maximising how much it follows off road options for any given overall position & direction.
Basically avoiding the need for me to draw anything, I've been there, done that. Manual entry of route should be an option.
Does this exist yet? Any other ways you'd want it to work?
Linking segments. I want to ride 20 miles linking these 5 downhill runs in a loop.
I do it in Basceamp, with the OSM mapping.
Start point and end point, set Activity = Cycling or Walking (latter is actually better for MTB).
Then insert a Point on the middle of the Route. Then I Move that Point across using my Mouse to somewhere that is less direct but gives me something near the Route I'm after.
Repeat the above to shape the Route.
If there are bits I definitely want to include, I just insert a Point at the start and end of each section as it then prevents any automated routing eliminating that bit..
I built a proof of concept similar to this using osrm. The difficulty was being restricted to openstreetmap data as OS rights of way are not available in vector format. Garmin Basecamp can do some of this
Komoot is pretty close I think. You can't specify the distance but you can specify several different sorts of riding types and as you drag the various points around there are graphs that show you how much is road, path, track along with height gain, distance, estimated time etc. It works rather nicely really
^^^ I do like komoot and if other komoot users are actually sharing their rides or tagging points of interest you do pick up a lot of ideas to turn into a ride.
I currently use the strava heat maps to do quick eyeball check that I’m not missing riding as well as strava stalking on locals to see where they ride 🙂
I also tend to reload my rides from strava into komoot just to check 9f there’s anything interesting or my failed ride attempts where there isn’t access,ie house built on trail and the garmin routing goes a bit mad if it crosses itself 🙂
But for surface checks and height komoot is the dogs.
I use a mixture of Komoot and Strava, Komoot is better for where people ride IMO due to the points of interest from other users, however it underestimates your elevation, by at least 20%.
I don't get the hype with Komoot. I've tried it a couple of times and it'll do stupid things, like take me through places where no right of way exists, or down pointless bridleways (to avoid quiet country lanes). That's just when I check places that I already know (e.g. The start of routes). God knows where I'd end up if I blindly relied on it.
I can only think that they sponsor a lot of riders who don't actually use it.
Garmin Connect does this (ish).
2nd for Garmin connect.
Its quite neat if thats what you want.
I think it uses other peoples ride data/heatmap and can differentiate within that data between road rides, offroad rides, runs etc.
You can give it a distance, a start and an end and it will throw together a starter-for-10 route.
I can only think that they sponsor a lot of riders who don’t actually use it.
I reckon they probably do
I’ve used loads of other online/offline solutions and they’ve all got the same issue with iffy navigation, especially if its in less travelled areas.
Where I am , to get to the local beach most things tend to plot you a ride along what we would call a motorway and it’s technically legal where I am , and on a Sunday morning when the roadies rip and down it’s probably quiet.
I think the biggest issue is that almost need a cooperative sharing of heat map data between the various companies which won’t happen as that data’s a money mine.
More riders on a platform generates more data which gives a better route calculation,chicken and egg scenario.
God knows where I’d end up if I blindly relied on it.
Same applies to all of them. Komoot is osm based I think so I just correct the osm map where there are errors. Garmin connect is good because you can specify distance and I think it uses heatmap as well
Not quite as refined as a webapp that I frequently use but JGPSTrackEdit is the best from all that I've tried, and since it's built on java it's platform agnostic.
If you find yourself being taken down a path with no public right of way. Do everyone a favour and go and update the info on OSM. Its very easy and helps improve the base source data. It also helps avoid someone else getting a bollacking from the landowner and in turn them getting more pissed off with 'bloody cyclists' trespassing every weekend.