GPS directions and routes

[mnultra]

After reading about Steve07's nightmare of a time getting his bikes back to Canada, it made me think of an option when using a GPS. Like many have said, it is always a good idea to have a paper map along, but you can also pre-plan your trip using a couple different methods.

If you are a member of HOG, you can use their Ride Planner via their web site. You can enter your beginning and ending address, view the route it picks for you, and then make any adjusments to the route if you prefer. When you are happy with the "path" you have chosen, you can download it directly to your GPS.

Another option is to use Microsoft Streets and Trips 2010. Pretty much the same steps apply but you would export your route as a .gpx file to your GPS.

I know that alot of you, when just out riding, like to get off the beatin' path and just see where you end up, which is alot of fun to do, but I have found that if I take 10 minutes and plan a route it can take alot of the stress away from wondering if there is gas, food, lodging, etc. available and where it may be. And I don't have to rely soley on reading that street sign in the middle of nowhere with the bullet holes in it

To each their own, but I hope this helps some of you.

Ride safe!

 

[harvey13118]

Good Points! Just putting in a address and following is never a GOOD idea. Have I done it? Yes!

I do know if I punch in the shortest route and avoid interstates I might end up on a seasonal cowpath at 10 miles per hour. Also with no cell service.

Paper maps and reviewing trip is important and the willingness to turn around and back track 20 or more miles to stay on pavement is always a good option.

GPS's need better mapping systems to review the route and ability to highlite a road to avoid when plotting with GPS only.

Just my $.02

 

[jaceddie]

After reading about Steve07's nightmare of a time getting his bikes back to Canada, it made me think of an option when using a GPS. Like many have said, it is always a good idea to have a paper map along, but you can also pre-plan your trip using a couple different methods.

If you are a member of HOG, you can use their Ride Planner via their web site. You can enter your beginning and ending address, view the route it picks for you, and then make any adjusments to the route if you prefer. When you are happy with the "path" you have chosen, you can download it directly to your GPS.

Thanks, I didn't know I could download a map like this. :s

 

[SkootchNC]

I use "google earth" of just the basic google MAPS, when planning a road trip.
You can zoom in on the area you're going to to, and pick up features, like whether the road has painted fog lines/center lines. There are still many dirt/gravel roads in my part of the country., and i like to avoid them.
Another good feature of Google, is they have gas stations/restaurnts,/lodging on the same screen.
Makes my planning a little easier... found some real "gems" that way

 

[LilMan]

I use "google earth" of just the basic google MAPS, when planning a road trip.

+1 on Google Earth. I travel 80% of the time for work from major cities to some of the most out of the way places you have ever seen, before heading somewhere for the first time, I go straight to Google Earth.

Most of the time you can see everything on and around whatever route you are taking.

 

[WHM1]

My wife and another couple are on the way home now from a trip to Canada... I use the Garmin Zumo 550 and had no trouble with finding our way around Canada. Instead of buying the new updates every year like I was doing, this spring I purchased the unlimited life time updates which allows you to update your maps up to 4 times a year. Just before we left I updated my maps and chose to upload the eastern half of the US and Canada since we were not going west. Everything from the middle of the US and Canada is now on my Zumo and the very small roads in the back towns of Canada are included. Every night I loaded the next night's destination and during the trip we wandered off in any direction we wanted and always knew exactly where we were. We will be back in North Carolina tomorrow and I would never plan such a trip without a GPS. We have now covered every state and Canada east of the Mississippi and next year plan to go west...this is our 4th summer using the Garmin Zumo and it rocks...

 

[crow]

I have a TOMTOM and use a free program called TYRE. It used google map and allows me to create the route I want. Then save it to my GPS as a itenary. But I also agree having a paper map of the area is a great thing too.

 

[Porter]

So far, my iPhone has never let me down. I can open the HD site for map, google earth, etc and with the other applications fuel, food and lodging are easy to find. Not as "heads up" as a gps system but given all the multi tasking I can do, it works fine for me in re-routing and suprisingly the traffic reports (indicated by colored sections of the road, red=bad, green=good) have been spot on for me.

I know that a satellite may get better connectivity than a phone in certain locations in the country, but I am impressed so far. (this is the old phonem, not the new one.)

 

[Lancer]

I have a Motorola Droid. It has GPS and Navigation built in. I use Google maps to plan the route and then I can open it up on the Droid and use it. Has street, satellite views as well.

 

[Carroll B]

Just bought a Garmin 755T and downloaded all my routes for the Blue Ridge Parkway ride I'm doing in three weeks. I download from MapQuest to the Garmin. I'll still carry the papermaps.