Via Michelin and GPS

ericonabike

After doing JOGLE in seven days last year I'm planning next year's event. I'm looking at 'Midlands to the Med' which ia about the same distance [1400km] from Leicester to Montpellier. Some preliminary planning took me to the ViaMichelin site at http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/ ... mePage.htm where you can enter 'bicyle' as your means of transport. Apologies if this is old hat to some of you, but it seemed really good! The routes follow minor roads, and you get a detailed route description. I then started wondering about downloading the description onto a GPS, so that I could leave my maps at home. Seems this can be done, onto the ViaMichelin units, but as they are primarily intended for in-car use [although a bike mount is available] the battery life is only 3 hours or so.

Is there a way round this? Using a dynamo to power the unit? Any other units that have 12 hour or so battery life [I'll be staying in hotels etc so can recharge]?

All suggestions gratefully received as I am a total newby when it comes to GPS.

nicktheluddite

I found a Michelin 1:200,000 road atlas to be ideal for crossing France. Buy a wirebound version and pull out the relevant pages. Then you'll have no battery worries.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... ce+camping

andrew_s

The Garmin Etrex units (Legend HCx) can have a battery life of up to 30h with AA Lithium (reportedly).
I just looked at a ViaMichelin bike route from Valence to Barcelonette. Apart that I'd have chosen a more interesting route through the Vercors rather than round them, it seems OK. I then tried the "GPS" option, selected "Garmin" and got a GPX file downloaded OK. The only trouble is that it only had the start and end points in it That would get me there if my GPS had the maps loaded into it, but the GPS would make its own mind up about how to go from Valence to Barcelonette, and likely go a completely different way.

andymiller

There was a thread about this a while ago,

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... iamichelin

I don't know whether infopete has had a chance to look at the API that was promised, but it sounds like you might have to do things manually (use ViaMichelin - or make up you own route - and then enter into the mapping software yourself).

I'd second the recommendation for the HCx, but a pair of decent AA rechargeables will last a good couple of days - so a set of four plus a lightweight charger would be fine for you.

nicktheluddite indeed.