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Biking route on Oregon 450

Started by sagwagon, August 05, 2011, 07:12:42 AM

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sagwagon

I hope this is the right place for this question.  I bought a Oregon 450 to help with bike touring.  Up to this point I have been using Google maps for directions.  The hassle is making cue sheets for myself.  Maybe I have given up too early but I am unable to get a biking route on to my GPS.  I read that Google Earth Pro has a bike mode but it comes with a big price tag.  They do offer a 7 day free trial and I was thinking of trying to make as many routes as I could imagine in that week.  If that's even possible.  The appeal of Google maps to me is the way it uses bike paths (paved) and trails(gravel) to link the road riding.  Is there a way to get these to my GPS or is there another program out there that people used that works like Google maps?  Any help would be appreciated but talk slow, the technology curve seems to be passing me by.  Thanks  Sagwagon

Seldom

OpenStreetMap supports bicycle routes.  Garmin compatible maps that will show in MapSource/BaseCamp and you OR can be obtained here:

http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

Bear in mind that these maps are generated from variable quality data sources and maintained by volunteers, so check your area of interest carefully.

Boyd

I think the part that you may be missing is that you must install some kind of routable map on your Oregon before you can make use of any routes. So using computer software, like Google Earth, will not help on the GPS because the route data that you export won't have any meaning on the Oregon unless a proper map is installed.

Seldom's suggestion of using Openstreetmap is one solution. You could also purchase Garmin's City Navigator or their 24k topo map for your region as these also support routing. But there is no guarantee that any of these maps will have the same roads you see in Google. Google is using their own map database, Garmin uses Navteq data and Openstreetmap is user contributed data.

Seldom

Quote from: Boyd on August 05, 2011, 10:10:19 AM
You could also purchase Garmin's City Navigator or their 24k topo map for your region as these also support routing.

I checked my copy of CNNANT for bicycle paths in my area, and couldn't find any.  Might be worth checking  the 24k topo, however.

The map I made from OSM data shows them.  There are also plans to put an "OpenCycleMap", with topo data, on http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ soon.

jbensman

sagwagon, what states do you bike in?

For biking, hiking, canoeing, backpacking, etc, I think the best way to go on the OR is use track manager instead of routing. 

If I don't already have a track of where I am going, I will use the track draw tool in MapSource/BaseCamp or GoogleEarth and draw a track of my route.  I will then save the file as a gpx.  Then I use  http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/elevation to add elevation data to the track.  Then I put it in the garmin\gpx\ directory on the GPS.  Then on the GPS, Whereto, track, and select the track. 

I think this is better than routing because you can make sure it routes you where you want to go.  It will also identify high points and low points and add them to your route.  It will provide elevation profile for the route.  You can send waypoints to your GPS along the route and the track manager will add them to the route and give you times and distances to the points. 

sagwagon

Quote from: jbensman on August 06, 2011, 10:23:57 AM
sagwagon, what states do you bike in?


I am in Wisconsin.  I tried some of the recommendations and plan on using them in some way however  jbensman's idea seem to give me what I was looking for.  Drawing the tracks in mapsource takes a little time but it gives me a chance to see the route close and plan stops.  I was unable to get the elevations however.  After you add the elevations how do you save it?  Google maps,google earth etc?  I tried Google earth but I couldn't see how to save as a GPX file. 
    As far as the other programs that were mentioned, I mapped out a couple routes and compared them to Google maps and my own history on the routes and they seemed to either take bad road choices,much longer routes or miss trails/paths.  Thanks for the suggestions   Sagwagon

jbensman

I trace stuff all the time in GoogleEarth to add to My Trails.  I just trace it, save it as a KML file and then use  gpsbabel http://www.gpsbabel.org/ to convert to gpx or mapsource. 

To add the elevation data to the gpx, upload it to the site I gave you the link too.  You can then save the gpx with the elevation data.  The elevation data tends to be extremly accurate. 

My Trails has extensive coverage in WI so I would recomend installing it.  If the map is missing a trail or POIs (or they are inaccurate), you can GPS them or trace them in GoogleEarth (or anything else) and send them to me to add to My Trails.