Zumo User Forums

Advice from a riding buddy started me on setting the route activity profile in my routes to "None". The reason was that it prevented recalculation following a Basecamp map update. I have been doing this for several years but just now noticed that in these routes, all of the route points are assigned the "Driving" activity profile. This surprises me considering that "Motorcycling" is the default. It also started me thinking about the "None" profile in regards to what the XT does with "None" when it receives the route. My assumption is that it uses its motorcycling profile which then makes me wonder if it always calculates these routes during import, and whether the "Driving" profile of the route points plays any part in what the XT does during calculation. Thoughts?

Peobody wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:57 pm The reason was that it prevented recalculation following a Basecamp map update.

Setting the Profile to None prevents recalculating when you make modifications to a Profle. For example when you change profile "MotorCycling" routes that have 'None" are not recalculated.
A map update has nothing to do with that.
Setting it to "None" is like a custom setting for that route. It can have any transport mode "Hiking" for example, all kind of weird avoidances etc. Routes having None do not necessarily have the same settings.

Peobody wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:57 pm The reason was that it prevented recalculation following a Basecamp map update.

I'm from the other side. I WILL recalculate routes, just before I use them. To make sure they are calculcated with the same map as in my unit. Failure to do so can result in 'Can not calulate route" when starting a route with CEP for example.

Besides: You took the effort to update the maps, why not recalculate your routes, to match the new maps? And I dont mean all your routes, just the routes you will use the next few weeks/months.

Peobody wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 12:57 pm Thoughts?

Stop using that for the XT. Also use avoidances sparingly. Only Off-road is my avoidance.

FrankB wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:48 pm For example when you change profile "MotorCycling" routes that have 'None" are not recalculated.

Ahh. That makes sense. It takes very little for Basecamp to think a profile has been modified and, IIRC, when that happens, Basecamp wants to recalculate all routes based on that profile. It's PITA.

FrankB wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:48 pm I WILL recalculate routes, just before I use them.

I agree with this when I'm planning a future trip but not the local routes that I choose from when I want to go on a two orthree hour ride. Those are In BC, on C:, and on the SD card. I don't want any changes made in BC unless I am intentionally making them to fix a problem identified during a ride.

FrankB wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:48 pm Stop using that for the XT. Also use avoidances sparingly. Only Off-road is my avoidance.

Off-road is my only avoidance so we're agreed there.

Does the "None" profile automatically trigger a calculation by the XT on import? (Forget about TripManager for a minute, if you can. )

Peobody wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 3:38 pm Does the "None" profile automatically trigger a calculation by the XT on import?

I like to believe that that depends on the settings you make here, when choosing None. If they are the same as in the standard 'MotorCycling' likely not.
There are too many combinations for me to try them, to be sure.

Peobody wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 3:38 pm (Forget about TripManager for a minute, if you can. )

Help me. I cant....

My Usage mode is set to "Motorcycle". That makes it weirder that changing a route's profile to "None" results in its route points having a profile of "Driving". There is no need for conjecture as to why. This is Garmin after all.

FWIW, I modified one of my local "None" routes and then transferred it to the XT via the SD card before riding it this afternoon. It imported quickly so I don't think it calculated during import. Darn! I was hoping the "None" profile was going to explain why so many of my routes calculate during import.

Hope you dont mind me being so persistent about it. But a common cause for recalculation is a gpx route not calculated in Basecamp wit the same map as on your device.

A Profile is the name given to a set of stored settings that you can select when creating a route.
You can assign a number of routes to use exaclty the same profile.

So a Motorcycle profile in Basecamp stores one complete set of values for the way that you want to navigate when you are riding your motorcycle.
eg avoiding highways, higher average speed settings because you can filter.

When you create a route in Basecamp that uses the Motorcycle profile - it is using exactly the same settings as every other route that is using the motorcycle profile. In fact, if you ever change the settings for your motorcycle profile, it will then send Basecamp into a frenzy as it has to go through every single route that uses the motorcycle profile and recalculate it.

None - means that your route is not linked to a profile at all. Instead the settings are stored with the Basecamp Route. It is just like using selecting 'Custom' from the list of available profiles. Custom is not a profile either - but it appears in the same list so that you can say - no thanks, I don't want to use a set of settings stored in a profile. I'll set them independently just for this route.

So 'None' and 'Custom Route Settings' are the same thing.

Selecting None or Custom has big advantages when planning routes in Basecamp - because any changes that you make to the custom settings are shown immediately on the map. Make a change, the route changes immediately. So you can use this to play around - to see what will change if you allow motorways example. If you create a route that never changes no metter what settings you apply, then there is a fair chance that if the Zumo has to recalculate, it isn't going to come up with anything different.

You could probably simulate XT2 behaviour by changing the speed settings for each type of road. Make motorways and main road 200mph for example. It might route like the XT2. I haven't tried this though.

But if you look at the GPX file that is created by Basecamp with custom route settings (ie no profile is selected), the settings for Transportation mode for me are 'Bicycle'. That is because I have just been experimenting and the last thing that I selected in this drop down list was bicycle.

But curiously, that Transportation Method is not the value that is transferred to the GPX file as the <TransportationMode> tag. It is the name of the profile that is used to determine the contents of that tag.
It is confusing because the terms use change: In Basecamp - Driving; In the Gpx file - Automotive; In the XT1 - Car

But the tag in Basecamp alters according to the Activity profile name, not the custom route settings. Nothing seems to happen at all in the GPX file if you alter the Transportation Mode in Custom Route Settings. Maybe it affects the routing so that if you select trucks you can't go under road with low bridges, or if you slect Hiking it will use off road footpaths. That would figure in the GPXX route point extensions.

The Basecamp profile transferred to the GPX file and that that name gets changed by the Zumo to use whichever is most approrpriate. And there are only three - Driving, Motorcycling, Off Roading, Direct
These transfer to the Zumo as Automotive, Motorcycling, OffRoad, Straight Line.
(Direct and Straight Line are the calculation modes not the tranpsortation modes - but it can be selected only for some transportation modes and there is an odd link between the two) I've forgotten exacly how that works.

If it gets something that isn't one of these, the Zumo defaults to Motorcycling.

Behaviour of XT with Basecamp routes here: app.php/ZXT-P38

Normally the XT will use motorcycling settings if it does not recognise the transportation mode. So even profile names like Motorcycling-Curvy are not recognised by the XT1.

The value in Tranportation Method that you are using - which is only available in Custom Route Settings - is not sent by the GPX file, so the Zumo doesn't see it. The XT will default to using 'Motorcycle' preferences that have been configured on the XT itself.

I forgot to add the reason for adding this information : Any changes perceived by the XT in either of these two values may result in a recalculation.

These inconsistencies are just a small part of how Garmin/Basecamp has contributed to the exponential growth of my cursing vocabulary.

FrankB wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 10:45 am Hope you dont mind me being so persistent about it. But a common cause for recalculation is a gpx route not calculated in Basecamp wit the same map as on your device.

I know, and they are always the same, except for when a Garmin Express version won't install the map to the PC. Avoidances are the same too (unpaved roads only).