![]() ![]() Similarly, Strava had added ‘trail’ activity types, including gravel riding, in recognition of the growing number of users who train off-road. Paired with the softwares' heatmap overlay, satellite maps and street view, the planning software leaves little room for questions as you head out on your adventure prepared. The software even gives you a visual and percentage breakdown of the varying terrain on your route. Ride with GPS enables you to see the road’s surface type -paved, unpaved or unknown- as you plan, view and navigate routes so that you can prepare for the road -or trail- ahead. In essence you’re getting a database of local knowledge at your fingertips.Įach app has different features so it’s worth exploring them all we have a page dedicated to the best free and paid cycling apps.Ĭertainly the continued appetite for all things gravel has led to several of them creating gravel specific features. Of course they also contain a multitude of existing routes that you can use or adapt. The mapping tools allow you to select by terrain, will divide a route into ‘way’ types and even allow you to choose points of interest along the way. Once you have a rough idea of a route mapped out you can use the apps to see if other riders have ridden it these heat maps are particularly useful if you’re unsure about the difficulty of a particular stretch of trail or path.Įqually you can begin your planning on an app. While Google maps and the equivalent, such as OpenStreetMap (an open source, collaborative project that creates a free editable geographic database of the world) are handy tools and a great additional source to cross reference against others, dedicated cycling route planning apps offer more nuanced information still.Īpps such as Strava, Ride with GPS and Komoot use OpenStreetMaps as well as the knowledge of their communities to great effect. You can then start adding in smaller amounts of technical riding, building your off-road skillset as you go. Likewise if you’re new to riding gravel it makes sense to begin with less challenging terrain. As a general rule, you’ll be travelling at a slower average speed compared to on-road, so make sure you figure this into the equation. If you have a two-hour window you don’t want to plan a route with an extensive amount of hike-a-bike. This also impacts on how long your ride will take. Naturally, the terrain is a vital consideration here also - thirty rolling miles of fine grit isn’t the same as thirty miles of heavily undulating singletrack and so forth. You can use a regular road loop for numerical guidance, knocking back on both the miles and the amount of climbing for your gravel ‘adventure’. When starting out, pick a route with a sensible amount of elevation gain and a mileage that you know you can handle. Riding off-road can be challenging and distances can be deceptive. ![]() An honest assessment of your current level of fitness is also wise. ![]()
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