... Now so good (and so reliable) that I have all but given up writing out hundreds or thousands of miles of routing instructions by hand.
I still create all of my routes by hand, using paper maps as a template, on a computer. I also take all the relevant maps with my when I ride out of the door. But, I have all but given up writing out the detailed routing instructions by hand as a back up, saving me hours.
I do still know that I need to be heading roughly NW or SE during the day's ride and have the basic compass displayed. I do still encounter the odd deviation due to road closures, however the zooming of the device's screen to display more or less mapping detail is now so good, that working out the way to go is really pretty easy, particularly using the very easy iWheel on by motorcycle married to a very clear screen on the Nav V / 660.
We rode several hundred miles over Easter, often using some very small and unsignposted roads through the very rural Ardennes, that would have been very difficult to write out and follow on a map whilst riding. All were ridden by 10 motorcyclists without too many problems. Did I used to ride them with a map? Yes, so I know it can be done. However, the whole thing was much easier and reliable by just following the magenta line.
Do I make mistakes? Yes, of course. But these are now mostly self-inflicted. Would I go out without a decent map, with a sheet of paper and pencil, just in case the device fails completely or in case I really do need to create a route on the hop at the roadside? No.
I still create all of my routes by hand, using paper maps as a template, on a computer. I also take all the relevant maps with my when I ride out of the door. But, I have all but given up writing out the detailed routing instructions by hand as a back up, saving me hours.
I do still know that I need to be heading roughly NW or SE during the day's ride and have the basic compass displayed. I do still encounter the odd deviation due to road closures, however the zooming of the device's screen to display more or less mapping detail is now so good, that working out the way to go is really pretty easy, particularly using the very easy iWheel on by motorcycle married to a very clear screen on the Nav V / 660.
We rode several hundred miles over Easter, often using some very small and unsignposted roads through the very rural Ardennes, that would have been very difficult to write out and follow on a map whilst riding. All were ridden by 10 motorcyclists without too many problems. Did I used to ride them with a map? Yes, so I know it can be done. However, the whole thing was much easier and reliable by just following the magenta line.
Do I make mistakes? Yes, of course. But these are now mostly self-inflicted. Would I go out without a decent map, with a sheet of paper and pencil, just in case the device fails completely or in case I really do need to create a route on the hop at the roadside? No.
