Sat nav

[blacktiger]

I think ill be staying with the map for a while and just make sure the wife has her mobile on her just in case :roll:
The uk isnt realy that big a place to get seriously lost.
Thanks Daz 8)

Maybe not but a GPS will take you straight to the hotel you pre-booked. Will find the nearest fuel station etc. etc. All this all over Europe.
Of course, if you never go anywhere.................
Come on, it's a GADGET. You know you want one really.

[Chris Canning]

Blimey after reading above,makes me wonder how i've survived travelling Europe 3/4 times a year for last 35 years,prebooked hotels,fuel stations  yea right.

Turning up in a semi closed down ski resort on the Czech/Polish boarder,do you have a room? yes,but you must pay first,how much, £16, each?,no for both and the evening meal

Finding hotels by chance,and were the next tank of fuel is coming from is all part of the game,or is biking becoming that clinical.

[HappyMan]

I don't think it's becoming that clinical.  It's another tool that allows me to get off my planned route for some limited adventure.  For me I'd love to live the romantic rides you just discussed but I'm fortunate to get out and ride when I get the time.  I can't afford to screw up with lack of planning as much as I would enjoy the spontaneity.  I dream of the day when I'm retired and have the luxury of time.   8)  For now my GPS allows me to take whatever route I feel like at the time and gets me back on track for my final destination.  That's as much improv as I can afford for now.

[Stretch]

I'm a map and navigation freak.  I keep maps, rollcharts, and GPS going all at the same time.  I simply enjoy knowing exactly where I am at any given time.  I'm not being 'clinical', it's just part of the fun.

[HappyMan]

I've always believed that Maps were for planning and GPS for navigation within your route.  That's always worked well for me.  I rarely follow my route as planned but travel the general path that I set up with the map.  And I always cary maps.

[Stretch]

To clarify, I'm not a Route Freak.  I might plan something out the night before, but if I see a sign for the World's Second-Biggest Ball of String, I'll detour in a heartbeat.  And if there's something cool off of that detour, I'll detour again.

I'm not eaten up with routes and schedules, but I do like knowing where I am and what's nearby.

[HappyMan]

I'd call you a freak Stretch but never a "route" freak...... :roll:

Same here.  Planning a route allows me to have a plan that I can veer from.  It just gives me a final destination.

[Stretch]

I'd call you a freak Stretch but never a "route" freak...... :roll:

Or a Root Freak.  

[HappyMan]

[abruzzi]

The best part of GPSs is this:  when I plan a trip on a map, I am limited to a certain sized road depending on the map scale.  When I get there and am riding, and I see a little dirt road that didn't show on the map, I think, is it a half mile dead end, or is it a different leg to connect me to a different part of my journey?  If its a dead end, I ignore it, but if it's a little dirt road that actually takes me somewhere, I turn, and only a GPS can give me that.

Geof

[HappyMan]

That's it in a nut shell Geoff!

[ChrisN]

Another useful feature if you use Garmin and Mapsource software is the ability to view a chosen route in Google Earth. This really provides a good indication of the profile and type of landscape you'll be riding through.

I often select routes from the mapping based on how squiggly the line is, but without checking with google earth it's difficult to see if you'll be riding through open hills with great views or stuck in a closed in forrest.

[ChrisN]

And for those who prefer to just set off on a random unplanned ride-out;
When you get home you can upload the track log and easily see where you've been and save the best bits to build into a route for the future.

[Chris Canning]

Bloody hell do you like bikeing with a touch of antiseptic!!,were's the fun and excitment in that,you know the road,you've seen the views,were the next fuel station is, how to find your hotel,and you can remember it for the next time,i'm just trying to work were the fun is?? i know!! putting the fuel in the bike

[abruzzi]

Bloody hell do you like bikeing with a touch of antiseptic!!,were's the fun and excitment in that,you know the road,you've seen the views,were the next fuel station is,

Keep in mind, that where I live, the next fuel station might be 150 miles away on a road that sees a couple of cars a day, and knowing where gas is is the difference between a fun ride, and sitting on the side of the road for eight hours. (no cell reception either.)



Geof