GPS Questions Again. Pinning instructions to mapping

[Philip Whiteman]

Firstly, Some mapping systems allow users to plot markers along the route. If I use those markers to say 'Steep Hill', 'loose gravel' or whatever; does that instruction visibly appear on the GPS unit? I am assuming that certain types of unit may or may not show a marker.

Secondly, has anyone subscribed to MapMyRide's MVP function and does that allow the useful addition of markers?

[CakeStop]

Depends on what people do and what model unit people have so it's a bit of a minefield. On I use coursepoints to mimic routesheet instructions eg "015 R.T" or "026 CAFE". My garmin displays "026 CAFE 1.2km" for example and the distance to the cafe counts down. When grovelling up a long hill I've often thought I should put have put a coursepoints at the top so I get a countdown to the top but, like a mother, when the pain's over I always forget.

[Andy Terry]

IMO a complete waste of time and a distraction. You don't need them for navigation - just follow the track line. The exception is audaxers who want to know the location of (info) controls.

[Patch]

Distracting makes the garmin beep all the time. Controls are useful though.

[Philip Whiteman]

Thanks a lot. It was controls that I had in mind.

[CakeStop]

It only beeps all the time if you construct a route from track points rather than course points. Mine only beeps 25m before a turn or info which I find useful because I don't have to constantly look at the track line and when I see it's 5km to the next instruction I know I can forget it for 5km, like you would when following a route sheet.

However too much depends on individual user's gps model and their ability to set it up to correctly use the alerts and to transfer the route including the alerts. I'm happy to use a GPX track provided by an organiser and add my own instructions and I guess most other people that like to use alerts will also be happy to add their own.