Mapping Local Trails

Talk about anything.

Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew

User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

So I've recently started heading out from my new house (which is still a disaster btw) to check out the local trails. Problem is, at the end of the ride I'm finding that I can't really remember exactly which bits were good / which I shouldn't bother going back to.

Can anyone make any suggestions on good ways to map out your local trails? I've considered going old school and carrying a map, but that's going to be a lot of messing around to get it out / mark notes etc. I thought about putting waypoints into my garmin, but then they're quite hard to get back out in any useable manner (I guess I could look at them at home then mark on a map). Maybe there's some sort of app I can use?

I think I want to be able to select the section I've done (Strava segment style) and mark it as good / bad / add notes.
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by whitestone »

I'd go with a 1:25k map and mark the trails up in some system that makes sense to you (but put what each colour means on the side of the map). Might not be the most efficient early on while you learn the neighbourhood but over time it will give you a better overview. Might depend how dense the trail network is around you though, up here things are quite "sparse" and there aren't too many weather dependent trails.

Something like the notes app on smartphones might do as well. Don't know which GPS you have but on my Oregon I can show OS grid refs so stop at the bottom of the trail (or somewhere along it) and make a note of the GR and state of the trail then mark it up on a map at home.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
jamiep
Posts: 473
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:34 pm
Location: Edinburgh
Contact:

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by jamiep »

I record to strava and take a photo of a good bit, which is geo-tagged when shown on the desktop version of strava
User avatar
Pirahna
Posts: 829
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 8:42 pm
Location: Alicante

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Pirahna »

I'm old school and have a map covered in green and red highlighter.
Last edited by Pirahna on Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

I've got access to an Edge 1000 and an E-Trex 30. Not sure if either of those can do the grid ref thing.

@jamiep - That's an interesting idea. Does it show on the map screen of Strava as an icon, or do you click the image to see? (I've never used the smartphone app, I usually just upload rides from gpx etc)
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by sean_iow »

I upload my rides on the pc from plugging the device in. If you then open the activity in the phone app you can add the photos. I 'think' you might not even need to geotag them as it can position them from the time they were taken, but I usually have the goetag on anyway.

They then appear on the overview map in the locations they were taken.
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

I'll have to give that a try.

I just tried adding a photo to an activity on the website and it didn't change the map unfortunately.
User avatar
psling
Posts: 1606
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:36 am
Location: Forest of Dean

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by psling »

I have an App in my head.

I know we're all wired differently and maybe it's because I'm from a generation before electronic navigational aids but I seem to be able to remember where the trails are.
I consider myself lucky that this happens but I have very good recall for directions, trails, places and am perhaps fortunate that I don't need to log my local trails (and there are a lot of them!).

On the other hand, I'm face-blind and am terrible at recognising people to the point of seeming arrogant and ignorant!! So, recall trails yes, faces no; the human brain is a wonderful thing, isn't it!
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

My sense of direction is fantastic, but there are just too many options near me to remember everything.

When I see them I know them, but that doesn't really help me plan routes.
jamiep
Posts: 473
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:34 pm
Location: Edinburgh
Contact:

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by jamiep »

Richard G wrote: @jamiep - That's an interesting idea. Does it show on the map screen of Strava as an icon, or do you click the image to see? (I've never used the smartphone app, I usually just upload rides from gpx etc)
Upload via a phone or gps, doesn't matter. Then add any photos. When subsequently viewing the ride on the desktop site (not mobile site) each picture appears as a small icon on the map
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

That's what I tried. Didn't work, and there was definitely EXIF data with the lat / lng in the file.

(Unless you have to do it at the exact same time as the gpx upload?)
ianfitz
Posts: 3642
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:33 pm

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by ianfitz »

Richard G wrote:That's what I tried. Didn't work, and there was definitely EXIF data with the lat / lng in the file.
It works if you Instagram the pictures - assuming the accounts are linked
Image
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

Interesting. I didn't even know you could link an instagram account (not that I'm cool enough for such things).
User avatar
sean_iow
Posts: 4269
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Isle of Wight

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by sean_iow »

Richard G wrote:Interesting. I didn't even know you could link an instagram account (not that I'm cool enough for such things).
I'm sure I had an email the other day to say that the Instagram link function will be discontinued. So late to the party that it's finished and everyone is heading home on that one :grin:

Edit, found the email, it says

A quick heads up, Instagram is discontinuing the ability to sync photos from Instagram to your Strava activities, and this feature will be turned off in the next few weeks. We know this is a valuable feature for many athletes, and we're sorry to see it go.

On the plus side, you can still post photos directly to Strava and share your activities back to Instagram – so keep the snapshots coming!
Adventure without risk is Disneyland - Bikemonger
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by whitestone »

From Strava help https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/art ... _site=true:

Photos with a geotag will be displayed on the map in their corresponding location.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
ianfitz
Posts: 3642
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:33 pm

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by ianfitz »

sean_iow wrote:
Richard G wrote:Interesting. I didn't even know you could link an instagram account (not that I'm cool enough for such things).
I'm sure I had an email the other day to say that the Instagram link function will be discontinued. So late to the party that it's finished and everyone is heading home on that one :grin:

Edit, found the email, it says

A quick heads up, Instagram is discontinuing the ability to sync photos from Instagram to your Strava activities, and this feature will be turned off in the next few weeks. We know this is a valuable feature for many athletes, and we're sorry to see it go.

On the plus side, you can still post photos directly to Strava and share your activities back to Instagram – so keep the snapshots coming!
ah, shame. that would have worked quite nicely. Although sounds like you can still do it via strava??
Image
User avatar
benp1
Posts: 4051
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:36 pm
Location: South Downs

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by benp1 »

Use the strava app on your phone and do the pics that way, they'll show up fine

Alternatively write down the mileage marker somewhere and look on the route afterwards, you could use a smartwatch to dictate it to, I'd do this on my watch
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

whitestone wrote:From Strava help https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/art ... _site=true:

Photos with a geotag will be displayed on the map in their corresponding location.
Explains my issue too:
Photos with a geotag will not be displayed on the map if they are uploaded from the website.
User avatar
whitestone
Posts: 7847
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
Location: Skipton(ish)
Contact:

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by whitestone »

That will explain why my photos don't appear in an overlay. I don't use the mobile app. Strava only added the ability to upload images from the website quite recently, the code handling the uploads must strip all EXIF data
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
User avatar
Richard G
Posts: 4887
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:09 am
Location: South Wales

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Richard G »

I tried the strava (photo as I go) thing yesterday. Was very slow going, but it looks like it'll do the job.
User avatar
benp1
Posts: 4051
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:36 pm
Location: South Downs

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by benp1 »

Richard G wrote:I tried the strava (photo as I go) thing yesterday. Was very slow going, but it looks like it'll do the job.
Why was it slow? You don't need to tag anything when you're doing it

Any photos I take during the activity are brought up when I want to add a picture, it's pretty quick. The slowest bit is getting your phone out
User avatar
fatbikephil
Posts: 6511
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:51 pm
Location: Fife
Contact:

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by fatbikephil »

I went through a similar thing when I moved to my current abode. I went with marking up maps but by the time I'd marked up all the trails I'd ridden them enough to remember them all....
lune ranger
Posts: 2380
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:52 pm
Location: Peoples Republic of Devon

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by lune ranger »

You can set OS grid reference as a data field on an Etrex 30 without much hassle. As I remember you need to select OS grid reference in the 'position format' setting , then add 'position' as a data field on the trip computer or dash board or both.
It's something like that anyhow
If you are going through hell, keep going.
WSC
Scud
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 3:18 pm
Location: North Norfolk

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by Scud »

Like a lot above, i have a terrible memory, so on Strava i would name rides "the ride with that really good bit between x and y" and add photos to geo-tag. In addition, i have an OS map on the wall in the garage, so as i am driving about and i see a Bridleway, path or field boundary (i'm in Norfolk) i'd not noticed before, i take pics and note where it started and when i get home add that entrance on the map, after time and riding (plus lots of dead ends and nettle stings) you start to see a network. Then make a concerted effort to say "this weekend, i am going to try that path there to see where that goes and whether it links to that good bit there"...
ScotRoutes
Posts: 8144
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:56 am

Re: Mapping Local Trails

Post by ScotRoutes »

I know it's added faff but consider something like Basecamp. You can upload tracks, group them, name them, annotate them, have colour coding - all sorts. It's a free upload and will use any standard GPX files. Of course, it relies on you having some sort of PC to install it on.

The other, longer-term, option is to contribute to Open Street Map. Add the tracks you want to record and download the latest updates occasionally.

Trailforks is also open sourced mapping.
Post Reply