Best Software for Planning Rides

Roger Zoul

Dave Pushee wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::
::: I've recently discovered that very near my house in upstate SC
::: (Mauldin) are some nice country roads that offer great early am
::: riding (maybe later, too, but I have to get to these places). With
::: a map book and driving around, I've found a couple of routes that
::: will take me on 30 and 40+ mile rides. That got me to thinking that
::: some of these mapping / route / trip planning software program
::: might be useful for planning a route, initially. Naturally, I'd
::: drive the route once to see what it presents in terms of hills,
::: scenery, safety, etc.
:::
::: What I'd like is software app that will provide me street maps,
::: then let me select a route -- the actual streets -- and then give
::: me the miles on each segment and the total miles for that route.
::: Then I'd like to be able to make tweaks to it to adjust the miles.
::: A nice printout of the entire route with miles on each segment
::: would be nice too, go give to people who may ride with me.
::: Obviously, I'd like to store these so I can pick among them
::: depending on time available, who's riding with me, etc.
:::
::: Does anyone know if one of the available software programs would
::: meet my needs? Thanks.
:::
::
::
::
:: I use DeLorme Street Atlas (2003). This does a pretty good job for
:: me.
::
:: The 2004 version is out now, and supposedly includes Canada as well
:: as the US. Price is about $50.
::
:: The routing function lets you set areas or types of roads to avoid.
:: You also can set average speeds for different road types. As you
:: develop routes, you can set locations that the route must pass, and
:: can set individual stop points along the way as well.
::
:: They have a pretty good database of businesses, parks, and other
:: items of interest so you can find the neares ice cream shop for your
:: midpoint.
::
:: They support GPS, and you can download the route as represented by
:: all of the intersections onto your GPS. I have a handlebar mount
:: for my Garmin eTrex.
::
:: Also, you can create routable segments where you know that a bikeable
:: trail exists, and the program will route you through it.
::
:: Delorme recently released Topo USA 5.0. This would handle the
:: climbing aspect as well, but I haven't used it so I'm not sure if
:: the routing is as good.

Thanks for the info....I got Streets and Trips last night for $23....I'm
going to see how far I can get with that before looking into something
else...I'll deal with the TOPO by driving the route, even though I'd still
like to know the Topo info -- I like knowing details like that....helps me
to understand my limitations better.

Roger Zoul

maner wrote:
::: Does anyone know if one of the available software programs would
::: meet my needs? Thanks.
::
:: Hi
:: You can use CycleAtlas, a free, open-source application. Actually, it
:: is available a stable version (0.8) and a development version (1.0)
::
:: http://cycleatlas.sf.net
::
::

[snipped]

::
:: Available in 0.8 version (ride archives)
::

I'll check that out since it's free! Thanks.

Michael J. Klein

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:25:20 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
<rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Kent Hoult wrote:
>:: I picked up a copy of microsoft steets & trips for about $15 (after
>:: rebate). It seems to have a fairly up to date road list, lets me
>:: force a route by dropping
>:: intermediate points in, and draws/prints pretty good looking maps.
>
>Yes, I picked up a copy last night....so far so good....
>
>::
>:: Also, it includes pocket maps to let you download/view your maps on a
>:: pocket PC, and will show your position on it if you have a GPS.
>
>So, do you ride with a GPS? I can see how that might come in handy....I
>guess....
<snip>

I've been using GPS professionally and personally since 1994 and I can
say that its been extremely useful, especially when in foreign
territory. Its not just a matter of being handy - its often meant the
difference between my making a flight or finding my way before
darkness set in.

Michael J. Klein
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings

GaryG

"Ken" <nospam@spam.no> wrote in message
news:Xns94D2E7AFF1834x12@216.251.47.166...
> pete salomone <salomone@sbcglobal.net> wrote in
> news:40872FE0.A6027E85@sbcglobal.net:
>
> > In 4. be sure you are using the current version of Topo. Pick a short
> > road segment and carefully calculate the altitude gains and losses.
Then
> > let us know how many years Topo roads are out of date and how many feet
> > of extra altitude gain it accummulates.
>
> I am using DeLorme Topo USA 4.0, which I believe is the most recent
version.
> On some steep, windy roads, it reports double the actual elevation gain.
These
> are roads that are continuously uphill, but the program invents
non-existant
> intermediate decents.
>
> Regarding out-of-date roads, some highways that were built over 30 years
ago do
> not appear in the program. Also, lots of bogus roads do appear (may have
> existed 50 years ago, but now are long gone or are closed to the public).
>
> If DeLorme fixed the above 2 problems, I would recommend the program to
> everyone. As it is, the program is expensive and not very reliable.

FYI - DeLorme has recently released version 5.0. I don't know if it fixes
the problems you mention. On their website, they mention that the roads
data has been updated, but don't mention anything about the elevation gain
bug (which has been widely reported).

I have 4.0, but I'm not planning on upgrading to 5.0 anytime soon. I've not
been very happy with 4.0 for the reasons you mentioned, plus the fact that:

1) the software is buggy and they have not released a bug fix for 4.x for
over two years. My Search feature has not worked for quite a while, and
often the overview map will appear blank.

2) the user interface for Topo is really bad. They use a lot of
non-standard conventions, and make things a lot harder than they should be.
Adding a new route, saving data, printing, etc. are all more time-consuming
than they should be because they chose to ignore user interface standards
that other programs use.

I wish it were different, because I really like DeLorme's printed "Atlas and
Gazetteer" series of state maps, but, they really screwed the pooch with
Topo USA. Unfortunately, there are no alternatives either that I am aware
of.

--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists

Rick Onanian

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:27:06 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
<rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Rick Onanian wrote:
>:: A recent discovery: The software on my new Garmin Ique 3600
>:: (integrated PDA and GPS with mapping software) will route for
>:: bicycles. There's a setting for it.
>
>Wow...at $500+, I'd have to know a lot more about how well it works before
>making any kind of investment.

I'm a bit disappointed with the GPS signal reception. It doesn't
seem to lock and keep it's lock very well, compared to my Etrex. I
bought an external antenna with it and haven't tried it; it's
possible that my windshield is too dirty and/or pitted and is
scrambling the signal. I'll try the antenna, mounted on the roof,
soon.

>Does the mapping software actually run on
>the PC, or it is only useful o the PDA/GPS?

Disappointingly, it doesn't include mapping software to run on the
PC. I haven't thoroughly explored the CDs, so I hope I'm wrong.
However, doing the work on the Ique is easy and pleasant. I'm not
sure if there's a way to get the data to a printer, though.

All in all, it's great for the purpose for which I bought it --
automotive navigation, and portable computer. It's also got a great
database of restaurants, stores, services, and so on. I can look up
bbq restaurants near any location much easier on the Ique than any
online phonebook. I did my taxes on the included full-featured
spreadsheet...
--
Rick Onanian

Michael J. Klein

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 22:34:34 -0400, Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net>
wrote:

>On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:27:06 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
><rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>Rick Onanian wrote:
>>:: A recent discovery: The software on my new Garmin Ique 3600
>>:: (integrated PDA and GPS with mapping software) will route for
>>:: bicycles. There's a setting for it.
>>
>>Wow...at $500+, I'd have to know a lot more about how well it works before
>>making any kind of investment.
>
>I'm a bit disappointed with the GPS signal reception. It doesn't
>seem to lock and keep it's lock very well, compared to my Etrex. I
>bought an external antenna with it and haven't tried it; it's
>possible that my windshield is too dirty and/or pitted and is
>scrambling the signal. I'll try the antenna, mounted on the roof,
>soon.
>
>>Does the mapping software actually run on
>>the PC, or it is only useful o the PDA/GPS?
>
>Disappointingly, it doesn't include mapping software to run on the
>PC. I haven't thoroughly explored the CDs, so I hope I'm wrong.
>However, doing the work on the Ique is easy and pleasant. I'm not
>sure if there's a way to get the data to a printer, though.
>
>All in all, it's great for the purpose for which I bought it --
>automotive navigation, and portable computer. It's also got a great
>database of restaurants, stores, services, and so on. I can look up
>bbq restaurants near any location much easier on the Ique than any
>online phonebook. I did my taxes on the included full-featured
>spreadsheet...

Here in Taiwan, you can get a CE based PDA at 7-11 which includes a CF
card GPS receiver and mapping software. Its around $250 US. I bought
a Leadtek GPS CF card receiver and and an emap of Taiwan which
supports routing and will d/l to a CE PDA, for $114 US. The Leadtek
comes with an external mag patch antenna too.
http://www.leadtek.com/gps/gps_9534_1.html If anyone would like to
purchase a GPS from Taiwan you may contact me. They are all made
here, including Garmin (which is in Taipei).

Michael J. Klein

Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings

Rick Onanian

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 11:48:33 +0800, Michael J. Klein
<usenet@mousepotato.com> wrote:
>Here in Taiwan, you can get a CE based PDA at 7-11 which includes a CF
>card GPS receiver and mapping software. Its around $250 US. I bought

I considered doing something like this; a normal PDA (I prefer Palm,
but pricing is competitive for either OS) and a GPS attachment
(whose interface to the PDA may or may not be CF; I didn't notice)
can probably be had around the same price.

>http://www.leadtek.com/gps/gps_9534_1.html If anyone would like to
>purchase a GPS from Taiwan you may contact me. They are all made
>here, including Garmin (which is in Taipei).

That's not a half-bad idea.
--
Rick Onanian

Michael J. Klein

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 07:31:05 -0400, Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net>
wrote:

>On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 11:48:33 +0800, Michael J. Klein
><usenet@mousepotato.com> wrote:
>>Here in Taiwan, you can get a CE based PDA at 7-11 which includes a CF
>>card GPS receiver and mapping software. Its around $250 US. I bought
>
>I considered doing something like this; a normal PDA (I prefer Palm,
>but pricing is competitive for either OS) and a GPS attachment
>(whose interface to the PDA may or may not be CF; I didn't notice)
>can probably be had around the same price.

the only consideration that i might have is - i believe that the
mapping software selection is more limited by the Palm OS. That being
said, I have a linux based Sharp Zaurus! its the nutz, but GPS apps
aren't all that well implemented yet. I use my notebook with a PC
Card adaptor and the CF card GPS receiver. works great.

>>http://www.leadtek.com/gps/gps_9534_1.html If anyone would like to
>>purchase a GPS from Taiwan you may contact me. They are all made
>>here, including Garmin (which is in Taipei).
>
>That's not a half-bad idea.

Contact me if I can help, Rick.

Michael J. Klein
Please replace mousepotato with asiancastings

Chris Zacho The Wheelman

I use DeLorme's TopoUSA. It will not only calculate your total miles,
but will also make up a route sheet, figure elevation gain and loss,
give you road gradients at any place on the course and even calculate an
estimated ride time (based upon average speeds you plug into the
software).

And, of course, maps. Either straight or topographic, of anywhere in the
united states all the way down to 1" = 250'. if you wish.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner