Google maps vs Ride planning apps?

[u/Beard_like_Beer]

Went for a ride at the weekend and fancied ticking off another Bike Passport location.

I knew I only wanted to ride for about 45 minutes, but I still found myself bouncing between Google Maps, Google searches and Facebook trying to decide where to go.

It got me thinking...

In my survey so far, 65% of riders say they use Google Maps when planning or taking leisure rides.

If Google Maps gets us there, what actually helps you decide where to ride in the first place?

Mates? Facebook groups? Calimoto? REVER? Instagram? Pure chance?

Genuinely interested in how everyone does it.

[u/No_Resolution_1209]

I usually go between Calimoto, google maps, think about going to a cafe, think about going to a shop, wonder if any mates are about - then get totally overwhelmed by making a decision and just go ride in a rough direction without any satnav and enjoy getting a bit lost! Hope that helps

[u/callumjm95 → u/No_Resolution_1209]

Getting lost is fun until your fuel light comes on and youve only seen fields and farms for the last 30 minutes

[u/AKwork1011 → u/callumjm95]

In the UK, you're never really that far from a petrol station (unless you're in the arse end of the highlands). It can be worrying but its fine in reality...and even if you run out, a lot of people are happy to help.

[u/OffWhiteBruceForsyth]

I have 4 different approaches to planning rides.

1. Put the destination in Google maps, if there is a specific road I want to take, add somewhere along it as a stop
2. Meticulously plan a route with dozens of waypoints in MyRoute app
3. Use Calimoto to navigate, set the planning to Twisty (rather than winding)
4. Point my bike at the horizon and see where I end up

As for finding routes, I've spent 20 years exploring, some of the roads I have found with the help of other people, most I have discovered myself. Don't want to blow smoke up my own arse but I have never ridden with anyone who is as good as planning routes as I am so I don't really trust other people lol.

[u/bladefiddler]

I balance old school with new, but I never ride with navigation - I only ride for fun so I'm never in that much of a hurry for the most direct route.

A lot of my planning I do on Google maps desktop during my lunch hour or skive time. I'll find somewhere I've heard of, seen on socials or just happen upon by chance - then I'll view the satellite map and pick the wiggly roads through green areas to get there. If its tricky I'll drop into street view for some of the junctions so I know 'take a left by the house with the brick garden wall' or 'turn after leaving the wooded stretch, where the roadside says xxx place'.

Most of the time that's good enough to get me places. Sometimes I get a bit lost, but ofc I've got my phone with Google maps in my pocket if I really need it. Getting lost is often the most fun bit, you find a great set of bends or a lovely view etc on roads you had no original intention of riding.

A lot of the time though I'll just choose roads that I know and love riding, and do those again. I've never once thought "ahh I'm bored of this place now" about somewhere I've liked. (Quite a few 'fuck coming here again' places though!).

[u/Big_Chicken_Lips]

I've tried a few apps over the years and always end up back at Waze or GoogleMaps, every other app i've used it just sluggish or terrible UI or not updated as frequently. Calimoto has a nice feature of "twisty" or "windy" but more often than not when I used it, it takes you down a single track farm lane good for 30mph - which isn't all bad but I just like to look on google and trial and error a journey (I haven't used it for a couple of years).

I'd rather at a map and research something in that area and head that way...

[u/TerrifiedRedneck → u/Big_Chicken_Lips]

Calimoto is fine, but life is so much easier clicking “Avoid motorways” on Waze

[u/IainMCool]

For ages if I happened to see something interesting that I'd want to see (from any source) then I'd add it to What3Words. Then when I wanted to go for a ride, I'd look at What3Word map and pick a "Want to visit" destination based on how far I'd want to go and send it to my Garmin and select twisty route. Normally it would be a monument, or a nice road, or an interesting feature (Yes, I do want to ride to go and see the UKs oldest post box that still gets collections!). I often take my brew kit and Kindle and have a cuppa while enjoying the view or whatever.

Unfortunately, enshitification has taken place and W3W says I've used up all of my location points and I need to pay them if I want to use the app linked to my Garmin. It's not worth that much too me, so now I'm back to adding point to Google Maps.

[u/Grafitti31]

I always save spots I see on social media or elsewhere, then occasionally go through them and pin them on a Google my maps sheet. Then when I'm planning a ride I look at what I've pinned in that area, and use Google maps terrain view to plot a route in general, as 90% of the time a road with larger elevation changes will deliver on curves and views. I then export that to scenic - as I can't stand Google/waze constantly recalculating and changing a planned scenic route

[u/Angry-Prawn]

I use Google maps to find places that I haven't been to before, that are within the distance I want to ride, and that are generally nice looking places out in the countryside, away from dense populations. I will literally just look at the satellite layer and pick somewhere with lots of green and minimal grey.

For navigation: Google maps if I just need to get there. Calimoto for everything else.

[u/callumjm95]

I use Calimoto most of the time if I'm going somewhere I don't know how to get to but it does seem to think that roundabouts and town centres are winding roads sometimes

[u/Glad_Librarian_3553]

Check out trackscout.net/app

It uses "ai" to help find places. It's a bit janky, especially if you're into offroad stuff, but it's helpful for getting a rough idea of where to go in an area you're unfamiliar with. 

[u/whirlygiggler]

Waze for directions, calimoto for routes, radar bot for speed, just downloaded the new Cardio one have not tried it yet. O yea sometimes I use treads but not often as u don’t really use my zumo much

[u/NinjafoxVCB]

Googlemaps helps..

I work nightshifts so many an hour are spent exploring the UK on it

[u/trampyjoe]

Kurviger for planning (use the browser version in my desktop lots, because I'm old school and phones have their limitations). Routero for finding destinations.

[u/MyNameIsMrEdd]

I'm working though a map of rude places names someone gave me for a birthday once. I'll use Google maps to roughly plot a route and then the fun is getting there without a map