MyCycleTour - Passion in Cycling
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How to Use MyCycleTour - Tutorials, Section Summaries and FAQs.

Tutorial 1 - Searching and Displaying Routes

Tutorial 2 - Creating Routes

Home

  • Displays a wide variety of cycling routes including routes that are near your location. You can horizontally slide each of the categories and pull in "More Routes" from the database.
  • Search based on geography with the pull down menu (default - *Show Route Sliders*).
  • Use the 'Search' box to look for keywords in route titles, summaries and waypoints.
  • Click on any route image or title to see details of the route - maps, elevation, journal, pictures, descriptions and user discussion blog.

Favorites

  • This allows you to see a summary of routes that you have tagged as your 'favorites'.
  • You tag your favorite routes from the detailed display of any route - for example, by clicking on a route image in the home page, then selecting 'Add Favorite' from the detailed display.
  • You can remove routes from your favorite list by clicking on the image, then selecting 'Remove Favorite'.
  • You must be registered and logged in to view and save favorites.

MyRoutes

  • This is where you can see a summary of all routes that you have created in MyCycleTour.
  • Click on the image of a route to display the detail of the route - as you would from the home or favorites pages.
  • Click the 'Modify' button to make additions or changes to any route you have previously created.
  • Click on the 'Delete' button (where shown) to delete a primary 'Linked Route' (see the next item).
  • Clicking 'Link Routes' will redisplay your routes and allow you to select routes to be listed together under a 'Linked Route'. This is used for more complex trips that are made up of a number of different routes.

Create

  • This is where you input your own cycle routes to share on MyCycleTour.
  • Provide a Summary & Description - which will be shown on the Home/Favorites/MyRoutes pages.
  • Manually input a route (see following items) or upload a GPX (for advanced users) representation of your route.
  • Use the "Search Map" box to zoom to a specific location (street, city, country) or drag the map to your start location.
  • Click on the map to add a start point. Subsequent clicks will add further route waypoints. Drag the startpoint or waypoints to move them.
  • Total ascent & descent, difficulty index, and elevation profile will display once the route starts to plot.
  • Click Continue, then add pictures or select a public image from panoramio to display as your primary display image.

Resources

  • Provides a link that takes you to this help menu.
  • Provides a link that gives tips on mapping and linking routes.
  • Provides a link that gives information on bikes.
  • Provides a link for newcomers and advanced trippers to share in general advice on tripping.

Login/Register

  • Registered users can Log In to their account. You need to be logged in to see Favorites, MyRoutes, Create routes and to make discussion posts.
  • Registered users can update their profile information (email, picture, password, notifications preferences).
  • New users can register. You need to provide a valid email address, a UserName and select an image to use in discussion posts.
  • Login using Facebook. If you prefer not to register, you can log in to create routes and post comments using your Facebook credentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the Author's Journal?When a route is saved the author of the route has the option to write about the route in the Journal. The Journal may be read and written when displaying the route, but only the author can write to it. You may include headings and upload up to 50 images to your journal.
  2. How come I don't see the journal when I create or edit a route?Since journal is something you may add to daily while riding, we thought it easier to allow you to do so from the normal display route page. You must be logged in to write to your journal.
  3. Sometimes my Journal image goes to the beginning of my Journal instead of the end, how come?Any text or image loaded to the journal will be positioned at wherever you left the cursor (sometimes called the caret) in the journal window. If you do not select where you want an image placed it will be placed at the beginning.
  4. Why does it take so long to load some routes?MyCycleTour uses third parties like Google for mapping and Panoramio imagery. The time it takes a route to load depends heavily on the number of waypoint markers in a route since all of this information is exchanged with Google to get an updated map.
  5. What is "See it in 3D"? A very cool way to 'ride the route' using Google Earth. Depending on your browser it will play the route in a browser plug-in, or give you the option to download the route file which you can then play in Google Earth on your desktop or device.
  6. Why won't "See it in 3D" display directly on my iPad? Apple IOS currently doesn't support the Google plugin to make it work in the browser. For IOS devices - we provide an option to email the route file which you can then open in the Google Earth app. Directions are provided in the email we send.
  7. What do the colors imply for routes summaries? The colors reflect the calculated distance/ascent index of a route - green, yellow and red indicate varying challenge levels. In any case - be sure you are fit to ride and are comfortable on the roads and terrain before setting out.
  8. How do I display the detail of any route? Just click on the image in any of the summaries on the Home page, Favorites page, or MyRoutes page.
  9. How do I search for routes in a particular country? Use the pull down menu titled 'General Filter'. You can select a country, or you select ALL countries, or just the Highlighted routes.
  10. Can I search for routes near a particular city? Use the Text Search on the home page. This will search for a match in the Summary and Description fields, as well as the start and end points.
  11. How do I change from between showing km and miles (metric and imperial)? When you display a route there is a link beside the estimated distance to flip between metric (km) and imperial (miles). Your choice is stored in a cookie (if you have them enabled) so it will remember. For route creation, however, it always selects your registration preference. (See FAQ item below).
  12. When I click on 'Favorites' I don't get anything? Be sure you are registered and logged in. If you are not logged in then we don't know whose favorites to show you ;-)
  13. Why would there be information missing in a route? We try to make sure people fill out the description fields for a route - but this is all user input so we show what people have put in... we don't just make it all up.
  14. I don't see a box to post comments on a route? If you are not logged in we don't show the post window... be sure you are logged in.
  15. What is a 'LinkedRoute'? Some routes are long enough that they are more easily captured as a group of shorter routes. The short routes are created as any other route, and then they are 'linked' together by the owner of the route. This is done from the 'MyRoutes' page.
  16. Why else would I want to use a Linked Route? There are times when the mapping won't allow you to follow a specific route - for example crossing some bridges. If this happens, then one way to show your route is to break it into two pieces and avoid trying to show the route crossing the bridge.
  17. Can I edit a Linked Route?In spring 2014 we added the ability to modify a linked route. Display the route and look for the 'modify' button near the top. You can then reselect the routes that you want to be linked together. Your journal should be preserved.
  18. When I create a route the start and end points take me to towns of the same name, but in the wrong country or county/province/state. What do I do? Specify the town and the area / country in the field.
  19. When I create a route I'd like to change the distance units (km versus miles)? This is selected when you first register. It can be updated by going to the login page and select Update Account. One of the options in the update is to select your Units Preference.
  20. I'm trying to load a picture but it won't take it? Pictures must be in JPEG/JPG format, and must be smaller than 4Mbytes. If your picture does not comply we can't load it.
  21. I load an image and it gets cropped - missing the top and bottom? Standard route pictures are all stored in landscape format, but Journal pictures are stored in either landscape or portrait format.
  22. What is the Index Gauge and how should I use it? It indicates the severity of distance and ascent (climb). A somewhat subjective formula. Only you can tell which roads and terrain are suitable for you.
  23. What kind of pictures should I include with my route? Include only pictures you have taken in public places. Be aware that you are responsible for the images you post - so don't post any copyrighted content that you do not own. Also do not post images of children or that wouldn't be appropriate for all ages.
  24. What if I don't have any images to post for my route yet? Then don't post any. We'll give you the option to choose a picture from Panoramio that is near the route you specified to use as your primary image.
  25. What if I don't want to use my own picture when registering? We have a variety of default images that you can select from.
  26. Where do I get help? Click on the 'question mark' at the top of the page... actually, I guess that's how you got here in the first place. Also, look at the tutorials at the top of this page. If that's still no good, then send an email to info@mycycletour.com and we'll get to it when we can.
  27. Do you notify me when a post is made to one of my trips? We will notify you of posts to your route based on the notification schedule that you provide. We also notify you of posts to a route to which you have recently posted.
  28. How about a mobile app? We link to a variety of mobile apps for riding the route by providing you with the 'GPX' file of the route: Pocket Earth, OSMAND, iPlanMyRoute, Cyclemeter, Co-Rider and more. See the blog entry on navigating by clicking here.
  29. I have another question or problem. Email us at info@mycycletour.com. We'll get back to you.