Traditional tour planning was and is quite time-consuming. You sit bent over a map, armed with a ruler, highlighter and notepad, and spend hours working out a route. The most important prerequisite: the ability to read maps correctly. And the method is not cheap either. Because a single map often does not cover all the regions to be crossed, you may need a whole set of maps, for example for a crossing of the Alps. Modern online tools are designed to simplify and improve this process. But can attractive road bike routes really be created with just a few mouse clicks thanks to digital maps and terrain models?
Digital route planning
Of course, route planners per se are not a brand new invention. We've been using them in our cars for decades under the acronym sat nav. So it would seem that creating a special route planner for cyclists is no big deal. But unfortunately it doesn't work to adapt the car concept one-to-one. Or rather, it doesn't make sense. Because as a racing cyclist, you rarely want to take the fastest route from A to B, but rather the quietest, flattest, steepest or most beautiful - depending on your taste and requirements. This requires numerous sport-specific preferences in the planner and clever programming.
This much in advance: two of the online planners we tested come very close to realising this dream. However, their algorithms not only work on the basis of pure cartographic information about the nature of the routes, but are also based on the most popular routes of their users, the so-called community. This pool gets bigger and better with every tour uploaded. In this way, large amounts of GPS data accumulate over time, clearly showing where local road cyclists like to ride. The route planner uses this route data in the background, but it can also be displayed in a so-called heat map using intense colours. Strava even offers such a heat map as an overlay in the planner.
The other advantages of digital route planning are obvious. With every click that continues the track, the programme updates the distance covered to the exact metre. The planners can also generate an altitude profile immediately, even if this does not correspond 100 per cent to reality. All this data helps the user to put the tour in relation to their fitness level.
Route planning step by step
Even though many cyclists enjoy planning almost as much as retracing a tour, working with the online tools should be fluid and intuitive and not end in a fiddly process of trial and error. That's why the route planners have a number of automatisms that you can and should use. You can also expect a specialised online route planner to guide the user along roads and paths that are particularly suitable for the chosen sport. For example, for racing bike tours, it will at least avoid main roads unless at least one cycle path runs parallel to them.
Special case of round trips
Basically, the planning programmes want to guide cyclists from A to B. They are not capable of automatically planning a round trip where the start and destination are identical. This only works with the insertion of intermediate destinations, which you have to consider taking into account the desired route length. Although intermediate destinations are also helpful for a one-way route, they are not absolutely necessary.
For a "quick" tour, it makes more sense to use the community pool and modify the result if necessary. Komoot and Outdooractive provide access to ready-made tour suggestions via the "Discover" and "Tour search" functions. With Strava, you can only display all segments that run within the respective map section in the route planner. In other words, those sections on which you can compete with other participants. Completed (circular) tours can only be shared between linked accounts of friends, i.e. more or less privately.
Prepare route planner
First step: prepare the route planner. In addition to selecting the type of sport, Komoot and Strava offer many specific presettings, for example fitness level or desired incline. The right settings on the map are also crucial: with Komoot, the display of user highlights is very helpful, with Strava it is the "follow favourite routes" function and the segments. The US company also offers an overlay heat map that highlights popular routes in colour. With Outdooractive, the "Cycling" overlay can be activated with a highlighted cycle route network. In addition, the usual general points of interest (POI), which are also available in the other two planners, can be selected. For example, accommodation or places to stop for refreshments.
Important during preparation: activate "Because of consequences"
All three test candidates offer this essential function. This means that the lane automatically engages on the road or path section in between when waypoints are set generously. This allows you to work quickly. The function can be deactivated at any time - even in between. This is useful if corrections are required at points that are not recognised by the algorithm. Without the follow function, a straight line is created between two waypoints, regardless of all traffic routes.
Tour planning: Determine start and destination
Two clicks on the map, one at the start and one at the destination, automatically generate a track in a matter of seconds, which - depending on the quality of the algorithm - has to be reworked more or less intensively. Alternatively, you can work your way to your destination step by step via the desired intermediate destinations. This increases the quality of this basic track.
Check route
The advantage of digital maps is that you can zoom deep into the detail. This helps to recognise road and path categories or identify cycle paths. When checking the route, the stored map is now also important. Komoot already offers a clear and easy-to-read open map in the free account. This also applies to the basic Outdooractive map. The topography can be seen very clearly with the help of shading, colours and contour lines.
Komoot even offers an alternative satellite image - which requires an upgrade with Outdooractive and is unfortunately not an option with Strava. In addition, the Strava map is somewhat pale in colour and contains hardly any information about the road categories. Federal roads, for example, are not highlighted in colour. Komoot and Outdooractive give you access to more specialised maps after paying for upgrades. With a little practice, you can quickly check the route. At problematic passages, for example a busy road or where there may be more scenic alternatives, the route can be corrected in the next step.
Check height profile
The automatically generated elevation profile is created using digital terrain models. The result can serve as an orientation for the expected metres of ascent. However, how accurately it corresponds to reality depends on various factors, such as the grid width of the model used and the planner's smoothing algorithm. There can be no absolute truth on this point.
Komoot and Strava automatically create good, sometimes even very good routes for our road bike sample routings, which hardly require any post-processing. Larger roads are only included in sections where this is unavoidable. Or where a tarmac (cycle) path runs parallel. Outdooractive's planner, on the other hand, shows weaknesses and sometimes sends road cyclists for kilometres on busy main roads. Of course, this can be corrected afterwards, but it requires time and knowledge.
Route planning: Correction of the route
Thanks to the "magnetic" route-following function, the track can be changed very conveniently in all three route planners tested. Whether for a short passage or the entire route. Simply drag and drop the track with the computer mouse to the desired location. It automatically snaps back onto the roads and paths there. And don't worry, every step can be undone with a single click. Komoot in particular offers exemplary tools to improve the route if necessary.
Highlights of the community
The community has done a great job to date and the database is full to bursting with recommendations. A red cyclist symbol marks these highlights, which can be points of interest or, in the best case, entire sections of the route. Clicking on them reveals details and pictures. If you like the highlight, you can add it to your route with a click. There are also green dots on the map that mark positions where an original photo of the route is stored. This is often enough to make a decision in favour of or against the route. It could hardly be better.
Although Strava's concept does not correspond to that of a typical tour and planning portal, the route planner also delivers pretty convincing results. This is because the Strava community is also very active and feeds the website with data on the best sections of the route. A superimposable heat map uses different colours to show where most road cyclists are riding. You can also display all segments (challenges) in the respective region and add them to the route using drag-and-drop if you wish. Our automatic test routing immediately presented the most attractive route from Bad Tölz to Garmisch - without having to enter any intermediate destinations. It's just a shame that the tool is so spartan.
Apart from the cycle route overlay, the Outdooractive planner does not offer any help for road cyclists when correcting a route. You have to rely largely on your map-reading skills and assess the road and route categories.
Save route
After checking and correcting, the planned route can be saved to your private account, shared with friends or published. Subsequent changes to the route and status can be made at any time. You can use your smartphone and the portal app to retrace your route. Or you can download a GPX track to a GPS or other navigation device.
Tour planning: Test track in the route planners
Komoot and Strava usually automatically place the route on side roads, in this example on the cycle path running parallel to the main road along the Loisach. However, Strava shows it as a gravel path, which is no longer correct as it was tarmaced over a year ago. Komoot has adjusted this thanks to tips from the community. With Outdooractive, you would have to correct the track afterwards, the planner first places the route on the busy B2. The Strava map could be more contrasting and distinguish the route categories more clearly.
Read maps correctly: How do you recognise suitable and scenic routes?
As valuable as the route tips from other cyclists in the community are - if you read a map correctly, you can also track down attractive routes on your own. All the portals presented here use Open Maps as a basis, usually an OpenStreetMap for the free account. As a road cyclist, that's all you usually need. If you have booked an upgrade, you will also appreciate the OpenCycleMap, which shows cycle path networks and trail classifications for mountain bikers.
Identify asphalt
Overland, signposted cycle routes often run on tarmac farm tracks - and in this case are also ideal for racing cyclists. However, there is a certain amount of uncertainty involved in reading the type of surface from the map. Even with maps with cycle overlays, such as the OpenCycleMap, you have to be prepared for surprises on the ground.
Tip: Google Maps
The satellite image available on Google Maps is sharp enough to identify the type of pavement at the maximum zoom level. This doesn't work everywhere, for example in shaded areas in the forest, but surprisingly often. Even more informative is a look at Street View, where you can get a 360-degree image of any recorded position with just one click. In countries such as Italy and France, the entire road network has now been mapped, in Germany it has been partially mapped. Even tarmac farm tracks are visible in many cases.
Recognise topography
The trickiest part of map reading is visualising the shape of the landscape. However, this skill is very rewarding when looking for beautiful sections of the route. For example, over a pass or through an idyllic valley. Two-dimensional maps solve this problem with the help of so-called shading. This shading, in conjunction with the colour intensity, highlights mountain ranges.
With a topographical map, contour lines that precisely trace contours also help. If you know how to interpret the lines, you can even estimate the steepness of a road: The more parallel it is to the contour lines, the lower the gradient. If it crosses the lines, the gradient is steeper. The contour lines are marked with altitude information which, with a little calculation, can provide information about the metres in altitude to be covered. If you plan a lot of routes, over time you will develop a trained eye for where the landscape is at its most beautiful.
Recognise road category
Essential for road cyclists when planning their route. After all, the aim is to use roads with as little traffic as possible. Recommendations for most OpenMaps:
Tour portals in comparison
Tour planning with Komoot
Costs
Account and basic functions incl. web route planner and offline maps for one region free of charge. Additional offline maps (one-off payment): Single region 3.99 euros, region package 8.99 euros, world package 29.99 euros. Komoot Premium (subscription) 59.99 euros/year.
Info
Komoot was founded in 2010 and is based in Potsdam. Since its launch, the website has continuously developed into one of the most popular portals with a very active community. Today, there are over 35 million outdoor and cycling enthusiasts worldwide who use Komoot to plan, find and share tours.
Website & App
The portal offers a huge archive of tours in the sports of cycling (with subcategories), hiking and running. The "Discover" function gives you access to the tours completed by other members in the region after entering a desired starting point, naturally in relation to the selected sport. The tour route is immediately visible on the map, with the details listed to the left.
For those who prefer to create their own tours, there is a route planner that also uses the community's recommendations. The associated smartphone app automatically synchronises with the web account so that both your own tours and those of the community can be viewed and used. With an upgrade, you can download tours in advance on your computer as GPX tracks and follow them with sat nav devices other than your smartphone.
Advantages
- Route planner with recommendations from the community
- Optimal map selection for cyclists
- Highlight tips from the community
- Individual upgrades with one-off payment
- Offline navigation on the move
Disadvantages
- Track creation with intermediate step via a pop-up menu not entirely smooth
- No GPX download with the free account
- Automatic information on route characteristics not always conclusive
- Rescheduling a route en route only possible with an Internet connection
Our impression
Komoot proves that no algorithm can replace the knowledge of a community. On the one hand, the open maps are generally getting better and better with combined efforts, so that you can increasingly rely on the labelling of the route condition. On the other hand, the portal provides specific recommendations from users about particularly attractive routes. And not just in the form of ready-made tours, but in such a way that you can build your own individual routes by combining favourite sections. Even with a free account, a powerful tool with acceptable limitations is available on the desktop. Nevertheless, it is worth upgrading, if only for the option of navigating offline while travelling with the app.
Tour planning with Strava
Costs
Creating an account and the basic functions are free of charge. However, a membership is required to use the route planner: the monthly subscription costs 10.99 euros, the annual subscription 74.99 euros.
Info
The website of the US company of the same name from San Francisco went online in 2009 with the aim of creating a platform for monitoring training and analysing performance data. One of the most popular features are the so-called segments (sections) on which you can compete with members of the community. Strava users include numerous well-known professional cyclists.
Website & App
Strava is all about sport. And predominantly performance-orientated sport. You can immediately see this in the visual language of the website. In addition to recording activities, analysing them and keeping training diaries, Strava also features stories and reports from the world of competitive sport. And a route planner that automatically incorporates the user's recorded GPS data. The segments are also taken into account. This is clever, because it means that racing cyclists can be pretty sure that they will be directed to the most popular routes. The function is hidden under "Discover -> Create a route".
The Strava app synchronises with the web account. You can use the app to record rides, call up and ride saved routes or plan a new route - which is always more tedious on a smartphone than on a PC at home. The app is the only place where you can also find individual route recommendations from community members. However, all actions require a permanent internet connection. The map display is also not (yet) possible offline. This is not ideal in remote regions without a network.
Advantages
- Effective route planner
- Very active community
Disadvantages
- No tour database in the conventional sense
- Only one Open Map to choose from
- Map with pale colours, road categories barely distinguishable
- No offline use
- Subscription comparatively expensive
Our impression
Strava is and remains conceptually a website for sporty road cyclists who are always looking for challenges and also want to compete with each other, compare, analyse and save their training data. Ergo: A paid Strava subscription is not worthwhile just because of the route planner, especially as the tool can only be used in conjunction with a subscription. But anyone who is active on Strava can benefit from the route planner either way. By entering just a few waypoints, such as the start and finish locations, the track automatically follows the most popular routes in the community. Or you can use the heatmap overlay, which highlights the most frequently used routes. Apart from the display of POIs, there is no other "tourist" content.
Tour planning with Outdooractive
Costs
Account (Basic) and basic functions incl. tour planner and GPX download free of charge. Access to an online map (OSM). Paid add-ons: "Pro" (€2.50/month) with access to the Outdooractive map and satellite image; overlay of trail networks, maps and tours can be saved offline. "Pro+" (5.00 euros/month): Access to a further five topo and special maps, current and accurate weather forecasts.
Info
Outdooractive emerged from numerous tourism projects that Managing Director Hartmut Wimmer realised after founding his engineering firm in 1994. After 14 years of preparatory work, the website outdooractive.com was launched in 2008. To date, around 60 million users worldwide use the platform to share tours and network. Cyclists are the second largest group after hikers.
Website & App
The range of tours on Outdooractive covers a huge range of outdoor activities. To help you find your way around, the tours are divided into eight superordinate categories, which branch out into 42 more precisely defined sports. These include unusual variants such as tobogganing, snowshoeing and trail running, as well as six cycling categories. Using the "Tour search" function, the offer is immediately visible in the form of symbols on the selected map section. A filter can be used to narrow it down to the desired sport.
The tool for personalised planning is accessed via the "Tour planner" function. Another feature is the worldwide travel guide, which guides you to the tours there by selecting the country. The Outdooractive app automatically synchronises with the web account and provides access to the entire content. The GPS data for all tours can be downloaded for use on external sat nav devices.
Advantages
- Ready-made community tours available in many different sports
- Good base maps
- GPX download already possible with the free account
- Offline navigation on the move
Disadvantages
- Route planner for road bike tours with weaknesses
- Upgrades and special topo maps only in the subscription model
- Rescheduling a route en route only possible with an Internet connection
Our impression
The name says it all. The website lives up to its claim of offering a wide range of tours in countless outdoor sports. You realise this as soon as you browse through the tour search for published community tours. These include many road bike routes. In terms of automatic routing for road bike routes, the portal is not quite on a par with the two competitors tested.
In the test routings, the planner often guides road cyclists for kilometres along main roads, even if there are more attractive secondary routes in the immediate vicinity. Obviously, the tool does not consistently favour road categories that are suitable for road cyclists, nor the route recommendations from the community. This means that only those who put their map-reading skills to the test, create the track manually point by point or extensively correct an automatically generated route afterwards will end up with a route that is consistently fun to follow.
