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Desktop or web-based software for creating routes and saving as .gpx files

JustAnotherSquid

JustAnotherSquid

Used to ride a motorcycle
Joined
Feb 10, 2022
Member Number
563
Posts
65
Location
Charlotte, NC
After spending the last two years researching the whole "phone vs garmin" thing and not really liking either option (for me anyway ... I understand why each may be the perfect solution for other people), a few weeks ago I stumbled across the Beeline Moto. I bought one, and after testing it out, found it was a home-run as far as my needs go.

The Beeline comes with a full-featured GPS app that is pretty darn good, but I prefer to do route planning on the computer. You know, what with the mouse, keyboard, and giant screen and all. So I need software for creating routes and saving them in .gpx format. Once upon a time I had a Zumo, and used the Garmin software that came with it, but never really liked it. I've tried ridewithgps.com and think it's pretty decent but would love to explore some other options as well. What do you guys use?
 
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Mappite.org is one great online source for creating GPX tracks quickly and easily. Be sure to export your work as tracks, and not routes. The default is routes.

Gpsvisualizer.com/draw is another great site. Very easy to edit tracks that have already been created.

Only caveat with Gpsvisualizer, is to be sure to change the max number of points when importing tracks. The default value is 500. This is due to the old Garmin hardware limit that restricted tracks to a maximum of 500 points.

Tracks now can have thousands of points...
 
BaseCamp with the 62STC and sometimes with the 395LM. Mostly have been using Microsoft Streets & Trips (2013) for nearly ten years now--primarily for the 395LM Zumo. Sure, S&S is unsupported, but many of the roads are still valid. Copies can be found still.
 
I do all my maps with Kurvigor. Its awesome, and I have a paid version of it. I create the route, save the gpx, email it to myself, then grab the email on an old smart phone to open with OSMand. I've traveled probably close to 40,000 miles this way.
 
I've been playing around with all of your suggestions this afternoon and they've all been great. If there's one I'm gravitating towards I think it's Kurviger. Mappite is also excellent but I think their servers are struggling today.
 
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I have a local OSM server either serving raster and vector data and creating weekly Garmin format maps. It also serves elevation data. I am a Linux user mostly using QMapShack, but KDE Marble does as good a job as anything for creating routes. I didn't see a problem with Basecamp (running in a VM). It worked well for me.
 
I tried out ridewithgps.com last night and liked it well enough but haven't tried opening the gpx file on my Duraforce yet, mappite as mentioned by Yooper_Bob seems to work well also in the few minutes I played with it.
 
I have used Furkot on occasion. Pretty comprehensive including food, fuel, lodging, stop planning. A pretty steep learning curve, but worth it once you figure it out.
 
ZoomerP said:
I've looked at it but haven't gone any further. It looks like a great tool for comprehensive planning, but that kind of goes against how I like to travel.
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I agree. I normally have a track, look online for things I'd like to see in the area, then either forget them or just muddle my way to them with out any pre-planning. The couple times I used Furkot, I actually went to all the places I wanted to...go figure...
 
Well I'm sort of a geek at heart so this is my home setup. On the right monitor is Garmin's Basecamp program which I really do like. It's not perfect, but for planning multi-week trips or even a day ride it works just fine for me. I upload into a Zumo for the Motorcycle or another Garmin for the car.

On the left monitor is Google maps, with Street View for looking and fine tuning routes by dragging points, looking at road surfaces with Street view, zooming in, etc. Yes, street view might not be exactly as it looks NOW, but in the bottom right is the image date so I get an idea of how current it is.

And in the middle is the laptop screen which right now has Booking.com on it for checking out hotels in areas where I might stop.

I have the Garmin maps for both North America and Europe and take my GPS with me when I travel, but for Asia where I was this year for 2 months, Garmin maps really doesn't give me the coverage for the areas I was travelling in. So in those cases, I solely build routes for use in Google Maps which IMHO is simply not as good as a dedicated GPS unit.

But heck, do what works for you, pick a method and then get really good at whatever software GPS/phone combo you choose to work with. It's being REALLY comfortable with the method you choose that takes all the stress out of the actual trip because you're not fighting tech problems.

Steve

computerXX.jpg
 
Steve - YYZ said:
Well I'm sort of a geek at heart so this is my home setup. On the right monitor is Garmin's Basecamp program which I really do like. It's not perfect, but for planning multi-week trips or even a day ride it works just fine for me. I upload into a Zumo for the Motorcycle or another Garmin for the car.

On the left monitor is Google maps, with Street View for looking and fine tuning routes by dragging points, looking at road surfaces with Street view, zooming in, etc. Yes, street view might not be exactly as it looks NOW, but in the bottom right is the image date so I get an idea of how current it is.

And in the middle is the laptop screen which right now has Booking.com on it for checking out hotels in areas where I might stop.

I have the Garmin maps for both North America and Europe and take my GPS with me when I travel, but for Asia where I was this year for 2 months, Garmin maps really doesn't give me the coverage for the areas I was travelling in. So in those cases, I solely build routes for use in Google Maps which IMHO is simply not as good as a dedicated GPS unit.

But heck, do what works for you, pick a method and then get really good at whatever software GPS/phone combo you choose to work with. It's being REALLY comfortable with the method you choose that takes all the stress out of the actual trip because you're not fighting tech problems.

Steve

computerXX.jpg
Click to expand...
I plan and lay out my rides very similarly, 1 monitor is open to basecamp, the other has google earth pro turned on with photos so I can see any places of interest on or near the route.
 
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