Trip mapping / planning - your favorite tool?

[amorley]

A GPS is a tool that has it's advantages and disadvantages.

I use Google Maps and then BaseCamp. I put in my start and finish for each day and then look for the twistiest roads in between adding waypoints as required. Part of the enjoyment of the trip for me is the planning. If I can get some local advice on the best roads and places to eat and stay it is always very welcome.

I put all the itinerary, eating places, campsites and lodging in Microsoft OneNote and it synchronizes across my PC, MacBook Pro, iPad and Nokia 1020.

Upload daily routes to Zumo 550 and GPSmap 62s. Carry my iPad on short trips and MacBook Pro on longer trips so I can modify the routes as required. Garmin cloud synchronizes all the trips between my MacBook Pro and the PC I have at home.

I'll also carry paper maps but there is no comparison with the detail I can get on the GPS maps without carrying a filing cabinet of Topo Maps.

Give me a compass and a good topo map, and I can determine my exact location from visible landmarks. But if I am out sailing offshore where the world is "flat", I love having that GPS!

 

[TPadden]

A GPS is a tool that has it's advantages and disadvantages.

I use Google Maps and then BaseCamp. I put in my start and finish for each day and then look for the twistiest roads in between adding waypoints as required. Part of the enjoyment of the trip for me is the planning. If I can get some local advice on the best roads and places to eat and stay it is always very welcome.

I put all the itinerary, eating places, campsites and lodging in Microsoft OneNote and it synchronizes across my PC, MacBook Pro, iPad and Nokia 1020.
...........

Even if I only took one trip a month I can't imagine enjoying what some of you guys do before getting on the road. I already cut out valve checks, brake, clutch and other fluid changes, because I don't have the time. If I did all that between trips I wouldn't even have time to change oil, tires, or underwear between trips. No wonder some of your wives won't let you go on more rides !

 

[MajorTom]

Even if I only took one trip a month I can't imagine enjoying what some of you guys do before getting on the road. I already cut out valve checks, brake, clutch and other fluid changes, because I don't have the time. If I did all that between trips I wouldn't even have time to change oil, tires, or underwear between trips. No wonder some of your wives won't let you go on more rides !

If you're really skipping those valve checks, brake, clutch and other fluid changes it's a wonder your missus expects you to get home from a ride.

I just got a Chinavision Rage GPS and am finding my way around how to enter routes and POIs. I've found Google Maps to be an unsatisfactory tool for route planning. I'll take a look at Tyre. Thanks everyone for the good info.

Oh, and there'll be maps and AAA tourbooks in the tank bag as a backup.

 

[ardykay54]

Go! Get lost!! Find way back!!!

 

[TPadden]

If you're really skipping those valve checks, brake, clutch and other fluid changes it's a wonder your missus expects you to get home from a ride.

Whenever anyone says that (for a bike built in the last 5 years) I always ask when was the last time you checked the valves, changed brake, clutch, and other fluids (particularly transmission or differential) on your wife's car; I usually just get a stoopid stare in reply. Other than a very few people I've met (Zooker comes to mind) more problems with modern motorcycles are caused rather than prevented by "routine" maintenance.
Oil, tires, and ride has worked for me for over 500K motorcycle miles. Just my Zen on motorcycle maintenance ........

 

[970mike]

Whenever anyone says that (for a bike built in the last 5 years) I always ask when was the last time you checked the valves, changed brake, clutch, and other fluids (particularly transmission or differential) on your wife's car; I usually just get a stoopid stare in reply. Other than a very few people I've met (Zooker comes to mind) more problems with modern motorcycles are caused rather than prevented by "routine" maintenance.
Oil, tires, and ride has worked for me for over 500K motorcycle miles. Just my Zen on motorcycle maintenance ........

Oh that 1000 mile stare!! I see that all the time here in the Fire Service!!

 

[ReSTored]

I use 2011 MS Streets and Trips GPX files that my Garmin imports into routes. Many of the people I ride with use the same program and most other mapping software programs can save to be GPX format for sharing routes. At this point I have a whole library of routes to draw on. I'd really like to see a program that allows you to cut and paste all or select waypoints from one open file into another open file to combine multiple route files into one.

 

[TPadden]

I've got that 1000 mile stare.:salute1:
I just can't see close up for things like valve checks etc.

For the rest of you damn Luddites still using paper maps: I can now complete an entire SToc camping trip without ever leaving the house ......

 

[MajorTom]

Whenever anyone says that (for a bike built in the last 5 years) I always ask when was the last time you checked the valves, changed brake, clutch, and other fluids (particularly transmission or differential) on your wife's car; I usually just get a stoopid stare in reply. Other than a very few people I've met (Zooker comes to mind) more problems with modern motorcycles are caused rather than prevented by "routine" maintenance.
Oil, tires, and ride has worked for me for over 500K motorcycle miles. Just my Zen on motorcycle maintenance ........

Different strokes... I generally don't buy vehicles until they're at least 3 years old, being allergic to the rapid depreciation rates that come as standard equipment on all new vehicles. My wife's 2004 Pilot gets the same regular maintenance as my 2003 Accord with all fluids, etc. changed per Honda's recommended schedule. I can only imagine the conversation the missus and I would be having if her timing belt broke and I explained I was too busy to get it changed.

I can't afford a new scooter so I take care of the one I have. As for your comment regarding DIY motorcycle mechanics causing more problems than they prevent, I've never skipped scheduled maintenance on a motorcycle to see how it survived my benign neglect, so we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[TPadden]

Different strokes........ I've never skipped scheduled maintenance on a motorcycle to see how it survived my benign neglect, so we'll just have to agree to disagree.

I attend at least 6-8 SToc events every year, if your scheduled maintenance permits you to attend one or two perhaps we'll meet and agree to disagree amiably over a beverage or two face to face. If not you'll never get a chance to convince me I'm remiss in my benign neglect .

 

[MajorTom]

I never pass up a chance to share a beverage with a fellow rider and hope we run across each other sometime. FWIW, I'm not trying to convince you of anything. As I said, "Different strokes..." Happy trails.

 

[Grabcon]

This is an area where everyone has an opinion. So I will first start out saying that I don't mind paying for something if it works and works well. I have used a Garmin 660LM for three years now for a couple of reasons. One life time map updates but also the ability to upload and download information to the unit.

I like using Streets and Trips but needed a way to get the Streets and Trips route into the 660. After looking at free or inexpensive conversion software's I decide to spend $75 on a software called Expert GPS. It also gives frequent updates and has an annual $20 fee. Why expert GPS. A couple of big reasons:
It can read S&T files directly.
It can interface with Google Earth. Import and Export KLM/KMZ files
It converts files to GPS and then I can bring them directly in to the 660.
And it can bring files back in from the 660 and you can see the actual route and statistical data about that route, Speed, Elevation, and other stuff.

After a bit of a learning curve it was very obvious that the 660 and Streets and Trips use different routing algorithms. So what I have learned is I use a lot of pushpins to over ride the S&T routing algorithm. I do not worry about the route in Expert GPS I just use this for a file conversion tool. I split the trips up into segments typically a day or two, depending on the number of points in the S&T file. I label the points in the S&T file that info displays on the 660. And of course the 660 Keeps a log file that can be brought back into Expert GPS.

I am meticulous about placing push pins in S&T. S&T will also try to reroute on the fly as you place pins so be careful and watch the placement in the route list. I override the standard routing options and modify the route segment options. This allows me to reduce the amount of interstate roads and stick to other types of roads, specifically those that I have placed pushpin on.

As a Note 660 will reroute the point file brought in if you have not placed sufficient point in the original S&T file. As I said earlier different routing algorithms are used.

 

[Snave]

Interesting to see no-one has mentioned My Scenic Drives yet. What I like about this is that you can preset how many hours per day to drive, and the website breaks the journey into days to allow for this riding time, and it finds accommodation nearby these stops too. I've not used it in anger yet, I plan to later in the summer. But just using it for exploring possibilities is good.

 

[MajorTom]

I just picked up RouteConverter this week based on a recommendation from another GPS thread here and I'm really enjoying setting up routes for our upcoming trip down to California. I wasn't having much luck getting my Google Maps routes into KML format for my GPS, but RouteConverter combines the Google Maps interface with the ability to specify waypoints that the GPS honors. That plus the 75 file formats it claims to support makes it a valuable tool in my trip planning toolbox.

 

[ST1100Y]

Another nice tool is the ITN Converter...

 

[Firstpeke]

I tend to use satnag for the fine detail of finding a specific location such as a hotel, guest house or fuel stop, but generally don't need one.

With regard to planning an overview for a trip, I use Google maps for a general idea.... distance and so on, although these days that isn't so needed as the UK isn't that big a place....

I have a weekend away with the UK NT650/700V owners, ( www.deauvilleuk.org ) at the end of this month and I have decided to explore a few roads I haven't been down either at all or for a long time.... for this I am using the Satnag...

Planning is done using Tyre, I gave up long ago on Garmin's own products... I create an end to end journey then go drag and drop the route along my preferred roads....

This works reasonably well and as always is open to en-route changes subject to weather and whatever takes my fancy.....

Tyre can work with both Tom-Tom or Garmin and does work well, although I use the free version which can be annoying with some of the routing pop ups and the need, when dragging and dropping, to not move the mouse until the computer finishes dropping the waypoint....

 

[SteveST1300]

Since reading this post I have been playing with TourStart it is very easy to use and transfers perfectly to my Zumo. I haven't tried Tyre yet but plan too soon. I just started using Base Camp and find it very unfriendly compared to Tour Start.

 

[ST1100Y]

...although these days that isn't so needed as the UK isn't that big a place...

Seems unlikely to get lost on an island... :wink:

But pretty much the same for Europe, its a peninsula, so if you hit a coast just turn left or right...

 

[ST-DocLizard1]

Paper, pencil, & road maps with the route laid out the night before with an idea of what to see along the way. Mileage is adjusted accordingly. GPS is used only to locate my exact location, read the road ahead, calculate TSD, or return back to my point of origin. Food & fuel is pot luck and I have developed a knack for making good choices on eateries/lodging.
Local resources can be beneficial at times.