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Route Planning

Cycle computers are common now and routes can be created and shared easily, via GPX or FIT files.

Common sites for creating and sharing routes include:

  • Ride With GPS to view, share, edit & create new routes.
  • Komoot view, share, edit & create new routes.
  • Climb Finder to find significant ascents to include in your route planning
Free Accounts or Subscription required for most features

Route planning sites provide basic features without subscription, although to save changes will require a free account. A subscription is required to access the full range of features for each site.

RideWithGPS App useful for viewing & pinning routes

A subscription to RideWithGPS is required if you wish to save route edits or any other action other than viewing and sharing a route.

Ride With GPS

The Ride With GPS website can be used to create any number of routes with a free account (TODO: check if there is actually a limit).

Use the "Route Planner" tool on the website to create a route from scratch, or open an existing ride or route for editing.

Editing Complex or circular routes

It can be simpler to create a new route rather than edit a route which has parts that traverses the same roads in different directions. Open the original route and new route in separate side-by-side browser windows and create the new route from scratch, using the original route as a visual guide.

Create route from a cycle ride

Sharing a ride captured on a cycle computer or other GPS tracking device is a simple way to capture a route.

It is recommended to edit the route as the GPS may not always line up with the roads 100%.

A simple trick is to add control points at strategic places along the route, e.g. just after turns, then slightly move one of the control points an the route will be redrawn to follow the road exactly.

Ctrl+Z will undo a change if the route disappears or shrinks unexpectedly (adding more control points should help).

Collections to organise rides

Collections are a simple way to group and share multiple routes. They provide an simple way to group rides together, e.g. long distance, multiple climbing challenges, seaside trips, Audax rides, etc.

A collection can be pinned to synchronise its routes to your cycling computer.