Author Topic: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square  (Read 337031 times)

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #100 on: 27 June, 2018, 06:50:06 pm »
Oh, & thanks for the heads up on the Explorer Helper app, looks great.  Up till now I've been exporting my squares kml to the maps.me app to refer to while out and about.

Can't seem to get the app to work properly. Shame, would have proved useful. Thanks for the heads up it exists, maybe a future update will fix it.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #101 on: 28 June, 2018, 12:32:33 am »
Its working for me  ???

Did you make sure you have OsmAnd installed as well?
Regards,

Joergen

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #102 on: 28 June, 2018, 01:21:31 am »
Its working for me  ???

Did you make sure you have OsmAnd installed as well?

I thought I had, it must have failed silently. Have installed it now, all works!

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #103 on: 30 June, 2018, 07:13:47 pm »

Been out on a DIY 100k audax. Route handily picked off a couple of extra tiles north of the river that were missing. One tile I've got by about 10m, turns out the rest of the road is a 70kph road with no cycling allowed.

I now have 4 over lapping 10x10 squares, tho not a 10x14 rectangle...

Time to start doing more southern stuff, else I'm gonna be hitting up against the sea...

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #104 on: 30 June, 2018, 08:54:13 pm »
I have saved the kml of uncompleted tiles from Veloviewer, converted it to a gpx using kml2gpx.com, sucked it into http://www.gpxeditor.co.uk/ and set the map type to OS resulting in:




Today I ignored this and as a result didn't cycle quite far enough along the A47 between Bushby and Houghton before turning round.  So I missed the bottom right hand square   :facepalm:

I picked up a few others though and max square is now 21   :)

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #105 on: 02 July, 2018, 09:42:13 am »
Lurgy at the back end of last week so didn't get to extend my square with extended commutes.

Hoping to add a big chunk to the cluster today (currently just 115). We'll see if I've plotted the route properly and whether I can follow it!
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #106 on: 02 July, 2018, 10:00:37 am »
Ticked off two fiddly squares in suburban Croydon on Saturday.
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #107 on: 02 July, 2018, 03:31:45 pm »

Today I ignored this and as a result didn't cycle quite far enough along the A47 between Bushby and Houghton before turning round.  So I missed the bottom right hand square   :facepalm:

I picked up a few others though and max square is now 21   :)

This is the kind of thing the app is really useful for- "have I trespassed enough gone far enough up this track to get the square"

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #108 on: 02 July, 2018, 09:37:58 pm »
Hoping to add a big chunk to the cluster today (currently just 115). We'll see if I've plotted the route properly and whether I can follow it!

Hard work in the heat (and when too heavy). 80km took far too long including about half a mile of nettle bashing nonsense to get along NCN61 just north of Iver. 21 minutes to do 1km (taking the wrong turn along the Bridleway first didn't help).

Max Square unchanged but now have two overlapping 10x10s. Easily boosted up to 11x11 with a slight detour to get two tiles on my commute on Thursday.

Max cluster (which was my main purpose for this ride) up from 115 to 203 with 45 new tiles today.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #109 on: 02 July, 2018, 09:43:26 pm »

Been playing around with the planner, and have worked out that the max square I can get to before I have to get very creative with either substantial (2-3km) swims, is a 50x50. There is one square near here that I'm either gonna need a canoe, or a 1.5km swim, but it at least is officially listed as a swimming location, unlike the 3 tiles creating the 50 limit above, which are the main channel Separating Flevoland from the mainswamp^Wmainland. Would it be extravagant to get a sea kayak just to help collect tiles?

So I spoke to some locals about the swim necessary to bag the 1 tile that is limiting things the most. And was informed that swimming it would be suicide. Too much boat traffic. Ah well, shall concentrate on all the low hanging fruit first.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #110 on: 03 July, 2018, 06:11:33 am »

Today I ignored this and as a result didn't cycle quite far enough along the A47 between Bushby and Houghton before turning round.  So I missed the bottom right hand square   :facepalm:

I picked up a few others though and max square is now 21   :)

This is the kind of thing the app is really useful for- "have I trespassed enough gone far enough up this track to get the square"

Struggling to get the app to work as an overlay in Osmand but it looks like it is usable by itself albeit with online maps.

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #111 on: 03 July, 2018, 06:32:12 am »
Went out last night and did the A47 from Houghton to Bushby to pick up that tile on the third attempt.  Max square increased by one to 22 and max cluster now 1161.

There is a segment along this stretch of the A47 and a moderate tailwind which seemed like too good an oportunity to miss so I gave it my all.  This had the additional benefit of minimising the time spent on the A47.  Anyway - Strava decided that I had 'deviated from the segment' so wouldn't match it.  Some people are never happy!

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #112 on: 03 July, 2018, 09:15:21 am »
Devising routes to cover as many tiles as possible is quite fun, just clipping the edges of some. Out on the road it doesn't feel like I'm twisting and turning that much, just feels like an average Audax in unfamiliar territory. Just follow the blue line on the GPS map page.



The light blue line was yesterday's ride, quite convoluted. Only a couple of times I had to double back on myself in order to cover a tile, usually I'd try and pick a route that avoids this but I lost interest in trying to find the optimal route. One was a foray into a country park that had a Go Ape and a nice cafe to stop at. The other E/W backtrack was supposed to be a jaunt through Langley Park but it seemed to be closed to anything but construction traffic. Riding along the A412 wasn't the nicest but it was quite speedy.

I guess it makes more sense to aim for rides to increase the max cluster in big chunks by doing similar rides. Aiming for max square improvements now will just lead to smaller improvements and lots of repeated roads/tiles down the line. Don't really care TBH, it's just an excuse to go out and do a 50-100km ride that isn't going round in circles in Richmond Park (much as I enjoy that) - less likely to give up part way.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #113 on: 03 July, 2018, 09:27:49 am »
It was Dean what got me into it (and seeing fboab and Chris S post about it too).

I'm digging it, but only on 9x9! I can get 10x10 by going down a dead end or I can get something daft like 14x14 rather easily if I could get security clearance to get into the port. You can see my attempt to bag the square yesterday, but was stymied by a rather large man and an even larger fence.


Sunderland is hosting the Tall Ships race thing in a couple of weeks and they're opening up the Port as a fan zone or something. Bingo.  ;D

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #114 on: 03 July, 2018, 12:47:09 pm »
Struggling to get the app to work as an overlay in Osmand but it looks like it is usable by itself albeit with online maps.

I now discover that the tile overlay is displayed in Osmand provided I am zoomed well in so that the display is about two tiles high by a tile and a bit wide.

My Google-fu has failed me - is there any way of getting the tiles to show when zoomed out a bit ?

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #115 on: 03 July, 2018, 01:51:56 pm »
Went out last night with three squares targeted. A singleton and a pair. Only managed the singleton.

The first farm track was a bit overgrown and the second had a gate that the farmer had just closed. The third track had a closed and I think locked gate next to a house.

So I headed off to the single square which I knew was on a bridleway.

I've had a look at the East Sussex rights of way map and I'm pretty sure all the farm tracks are in fact byways rather than private so will have another go later in the week. With a printout in case any farmers argue.

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Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #116 on: 03 July, 2018, 02:38:59 pm »
I've got a loose plan to get through all the squares in Kent by 2020, but some might be a bit tricky e.g. the Isle of Sheppey and Dungeness power station!
2019 🏅 R1000 and B1000

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #117 on: 03 July, 2018, 02:57:46 pm »
.....................
Sunderland is hosting the Tall Ships race thing in a couple of weeks and they're opening up the Port as a fan zone or something. Bingo.  ;D

Don't forget your camera - that could be quite a good vantage point  :thumbsup:
Regards,

Joergen

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #118 on: 03 July, 2018, 05:38:04 pm »
I've got a loose plan to get through all the squares in Kent by 2020, but some might be a bit tricky e.g. the Isle of Sheppey and Dungeness power station!

Nice goal!

Dungeness itself doesn't look to be a problem. You can get the square containing the bulk of the power station on a public road (up to whatever that mound is just North of it). It's the stuff to the West of the power station (in the 'Danger Area' on the OS maps) that might be a problem, that and the bit North of Camber Sands.

I haven't worked out where my nearest tricky square is, there's a few within 20 of me that will require some tracing out and back on a dead end roads but I haven't found anything S,W or N of me within 40 or so tiles that presents a real problem. The tile just North of Arbinger Hammer is an example of something sparsely populated by roads but doable with an annoying out/back route (or a MTB if I check the rights of way).

East is a little different as I run in to problems about 20 tiles East of where I've covered so far at Gravesend/Tilbury and the Thames Estuary. That might be solved by a bike/run/bike brick session though.

A goal of a max cluster > 1000 by the end of 2018 is certainly possible for me (currently 203). About 10 more 80km rides should do it.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #119 on: 03 July, 2018, 09:34:50 pm »
Kent is a lot easier than Yorkshire!

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #120 on: 03 July, 2018, 09:46:59 pm »
Another 68k including towpaths, gravel tracks etc this evening to pick up 6 tiles and bump up the max square by one more to 23.

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #121 on: 04 July, 2018, 11:29:52 am »
Had some spare time so did some route planning.



White is a slightly extended commute to pick off two squares near work, will do that Thursday.

The rest are plans for Monday (day off) or weekend rides. Most are ~60km rides although there's always an option of extending to 80/100km if I feel like it.

Green would be next, starting at Whitton station and finishing at Hampton station. (Shorter route as I've got a funeral to go to on Monday). Hampton station has a slow service so will probably just cycle home, it's only another 15km.

Yellow is 60km starting and finishing at home. There's a bit of silliness to get a tile East of Claygate, plus a short bit of public footpath to get between Claygate and Chessington.

Blue is another 60km ride, starting at Ashtead and finishing at Stoneleigh. Wiggly route with a couple of turns just to cover tiles, I should probably just leave the 3 most Westerly ones for a better route that takes in some isolated tiles near White Down that I need. If I cut off ~10km of that nonsense I'd have time to ride all the way home.

Purple is a 45km ride (so I'll probably ride to the start at Epsom to bring it up to 65km). Lots of nonsense around Mogador to bag a relatively isolated tile (although I can drop in on The Sportsman pub for a drinks top up).

That would bring me up to 14x14 (the black square) with some SE London riding to move to 20x20 relatively easily.

For the SE I just need a Hilbert Curve route planner...
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #122 on: 04 July, 2018, 01:54:53 pm »
Purple is a 45km ride (so I'll probably ride to the start at Epsom to bring it up to 65km). Lots of nonsense around Mogador to bag a relatively isolated tile (although I can drop in on The Sportsman pub for a drinks top up).

That would bring me up to 14x14 (the black square) with some SE London riding to move to 20x20 relatively easily.

On the purple one, could you not move the big north/south leg (sorry I can't work out wihch direction you are doing the ride in) 2 squares east, to get the two just to the right of the black square, thus increasing your square by 1?

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #123 on: 04 July, 2018, 02:42:14 pm »
On the purple one, could you not move the big north/south leg (sorry I can't work out wihch direction you are doing the ride in) 2 squares east, to get the two just to the right of the black square, thus increasing your square by 1?

I'd need to pick off two tiles in the SW corner for that to happen (and they're annoying given the way the M25 runs). Also if I moved the N/S stretch of the purple line east it would no longer pick up a tile inside the black square.

My goal is increasing maximum cluster over maximum square, when I've done the white, green and yellow rides I'll have 4 overlapping 11x11 squares, it's the subsequent rides that help extend out the maximum square but that's more a consequence of filling in the various chunks/sectors left by previous long rides out of London.

I'll do another ride to do the SE parts covering Purley, Coulsdon, Caterham, etc. The roads/tiles around there look quite well connected so I can hopefully put in one longer ride to grab them all covering all the way out until outside the M25. I may even see about doing a 100+km DIYxGPS Audax for it if I can come up with a route that doesn't have any backtracking and minimal/no overlapping.

Ah, that may be a suitable first major goal: cover all tiles within the M25.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: VeloViewer Explorer Score and Max Square
« Reply #124 on: 04 July, 2018, 03:03:16 pm »
Living on the coast suckkkkks, you can only build one way.

And pedalos aren't cheap.