I bought a GPS for my boat, and now I'm having fun using it for biking. I was able to grab the track file off the device and use a cool website to overlay it onto a google map.
Next time I ride with you suckers I'm gonna record our ride.
lantius
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:07 am
1337Joined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 6705Location: right over
i've been using gmap-pedometer + google spreadsheet to record all of my riding this year. it's been interesting and i've got a cool hack idea or two to use that data with.
you should save and organize (as best you can) any data like that you get, i'd love to play with it.
Alex
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:47 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
I like GPS's but often forget to bring them. If I do bring them I often forget to turn them on (like on bensworld 2.0).
Why do you use gmap-pedometer instead of bikely or routeslip? I like that bikely and routeslip make it easier to share and browse routes.
lantius
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:09 pm
1337Joined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 6705Location: right over
Alex wrote:
Why do you use gmap-pedometer instead of bikely or routeslip? I like that bikely and routeslip make it easier to share and browse routes.
gmap-pedometer gives me a solid url, can't see much easier to share than that. it also doesn't have a login requirement, and i've been using it pretty much since it came out and iirc it predates the others. i'm not saying they're not good, but it meets my needs and the others don't seem to offer much more. i haven't really been into browsing routes, though i may end up doing so shortly here.
Alex
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:12 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
Short URLs are nice and give you direct sharing (so you can give a route to me). They don't allow me to find your route by browsing.
Building up a good sharable database is a huge feature in my book. I find this to be even more useful in many cases than building bike maps.
I do like that gmap doesn't require logins.
Eric_s
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:20 pm
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
no login > login, so gmaps wins, hands down, even with the "long" URL, which appears just to be a reference to a database.
lantius
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:22 pm
1337Joined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 6705Location: right over
of course since i'm logging my own routes in a sense i do have a database of bike routes, it's just private.
as i alluded to, i'm in a bit of a hypocrite situation and i recognize that. =) maybe i'll give one of the other sites a try for a while and see if i like it as much.
Alex
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:25 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
Eric_s wrote:
no login > login, so gmaps wins, hands down, even with the "long" URL, which appears just to be a reference to a database.
I never said that gmap had long URLs. All of these websites tend to generate URLs which are under 70 characters (so good for email).
If no login is always best then can we ditch them for this site?
alex
Eric_s
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:30 pm
Joined: 07 Mar 2007Posts: 1691Location: the dirty south
If no login is always best then can we ditch them for this site?
Well, I think one is site data, which you would send as a reference to someone else, and the other is a discussion, and prone to abuse, so comparing the two is like comparing apples and exhaust headers.
pete jr
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:38 pm
Joined: 13 Dec 2005Posts: 1930Location: balls deepx
I feel the need to point out that you don't have to log in here, that's only if you want to contribute to our collective stupid.
bobhall
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:17 pm
Joined: 28 Jul 2006Posts: 460
Man, is there any way to not have straight-line routes between way-points?, ie, follow roads? It's pretty tedious to click a bunch of points on a windy road, especially if you're recommending a 100-mile route to somebody.
It's my understanding that the google map API doesn't expose road information, so perhaps I've just answered my own question. But does anybody else have this frustration?
rlotz
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:20 pm
Joined: 23 Jan 2006Posts: 311Location: Capitol Hill
Alex wrote:
Why do you use gmap-pedometer instead of bikely or routeslip? I like that bikely and routeslip make it easier to share and browse routes.
I tried using Bikely recently, I think to map my route to and from Bellevue while going to a conference a couple of weeks ago. My big complaint with Bikely was the interface to lay down a path. Gmap-pedometer seemed much quicker and forgiving than bikely.
Re: the login issue, I really wish federated logins would be adopted by the Internet at large. Its finally starting to creep into the Educational institutions but few other sites seem willing to implement them.
eärendil
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:12 am
Joined: 23 Jan 2007Posts: 88Location: Beautiful Bellingham, Washington
bobhall wrote:
I bought a GPS for my boat, and now I'm having fun using it for biking. I was able to grab the track file off the device and use a cool website to overlay it onto a google map.
Next time I ride with you suckers I'm gonna record our ride.
I brought along a little gps for the port townsend loop that I did with some of you back in feb. I couldn't figure out how to get them onto gmaps, but I could put them onto the topo map program that I had on my computer, which makes nice exportable maps and does elevation profiles.
Whidbey:
Alex
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:14 am
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
bobhall wrote:
Man, is there any way to not have straight-line routes between way-points?, ie, follow roads? It's pretty tedious to click a bunch of points on a windy road, especially if you're recommending a 100-mile route to somebody.
It's my understanding that the google map API doesn't expose road information, so perhaps I've just answered my own question. But does anybody else have this frustration?
Yup, it is frustrating. Riding the route and uploading a GPX file is a lot easier.
pete jr wrote:
I feel the need to point out that you don't have to log in here, that's only if you want to contribute to our collective stupid.
The same is true for bikely and routeslip. Anyone can browse routes.
Eric_s wrote:
Well, I think one is site data, which you would send as a reference to someone else, and the other is a discussion, and prone to abuse, so comparing the two is like comparing apples and exhaust headers.
Have you played with bikely or routeslip? Both allow people to edit a public database which is browseable. It makes sense to require logins for such things. If it were completely open then anyone could go in there and delete or change existing routes, add ads to them in the middle of the route directions, or add hundreds of bogus routes. This can all be done with logins too, but chances are that it would a single login and make it easier to delete all of the bogus routes.
Having a public route database that anyone can browse is really handy. I've used it to figure out routes around areas when travelling.
MikeOD
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:03 pm
Joined: 04 Feb 2006Posts: 545
bobhall wrote:
Man, is there any way to not have straight-line routes between way-points?, ie, follow roads? It's pretty tedious to click a bunch of points on a windy road, especially if you're recommending a 100-mile route to somebody.
It's my understanding that the google map API doesn't expose road information, so perhaps I've just answered my own question. But does anybody else have this frustration?
I've only played with these mapping tools a little, seems like it will be a while longer before the usability hits the sweet spot.
Google maps (not the pedometer) has a new feature that allows a route to be dragged, and it recalculates on the fly. It can generate directions between 2 destinations, and extra destinations can be added. A map can be saved but I don't think the route is saved, just any annotations that are added. No altitude profile.
RouteSlip has a "auto-route" feature which lays in all the dots to follow roads between 2 points. But it doesn't seem to allow the points to be dragged once they're laid down. It has elevation profile and total climbing. The interface seems very buggy.
Bikely allows individual points to be dragged, but as far as I can tell doesn't have the auto-route feature.
It seems like all the capabilities are there, they just need to be put into a single site.
Alex
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:26 am
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
I've been experimenting with this recently too (planning for my next bike tour).
You can export a route from Google Maps as a KML file. Then you can use gpsbabel to convert the KML file to a GPX file and re-import it to bikely, routeslip, or gmap-pedometer. This is clearly not an ideal solution, but it does work.
I gave up and went back to PC based software for the time being. I used TopoUSA 4.0, then converted the saved files to GPX files to upload to Bikely for sharing.
So I use paper for planning and on my rides and make digital representations to share with friends who I'm going to ride with.
alex
mork the delayer
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:00 am
Joined: 06 Apr 2006Posts: 548Location: Providence, RI
Alex wrote:
You can export a route from Google Maps as a KML file. Then you can use gpsbabel to convert the KML file to a GPX file and re-import it to bikely, routeslip, or gmap-pedometer. This is clearly not an ideal solution, but it does work.
Gmaps Pedometer lets you export GPX too.
_________________ Adam
mork the delayer
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:11 am
Joined: 06 Apr 2006Posts: 548Location: Providence, RI
For all you guys playing with maps, google now has mini-apps that work directly on google maps. I haven't found any really well-done ones yet, but some are worthwhile to play with.
You can export a route from Google Maps as a KML file. Then you can use gpsbabel to convert the KML file to a GPX file and re-import it to bikely, routeslip, or gmap-pedometer. This is clearly not an ideal solution, but it does work.
Gmaps Pedometer lets you export GPX too.
It doesn't let you drag the route to roads though, like Google Maps does. This is the reason for using Google Maps then exporting as KML, converting to GPX, and importing again into something else that shows you elevation.
Hopefully bikely and the other online apps will be updated to support dragging to a road while creating the map. Google only added this functionality a couple of weeks ago.
mork the delayer
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:18 am
Joined: 06 Apr 2006Posts: 548Location: Providence, RI
Alex wrote:
It doesn't let you drag the route to roads though, like Google Maps does. Google only added this functionality a couple of weeks ago.
Yeah, that is pretty cool. It also lets you 'find directions' to and from arbitrary points now, which I don't think it did before. I like this. I can find directions from one random un-named place to another.
_________________ Adam
lantius
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:21 am
1337Joined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 6705Location: right over
I like the Great Pacific maps. I've been using them for recent weekend trips to the Olympic Penninsula, and for a 5 day trip to the San Juans last week. They don't show all side roads, at least the San Juan Islands map doesn't, but they do include important things like campgrounds and parks and a little commentary for cyclists.
Leaving on July 21st. Camas is the starting point because we have parking available (a brother of one the guys on the trip lives there). Originally I thought we'd start in Battle Ground, but leaving a car at a state park for a week seems less ideal.
MikeOD wrote:
I like the Great Pacific maps. I've been using them for recent weekend trips to the Olympic Penninsula, and for a 5 day trip to the San Juans last week. They don't show all side roads, at least the San Juan Islands map doesn't, but they do include important things like campgrounds and parks and a little commentary for cyclists.
Yeah, it is true that they don't show all of the little roads. The Cascades map just is a wonderful example of how to show most of the roads that one would tour on without being huge. It folds up just like a regular map and has all of the detail that I care about from my Benchmark or Delorme atlases. And it's covering a good chunk of the state while doing so.
Which islands did you visit on your trip? I love the San Juans.
alex
MikeOD
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:03 pm
Joined: 04 Feb 2006Posts: 545
Alex wrote:
Which islands did you visit on your trip? I love the San Juans.
alex
We rode up Whidbey and camped one night each on Orcas and San Juan islands, then rode back down Whidbey. It was my first time there, I loved it. The weather was about perfect the whole time, caught a tiny bit of drizzle on the way back on Whidbey on Sunday, which was nice for variety. Next time we'll try to plan ahead more so we have more time to explore. This was kind of an impromptu trip, very lightly planned a few weeks ago, and decided at the last minute based on the good weather and busy work schedules.
Camped at Fort Ebey (nice park!) on the 4th, rode a few trails on loaded bikes, watched fireworks across the Sound (Port Townsend?). Crossed Deception Pass, took Rosario to the Anacortes Ferry, to Orcas, rode very hilly gravel backroads, camped at Moran State Park, rode up Mt Constitution for spectacular views, ate tons of good food from the deli counter at the market in Eastsound. Ferry to San Juan Island, rode to the county park and grabbed a hiker/biker site just before sunset, rode a couple miles to Lime Kiln to look for whales but settled instead for a spectacular sunset. Tried again in the morning, no whales, but lots of fog. Made the 10:30 ferry to Anacortes, rode back down Whidbey, bypassing Oak Harbor to the west this time, lunch at Joseph Whidbey State Park, camped at South Whidbey. Sunday ferry to Mukilteo, pizza stop in Edmonds, rode home through Richmond Beach.
The only road I didn't care for was the section of Hwy 20 between Fort Ebey and Fort Casey, narrow to no shoulder and heavy fast traffic. Better to bypass to the west. Deception Pass was congested but the traffic was mostly slow. Everything else was great.
Taking the train to/from Mt Vernon would save some miles on Whidbey, not that Whidbey isn't nice also but we've ridden there a lot already. By the time we decided to go though all the bike slots on the train were full, and Mt. Vernon doesn't have checked baggage service so boxing the bikes wouldn't have worked, unless we went to Bellingham.
The Pedal Inn on San Juan island sounds interesting but we didn't make it there. Anybody ever camped there? Any other favorite spots on the islands?
Alex
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:44 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
MikeOD wrote:
The Pedal Inn on San Juan island sounds interesting but we didn't make it there. Anybody ever camped there? Any other favorite spots on the islands?
Spencer Spit State Park on Lopez is the best state park that I've camped at anywhere.
Doe Bay Resort on Orcas is fun, but not the bargain that it used to be. The sites are really nice and the hot tubs are great.
joeball
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:55 pm
Joined: 24 Jul 2005Posts: 6037Location: Ether
Is there any long term (2-5 day) parking available in Anacortes?
henry
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:07 pm
somewhat piggishJoined: 05 Aug 2005Posts: 5415Location: on porch with shotgun
Yes.
Two places I can recommend (from personal experience) are the parking lot for the Cap Sante Marina and the long-term parking for the Guemes Island ferry. Neither of these places require any kind of special credentials and they're both relatively high traffic.
Also you can park on side streets for a long time up there, there's an Olympic 19' with a pretty blue hull up there i've been eyeing for about three months, always in the exact same place.
Is there any long term (2-5 day) parking available in Anacortes?
You can park at the ferry terminal. From memory it runs roughly $10 per day. You can probably park elsewhere in town, but I haven't scoped it out. The ferry terminal is 5 miles or so from town.
Aaron
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:16 pm
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 4645
Alex wrote:
GPX
Oh, you young people, how easily you forget your history!
DJStroky
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:41 pm
Joined: 25 May 2007Posts: 356Location: Downtown Tacoma
BUMP!!!
Aight, I found a new hugely inefficient way to grab a driving route from Google Maps and then find the elevation/descent on it.
Then go to [url]http://www.mapmyrun.com [/url] and upload the GPX (it may take a while for longer routes). Then you can check the box show elevation and it will calculate the elevation gain and loss.
_________________ Tacoma isn't that bad... well maybe it is
heydylan
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:03 am
Joined: 24 Jul 2007Posts: 3Location: North Seattle
DJStroky wrote:
BUMP!!!
Then go to [url]http://www.mapmyrun.com [/url] and upload the GPX (it may take a while for longer routes). Then you can check the box show elevation and it will calculate the elevation gain and loss.
_________________ Tacoma isn't that bad... well maybe it is
Rogelio
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:46 am
Joined: 31 Jul 2007Posts: 3092Location: Pos, aya, por la Corona-Alta-Madera y que no.
I'm starting to think that mayhaps our little DJStroky has a cartography fetish.
mmmmhhh... maps.
_________________ Do you like apples?
mattm
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:08 pm
Joined: 20 Dec 2006Posts: 13Location: captiol ill
i'm a little late to the party here, but since y'all's on the subject of mapping sites, there's http://veloroutes.org - the one that i run.
* auto-routing is just about released (it's in beta mode, but you can save. btw the draggable lines just came out in the API, so that's on the way too)
* no login required
* KML (google earth) & GPX export
* searchable DB
* run by a LOCAL! (i'm not an official .83'r but you might've seen me at critical mass or losing the race at greenlake @ midnight.. plus aaron called me a squid a while back, so that counts for somethin right?)
anyway just thought i'd throw this out there. happy mappin'!
And for those of you complaining about long urls in general: http://tinyurl.com the bejeebers out of your 70-100 character addy and turn it into a 15-20 character url
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