I've looked at the BB300 route and it follows the rights of way as they are shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:50k map, giving out a gpx which didn't wouldn't be appropriate.

The line on the ground might no longer follow the route of the right of way, that's just part of the fun. I've always just used the gpx as issued and found my way round without a problem. Navigation is part of the challenge, otherwise you might as well just ride on a turbo trainer for 24 hours whist someone waters you down with a garden hose

I 'groundproofed' the gpx track on my OS mapping thingy by tweaking it onto the line on aerial photos. It was a good way of doing route homework. I fully expect this line to be way of the actual line due to inaccuracies of the OS aerial photos....hey ho..

Someone usually brings this up most years and when they do I say the same thing. If you're zoomed right in, then yes there will be some discrepancy between the gpx trace and the track shown on the map - this is because the route is drawn and not a trace taken directly from a ride. If you use a zoom level of around 500m - 800m on your gps, then the two will line up much better. In practice, it's very rarely a problem ... really, don't over think it. If someone's really thinking they should leave the only available track and ride directly across a field to rejoin said track 300m further on, then they probably shouldn't be out there on their own.

lune ranger wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 3:59 pm For me I opted not to go this year and did my own local 200.
I’d need to take trains to get to the route travelling through some of the highest transmission areas in the country. At this time I personally find it hard to justify that for the sake of going for a ride.
I realise this puts me in a minority here.
Maybe if I could have driven to the route and kept myself to myself I’d have planned to go but as things stand right now I don’t think I would’ve. I think my personal circumstances make me much more cautious than others.

Very wise decision and well done that. I didn't have too much issue accessing the closest point near me by car easily enough. Parked in a quiet tiny carpark out of the way and in addition I took all my own food - I don't do pub stops anyway, but was trying to treat it like the OffRd LeJOG lot did this year, by limiting interactions with public as much as poss.

Rich, just to add to your comment about the BB300 lot all finishing. Personally I reckon (and you and most others on here have much more experience of the BB200/300 than me) it's gonna be a while until we get the first finishers and I defo think there's gonna be a fair few (more than usual) DNFs this year...

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:57 pm Someone usually brings this up most years

Only cos that shopper bike hasn’t been out yet ....

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:09 pm

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:57 pm Someone usually brings this up most years

Only cos that shopper bike hasn’t been out yet ....

Not out on m'own. Yikes, I better take m'bike then......

Chris - let me get this straight. You emailed out an accurate GPX, people loaded it into Komoot which modified it, they then used this modified version and complained about it?

Weird

Only cos that shopper bike hasn’t been out yet ....

Still building up to it.

whitestone wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:57 pm Chris - let me get this straight. You emailed out an accurate GPX, people loaded it into Komoot which modified it, they then used this modified version and complained about it?

Weird

Exactly that

In previous years I just used the issued gpx with little problem.
This year I 'tidied up' the bb200 gpx and put it on my Wahoo with added cue points for supplies, hike a bike and any tricky nav areas.

I also ran the issued gpx on my etrex.

This allowed me to compare tracks when unsure out on the ride.

I would say that tidying the track was not necessary and didn't really save any time or make things easier. This is because as Stu highlighted above at the zoom level Iwas working at with both tracks on the units they actually looked almost exactly the same!

Adding those personal cues was worthwile to me.

I usually just put in a waypoint saying "track not obvious" or something for those bits that are a bit confused. It's rare there isn't at least some sort of path you can take. There are noted bogtrotting exceptions of course.

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:59 pm Rich, just to add to your comment about the BB300 lot all finishing. Personally I reckon (and you and most others on here have much more experience of the BB200/300 than me) it's gonna be a while until we get the first finishers and I defo think there's gonna be a fair few (more than usual) DNFs this year...

Possibly, but then I note the conditions of the 2018 BB200/300 where none of us had any right to finish!

Our 300 rider's going well. Started around 3.30pm yesterday and by my reckoning, is roughly at 150km now.

That really is good going.

Hes had one run in with a angry farmer last night, fairplay to anyone riding this weekend. Sat in van at water breaks its neck contemplating a loop today but its just too cold n wet to even want to ride my bike around a 45mile loop never mind 125miles good luck to them all i say.

Must be pretty sh1te if you ain’t riding today , hopefully it’s blue skies and crisp frost end of the month, as with every outing I’ve had over the last year guaranteed to have some other storm roll in the night before

Mike wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 10:15 am Hes had one run in with a angry farmer last night

I'm really not looking forward to that. I don't have the sort of patience required to be polite these days.

Maybe I should pre-print some cards showing rights of way through all of those bits. lol

I don't get the 'angry farmer' thing. If you're on a legal RoW, then there's no problem. If you've got a little lost and stray from the RoW, then surely that's not really a problem either in the great scheme of things?

Mystery 300 rider approaching Builth now, which appears to be the crux / drop off point for quite a few. I'd estimate that they're roughly at km 180 at present.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:26 pm I don't get the 'angry farmer' thing. If you're on a legal RoW, then there's no problem. If you've got a little lost and stray from the RoW, then surely that's not really a problem either in the great scheme of things?

It wouldn't be for reasonable people, no.

Mystery 200 rider having lunch in the sunshine at Hay on Wye.

I'm sodden and absolutely filthy. . It's not particularly warm either.

Averaged 11.2km/h for the first 40km to here. Suspect that's about to drop a little bit...

From what I hear pal I think ur about to slow right down
Nice and cosy here in the house with the heating on!

Mystery 200 rider having lunch in the sunshine at Hay on Wye.

I'm sodden and absolutely filthy. . It's not particularly warm either.

Good man

In Reverse wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:28 pm Averaged 11.2km/h for the first 40km to here. Suspect that's about to drop a little bit...

That's pretty good given that section is a bit iffy on the ground.

I’m that mystery 300 rider, currently sat in Builth looking for the shortest way back to Kington. 170km in 21.5 hours, and I think it’ll take 13 or so to finish. I’m absolutely knackered, and don’t think it’s wise for me to go through a 2nd night without sleep - I lost a bit of coordination last night so want to play it safe.

I honestly think the bail rate will be very high this year.

Double post soz