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Plenty of time mate. You have a week to master it and loaded up with routes.

Are you getting it for Fathers Day ?




AgentOrange... might do that if I get time... but as I don't have a Garmin or similar I might struggle with the motivation

Also I've ordered the os maps for the routes, if we are all high tech then I won't have a chance to look like I know what I'm doing with a map


* I don't know what I'm doing with a map



The book the routes are from is this one .... http://www.bikemaps.co.uk/se-england-mtb/north-south-downs-mountain-biking.htm

My garmin edge 200 you can upload gpx files to it.

It's always worth having the old faithful MK1 maps to fall back on just incase techno gremlins get in

Yeah Martin

OK, no camping or South Down Epic next week so i am in for this ride...and for the bacon.

Have you followed a courses on 200 yet it's OK but do kind of need to know your route.

As just a black line with arrow.
Use phone for detailed map and location as backup.

My old geko had just arrows as long as you can see a direction change coming you can pick which fork at a t junction getting lost adds to the adventure

Just been having a play with Viewranger on my phone... I seem to have both loops and the off line maps loaded on and working for navigation... although obviously I can't try them out to be sure

I'm going to have a go with it on my commute this coming week to see if it actually works.... as I know the way to work it won't be a problem for me if it all goes wrong

If anyone is going to download the linked routes then on the second loop choose the reverse course option as this is the direction the book route works on.

So navigation....

Book with instructions and map
Phone & garmin's with route.
Paper maps

With that lot we should know exactly where we are when we are lost

My old gps you could put a marker on the car and press home when lost

? You taking lights

Don't think we should need lights... should be done on the two loops by late afternoon using the longest route times from the guide... even if we add something to eat and Bedgebury we should be done by early / mid evening... it's light enough to ride now at 9:00 pm.

Lights went on at 9.30 tonight after 121/2 lights would be the least of my worries

I use viewranger too. Very detailed maps (OS Maps) and it shows all bridleways and paths too. The two routes are already there, uploaded by someone else I guess. I will need to buy Viewranger credits to get them on my phone it seems (£15 for 1000 credits - both routes cost 130 credits) To be honest, as long as there is a trail I would keep going. Worry 30mins later where to go from there.

The start points are 2 miles apart so from one loop we ride to the next one - that would make one long one The longer one seems to be passing thru North Downs Way. Once on it, we could be going for miles, an alternative should we loose track of the actual trail.

I noticed this: Parking (Free car park at the back of Ightham Village Hall car park on Sevenoaks Road in the centre of the village). This is the start point of the small loop.

I have an account with OS maps where I can play around with the maps. I will see if I can import the route there and print it on a larger scale than whats on the book.

I love when no one knows where we're heading to, this will be good day out.

Love big natural day following your nose

That car park has a height restriction barrier on it that's too low for my van or anyone with a bike on the roof. There's another car park just down the road so depending on how much space there is the second one we can all jam in there or park up in both.

More maps especially big scale with the route on them can't be bad

Couple of other things from chatting on today's ride:

Bring some lunch with you... not sure where on the ride we'll be when it's time for food so best not to depend on being near a cafe / pub. We'll definitely be near a pub at the the end of the loops and before Bedgebury though

Seems like a good idea to meet up somewhere easy to find, Jamie suggested Thurrock services, looks as good a place as any

Think 8:00 am at Thurrock ?

Here's a Google map link for Thurrock and where we are going ( second car park with no height restriction )

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Thurrock+Service+Area,+Grays,+United+Kingdom/51.2858892,0.2812617/@51.2890585,0.2682614,13z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x47d8b0c8152d0167:0xee88664af8d51cdd!2m2!1d0.271655!2d51.492367!1m0!3e0?hl=en

Also if anyone wants to pm me their mobile number I'll send mine back and then we've got some way of finding lost / late people.