Paper maps - carrying

EssexSuffolk

Hi,

I'm off touring again this year, and using paper maps. Does anyone have any alternative/cheaper ideas - for easily accessing a map whilst cycling - to buying a handlebar bag with map case on it? I'm not keen on spending circa £40-50 on bag just for a couple of weeks of touring.

Thanks,

J

Wooliferkins

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... der-11743/

simonhead

Used to do a lot of walking and would print of the sections needed, cut into strips of about 8 cm by 20 cm, laminate, number and they fitted nicely into a pocket.

whoof

You say off touring again. Therefore a bar bag will not be for two weeks but two weeks a year for a number of years. I only usually tour for about 2-3 weeks a year. My current bar bag in 12 years old and still going strong so a good investment.
I've also used one of those map holders recommended above (picked mine up in a 50% sale) they are OK but I'm not convinced about the quality of the bar fixing. It's a piece of metal ribbon that I'm sure will snap in a couple of years.
If you wanted something really cheap buy a clear walking map case (sure I saw one in the £ shop) and you can cable tie it to your bars and STI cables (if you have them).

prb007

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cycling-Bicyc ... 2a326af2ae

andymiller

Pockets?

tangled_metal

prb007 wrote:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cycling-Bicycle-bike-Front-tube-Bar-Trame-Bag-Case-for-iPhone-4-4S-5-/181234496174?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&var=&hash=item2a326af2ae

Wait for the iPhone 6 - the big screen version - and the similar case for it to come out. Or a tablet is another option. Can you convert maps to run on a kindle BTW? they have a huge battery life and perhaps if you accept the B&W screen's limitations it could be better for a tour where you can't charge your appliances up that easily.

mea00csf

I couldn't find something that did the job as I wanted it to, mostly because I didn't have any space on my bars after i'd put my bar bag on. So, I cobbled something together using these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00186QF2C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002J5JDA2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Had to do a bit of adjustment to get it to not flap around but managed to get it working.

Ouija

Tangled Metal wrote:

prb007 wrote:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cycling-Bicycle-bike-Front-tube-Bar-Trame-Bag-Case-for-iPhone-4-4S-5-/181234496174?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&var=&hash=item2a326af2ae

Wait for the iPhone 6 - the big screen version - and the similar case for it to come out. Or a tablet is another option. Can you convert maps to run on a kindle BTW? they have a huge battery life and perhaps if you accept the B&W screen's limitations it could be better for a tour where you can't charge your appliances up that easily.

Used to use a Kindle for mapping. Could create a folder called Pictures (if i remember rightly) and the contents of any subfolder would appear as a book you could flick through with the forward/backward buttons.

Used to create large maps at a zoom level and map style i liked using Marble (free map software) and the OpenStreetMap and Cycling maps that came with it. I'd then reduce the maps to greyscale and 16 colours to reduce file size in a program like PaintShopPro and save them out as .png to the aforementioned subfolder on the Kindle.

The advantage of the Kindle is that it uses an E-Ink screen that doesn't require any electricity to display an image (just like paper), just uses electricity to change the image. This is why Kindles leave pictures of famous authors on the screen when you turn the device off. But with earlier Kindles you could hack them to tell them not to do that, but to leave whatever image your currently looking at on the screen when you turn the device off.

So.... i'd simply select my map book, flick to the page/image i wanted and then switch the Kindle off... leaving the image onscreen. When i reached the edge of the map and wanted to see the next page, i'd switch the Kindle on, flip to the appropriate page of my home made Atlas and then switch it off again. Again, leaving the image on screen. Would take months to drain the battery.

Of course, the other advantage of E-Ink screens is they aren't backlit so don't wash out in direct sunlight like LCD screens do (they look just like paper).

Don't know what current Kindles can or can't do as i haven't updated mine in a number of years, but i imagine you can still patch the OS to leave images of your choosing on screen when switching the device off, instead of getting all those famous authors. I'm sure someone who owns one might be able to enlighten us......