Choosing long distance routes

[madtolive]

I've been wondering: how do those of ya'll that ride long distances on your scooters choose the roads you'll ride on? Do you stay the same routes as you would in a car, or choose alternatives with lower speed limits?

I suppose I'm afraid of big trucks blowing past on regular interstates, or coming across smaller roads that aren't scooter friendly, in terms of gravel and potholes.

For you guys that travel across your state, and even across the country...how do you plan your routes?

[TVB]

I ride a 50cc, so this is important to me. I start with Google Maps, using their "avoid highways" option. But even then, their algorithms are weighted toward the fastest roads, and they'll readily include state and US highways even with that checked.

Zooming in and looking for roads that aren't quite as straight and/or without numbers on them is a good way to find alternate routes. One trick is to grab the little figure as if you were going to drop it somewhere to go into Street View mode; every road that Google has photographed will turn purple, and (at least in my part of the world) those are the paved roads, an invaluable aid in figuring out which way (not) to go in rural areas. Actually using Street View is good for spot-checking the character of the roads you're considering.

I also compare the automobile route with the suggested bicycle route. You need to be careful with those routes, because they're weighted to seek out no-motor-vehicles paths, but they'll often suggest quiet back roads going to the same destination.

[ericalm]

Google maps (the desktop version) is a great tool, possibly the best, for this kind of route planning. The "avoid highways" option is good for starters, but routes often need further customization.

Street View is a BIG help when researching routes, too. Is this highway a HIGHWAY or a nice 2-lane, 55mph blacktop? What's the terrain like?

The other great function is that it simply lets you drag routes to change them, easy.

The problem is USING Google Maps once you make a good one. I sometimes will make PDFs of the directions, reorganize them in InDesign to fit a single page, and Voilá!




But that's not always the best way to do it, especially as the routes get longer and more complex. So I went digital.



The mobile apps won't load the custom routes and give you turn-by-turn directions. The mobile site will load the custom route, but you have to scroll through the directions as you ride. Not at all convenient.

I resisted getting a dedicated GPS for a long time, but eventually needed one to help with our longer, more complex group rides. Getting a custom Google Map into the GPS (a Garmin 2555) is possible, but it's a multi-step, total pain in the ass process that still has glitches. It does, however, provide turn-by-turn directions once done.

This is my GPS killer app: relatively easy, reliable turn-by-turn directions for a completely customized route.

[Skootz Kabootz]

Yup, I agree, Google Maps. I absolutely avoid highways. To me they kill the joy of riding. Rural 2-laners are ok, but the super-slab? Yuck.

When I'm making a route I just pick my start and end points, let Google do a rough "avoid highways" route, then modify, dragging out any specific stops I want to make along the way. I will often "ride" the route using street view just to see if I've picked a pretty and enjoyable route, are there gas stations, etc,etc. Then I just print it out. The front bin on the Buddy is handy for holding the map and you can very easily pull it out to check your route.

I have never used a GPS. Never much felt the need.

[easy]

I use a very detailed map. It shows elevation changes and list state parks. Gazzette I think,Walmart has them.

[ericalm]

I have never used a GPS. Never much felt the need.

I'm still not sold on it to be honest. It takes a lot to get it to do what I want. I got a good deal on this one, so if it doesn't work out, it's going back on eBay or I'll use it when traveling to other states. It's a good GPS, I guess, but nothing seems to do the complex custom routes very well.

It's a bit irritating that you can create a map on desktop Google Maps that includes written turn-by-turn directions but that it can't easily convert that into something more active, that updates as you move as a GPS does.

The iPhone mounts were mostly added so I could have the phone plugged into the charger and run Spotify for tunes.

What I'd really love, but is even more of a pain, is a roll chart holder.



A lot of timed 2-wheel events still provide routes, speeds and times on roll charts!

[TVB]

Once I figure out a route for each day that I think I'll like (making heavy use of Google's feature that allows you to adjust routes), I "print" it to a PDF file. I load this file to my Dropbox account, and make it a "favorite" on my phone, so it's already downloaded in case I don't have cell coverage. I also print a copy, and put that day's planned route in my back pocket each morning. Sometimes I'll consult it frequently and stick to it religiously, other times I pretty much wing it.

I used a GPS unit once, which a friend loaned me (unasked) and I wanted to be able to tell him that it'd helped. It did sort of come in handy for getting me thru a big city that was in my way, but I didn't have a way to mount it and I couldn't hear it very well. I'd really rather just watch where I'm going.

A few more tips: When given a choice between a road with a name and a road with a number, go with the name. Obvious for US and Interstate highways, but it applies to state and even county roads, which tend to be busier because they're the designated routes between places.* Unless the number is preceded by the word "Old"; roads with names like "Old US-27" are usually well-made (though probably not as well-maintained anymore) but most of the traffic going that way will be on the "New" US-27. Likewise, a road one mile away from the Interstate will probably still get you there, and have easy access to gas stations along the way, but without all the 70mph trucks and cars on your ass.

*On the other hand, I learned the hard way that numbered county roads don't guarantee that they'll be paved. This is what Street (pre)View is for.

[Howardr]

+1 to everything said above.

It's nice to have enough time to be able to "wing" your routes, like TVB said. I frequently ride along, see a turn and say to myself "I wonder where that road goes?" Then off I go. If it ends or turns into dirt that is rougher than I want to ride, I turn around and do it again on another road.


Howard

[madtolive]

Have any of yall ever been in a sticky situation during a long distance ride like getting stuck on a road youd rather not be, or running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, getting caught in a downpour, etc? What was the situation and how did you get out of it?

Ive always been so afraid of getting caught in a rainstorm on 2 wheels.

[PeteH]

Not a long-distance issue, but I did indeed run out of gas in a somewhat-seedy stretch of town. My own idiot fault, and at least a half-mile push to the nearest station, and it's 100 degrees out. Called my son, told him to bring the gas can with the yellow cap (plain gas). Doofus shows up an hour later with the _other_ gas can - "this one had more in it". Yeah, a gas/oil mix for the weedeater. GRR. For longer rides, I now have an MSR bottle with a liter of extra gas.

And as for getting caught in the rain, I keep a decent rain jacket rolled up in my pet carrier. It's oversized enough to fit over my armored jackets. I _should_ get a full suit, but haven't yet. I can deal with wet jeans or slacks, I suppose. Needed it once, and got home OK from work.

[TVB]

Have any of yall ever been in a sticky situation during a long distance ride like getting stuck on a road youd rather not be, or running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, getting caught in a downpour, etc?

Yes.

There have been some roads that I didn't want to be on (mostly due to traffic, which almost always wants to go faster than me), but didn't really have a choice; in some parts of the Upper Peninsula there's sometimes no alternate route (with pavement) other than going 200 miles out of your way. All you can do is tough it out. If you get a line of cars backed up behind you, find a place to turn off and let them pass; repeat as needed. If it's a matter of just making a bad choice... turn around and try another.

I've run out of fuel a few times. The worst was about 5 miles from the outskirts of the next city. But when traveling out of town I carry a screw-top metal fuel canister with about 20 ounces of gas in it, which is usually plenty to get from the middle of nowhere to somewhere. The best protection against this happening is my rule (often ignored, see above) to never leave a population center without a nearly-full tank of gas.

The solution for getting caught in a downpour is to put on my rain gear. And ride more cautiously.

[madtolive]

The solution for getting caught in a downpour is to put on my rain gear. And ride more cautiously.

i guess i'm more afraid of road conditions in rain, and if its more dangerous to ride when the roads are wet?

[Syd]

The solution for getting caught in a downpour is to put on my rain gear. And ride more cautiously.

i guess i'm more afraid of road conditions in rain, and if its more dangerous to ride when the roads are wet?

Of course it is, but especially in the first 15 - 20 minutes or so, as the rain flushes the crap from the sky, and loosens the same crap from the road surface. If it continues to rain, the cleaned wet road surface has more traction than you think.

[ericalm]

[But when traveling out of town I carry a screw-top metal fuel canister with about 20 ounces of gas in it, which is usually plenty to get from the middle of nowhere to somewhere. The best protection against this happening is my rule (often ignored, see above) to never leave a population center without a nearly-full tank of gas.

When mapping, make a list of dealers along (or close to) your route. Keep in mind many are closed Sunday and Monday.

And: Have a contingency plan. Know who you need to call for a tow, a ride, etc. and how you would handle a complete breakdown (unlikely as that is) before you need to deal such a situation.

[jrsjr]

Have any of yall ever been in a sticky situation during a long distance ride like getting stuck on a road youd rather not be, or running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, getting caught in a downpour, etc? What was the situation and how did you get out of it?

Yes, my rear tire delaminated on a mountain road in remotest, southern desert Utah. There was no cell coverage and no land line. I rolled the bike down the mountain for a couple hours until the road rounded a bend where I had line of sight up a valley to where the map showed there was a little town. With zero bars of coverage, I stood on a huge pile of wood chips to get just enough coverage to call AAA. After 4 dropped calls, each requiring a long wait because I was an out-of-state caller (unbelievably stupid, isn't it?), I finally sort-of succeeded in getting through. Then my phone battery died so the recovery folks they sent couldn't contact me. They missed me and drove by my position causing another delay. Hours later, on the return trip they found me. AAA pays for 100 miles of towing. I was 200 miles from help of any kind, so they towed me 100 miles on AAA's nickel and 100 miles on my nickel at $4/mile.

So yeah, it was kind of a long day, but not life threatening except for the tourist in the rental RV who wouldn't move over and give me an inch on this extremely narrow mountain road even though there was no oncoming traffic and I was on foot pushing the scooter. He ran me off the side of the road and almost down a cliff. Nice, huh?

Sorry for the long post. Was this the kind of thing you were wondering about?

[siobhan]

MAPPING
I use Google with "avoid highways" checked, along with *gasp* paper maps (like the state gazetteers mentioned above). Sometimes I buy them before I go; other times, I pick up heavily detailed, local maps as I'm travelling. I ask locals, particularly if I stay in a place for more than one day. I will also post on forums before I go requesting routes. People are amazingly generous with route ideas of their local area because they want to show off their hometowns. I've done some great riding in Vermont courtesy of private messages on forums.

If I don’t have everything mapped out, I sit at a picnic table in the morning and write out my route. I use 4x6 or 5x8 index cards and a Sharpie. I have dedicated shortcut symbols. I number the cards so I'm sure I switch to the right one, and put them in a ziploc baggie (waterproof!) or my tankbag (when on a motorcycle).


On long trips (when I leave Rhode Island!) I have a very old GPS that I use only to tell me upcoming roads (Garmin 60CSX ... it can run on batteries so I can use it hiking, too). It’s a great thing to have when you want to just follow a random road. It’ll get you back to civilization so you can enjoy exploring.

Below is my route from Providence, RI to my mom's house in southern Jersey. I was doing this in one day so I slabbed to northern Jersey and then found every dirt road and teeny tiny back road I could through asking people and dragging routes on Google.

What I hadn't thought about was what to do when it started to get dark (and I had been riding for 12 hours). I didn't know where I was when I stopped at a gas station with my paper map. The guys showed me on the map and I was able to come up with a slab route the 40 miles to her house. I left at 9:00 am; I got there at 11:30 pm. Long, long day.


RAIN
Riding in the rain doesn’t bother me because I have bulletproof gear. Slow down, corner gently, and understand that I’m difficult to see by others. I personally love riding in the rain because it’s a little bit crazy. Hermetically sealed in Gore-Tex, I sing “Perfect Day” as cars give me a wide berth.

FUEL
I carry one or two MSR bottles if I’m going to be “in the middle of nowhere” which is kind of hard to do on the east coast. Northern VT, Maine, upstate New York, Canada, I always carry extra fuel and have had to use it.

BREAKING DOWN
Well, been there. Plenty of times. I never have a plan. People are incredibly nice to those in distress. Last summer I had the fortune of breaking down near the home of one of the kindest strangers I’ve ever met. If I hadn’t broken down, I wouldn’t have gotten to try the “West Virginia Peach”, the local moonshine. When I finally did get to a campground, I met more incredibly nice people, willing to trailer my bike to an actual town with shops over 50 miles away. That day was the highlight of my trip, even though I was 600 miles from home with a blown engine, and an eventual $400 UHaul bill.

One year my boyfriend was quite injured in the middle of a trip. We had a pick-up truck show up out of the blue on a gravel road in a forest in the middle of nowhere Canada because they had seen us headed up the road, and his friend, who lived waaaay down the other end radio’d that he didn’t see us exit. He thought we might need help, and sure enough, we did.

A smile goes a long, long way.

[madtolive]

Sorry for the long post. Was this the kind of thing you were wondering about?

jesus louisus!!! sounds like a nightmare that later in hindsight and through great story telling becomes an adventure.

and yes, thats exactly the kind of thing i was wondering about.

One year my boyfriend was quite injured in the middle of a trip. We had a pick-up truck show up out of the blue on a gravel road in a forest in the middle of nowhere Canada because they had seen us headed up the road, and his friend, who lived waaaay down the other end radio’d that he didn’t see us exit. He thought we might need help, and sure enough, we did.

all you guys are full of fantastic advice and awesome stories. i love it!

[Howardr]

I got a strange sort of . . . uh . . . pride, I suppose, the first time I got caught in a downpour. It made me feel like I was finally a "real" rider. I know, it sounds corny, but it made me feel like my dues for that part of being a serious rider were finally paid.

Keep in mind that I live in AZ. You made ride for years and not have the opportunity to ride in rain.

Advice: Make sure that SOMEONE knows where you are going and the approximate route you will use to get there. I also am on Google Latitudes. In the event I were to crash and was incapacitated, latitudes tells my family my last know location. Kind of morbid to think about, but I do.

Howard

[Stitch]

Have any of yall ever been in a sticky situation during a long distance ride like getting stuck on a road youd rather not be, or running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, getting caught in a downpour, etc? What was the situation and how did you get out of it?

Ive always been so afraid of getting caught in a rainstorm on 2 wheels.

Rain is no big deal, stop somewhere or keep going. As far as gas, plan ahead, and fill up when u can. Don't sweat it, most scooters can manage 100 miles a tank, and it's rare to go that far with out seeing a gas station.

[TVB]

I ask locals, particularly if I stay in a place for more than one day. I will also post on forums before I go requesting routes. People are amazingly generous with route ideas of their local area because they want to show off their hometowns.

This is a good suggestion. On a road trip when my bike tipped over and broke a brake handle, I had to detour to the nearest Genuine dealer to get a replacement, which meant taking one of those Roads You Don't Want To Be On. The guy who owned the shop (Bayside Cycles in Frankfort MI) not only fixed me up quick and cheaply, but also gave me directions to get me back on my way, and his route was an oh-so-much nicer ride.

[TVB]

jesus louisus!!! sounds like a nightmare that later in hindsight and through great story telling becomes an adventure.

Arlo Guthrie could make an entire album out of it.

[neotrotsky]

My long distance riding solutions often come down to a printed map as a standby, but lately I've been all about Nokia Drive GPS on my Lumia. It's one of the BEST GPS systems on the market, app-based or stand alone. I just use a jogger's armband case, strap it to my wrist and I'm good to go! It even has options for non-highway routes, although as with any GPS system, you need to take it with a grain of salt.

Riding in rain is a non-issue really if you have the proper gear and are resolute, careful and deliberate in your riding. Avoid lighting lane changes and think through your turns and your lines 5-10 seconds ahead of what you are riding and you will be just fine. A set of Frog Togs under the seat and it will be no issue.

[siobhan]

...snip
Advice: Make sure that SOMEONE knows where you are going and the approximate route you will use to get there. I also am on Google Latitudes. In the event I were to crash and was incapacitated, latitudes tells my family my last know location. Kind of morbid to think about, but I do.
...snip

Big thumbs up.

I have a Spot that allows
1) family to track my riding progress
2) me to press a button to send an email to several addresses (pre-written by me so I keep it generic)
3) me to press a button that goes to a service that sends my GPS coordinates to the closest rescue

I use this when I'm remote (have you seen how big Quebec province is?) or riding difficult terrain alone (which is stupid but sometimes no one else wants to play when I'm free). I find it worth the yearly 100 bucks for the emergency assistance. Moose are big; Canada is even bigger. Consider evac insurance, as well.

The cool thing about the tracking is that there are third-party sites that make it really fun for loved ones to watch you go (you can keep it private so weirdos can't track you). My mom and MIL love it as they feel like they're along for the ride.

[amy]

It's unfortunate that map apps like Apple's and Google don't allow you to import custom maps.

If I do have a custom route, I do the laminated/tape setup.

That being said, I use my Apple Maps app GPS with the vol turned up if I don't have a custom route. The phone is then attached to the headset using a Griffin armband that velcros/straps around.

I can hear it well and easily see it. Plus, the cell charger reaches it perfectly so the phone stays plugged into power.

Also, another coolio app is called Glympse, which our club members have used on long rides - like when we went to Blue vs. Grey last year. It shows your location/speed/a little blip in real time via a web browser, so your peeps can see exactly where you are. It's a good safety thang.

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

Avoid major urban areas, which will eat away a lot of time, unless that's a desired stop over point. Post your route with family and friends, and try to use one of the above mentioned tracking apps. I use "find friends" app. And with Motion-X GPS, I can also generate emails at set intervals to update. Preplan nearby Genuine shops incase of a major breakdown. Bring a small bag of tools to plug a tire or change a belt along the way. Keep the cellphone charged or bring a portable battery. Frogg toggs, extra fuel, small snacks (clif bars), LED (petzl) headlight or flashlight, and water incase of an unscheduled problem. Bring a chain lock incase you have a major breakdown. I also bring my canyon dancer and ratchet straps on big trips.

Also, most Home Depot's have rental trucks that go for about $15 an hour if you need to do it yourself tow back to town or a shop.

Here's the armband printed directions with corresponding mileage I used during CBR. Worked great on my forearm.

[Dooglas]

I plan long routes with Google maps It has some great capabilities such as avoiding Interstates. Now, I do my long distance rides on a BV350 so I'm not avoiding 4 lane highways because I can't keep up. I'm avoiding 4 lane highways because I don't find it fun to ride on them. I am looking for interesting routes and quiet byways. It is why I do long distance rides.

[neotrotsky]

I know this goes against all things American and trendy, but I've discovered at work that there's a FAR better method of route planning and better software than Google Maps (which can be frustrating as we all know).

Bing maps.

I'm serious. Google maps was one of my last hold-outs for Google products, but ever since the push with Windows 8, Bing Maps have become...well... awesome. Have yet to have an error or miscalculated route. Google maps wasn't horrible at all, but there are a few glitches such as being unable to import maps out of Google's world to your iDevice, computer or what not. I never got Google Maps to accurately save any maps to my Android phone when I had it, and I didn't stick with iPhone long enough to really use their mapping function. But, I can open my saved maps right to my phone no problem with Bing.

Just throwin some options out there

[SYMbionic Duo]

Bing Maps is really good, they have more Otho imagery (Birds Eye) than Google, which has only just recently offered it, and i like their street view better. (i'm only a little biased, since my company provided much of the imagery for it) But i think the way that they use the photo stitch backend to make street level maps that change perspective as you move around is awesome.

That said, Google Maps on Android works very well, if you save a map on the desktop to your account, you can load it as a layer on the android app.

Though admittedly i haven't' tried offline. But for Offline, i believe that you can export a saved route to KML and load that in Google Earth on your android device, not sure about IOS though.


Neo, it doesn't surprise me that you use a Nokia device, you are even more contrarian than i am.

-duo

[TVB]

I would be surprised if there were a Microsoft-associated device or service that Neo didn't prefer to everything else.

[Rob]

I tried Bing maps yesterday for the first time. It was sloooooooow ... very slow. Maybe it was a one time deal, so I'll give it another shot.

Rob

[Stormswift]

I know I am being totally old fashioned but I still use a GPS. Its an old GPS (Magellan Road Mate 2200T). Bought it used specifically for the bike b/c it is waterproof (plus I have it in a GPS case). The maps are dated and upgrade would cost an arm and a leg. I got it also because it has hook- up for earphones which I slipped under the helmet. Cheap but not the best solution.