GPX Track or Route

[Pippa]

I can only comment on the similar battles I've had with the eTrex 30 - which I know is too exactly the same as the Dakota:

• The turn-beeps only work when navigating by Route, not Track
• Auto routing is not my preferred option due to the risk of it taking me on some odd course of it's own. I'd rather follow a track on a Map, but still have the turn beeps
• There is a way to accomplish this - plot a very minimal Route which just has waypoints on the turns of the route sheet. But also load the official LEL GPX onto the Garmin as a Track as well. Be sure in the settings on the Garmin itself, to select each one of these GPX Tracks and select "Show on Map" and make sure it's a nice visible colour. I use "green"
• Then for each leg, pick the Route as your Where To? navigation choice, but choose Off Road as it's option. This prevents the Garmin from making any decision to take you some other way. You get horrible straight lines on the map between each waypoint, that don't follow the road, but you can see the track underneath most of the time to follow except where they overlap. Because you are following a Route though, you do get the turn beeps
• Some devices let you set the Route colour "transparent" which then hides the nasty straight route lines - the eTrex 30 doesn't have this option.

Much of the above is a restatement of other threads, it's just a distillation of what I've learned to formulate my usage plan.

It is a compromise, and not completely ideal - but it works for me. Especially at night, when the device lights up to warn me of an upcoming route point or turn.

Hi RobW - this is pretty much how I like to use my garmin (an eTrex HCx thingy - I used it for a 1000 mile LEJOG a few years ago and it worked perfectly so it *should* work for LEL.....fingers crossed). Can I ask what mapping/routing websites and software you use to do your mapping/routing/tracking and naming of routepoints as some of the ones I used to use to achieve this method of using my garmin are now redundant? TIA

[Greenbank]

I did LEL'09 with an old yellow eTrex H. The monochrome screen wasn't good for seeing if you were following a track properly (and it has no mapping whatsoever), so I preferred a route with one route point per instruction and labelled accordingly (inside 6 chars). I had to split the ride into 7 or so routes to get around the limitation of routepoints per route.

Now using a GPS with a good resolution colour screen (an Edge 705) I much prefer riding Audaxes by following a track on the map page (usually zoomed in to 80m or 150m and it set to 'Track Up' setting) to make sure I'm still going the right way. I still always prepare a route but I pretty much always end up just looking at the track on the map.

[RobW]

Hi RobW - this is pretty much how I like to use my garmin (an eTrex HCx thingy - I used it for a 1000 mile LEJOG a few years ago and it worked perfectly so it *should* work for LEL.....fingers crossed). Can I ask what mapping/routing websites and software you use to do your mapping/routing/tracking and naming of routepoints as some of the ones I used to use to achieve this method of using my garmin are now redundant? TIA

Phew - good to know I'm on the right track .... sorry, couldn't resist that!

I've tried a few of the web site based route planning tools, but so far I always seem to come back to the standard Garmin MapSource. I'm not a huge fan of it, but I seem to be able to use it better than the others to achieve the result I want.

I do also use WinGDB3 occasionally for doing auto conversions from tracks to routes, and if I want to push something to Google maps for someone else to see, I tend to use ITN Converter to convert it out to KML.

[contango]

What I do for controls on a regular Audax ride is set them as waypoints and set a proximity alarm so the GPS beeps at me when I'm within 100m of them. It would be a monstrous faff to set every single turning as a waypoint and manually set up a proximity alarm for every single one of them but you'd only really need them for the sections you were doing in the dark.

FWIW I've found the OSM maps are great for manual navigation and extremely unpredictable for letting the GPS figure out a route for itself. Sometimes it seems anything that could even remotely be called a "major road" is regarded as suboptimal for cycling so it will take a tortuous long route to avoid a short direct route. It also seems to favour trails rather than roads which might work fine on a mountain bike but when the GPS beeps and says "left onto track" where "track" turns out to be a bridlepath smothered in wet mud it does get a little tiresome, especially when the "shortest route" was critically dependent on following a muddy bridlepath for 3 miles and you're then presented with the option to either follow the bridlepath or take a huge detour to avoid it.

[RobW]

What I do for controls on a regular Audax ride is set them as waypoints and set a proximity alarm so the GPS beeps at me when I'm within 100m of them. It would be a monstrous faff to set every single turning as a waypoint and manually set up a proximity alarm for every single one of them but you'd only really need them for the sections you were doing in the dark.

FWIW I've found the OSM maps are great for manual navigation and extremely unpredictable for letting the GPS figure out a route for itself. Sometimes it seems anything that could even remotely be called a "major road" is regarded as suboptimal for cycling so it will take a tortuous long route to avoid a short direct route. It also seems to favour trails rather than roads which might work fine on a mountain bike but when the GPS beeps and says "left onto track" where "track" turns out to be a bridlepath smothered in wet mud it does get a little tiresome, especially when the "shortest route" was critically dependent on following a muddy bridlepath for 3 miles and you're then presented with the option to either follow the bridlepath or take a huge detour to avoid it.

Interesting alternative.

Problem for the eTrex 30 is it will only give the proximity alarms when following a Route. So you either have to follow an auto-route or a direct (off road) route to get them. So far, I prefer the direct/off road option, although you are right it then involves some faff on creating the route ahead of time. You don't have to put markers on every turn though - I tend to only lay down a waypoint on actual turns, and only where I think I may go off track. The other way would be to just use auto-route and ignore anywhere it wants to send you off track by following the track line. Haven't actually tried that - could be an interesting option.

[Mr Fitz]

Anyone know what the battery drain implications are between the tone alerts + flashed up navigation directions when using routing, and the need to regularly display a track? 

Presumably, when track-following you either need to have the display on full time (so you can glance at it to check you're OK) or keep flicking the display on whenever you feel the need to check (and maybe find you've missed a turn 5km back!).  How do you chaps use it?

I must admit I am finding the degree of ultra-precise faffing about needed to twiddle my auto-routing directions to precisely match the routesheets is increasingly exponentially, and the associated hair pulling is likely to soon run out of raw material!  No doubt those much wiser than me have already realised this, and that's why they stick to following tracks!

[Fidgetbuzz]

I usually follow a track - but using trackback.
So at start of a leg - use the control you are going to as the point that you wish to track back to -then follow track.
Sometimes needs care when at the start and there is a figure of 8 type ride.
On my old etrex - this then gives me a scrolling track to follow - and I find that the batteries will do about 22 hours - so usually require changing at a major stop at or around 400kms.

[RobW]

I usually follow a track - but using trackback.
So at start of a leg - use the control you are going to as the point that you wish to track back to -then follow track.
Sometimes needs care when at the start and there is a figure of 8 type ride.
On my old etrex - this then gives me a scrolling track to follow - and I find that the batteries will do about 22 hours - so usually require changing at a major stop at or around 400kms.

I tried the Energizer Lithium Ultra's on my last set of tests. Got over 40 hrs out of them - but when they failed, they went fast. All four bars on battery indicator one minute, then low battery warnings the next. So will def have some spares both on me and in bags. I reckon the burn time will be bit lower too with extra backlit use at night.

[RobW]

BTW - I'll happily share the routes I create when done if anyone is interested.

Might help to have other eyes check over for mistakes too!

[Phil W]

Just successfully loaded the official GPS tracks onto my gps 

[Greenbank]

Presumably, when track-following you either need to have the display on full time (so you can glance at it to check you're OK) or keep flicking the display on whenever you feel the need to check (and maybe find you've missed a turn 5km back!).  How do you chaps use it?

Backlight permanently on (but nowhere near full brightness, just enough to see). And I take a 5Ah (for a 200, 300 or 400) or 10Ah (for a 600 or longer) battery pack with me.

[mikewigley]

If any of your gadgets let you down, you're welcome to follow me.  I'll just be using the paper route sheet.  I have a sponsorship deal with Royal Mail who have provided me with elastic bands to affix the route sheet to my arm.  Simples, as I believe is the expression required.

[yanto]

Just successfully loaded the official GPS tracks onto my gps 

i'm in awe of your technical brilliance!

[Phil W]

Just successfully loaded the official GPS tracks onto my gps 

i'm in awe of your technical brilliance!

I've turned up for audax events before where I forgot the load the tracks, so I thought I'd do it now whilst I remembered! And if there was a problem with the tracks I've got plenty to time to fix it. So I've got 18 GPX tracks loaded on the gps now 9 north and 9 south and billions of trackpoints

[Mr Fitz]

I have a sponsorship deal with Royal Mail...

Pretty well guaranteed to get lost then 

[RobW]

I've turned up for audax events before where I forgot the load the tracks, so I thought I'd do it now whilst I remembered! And if there was a problem with the tracks I've got plenty to time to fix it. So I've got 18 GPX tracks loaded on the gps now 9 north and 9 south and billions of trackpoints

Any plans to add your own Waypoints / Routes - or will you just follow the track?

(I'm in 2 minds - I'll probably sit in front of the TV next day or so and start on the task, but if gets too much faff I may just go with following the track)

[L CC]

Just successfully loaded the official GPS tracks onto my gps 

I've got 1200km of audaxes to ride before I start LEL. You do know it's the 28th of July it starts?


Sheesh.

[RobW]

I've got 1200km of audaxes to ride before I start LEL. You do know it's the 28th of July it starts?

You're a stronger man than I. That would see me broken or with a flattened immune system by LEL for sure

[Greenbank]

Leaving the two weekends before the start of LEL free of Audaxing leaves 3 weekends left for riding.

600, 400, 200 would be one way to taper for it.

I think I did a stupidly hilly 300 (5300m climbing) and then a DIY 400 (elongated Dun Run and back home) between this time of year and LEL 4 years ago.

[RobW]

Leaving the two weekends before the start of LEL free of Audaxing leaves 3 weekends left for riding.

600, 400, 200 would be one way to taper for it.

I think I did a stupidly hilly 300 (5300m climbing) and then a DIY 400 (elongated Dun Run and back home) between this time of year and LEL 4 years ago.

I'm guessing I'll get 600 to 800km of riding in between now and the start, but it'll be spread out across shorter rides most likely (100s, 150s, 200s). Not that I wouldn't prefer to have some longer ones in there, but time, weather, and friends to ride with won't make that feasible now. Whatever, it'll just have to be enough

[L CC]

I've got 1200km of audaxes to ride before I start LEL. You do know it's the 28th of July it starts?

You're a stronger man than I. That would see me broken or with a flattened immune system by LEL for sure

There's 5 weekends before the start. Race-600-300-300-off. Probably 300-400km of commuting, and ~200km of riding purely for fun. If I 'only' did 6-800km between now and then I'd lose fitness.

Or, I'm wrong, and you can laugh at my broken body and flattened immune system as you float past.

Of course I'm a stronger man than you. I'm a woman.

[Phil W]

Just successfully loaded the official GPS tracks onto my gps 

I've got 1200km of audaxes to ride before I start LEL. You do know it's the 28th of July it starts?


Sheesh.

I'm going to be in Alps, mountaineering and staying above 2,500m, which grabs 3 weekends. The other weekends I'm doing rides in familiar territory and will not need navigational aids, just need to remember the order of the villages, which isn't too hard. During the weeks when not away I've got my extended commutes, which again don't need the GPS or any directions. In other words, I have no need to load any further GPX onto my GPS between now and LEL.

Between now and LEL I've just got 1 free weekend, which is the one before.

[Phil W]

I've turned up for audax events before where I forgot the load the tracks, so I thought I'd do it now whilst I remembered! And if there was a problem with the tracks I've got plenty to time to fix it. So I've got 18 GPX tracks loaded on the gps now 9 north and 9 south and billions of trackpoints

Any plans to add your own Waypoints / Routes - or will you just follow the track?

(I'm in 2 minds - I'll probably sit in front of the TV next day or so and start on the task, but if gets too much faff I may just go with following the track)

Just the track Rob, with each track being a segment between controls, apart from Edinburgh south to Brampton but Traquair etc. are small places and I don't expect to ride past the controls by mistake.

[RobW]

Of course I'm a stronger man than you. I'm a woman.

Well that explains it ... nothing more needed

[RobW]

Just the track Rob, with each track being a segment between controls, apart from Edinburgh south to Brampton but Traquair etc. are small places and I don't expect to ride past the controls by mistake.

Cool - ta