Route Planning Website

[lgjhn]

I saw this over on one of the Gold Wing forums. Those guys are usually pretty good critics of this kind of stuff and it was receiving fair reviews. It's a website for motorcycle route planning:
https://www.tourstart.org
I've been experimenting with it and it looks pretty good. I've put in our Iron Butt SaddleSore and BunBurner route in there that were developed on Garmin's BaseCamp and it brought it up to the letter. It seems a lot easier to use than either BaseCamp or MapSource; both of which, can be very trying at times as they're not overly user-friendly. This site seems to do a little better for those of us that are computer challenged at times...LOL.
Right now, it's a free site to play with and costs $13.50 to go to the Pro version.
Not sure if anyone is interested, but it might be of some use to some of us on here.

 

[Twigg]

I struggle with the suggestion that BaseCamp is hard to use.

Generally, plotting a SaddleSore takes about a couple of minutes, refining it a few more and BC then loads the route directly to my Garmin .... what could be easier?

Oh yeah ... it's free too.

 

[Fly Bye]

I struggle with the suggestion that BaseCamp is hard to use.
Generally, plotting a SaddleSore takes about a couple of minutes, refining it a few more and BC then loads the route directly to my Garmin .... what could be easier?

Oh yeah ... it's free too.

Everything is easy when you know how to do it.

 

[redneckj]

I have been looking for mapping software that is easy to use like that for a long time. I have a NUVI 1450 GPS. When the tourstart app downloads the route, it stores it under "my data". From the home screen, click on tools, then scroll down to the next page. Open my data, then click on " import routes" you will see your route that you saved from the tourstart app. Click on that route and it will upload the route to "routes" under the main part of "Where to". After you do it one time, you will see how simple it is to do.

 

[Twigg]

I struggle with the suggestion that BaseCamp is hard to use.
Generally, plotting a SaddleSore takes about a couple of minutes, refining it a few more and BC then loads the route directly to my Garmin .... what could be easier?

Oh yeah ... it's free too.

Everything is easy when you know how to do it.

Well not everything, but I take your point

There is the answer though .... learn how to use it, even that isn't hard.

 

[lgjhn]

I downloaded the phone app to my iPad as well and been experimenting with it.

I'd rather carry my phone or iPad on the bike than my laptop, but each his own.

It's not so much that BaseCamp is difficult, but it does have a "learning curve" to it.

Once I used it a while, I got the hang of it and will continue to use it as well.

Obviously, tourstart isn't for everybody, but it has some features that might help some folks.

 

[Fly Bye]

I struggle with the suggestion that BaseCamp is hard to use.
Generally, plotting a SaddleSore takes about a couple of minutes, refining it a few more and BC then loads the route directly to my Garmin .... what could be easier?

Oh yeah ... it's free too.

Everything is easy when you know how to do it.

Well not everything, but I take your point

There is the answer though .... learn how to use it, even that isn't hard.

I have a gps and a map.

The only thing I down load are i tunes.

It doesn't get any easier than that.

 

[Fontanaman]

I am going to give TourStart and see how it goes. I like I can change the route by dragging it to a different road. The ability to drag a route to change it is something I wish Mapsource/Basecamp had.

 

[Twigg]

I am going to give TourStart and see how it goes. I like I can change the route by dragging it to a different road. The ability to drag a route to change it is something I wish Mapsource/Basecamp had.

It does

Okay, I'll expand a bit.

Not only can you drag the routes around, you can add and subtract points at any place you want. You can split routes and merge them. You can create new routes with just a few mouse-clicks, then refine them by dragging the points, or adding new ones.

You can create vias AND shaping points to force the route to exactly the roads you want to ride ...

Web-based route planning has its place, but it is not ready for serious routing yet, even if it is all that is needed by some.

BaseCamp might have a clunky front-end, and like all software have a learning curve, but it remains one of the most powerful and flexible routing tools available ... bar very few.

 

[Fontanaman]

I have Mapsource. I am unable or don't know how to change a route by dragging it using Mapsource. I have not tried Basecamp so Twigg, you are saying you can drag a route using Basecamp? If so I will have to start using it. Thanks.

 

[Twigg]

I have Mapsource. I am unable or don't know how to change a route by dragging it using Mapsource. I have not tried Basecamp so Twigg, you are saying you can drag a route using Basecamp? If so I will have to start using it. Thanks.

Learning to use the "Route", "Insert" and "Erase" tools in BC makes manipulating routes incredibly easy.

For example .... If you have a route from Kansas City to Dallas, but you decide to add a stop in Oklahoma city, you can do this in three mouse clicks and a whole new route will be generated for you.