Planning self supported ultra routes

Racing
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With my main event cancelled, so my entry was transferred to the 2024 Trans Devon event. This is a bit harder as it no longer follows a set route there and back. It’s in my backyard so I know a circle about 90km from the start point but everything on the North Coast is a mystery. I’ve got plenty of time (10 months) to get fitter and I don’t doubt I can ride 340km but I’d like to stack the odds in my favour so working the route out with plenty of time.

I’ve got a route planned and have tried to swap between different roads in the mapping software to keep the climbing grades down (I’d rather go further flatter around the hill than straight over it and save energy) but I have no idea what the roads it’s sending me on are like. How do any the ultra folk here do their mapping? Look on the map and hope for the best? Google street view? Something fancier for plotting the route than RidewithGPS (I do also have Kamoot).

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Buddy of mine swears by google street view for determining if a road needs to be rerouted around.

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I use Komoot to get the basic outline done and then go road by road (if I have the time) and check them all in Street View.

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I’ve got 10 months, and other than food don’t have to sort kit so I reckon I’ve got the time!

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Komoot has feature called “Trail View” – cyclists/hikers/etc take photos of trails and post to public map, so during your planning you can see what kind of road it is. Obviously it does not cover all roads as systematically as Google Street View does but same time it covers places where cars does not reach.

Took liberty importing your route to Komoot, here’s small screenshot how it looks like for small section:
image

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That’s pretty cool as well, I’ve got Kamoot for Devon so I’ll have a play there.

That road you’ve screenshotted looks perfect for late in the day steady rolling!

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Don’t know if you meant do this, but ou can do this inside of komoot.

If you right click on a road, you will get the street view option.

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I did All Points North (~1000km open route North of England) in late May and 90% of my planning was done on Komoot. As @MadTuna pointed out the streetview is now baked in and the trail view is useful (but relies on other people riding there and then uploading the image to komoot, so can be a bit patchy.)

I would say to plot your route on komoot and then export to gpx-import it to Strava as Komoot seems to under report elevation by ~20% so don’t let it catch you out. Also if using Komoot premium, the multi day planner is good but has it’s flaws with exporting etc, I much prefer to use collections as its all in one place and editing one route doesn’t have a knock-on effect on previously manicured sections (like komoot seems to love doing).

Also plan your food stops (know where the shops are) but don’t plan where you’re going to sleep as this may set a unreasonable target (fitness on the day != well rested club run speeds), you can always find a comfy looking hedge!

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