What do you look for when planning a new route?

[brentrides]

Hi all,

A friend of mine built an automatic running route generator app as a side project just for fun called Trail Router. Tons of people responded asking for a cycling version.

We need more input from road cyclists regarding what you look for when planning a new route. Any and all info you can provide is appreciated. Please let me know!

If you want progress updates or prototype demos drop your email here https://svpercycling.com

PS: I hope this doesn't violate any advertising/self-promotion terms. This isn't for profit, it's just a fun side project that people in the cycling community asked us to make.

 

[Dogtrousers]

What do I look for when planning a new route.

All kinds of things.

Primarily I want to keep to "my" kind of road, which is small-ish country lanes and roads. I avoid cycle paths, bridleways etc, dual carriages and am suspicious of 2 lane A roads, so I take a look on streetview. Generally they are OK, but I don't normally want to do long distances on them. I may be happier hitting big junctions and roundabouts earlier in a ride when I still have a bit of zip in my legs, but might avoid them later when I'm going to be grinding slowly.

Then there's how to cross main highways like dual carriages and motorways. These can carve up the countryside and you can get trapped on the wrong side so you want a decent intersection and if it's a motorway junction I'll scope it out on Streetview as I may not be up to tackling the roundabout because vehicle speeds may be high. Perhaps it has a footway I can use.

Hills! I may be seeking them out, I may be avoiding them. I certainly want to know in advance where they are.
Bail out points. I like to know where the railway stations along a route are and may divert to be nearer rather than further from them.
Sights. I like to divert to see things like windmills or castles or view points or all kinds of stuff. Often I don't know about these until I scrutinise the OS map.
Shops and supplies. I like to have some idea where I'm going to stop off to fill up my bottles, especially in summer.

So all of this means I never use automated route planners. I'm fussy so I plan all of my routes myself by hand.

 

[Big John]

Pubs.

 

[cougie uk]

cafes !

 

[Oldhippy]

I just climb aboard and see where I end up.

 

[numbnuts]

A "Plan B" if it goes pear shaped

 

[Arrowfoot]

I would suggest options

Option 1 - Distance 10, 20, 30 50, 100 miles
Option 2 - Country, Urban
Option 3 - Flat or mixture of hills
All routes to have cafe indicated

 

[harlechjoe]

Its always useful to know where to find a bicycle repair shop and where cycling friendly accommodation and cafes are. What constitutes cycling friendly is a different matter. A good starting point would be a dry place to secure the bike. In Gwynedd, North Wales 'Cycling Friendly' places are identified with a yellow bike being on display and include bike maintenance stations and a place where wet clothes can dry off and batteries recharged.

 

[Grant Fondo]

No hills (well, not killer hills) and nice buildings on the way

 

[presta]

Find a hostel with a bed about a day's ride in roughly the direction I want to go, such as towards a National Park.
If it's >60m, look for the shortest route.
If it's 40 - 60m, follow a fairly direct route about half way, then meander around as much as there's time for.
If it's <40m, meander around on whatever country lanes look promising*.
Seek roads, routes & hostels I've not done before.

(* I once did 50 odd miles back & forth over the Surrey hills just to get about 5 miles from Holmbury to Tanners Hatch)

 

[Blue Hills]

I use cycletravel for anything out of urban areas.
Wonderful - so for my needs I don't think anything could be better.
Then dump it to my garmin and also my offline OSMand maps on a tab.
This shows me all the interesting stuff I might be passing for interesting diverts - spoons, historical stuff, churches etc which I have set up to show on POI filters.
If touring a filter can be put on top which shows practical stuff - showers, toilets, potential free camping places etc.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’d want to be able to flag sections of roads or anything else it routes along (and for it to remember)

1. That I always want to avoid
2. That I want to avoid at certain times of year
3. That I’d want to avoid at specific times of day or night
3. That I want to use as a preference.

I‘d want to be able to state preferences for A roads

1. Maximum stretch of A road I’m prepared to ride between quieter back roads
2. A preference for cross road junctions, so I can nip straight across and not mix with busy fast traffic on the road I’m crossing.
3. Allows me to have different preferences for urban 30 mph A roads where I’m more likely to be happy for longer stretches than national speed limit stretches.

I would like it to highlight any level crossings or fords on the route. With options to divert if there are any.

I would want to be able to put in a date time and for it to be aware of all road works and avoid closed roads, closed bridges, plus diversion routes that take a lot of traffic.

Once it’s produced a route Id like to be able to select sections and tell it to divert just that bit. For instance if it’s picked a country lane I know is cack at the moment.

 

[brentrides]

What do I look for when planning a new route.

All kinds of things.

Primarily I want to keep to "my" kind of road, which is small-ish country lanes and roads. I avoid cycle paths, bridleways etc, dual carriages and am suspicious of 2 lane A roads, so I take a look on streetview. Generally they are OK, but I don't normally want to do long distances on them. I may be happier hitting big junctions and roundabouts earlier in a ride when I still have a bit of zip in my legs, but might avoid them later when I'm going to be grinding slowly.

Then there's how to cross main highways like dual carriages and motorways. These can carve up the countryside and you can get trapped on the wrong side so you want a decent intersection and if it's a motorway junction I'll scope it out on Streetview as I may not be up to tackling the roundabout because vehicle speeds may be high. Perhaps it has a footway I can use.

Hills! I may be seeking them out, I may be avoiding them. I certainly want to know in advance where they are.
Bail out points. I like to know where the railway stations along a route are and may divert to be nearer rather than further from them.
Sights. I like to divert to see things like windmills or castles or view points or all kinds of stuff. Often I don't know about these until I scrutinise the OS map.
Shops and supplies. I like to have some idea where I'm going to stop off to fill up my bottles, especially in summer.

So all of this means I never use automated route planners. I'm fussy so I plan all of my routes myself by hand.

Really lots of good info here! Thanks for taking the time and being candid in your response. 💪

 

[brentrides]

Pubs.

cafes !

Right on, we've got some ideas here! Not joking. I'll try to add some updates to this thread, but if you were serious, you can drop me your email in a PM or at the page above. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Drago]

Red light districts.