Absolutely unacceptable routing — dangerous for touring cyclists
We used BikeMap to plan a route from Ragusa to Gela in Sicily, travelling on two fully loaded touring bikes with panniers. What should have been a pleasant day of cycling turned into an exhausting, dangerous disaster.
At first, we didn’t worry too much about the route BikeMap had chosen. Eventually, however, it led us straight toward a freeway and effectively left us with two options: ride on the highway or follow what appeared on the map to be a gravel road.
We chose the gravel road, assuming it might be rough but still reasonably passable on touring bikes.
We were very, very wrong.
The “road” deteriorated into an incredibly rough, rocky path with large loose stones and sections that were completely unsuitable for loaded touring bicycles. We had to get off and walk our bikes for much of it. By the time we realized just how bad it was, we were already at the point of no return, so we had little choice but to soldier on.
The result? Scratches, bruised legs from pedals, a broken pannier rack, hours of pushing heavily loaded bikes over rocks, and an enormous amount of wasted time.
And somehow, it got worse.
After finally making it through the rocky section, BikeMap routed us through an extremely run-down area where we were chased by dogs. It then directed us toward a path that, when we got there, didn’t even exist.
That was the final straw. We gave up on BikeMap, opened Komoot and used it to reroute us.
Out of curiosity, I later plotted the original Ragusa-to-Gela journey in Komoot. It didn’t even consider sending us down the horrendous route BikeMap had chosen. Instead, it produced a SHORTER route that appears far more sensible and pleasant.
So BikeMap managed to route two fully loaded touring cyclists toward a freeway, onto an almost unrideable rocky track, through an area where we were chased by dogs, and finally to a path that DID NOT EXIST.
This isn’t just poor navigation. For a cycling app, this kind of routing can put people in genuinely dangerous situations.
A cycling navigation app should understand the enormous difference between a gravel road that is rideable on a touring bike and a rocky track that requires you to push a fully loaded bicycle for kilometres. It should also have enough confidence in its map data not to direct cyclists onto paths that simply aren’t there.
We ended the day scratched, bruised, exhausted, with a broken pannier rack and a large part of our day wasted — all because we trusted BikeMap to give us a reasonable touring route.
After this experience, I have absolutely no confidence in BikeMap’s routing for bicycle touring.
I wouldn’t recommend this app even to my worst enemy.
At first, we didn’t worry too much about the route BikeMap had chosen. Eventually, however, it led us straight toward a freeway and effectively left us with two options: ride on the highway or follow what appeared on the map to be a gravel road.
We chose the gravel road, assuming it might be rough but still reasonably passable on touring bikes.
We were very, very wrong.
The “road” deteriorated into an incredibly rough, rocky path with large loose stones and sections that were completely unsuitable for loaded touring bicycles. We had to get off and walk our bikes for much of it. By the time we realized just how bad it was, we were already at the point of no return, so we had little choice but to soldier on.
The result? Scratches, bruised legs from pedals, a broken pannier rack, hours of pushing heavily loaded bikes over rocks, and an enormous amount of wasted time.
And somehow, it got worse.
After finally making it through the rocky section, BikeMap routed us through an extremely run-down area where we were chased by dogs. It then directed us toward a path that, when we got there, didn’t even exist.
That was the final straw. We gave up on BikeMap, opened Komoot and used it to reroute us.
Out of curiosity, I later plotted the original Ragusa-to-Gela journey in Komoot. It didn’t even consider sending us down the horrendous route BikeMap had chosen. Instead, it produced a SHORTER route that appears far more sensible and pleasant.
So BikeMap managed to route two fully loaded touring cyclists toward a freeway, onto an almost unrideable rocky track, through an area where we were chased by dogs, and finally to a path that DID NOT EXIST.
This isn’t just poor navigation. For a cycling app, this kind of routing can put people in genuinely dangerous situations.
A cycling navigation app should understand the enormous difference between a gravel road that is rideable on a touring bike and a rocky track that requires you to push a fully loaded bicycle for kilometres. It should also have enough confidence in its map data not to direct cyclists onto paths that simply aren’t there.
We ended the day scratched, bruised, exhausted, with a broken pannier rack and a large part of our day wasted — all because we trusted BikeMap to give us a reasonable touring route.
After this experience, I have absolutely no confidence in BikeMap’s routing for bicycle touring.
I wouldn’t recommend this app even to my worst enemy.
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Not helpful in Croatia
The app constantly directed us to unrideable and non-existing bike paths when cycling from Muggia in Italy to Porec in Croatia.
We ended up using Apple Maps which wasn’t great, but at least it got us there.
We ended up using Apple Maps which wasn’t great, but at least it got us there.
Actually Annoying to Use
I liked the first week using it, really was safe riding out. But now the routes make absolutely no sense and are actually pointless making us go the long way for no reason just to get back on roads it told us to get back off on…
Also, how the hell do you end a current ride???? I have to close the app completely if I want to change my destination.
AND STOP ASKING ME IF I WANT TO SAVE A RIDE A DIDN’T WANT TO RECORD IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!
Also, how the hell do you end a current ride???? I have to close the app completely if I want to change my destination.
AND STOP ASKING ME IF I WANT TO SAVE A RIDE A DIDN’T WANT TO RECORD IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!
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Useless
Literally useless. Doesn’t even show bike lanes.
Приложение не работает
Оплатила подписку,а приложение выдает постоянные ошибки.даже элементарно не прокладывает маршрут.
