Garmin 800: the "WhereTo" function

[gbs]

I tried this function for the first time yesterday when a change of plan was forced upon me, mapless in Kent. The destination was set as Dorking, Surrey, to the West. I guessed at a distance of 25k.

After 10k or so Garmin directed me to the A25, a flat, busy road that would take me directly to Dorking now signposted at about 20k away. After a further 5k (the first opportunity to divert from the A25), I was directed, by Garmin, N, up into the N Downs via Tandridge Hil Lane (10% or so), traversed and then descended S to rejoin the A25 at Godstone! This diversion of about 4.5k and 110m vertical gain "saved" me about 1k on the flat A25. I then changed my destination and rode from memory.

This is not a criticism of Garmin - the local road network offers few options. Cycle friendly routes exist but way to the South.

Q1 can parameters be set? Such as "direct route", "no motorways or A roads"?
Q2 can one preview the proposed route?

 

[PK99]

I tried this function for the first time yesterday when a change of plan was forced upon me, mapless in Kent. The destination was set as Dorking, Surrey, to the West. I guessed at a distance of 25k.

After 10k or so Garmin directed me to the A25, a flat, busy road that would take me directly to Dorking now signposted at about 20k away. After a further 5k (the first opportunity to divert from the A25), I was directed, by Garmin, N, up into the N Downs via Tandridge Hil Lane (10% or so), traversed and then descended S to rejoin the A25 at Godstone! This diversion of about 4.5k and 110m vertical gain "saved" me about 1k on the flat A25. I then changed my destination and rode from memory.

This is not a criticism of Garmin - the local road network offers few options. Cycle friendly routes exist but way to the South.

Q1 can parameters be set? Such as "direct route", "no motorways or A roads"?
Q2 can one preview the proposed route?

Tools>system>routing>calculate routes for>[choose bicycle/car/pedestrian]

Guidance method[dostance/time/offroad]

Avoidance set up ...... Can set to avoid highways, but don't know what that does in UKUK

 

[CopperBrompton]

Avoidance set up ...... Can set to avoid highways, but don't know what that does in UKUK

It's pretty much random. It avoids motorways, but will avoid or use A-roads on a whim.

 

[John the Monkey]

Yup.

If you use openFietsmap, it tries harder to find bikepaths &c, but because that's reliant on crowdsourced data, it can sometimes do things like trying to send you along country footpaths.

http://www.openfietsmap.nl/

 

[zacklaws]

As I predominently ride road only, I always have it set for "car/motorcycle", otherwise I can find the route planning can take me down footpaths, tracks across fields etc if set to "Bicycle".

As for avoidance of "A roads", this is hit or miss when you turn it on and it can still plan you to go down motorways etc.....as I found out this summer.

I can also plot a route which is only 6 miles by A road, but with A road avoidance turned on, it suddenly becomes 30+, which in reality is no good especcially when the A road is a quite one and that is the type of thing which can happen, and if your in an unfamiliar area, your short ride can become a long one and your no wiser as to what is happening

In general the whole route planning on the 800 is precarious, I did an 80 mile ride and wanted to get back home by the shortest route and no matter how many times I plotted the route home, the shortest it could find was just over 100 miles, despite the fact, I'd only done 80 miles from home to the point where I was at. When I plotted it to do it by the shortest time, it then wanted me to go on two motorways. In the end, I just set it to plot the route "Off Route" and just kept riding in the direction of the purple line drawn on the map which pointed to home till I got to familiar ground.

As for reviewing a route, its a bit of a problem due to the size of the monitor and having to zoom in exagerated by the distance of the route you want to review and can take a long while, because of that I never bother and just look at the big picture looking for any oddities, such as going off on a tangent or big loop backs etc

Its why on long rides out of my own patch, I carry small laminated A5 maps as a back up to keep me on route and keep my bearings that I am heading the right way if I suspect any iffyness of an 800 plotted route

 

[gbs]

Fin de naievete! The general tenor of the above comments is that "where to" is not to be trusted. Regrettably garmin does not adequately support ad hocery. Paper maps still offer advantages. In future I will carry a preloaded garmin route and rely on a 1:50 OS map printout and reading of signposts to cover diversions.

Thanks to everybody for the informed comment

 

[PK99]

Fin de naievete! The general tenor of the above comments is that "where to" is not to be trusted. Regrettably garmin does not adequately support ad hocery. Paper maps still offer advantages. In future I will carry a preloaded garmin route and rely on a 1:50 OS map printout and reading of signposts to cover diversions.

Thanks to everybody for the informed comment

For longer distances, I agree. But i have found it useful for short distances eg i knew a certain pub was "around here somewhere" and it was there under POI and gave me a nice direct route, ditto train stations. but i would not trust it to get me home fro 20 miles away

 

[gbs]

@PK99: that is a v useful rebuttal of my somewhat dismissive all embracing conclusion. Thanks.

 

[Learnincurve]

It's not the Garmin, it's the maps you are using being "tagged" wrongly within the software which is flummoxing autoroute .

What maps are you using?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

The Where To? on my 800 has been faultless at home and abroad.

 

[gbs]

It's not the Garmin, it's the maps you are using being "tagged" wrongly within the software which is flummoxing autoroute .

What maps are you using?

I suppose the 800 must use the preloaded Garmin Maps for the "where to" function - City Navigator

 

[Learnincurve]

Navigator is very very good but it might need updating, or it might not but it's worth giving it a shot. https://my.garmin.com/maps/chooseDeviceType.htm?