Following GPS

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A

Alan Farroll

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I am new to mountain biking but quite enjoying it. I have been looking for routes in my area and there are some but following them might be challenging as all I have are desriptions and very vague maps. Some seem to have a link to a GPS. Does this mean I can download the GPS route and follow that on a GPS application on my mobile phone for example? If not then how does this work?

Here is a link to a MTB route near me with a link to a GPS or GPX;

http://mtbroutessws.com/SouthAyrshireOffRoad.html

Thanks in advance

AJF
 
numbnuts

numbnuts

Legendary Member
Location
Gone over the hill and far away
Hi I have just downloaded that GPX file and put it in to Garmin Mapsource, it works, but not too sure if one can send it to your phone
 
OP
OP
A

Alan Farroll

Well-Known Member
Hi, I have found a smartphone app named "viewranger" that appears to be free and seems to do what I require. I think Viewranger only costs when you buy maps and ordance survey add ons. Once Viewranger is installed I can go to a website with a GPX download that I want and once downloaded and I attempt to open it, Viewranger prompts to Import it into the application. It can then be seen and followed. Haven't tried it on the bike yet though.

Regards


AJF
 
Cubist

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
If you can afford a GPS unit they are far more battery friendly than using smartphone, and being bar mounted are easier to follow etc.

I use a Garmin Edge 705, it cost less than a ton secondhand and has all sorts of groovy features. The Edge 605 may be a smidge cheaper. You can download free mapping from various opensource sites and download routes to follow.


You can navigate with an Edge 205 or 305, but they don't have visible mapping. However, they do provide a breadcrumb trail navigation cability which means a black line appears on the screen, with a cursor to show where you are in relation to that line. You can download GPX files to them and navigate that way. They are better used ( as are all GPS units) with a printout or hard copy OS map, and for off road 1:25000 cannot be beaten.

I enjoy scanning an OS map, looking for bridleways to explore. I subscribe to OS mapping so I can customise maps and have a hard copy print which is easier than having the whole map with you. Once I've located a Bridleway I like the look of, I'll open a mapping site in satellite mode and zoom in as close as I can to plot a route, this gives you a basic idea of topography and levels of technicality. I then save the plotted route and print out a trace of it on OS to stick in my pocket. The new route is the saved to Garminconnect or Mapmyride, or Strava and sent to my 705.

Otherwise, there are loads of GPX sharing sites out there to garner routes and suggestions from.
 
GrumpyGregry

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
garmin Etrex 20 plus opencyclemaps. Works for me in the wilds of Wales, and in the Ayrshire Alps as it happens. I want my phone to have lots of charge if things go wrong.
 
H

Heisenberg

Regular
I use viewranger to make routes. I wouldn't have thought a phone will be the best idea because of battery life with the screen on following a GPS signal, where to mount it, the fact it may not be waterproof and if the battery does die you might regret it if you come into a bit of bother. Also if you crash there's a decent chance your phone's ruined, GPS units are much tougher and weatherproof. Last point is that viewranger is useless for mountain biking until you pay for the OS maps
 
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