Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

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ScotRoutes
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by ScotRoutes »

Yep. Can't see any downside from that....
techno
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by techno »

My buddy has persuaded me to get involved in this, seems like a good game to provide a bit of motivation. Useful when heading into the chilly months.

I'm currently at 6x6 and should be able to get up to an 8 or 9 square without too much work and without having to ride many horrible A roads :-bd
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AlasdairMc
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by AlasdairMc »

I hit 17x17 yesterday with a meandering ride mixing road plodding, some mucky trails and some bog trotting. I only needed to get one square but ended up taking a few more, which will make things easier to start getting bigger scores. Sadly the outliers for 18x18 are on opposite sides of the square so I need to consider two rides for them.

I’ve only got one square left to ‘finish’ the Pentlands Hills, which I’m quite chuffed with, although typically you only find this out after riding maybe 200m away from it on another ride...
ScotRoutes
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by ScotRoutes »

Using Strava Route Builder with the VV overlay can help to avoid that scenario. I've a couple of squares missed by much less than that!
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whitestone
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by whitestone »

ScotRoutes wrote:Using Strava Route Builder with the VV overlay can help to avoid that scenario. I've a couple of squares missed by much less than that!
I've missed a couple, even after explicitly riding up a private track for goodness knows how far, by less than 10 metres :lol:

On Friday I bagged a tile that has been nagging me for about 18 months. It's right in the middle of my main cluster and there are enough private, no entry and the like signs to make you feel unwelcome even though there's a legal footpath along a tarmac/concrete road. No way could I ride to get it since the only ways in are through farmyards or shooting estate buildings so it was a walk in and out. That took me from 16x16 up to 19x19 though I've got nine overlapping squares of them. There's a block of three next which will take me up to 22x22
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AlasdairMc
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by AlasdairMc »

Wow, that’s good going there! After a browse of my next target squares they all seem to have paths or roads on them, although one with ‘opencast workings’ could be problematic.

I looked at the leaderboards for all the Strava clubs I’m in. I’m 3rd of 500 odd on Singletrack, yet 8th of 27 on Bearbones - clearly we’ve got properly addicted to it on here.
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FLV
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by FLV »

I'm just starting to get into this square hunting.

As i work away I have two areas now at 7x7 so I'll be having a little competition with myself too.

It's fun to get out and about, though it's tricky avoiding busy roads
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Blackhound
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by Blackhound »

I would like to get to 10x10 for 2018 and been stuck on 9x9 for a while. All I need do is ride a couple of miles around the ring road and then head into city centre and back home. Cannot get myself sorted to do this fairly basic ride. It can be a bit busy around there but there are some back streets I could find.
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In Reverse
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by In Reverse »

techno mail wrote:seems like a good game to provide a bit of motivation. Useful when heading into the chilly months.
Yep, same for me Andy. Just paid for pro VV. Had a few 7x7s, a ride today pumped that up to a couple of 10x10s. Just plotted a ride out to get me up to 12x12, then another one after that should get 14x14. After that I'll have to start tackling central Manchester & Salford :roll: .
ScotRoutes wrote:Using Strava Route Builder with the VV overlay can help to avoid that scenario. I've a couple of squares missed by much less than that!
Didn't know about this, very useful. Cheers. :-bd
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benp1
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by benp1 »

The chrome plug in is really useful. Unfortunately I can't use it at work but works ok at home on my own laptop
techno
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by techno »

In Reverse wrote:Yep, same for me Andy. Just paid for pro VV. Had a few 7x7s, a ride today pumped that up to a couple of 10x10s. Just plotted a ride out to get me up to 12x12, then another one after that should get 14x14. After that I'll have to start tackling central Manchester & Salford :roll: .
ScotRoutes wrote:Using Strava Route Builder with the VV overlay can help to avoid that scenario. I've a couple of squares missed by much less than that!
Didn't know about this, very useful. Cheers. :-bd
Hey Andy, was good to meet you at BB200. That day Was a hell of an introduction to wales!

I'm one square shy of 7x7 and then just a few more to 9x9 with quite a bit of work to extend it beyond that.
I'll also check out that VV overlay, thanks Scot.
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Blair512
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by Blair512 »

I downloaded an app onto my phone that shows you OSM mapping with the VV squares overlayed onto it, handy if your out and about and just need a wee out and back to grab a particular square
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benp1
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by benp1 »

Which app is that? Sounds handy
ScotRoutes
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by ScotRoutes »

It's maps.me
You generate a kml file on Veloviewer then overlay it in the app
techno
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by techno »

Just bagged 8x8 max square :-bd
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AlasdairMc
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by AlasdairMc »

Blair512 wrote:I downloaded an app onto my phone that shows you OSM mapping with the VV squares overlayed onto it, handy if your out and about and just need a wee out and back to grab a particular square
That sounds great. I tend to screenshot the OS overlay on VV, and then cross reference that with the OS map on my Garmin. It’s an imperfect science, especially when the screenshot doesn’t cover that one extra square you decide to go after...
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by Blair512 »

benp1 wrote:Which app is that? Sounds handy
AlasdairMc wrote:
That sounds great. I tend to screenshot the OS overlay on VV, and then cross reference that with the OS map on my Garmin. It’s an imperfect science, especially when the screenshot doesn’t cover that one extra square you decide to go after...
The app is called "Explorer helper for VeloViewer" (Imaginatively named I know!) in the google play store, it works really well to see where you are live on the ground compared to the grid. It helped me grab one up a wee glen the other week, I had to ditch the bike and go on foot so I was able to go just far enough to claim the square then turn around.
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benp1
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by benp1 »

Thanks, will look it up

When I first started doing this I would screen shot the map,paste it into PowerPoint, then draw lines to recreate the tiles. Took forever!
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Blackhound
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by Blackhound »

That Explorer helper for vv is great on rides. Even in airplane mode you can see where you are to confirm you are in the square and not 50 metres out.
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benp1
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by benp1 »

I can't find an iOS version unfortunately
ScotRoutes
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by ScotRoutes »

benp1 wrote:I can't find an iOS version unfortunately
I which case, install maps.me, go to VeloViewer and create a kml file and then overlay that in the maps.me app.
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whitestone
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by whitestone »

Went out for a rather damp ride on the moors and picked up four squares. One was a bit cheeky but the BW I'd been following was one of those stupid ones we get in the Dales that when you look at the map just stops "in the middle of nowhere". Nowhere just happens to be the boundary wall of an estate that is very anti-access, no coincidence, no siree. Anyway the last third of the legal BW and the cheeky bit are really good moorland singletrack, all rideable apart from one beck of uncertain depth. The clag was right down so no-one was going to see me unless they were on the BW themselves.

Those four tiles took me from nine overlapping 19x19 squares to a single 22x22. :-bd

Next up are six tiles to the south which will get me to 23x23.
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BigdummySteve
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by BigdummySteve »

After watching everyone else having fun I’ve decided to give it a crack, currently at 3x3 while going between the hotel and work, already I’m thinking of detours to bag extras. Is there any way to upload past rides from ride with GPS?
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whitestone
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by whitestone »

I think it's an extension to Strava only, there may be an API to Ride With GPS but I haven't found any reference to it. The free version just takes your last 25 rides off Strava but if you move to the paid for version then that will access your entire Strava history the first time you run it.
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Pickers
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Re: Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

Post by Pickers »

After watching everyone else having fun I’ve decided to give it a crack, currently at 3x3 while going between the hotel and work, already I’m thinking of detours to bag extras. Is there any way to upload past rides from ride with GPS?
Absolutely! It's a bit long winded but I went through the process a couple of years ago. If you have the gpx files (raw or download from RWGPS), you can upload them straight to Strava.

Obviously now if you're doing Veloviewer you'll have to edit out that boat trip down the Thames! None of us here have any ferry trips between islands. No sirree.... cough...
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