Tips for not getting lost? (No Garmin)

Roweyrho
Roweyrho Posts: 15
edited April 2015 in Road general
So im biking this: https://goo.gl/maps/obClN tomorrow morning. I have no garmin and the battery on my phone is only good enough to run strava for that length of time.

Anybody got any suggestions on how I can follow a route, with minimal chances of getting lost?

Thanks, new here btw! (P.S: Sorry if this is in the wrong section)

Comments

  • NeXXus
    NeXXus Posts: 854
    Masking tape - pen - toptube - write important junctions and/or mile markers with pen onto tape.

    Then when you get back, buy a garmin :D
    And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made.
  • Roweyrho
    Roweyrho Posts: 15
    Just waiting to get paid before I buy one, really would love one right now!

    Thanks for the tip btw!
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    I use to use a map, not sure if they still make them?
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • type:epyt
    type:epyt Posts: 766
    £2 AA road map book from your nearest budget bookshop ... Rip out the relevant page(s) and stick it in a sandwich bag in your back pocket ... If you can't combine that with road signs then you should stay home ...

    ps. I have a Garmin Edge and haven't even bothered setting it up as paper maps don't fail ...
    Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it.
  • Roweyrho
    Roweyrho Posts: 15
    Well I wasn't going for the commute approach, more like how fast can I get there approach. Therfore getting a map out at every junction would hinder my time a bit. But thank you for the sarcasm Sloppy :-)

    Although, having the relevant pages would actually be quite useful I didnt think of that. Maybe I'm just over thinking all of this and worrying a bit too much.

    Thank you all again though
  • hector88
    hector88 Posts: 44
    If you get properly lost, you can use the location of the sun in teh sky to get your rough bearings. Mark where is rises and where it is heading to.

    edit : or ask for directions
  • iron-clover
    iron-clover Posts: 737
    +1 for the AA map pages- I've seen them used to great effect in the past, they have a smaller scale than the OS maps which is handy, and much cheaper too.
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    NeXXus wrote:
    Masking tape - pen - toptube - write important junctions and/or mile markers with pen onto tape.

    Then when you get back, buy a garmin :D
    Or more detail on a piece of paper (in a sandwich bag if raining) and tape in a cylinder around top tube.

    It worked for me before I bought a garmin, but the Garmin is soooo much easier.
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  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,516
    Why not just go for a ride and explore the area? Chances are you'll find some cracking roads and build your knowledge.
    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

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  • shmooster
    shmooster Posts: 335
    Get an external battery for your phone, under £20 and can fully charge most phones a few times. The 6400mAh Anker Astro is a good compromise between size/weight and capacity, £16.99 from Amazon. Even if you buy a Garmin the battery is handy to have anytime you're away from a charger for a while.
  • ooermissus
    ooermissus Posts: 811
    Anker external battery + the http://www.bikemap.net/ mobile app for android + Staylive app (to keep the screen on) + Finn smartphone mount got me through a multi-day tour in Italy on a route that would be have been a bugger to follow on a series of maps.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Anker Astro Mini only costs about £12 and will keep your phone powered to 100% all day.
  • fatsmoker
    fatsmoker Posts: 585
    In your shoes I'd have gone for Bulkington, Ansty, Brinklow, Ryton, Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Cubbington and through Leamington. In Stretton there's a Knob Hill which is great for a photo :) .
  • Roweyrho
    Roweyrho Posts: 15
    Re-charging the phone is a good idea! I thought about it today (as the battery did die) as im with EE they have these re-charging things you plug your phone into. ANYWAY, did it today... it took at lot longer lol. Got lost several times, ended up down a rough bridleway on my roadbike, did eventually make it though. To top it off my gps failed on me several times and wouldnt find locate my gps, several restarts of my phone, miles lost on strava and Ive ended up with 3 different activities.
    https://www.strava.com/activities/292151231
    https://www.strava.com/activities/292228951
    https://www.strava.com/activities/292382744

    Ive decided on investing in a Garmin, tight budget though so obviously im leaning towards the Edge 200. Thing is this might sound silly, but... does it navigate? like on screen instructions so to speak just like a satnav? or do you have to start spending a lot more for that?

    Also, tip for the trip through bulkington... I might get a route together for that and do it, thank you.

    Thanks all
  • dilatory
    dilatory Posts: 565
    I like to go through on street view at every junction that isn't obvious to remember it.
  • freezing77
    freezing77 Posts: 731
    Roweyrho wrote:
    Re-charging the phone is a good idea! I thought about it today (as the battery did die) as im with EE they have these re-charging things you plug your phone into. ANYWAY, did it today... it took at lot longer lol. Got lost several times, ended up down a rough bridleway on my roadbike, did eventually make it though. To top it off my gps failed on me several times and wouldnt find locate my gps, several restarts of my phone, miles lost on strava and Ive ended up with 3 different activities.
    https://www.strava.com/activities/292151231
    https://www.strava.com/activities/292228951
    https://www.strava.com/activities/292382744

    Ive decided on investing in a Garmin, tight budget though so obviously im leaning towards the Edge 200. Thing is this might sound silly, but... does it navigate? like on screen instructions so to speak just like a satnav? or do you have to start spending a lot more for that?

    Watch this vid for the 200 in action and no you do not get voice commands
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9NQNcdtxZU

    Also, tip for the trip through bulkington... I might get a route together for that and do it, thank you.

    Thanks all
  • cuichulain
    cuichulain Posts: 5
    does it navigate? like on screen instructions so to speak just like a satnav? or do you have to start spending a lot more for that?

    Not sure about the 200, but I've got the 500 and it does navigate, after a fashion. You have to preplan a route and upload it to the unit before the ride, which is not taxing exactly, but not as simple as it could be. Also, it has to be beforehand since you can't create or alter a route on the fly.

    Once you've got it on the device (and checked it before setting off, some file formats don't seem to work) it will show you the outline of the route, an arrow showing your position and direction and literally nothing else. It beeps when you go off the route, and beeps when you find it again, but there's no landmarks, road names, towns or any other identifying features on the 'map'.

    It sounds bad, but personally I find it really useful, and don't really crave a more expensive model that does have proper maps, directions and route-finding. It's perfect for when you pretty much know where you're going but need a bit of a backup.

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