[NickGolledge]

Following on from the interesting topic of riding with club or riding on your own, for those that ride on your own and like to find new routes do you use a bar mounted map holder, or stop every junction to get the map out like I used to? now I have a cheap method of using 2 rubber bands and attaching the photocopied map to my left arm so I can read it but am thinking that a bar mounted holder might be better. Would appreciate any thoughts.

Topic

[barbarus]

Generally I plan a route the
Generally I plan a route the night before at the “I’m going through these villages” level, make a note on the back of an envelope if there’s bits I don’t know and then follow signs.

[MervO]

The irish farmer – possibly
The irish farmer – possibly the same one talking to the American tourist. “Back home it takes me all day to drive to the other side of my ranch”.
Reply from farmer. “Aye, I had a car like that once ! ”

[Martyn_K]

An old timer in our club can
An old timer in our club can pretty much navigate his way around the south of england from memory and once advised me to remember the towns/ villages on the outer edges of my intended route area. One for each of the compass points. That way you only really need to remember 4 places to look for if lost and then you will know what direction to head once there.

I use Garmin Connect to plan routes and upload them to my device. Google street view for cross referencing. I’m pretty good with most of Hampshire & Berkshire now from memory. Wiltshire and Surrey are getting stronger. If i go to a new area then i use the compass points principal.

Never been lost yet, wish i could say the same for my legs!!

[NickGolledge]

Wow had no idea!! Bought the
Wow had no idea!! Bought the map, copied it for my own use. Is that wrong then? If it is please don’t grass me up it’s an honest mistake gov!

[wellcoordinated]

NickGolledge wrote:Went

NickGolledge wrote:

Went exploring this weekend and had a photocopy of the OS map for the area attached to my left forearm with a couple of rubber bands worked a treat.

A photocopy of an OS map that’s a treasonable offence!! I hope that nobody for the law reads this…

.. [in the distance] nee naw, nee naw.

[NickGolledge]

Went exploring this weekend
Went exploring this weekend and had a photocopy of the OS map for the area attached to my left forearm with a couple of rubber bands worked a treat.

[stenmeister]

I like to plot routes with
I like to plot routes with distances on Endomondo and then it’s just a case of remembering or sticking a few cues on a piece of paper. I recently did a cycle round the suburbs of Glasgow so put street names on a piece of paper that went on the top tube.

[JonD]

Making it up as you go along
Making it up as you go along is all very well but can also very easy to get lost/disorientated if you don’t have a map – mental, paper, or electronic – of how signposted places relate. I have a garmin etrex 30 nowadays but the small screens on most devices don’t lend themselves to planning/modifying routes on the fly, but are a decent backup and at least record where you’ve been. I’ve not done the sort of riding in recent years to need one but you cant really beat a map on a map board for useability – I did a fair few mtb trailquests in the eatly 2000s (?) where one had to quickly decide or modify a route – on a 3.5 or 5hr event a lot of area can be covered. A garmin or even smartphone (assuming you have coverage or use offline mapping) really wouldn’t work as well. Fwiw, not much drag either.

[bikebot]

In large measure from concern
In large measure from concern about safety, I’ve always relied quite heavily on pre-plan routes and GPS. These days it’s via a Garmin 800, but I’ve been doing it since the days of the original big yellow Etrex handhelds.

I use cyclestreets & bikeroutetoaster for planning. If I’m not sure about something I’ll cross check with google street view to make sure it’s neither a motorway in disguise or a load of old Sustrans.

If I’m riding into an area I really don’t know, I’ll print a few A4 maps as well to slip in the jersey pocket, or stashed away in a drybag with the valuables. Sometimes you just need to spread out a sheet of paper rather than view the world through a tiny screen.

[Bob's Bikes]

Before garmin came along I
Before garmin came along I had an old clipboard attached to the handlebar clamp via a bracket with a couple of rubber bands for holding down the bottom of the map.

[Anonymous]

I use a Garmin eTrex
I use a Garmin eTrex precisely because I don’t like stopping to check the map. I generally also take a map and compass though because using just a GPS is like looking at the world through a toilet roll tube. A decent map lets you see everything around you so you can improvise

[foot_loose]

I did a 60 mile ride today. I
I did a 60 mile ride today. I was unable to get the route from Garmin onto my Edge 810 so listed the villages and followed road signs. Only off route once (though did go down a long hill and have to retrace route back up!)

[PhillBrown]

I just usually wing it… See
I just usually wing it… See which way I fancy from a junction and see how long it takes me to get back home! I always record my trip with my Garmin and review when I get back… It’s clear to see which roads you turned back on!

[crikey]

I got ..temporarily
I got ..temporarily unlocated.. in the west of Ireland and had to wave to a farmer to get him to come over. He wandered along to the gate in the field and I said
‘I’m a bit lost, is this the road to Castlebar?’
he replied
‘Oh no, you’ll not get there on this road, have a good day now’…

[NickGolledge]

Good comments I like the feet
Good comments I like the feet wet one! I have got a Garmin but just the cheap Garmin Edge so no option for map displays. No-one use bar mounted map holders then, I see a few on Amazon would be good to know if anyone has any experience. But the go out and find the route yourself view is a good one I think.

[Author]

Replies