Website Building SoftwareGarmin etrex 200, bought for walking. It loads (free) OpenStreetmap files and runs 24 hours on a couple of AA batteries.
I had difficulty fitting the whole file on this as it limits the number of points, so had used the whole route as 'track' with no directions from bikehike in '17 and '18. However I found similar software on plotaroute and used this since 2019.
I use 'road' rather than 'cycling' mode as 'cycling' adds wasteful detours.
The 'edit' and 'add directions' options, show on my Etrex fields, choosing 'next' and 'distance to next' as surrogate turn warnings. (I edit the 'turn slight left onto blablaroad' to 'LeftA2' and you can see the distance tick down on the other field as you approach)
Initially I broke it in 4 sections to keep under 200 waypoints, but you can switch off some functions on downloading (route with no waypoints seems the smallest file) and I can load the whole route (as track or route with directions) sacrificing proper "turn" warnings as I do not have a voice on the device in any case. Some route options may rely on your device calculating the route between points and not follow the actual route.
All improvement suggestions gratefully received hank@beatthesun.uk
AAAARRRRGGGH - Had to rename all the .GPX as .GPX.DOC as Mobirise web designer only allows Document files to be attached. File is uploaded to Facebook.
Download & rename -- delete the .doc extension -- to get the GPX file.
v19_6_3_v (2014) Small tweaks to the v19 route, road closure Swanscombe and go under instead of over the M25 avoiding busy roundabout.
v19 (2023) : I cut 1,500 of the 6,000 foot elevation from pre-v18 versions by re-routing the first 60 miles, then CTS changed the finish from Burnham to Weston Super Mare... Too far to go round the Mendips, but elevation is similar ~4,800 on Plotaroute. I tried various iterations (hence v19_6) but the elevation remained the same so you may as well go up Cheddar Gorge and see the goats licking the road in the morning. I re-routed from Gravesend to Strood. I edited the turn directions for v19 in Viking software, Viking gives ~8,100 foot elevation instead of 4,800 on Plotaroute for the day, but CTS is ~11,800 according to Viking and not the ~9,000 according to Plotaroute...
v17 (2021&22): The v16 (2020) route passed over Inkpen. On the 2020 Chase The Sun, I realised this is on the Saturday leg, and there was a long descent so I reverted to the route over Hungerford to avoid this hill. I changed the route through Gillingham slightly.
V16 (2018): Found the roundabout at Kew not too bad so removed the diversion in v14 and v15 past the Thames (cannot see much of the river anyway).
You can join a cycle lane after Kensington palace in London through a set of gates before the Albert memorial. At the end of this you may have to dismount to join the road again at Wellington arch / Hyde park corner.
There is a right turn at the shard, the A200 Tooley St, slight tricky so stay in the right lane to pick the correct right turn after the rail underpass at London Bridge Station.
My priorities designing the route:
1) AVOID hills
2) The SHORTEST possible way
3) Include some landmarks to make it sound pleasurable...
(and then at some point, try to keep it over 200 miles as that is a nice round and impressive figure, adding a few reps of the esplanade at the end in some versions) ;)
Elevation: Even on short sections Bikehike and Plotaroute give 30% more elevation than some other software like Google maps. For CTS they give ~9,000 ft v ~6,000 ft.
The BTS return leg v19 is now ~4,800 down from ~6,000 in v17 for the whole day on Plot, however Viking makes v17= 8,500 ft, v18 = 8,800 ft and v19 = 8,100 ft elevation versus CTS 11,800 ft, and Bikehike states 6,650 ft for BTSv19 against 9,780 ft for CTS.
So we are still cutting 3,000-4,000 ft for the day compared to the out-leg CTS whichever software you believe 9,000 - 4,800; or 9780 - 6,650; or 11,800 - 8,100...
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