Navigating the Gravel
OK, this post is probably long overdue. And we get it. We know for some people, downloading a map and trying to load it into your bicycle computing seems akin to programming the Apollo Moon mission. But beleive us, you don’t need to worry. Like anything new, once you try it a few times, you’ll wonder why you didnt do it sooner. In this article, we are going to try and collate all the thousands of web pages and HOW-TOs into one simple easy to follow guide that will hopefully never see you get lost again.
Why Download:
Well, apart from being self-sufficient, everyone has missed an arrow even on the best marked event courses. Having the route right in front of you not only helps keep you on track, but you also can see what is coming up, which makes you safer, and faster!
Also we think marking courses is a waste of time and resources. It’s expensive time consuming and untimately creates more waste and more greenhouse gases. Yes I hate to play the environment card, but seriously we can all do our bit to save the planet. This is our little bit.
Ground Rules:
Before we start here are a few ground rules you need to be aware of
1.) Computers are not as smart as you. If the computer says turn around, first ask yourself, am I really going to wrong way?
2.) Maps and trails are sometimes out of date or inaccurate. Always check your route on the computer before you head out.
3.) If you really do feel lost in the bush, take note of the position of the sun and try to think what general direction you need to head. Also try to stay on trails that appear to be the most used. If you zoom out of the map page of your device, you should be able to find a way back to your route.
4.) Its always good to have a backup. I like to have the route on my phone as well as my Hammerhead. These days I find most people have a subscription to Strava, so make sure you have the route easily available on your Phone Strava App and dont forget to hit “Download for Offline”. What this does is download the map tiles that the route runs through so even if you lose mobile reception, you still have the maps you need. You can even run your phone in Airplane mode to save battery and it will still work perfectly.
5.) Naivgation settings: This is probably the one thing that most people dont realise they need to check. Every bicycle computer has some “navigation settings” and these effect how the computer treats the route. “Re routing” is one of the big killers. If the person who made the route has not zoomed in, the route will periodically off the trail, as the distance between way points will be too great. At some point the device is going to say “Off course turn around”. Check the map and if you can see you are still adjacent to the route then ignore the warning and ride on. It will soon say you are back on course. I’m not going to delve into all the navigation settings for each device. Just go into them and have a look at them. Most are pretty self explanatory and use your common sense to select the settings that suit the riding you are planning to do.
What computer should I use?
In the table below we are going to cover three different computers and three different methods for transferring your route onto the computer. Check it out and if you need more info, watch the video links below the table.
Good luck and see you out there!
Keep Riding
Mike
| Device | File Transfer | RideWithGPS | Strava |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammerhead Karoo (my personal favourite) | n/a |
Open route in RWGPS and "Pin" it in your Route Library. Turn on your Hammerhead, go to Routes and click "Sync" |
Open route in Strava and "Star" it in My Routes. Turn on your Hammerhead, go to Routes and click "Sync" |
| Wahoo Bolt/Roam | n/a | Open route in RWGPS Click Send to Device Choose Wahoo and it will "Pin" the Route in RWGPS. Open your Wahoo App and sync your device to the App |
Open route in Strava and "Star" it in My Routes. Turn on your Hammerhead, go to Routes and click "Sync" |
| Garmin 500/800/1000 series | Copy FIT file to New Files folder when in Mass Storage mode. | n/a | n/a |
YouTube
Garmin 500/800/1000 series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwG1yNn7Doo (Note: he recommends TCX file, but I Think FIT file works better, espciallt when exporting from RideWithGPS
Wahoo Bolt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5S18kkJz84
Hammerhead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kra3rnaZsyU&t (Note: He uses the Add Route method via the url from Strava or RidewithGPS. I just find Pinning (RWGPS) or Starring (Strava) easier and quicker.
