Tagging Good Roads

[smfollen]

I had a thought just yesterday but wasn't sure whether or where to post it. Thanks you to John and Stu for this new section. Great idea and perfect timing!

At least some of you are probably familiar with Butler Motorcycle Maps which rate roads as Good, Better, Best (orange, red, yellow).

ButlerExample.png (352.25 KiB) Viewed 798 times

Of course, not all roads are rated. Further none of the roads in a local area may be good enough to make Butler's criteria but are still the best roads in the area.

Yesterday, while exploring some unfamiliar roads about an hour from home, I discovered some sections that I would like to remember. I could take the unsaved track from the XT2 log into basecamp, try to remember which sections were good, better, best and overlay color coded routes on those sections, but that would be both tedious and unreliable.

I'd buy a Garmin handlebar controller if it let me create and adjust road ratings as I traveled along.

Yes, it is a wild dream, but I thought I'd throw it out to this brain trust anyway.

Anybody have a good way to remember & record good road sections?

Steve

[Peobody]

Anybody have a good way to remember & record good road sections?

I don't, but I wish I did. I mostly ride pre-planned routes but there are occasions when I deviate and then want to modify the route to incorporate the deviation. Unfortunately, identifying those roads once home usually ends up being a guessing game.

[FrankB]

Interesting subject. Some random thoughts. no solutions.

Suppose you would have an 'imaging device' on your helmet, or on the dash/handlebar, that you can start/stop while driving. A gopro or similar. I assume they record the GPS coordinates, if not they can be looked-up from the Zumo's tracklog if the date & time are set correctly.

An option available on the XT (and XT2 I assume) is to use the Track recorder. The challenge will be how to start/stop the recording while driving. Dont know if the Handlebar Conctroller can be programmed to do that?

If you have a track, you can easily convert that to .kml (Basecamp or TripManager) and open that in Google Earth/Street view. That may bring back the memory.

I personally find my self looking for the opposite. Tagging Bad roads Roads that I avoid if possible. But that doesn't make it easier or harder.

[jfheath]

I use the tracklogs. They are turned on all of the time (Settings->Device-Travel History) I keep them and have most of my rides from ever since I got a Zumo in 2007. They are an interesting record and reminder of where we have been over the years, and reveal a very curious lack of interest in the South East of England.
Basecamp has an excellent tool which will join together fragmented track logs, and of course they can be used to identify the location where photos have been taken.

Another way is to start the Track Recorder on the XT1 and XT2. That records a track independently of the active logs which are always recording if you turn them on.

I also have on board video cameras which are always recording. I rarely use te data in those to identify a road. I can usually remember the good section of road after lunch - and the track log is enough to help you find where you stopped for lunch.

You can also tap the motocycle icon on the map, and save your current location.

[smfollen]

John - sure its fine to move this - I just don't know where it would belong - you are the master here so please do as you see fit.

You can also tap the motocycle icon on the map, and save your current location.

Thanks, I was not aware of that feature. Sounds helpful.

Frank -

If you have a track, you can easily convert that to .kml (Basecamp or TripManager) and open that in Google Earth/Street view. That may bring back the memory.

Good idea. That will help me remember.

I do have an automatic dashcam from Innov that includes gps time and coordinates. Its control does have a button to mark video segments while riding (each one 5 minutes long) which also helps narrow things down somewhat, but it is still a tedious process.

Peobody - thanks. Its good to know I'm not the only one with this wish.