Bike Computer Map

Bike Computer Mapping Software

You may wish to set up a route for your Bike Computer or GPS.  This requires a little knowhow, but is easy to do once you figure out how it all works.

Recommendations

• Using a Garmin

  • Garmin Connect

• Planning out High Adventure

  • RideWithGPS

    • Use paid version or Garmin Connect to add POIs

Garmin Connect

• Free app

  • Save as GPX or FIT format

  • Made to be used with Garmin devices

• Can record Points of Interest (POI) in course builder feature for free

  • Garmin calls these "Course Point"

• Also allows you to use Blue tooth to transfer files

• connect.garmin.com 

  • Find under "Training & Planning"

  • Select Courses

    • connect.garmin.com/modern/courses 

RideWithGPS

• ridewithgps.com/routes/ 

• Excellent route planning included with standard (free) account

• Great if planning out routes on a desktop

• Great for sharing routes with the world

• Can save in different formats

  • FIT Course (.fit)

  • TCX Course (.tcx)

  • TCX History (.tcx)

  • GPX Track (.gpx)

  • Google Earth (.kml)

  • GPX Route (.gpx)

  • Cuesheet CSV (.csv)

  • Map/Profile Images

• Free version

  • Allows you to create routes

    • Most of what you need except Points of Interest

  • Upload and sync GPS devices

• Premium version

  • Web Tool

    • Advanced route planning & editing

      • Points of Interest (POI) 

      • Estimated time

      • Heatmaps

      • Custom Cues

    • Advanced turn notifications

  • App Tools

    • Turn-by-turn voice navigation

    • Offline Maps

AllTrails

• Primarily a Hiking App...but does it all

• alltrails.com/explore/map/new 

• Mapping format is OK

  • Great if you are already using it for other outings

  • Not has nice as RideWithGPS for maping cycle routes 

• Saves in many many formats to include:

  • Garmin Fit (ANT+)

  • GPX Track

  • TCX

  • KML

  • Many Many others

• Free Account

  • Mapping

• Paid Account

  • No Ads

  • Print maps

  • Offline maps

  • 3d maps

  • Wrong turn alerts

Komoot

• komoot.com/plan

• Route finding and offline navigation suited to off-road escapades

• Basic mapping tools

  • Very limited features without paying for service

• Free Account

  • One Free Region

    • King

    • Snohomish

  • Single Region: $4

  • Region Bundle: Puget Sound $9

  • World: $30

• Premium Account

  • $60 a year

  • Multi-day planner

  • Personal Collections

  • On-Tour weather

  • Sport-specific maps

  • Live tracking

  • 3D maps

  • Komoot map on Garmin

• Why is Komoot so popular?

  • Set preference to different types of rides: gravel vs road

  • Shows expected road surface along your ride

    • Cobbled sections 

    • Road NOT good for road bikes

  • Map highlights

    • Points of Interest

    • Sections of road that are interesting 

  • Many use this to tweak routes created with other apps

Strava

• The most popular platform 

• Emphasizes recording and sharing over route planning

• Uses opensource OpenStreetMap base maps

  • Ok if routes are all on streets

• OK for finding existing routes

• Mapping features requires a subscription 

File Formats

There are several file formats for navigation computers.  Some file formats won't work in older devices.  Some files take up more space that others. 

Summary

• It almost doesn't matter what file you use in a modern GPS

• FIT is the most modern file type and is generally the better choice of these shown below

  • FIT is the smallest file

  • Used by modern Garmin and Wahoo devices

• GPS Track file may provide a more accurate track in certain situations

  • Use if you need a complex track that doesn't follow a trail

GPX

• GPS Exchange format

• XML - readable and editable by humans

• NO fitness data

• Lat and Long

  • Waypoint

    • aka Point of Interest (POI)

    • Single Lat and Long

  • Tracks

    • 2 or more Trackpoints

    • Tight and frequent points in Lat and Long with time of tracks

    • aka breadcrumbs 

  • Routes 

    • 2 or more Routepoints with direction of travel 

    • Used to show direction of travel 

• Vector File Format

• 2 versions of files

  • GPX Track

    • Larger file size

    • Contains only the GPS points used to create a route line

      • Frequent points 

      • GPS will follow these points

    • Contains NO cuesheet entries

    • When to use

      • You have a GPS that is not compatible with TCX Course files

      • Want to export POI to your GPS device

  • GPX Route

    • Smaller file size

    • Only contains cue sheet entries

    • Does NOT include entire track

    • Relies on your GPS device to calculate a route

      • GPS route may differ from route plotted with mapping software

      • Considered less useful than GPX Track because of possible route discrepancies 

    • When to use

      • Not useful for most

TCX

• XML - readable and editable by humans

• Format created before FIT

• Compatible with most modern GPS units

• Much larger file

• Versatile use on old devices

• Can contain health data

• Provides turn by turn directions including custom cue entries

• Custom notifications before turn distances

• Good for GPS that don't calculate routes

• Two different files

  • TCX Course (.tcx)

    • Compatible with most modern GPS units

    • Provides turn by turn directions including custom cue entries

    • Will consume more space than FIT

  • TCX History (.tcx)

    • Useful for uploading your activity to another service or keeping records on your own computer 

• When to use

  • Your GPS unit does not have mapping capabilities

  • GPS has mapping capabilities, but you don't have mapping information in micro SD

FIT

• Newer navigation file used by Garmin

  • Some Garmin devices require FIT files

• Written in binary 

  • Not readable by humans 

• Records fitness performance data

• Best format for Garmin Computers

• Smallest file size

• When to use

  • Best format for turn-by-turn directions on modern Garmin Edge Devices

KML

• Not used as an export format for navigation

• Allows you to view this route in Google Earth

• Useful for viewing a route or activity in Google Earth or integrating with other data overlay utilities

CSV

• Only includes the cue sheet for printing 

• Comma Separated Values

• Useful for importing into a spreadsheet program

• Does NOT include navigation for GPS devices or the mobile app

Uploading Files

• Manually Upload an Activity in a Garmin 

  • support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=Ht3ZP52Kju075uKvqTqu99