App suggestions

I just finished 3 weeks cycling in the UK, where I think I was using the cycle.travel website and app about 12 hours per day :)  The route browser map — and maps of my own route folders — were so useful for planning, and of course the routing engine itself is brilliant.

A few comments on using the iPhone app for several trips over the past year.

1. For me, pinching to zoom in/out is fraught with peril while riding, especially with gloves on. So many times I've accidentally modified my route. I think having [+] and [-] controls on screen would be a big improvement (though I can understand a reluctance to add more controls in the map area). For example, approaching a complex intersection I could tap the [+] a few times, then tap [-] a few times after navigating the intersection. Pinching in this scenario usually re-centers the map where I don't want it — or modifies my route.
2. Likewise, several times I accidentally added a via point by panning, then letting my finger rest a bit too long. Perhaps "edit" could be a separate mode from "navigate"? Or perhaps an "undo" command could be squeezed in somewhere.
3. I wish the distance to next turn could be a heavier typeface (if there's not room to make it larger). It's not really legible while riding. IMO, knowing the distance along with the street name would help navigating complex intersections, both in the city and countryside; often in Europe & UK street signs/names are not in obvious places, and I think in Wales half the roads are called "minor road" 😀). 
4. Especially when stopped, it would be helpful to have an arrow indicating which way I am facing. Komoot, MapOut, and other mapping apps all show this and I often wished for it in the c.t app. 

I really love planning routes and riding them with the site and app. Thanks for making it possible!

Edit in OSM (✍️) difficult to click/tap in MacOS & iPad

Hi, due to the rounded window corners in MacOS and rounded screen corners on newer iPads, the ✍️ is difficult or impossible to actually click/tap. Sometimes I can use the accessibility screen zoom features to access it, but often this doesn't work. 

The issue presents in Safari on Mac and iPad, and in Brave browser on MacOS.

I don't really have any good suggestions -- maybe add an "edit in OSM" option behind the ... menu on via points.

Screen captures on iPadOS actually don't show the corner radius -- I attached a photo. 

Lakes and dales loop (road)

www.lakesdalesloop.co.uk/introduction/

The Lakes & Dales Loop is a spectacular, 196-mile on-road cycle route through the best of Cumbria’s countryside.

Meander along gently undulating country lanes to explore the majestic beauty of the Lake District, West Cumbria, Morecambe Bay, the Yorkshire Dales and the Eden Valley. Riding the Lakes & Dales Loop reveals the rugged splendour of lesser-known corners of Cumbria away from the crowds.

On your journey through this ever-changing landscape, you will circumnavigate the Lake District, England’s largest National Park with wonderful views of iconic mountain tops. Starting from Penrith, heading west the route passes under the imposing shadow of Blencathra, the ‘back o Skiddaw’ and surrounding fells, past fortified manor houses and little hamlets towards the bustling town of Cockermouth, birthplace of William Wordsworth.

The route continues past the picturesque shores of Loweswater and over the expansive heather-clad Ennerdale Fells with views across the Irish Sea.

Turning east, the network of minor roads in South Lakeland, mostly well-kept secrets from the majority of motorists will ensure a peaceful day’s journey in the saddle, discovering some of the hidden gems of this part of the world. Give yourself time to stop off for refreshments at slate-floored Lakeland pubs, or cosy tea rooms with regional specialities such as Cumberland sausage, or a slice of Grasmere gingerbread.

The route leads you close to the famous sands of Morecambe Bay at Grange-over-Sands and across the ‘Witherslack Mosses’ (raised bogs) that border the Kent Estuary towards Sizergh Castle. The next highlight is the fascinating limestone landscapes of Farleton Knott and Hutton Roof Crags, as well as valley bottoms full of sheep, meadows, dry stone walls and scattered with field barns.

Heading north up the Lune Valley and passing through the delightful towns of Kirkby Lonsdale and Sedbergh (well worth an explore) you enter the tranquil Eden Valley, first across the open limestone landscape of Great Asby Scar and then into the market town of Appleby on the River Eden, show-casing fine historic buildings. Continue through scenic, rural landscapes to swing back round to the town of Penrith – an elegant and vibrant regional centre.

The exciting, new Lakes & Dales Loop gives you the chance to get up close to many of Cumbria’s spectacular landscapes, beautiful villages, distinctive heritage and rich culture. Don’t miss the opportunity to be among the first to uncover this new cycling ‘pot of gold’.

Some simple facts and figures

Although the route takes in the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, there is very little climbing with a total ascent of just 5,172 metres (16,968 ft). Not bad when you consider you are surrounded by spectacular views of mountains.

This circular route offers an accessible, long distance challenge ride or tour for all cycling interests and abilities. Rides could be a single day event for cyclists who are looking for the next challenge or a less strenuous ride over six days.

Westcountry Way (Devon C2C)

bikepacking.com/routes/westcountry-way/

The Westcountry Way traverses the UK’s south-western peninsular, climbing from the English Channel over the harsh, exposed heathland of Dartmoor, and across the wooded, twisting trails of Exmoor. Some 130 miles later, the route culminates with a descent to the Bristol Channel.

This part of the country is an evocative place, with a history rich in folklore. Dartmoor, with its open moorland, forests, rivers, wetlands and imposing granite tors, is home to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, probably Sherlock Holmes’ most famous adventure. Exmoor has a similarly foreboding, although more intimate, atmosphere and its own legends including the Beast of Exmoor, a large predatory cat said to roam the moors through the 1970s and 80s.

The journey from Plymouth on the south coast to Minehead in the north can be completed comfortably in three full days, although there are ample camping and bunkhouses options if you want to break up the ride into smaller chunks and add an extra day or two. It’s also possible to complete the journey in two long days. This route crosses the Exmoor and Quantock Hills route. A combination of both routes would provide ample options for a longer trip.

North Yorkshire moors ramble

bikepacking.com/routes/north-yorkshire-moors-ramble/

The North Yorkshire Moors Ramble is a lovely long-weekend bikepacking loop that uses a mix of singletrack, medieval flagstone paths, forest tracks, and gravel backcountry roads to explore the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and all its diverse landscapes. From the heather-covered sandstone moorlands to stone wall-lined fields to medieval abbeys and ancient bridges, this route offers countless vistas connected in a 200-mile figure-eight...

The North Yorkshire Moors Ramble starts and finishes in the picturesque fishing port of Whitby, famous for its jet jewelry and ruined abbey, the inspiration and setting for Dracula’s landfall in Bram Stoker’s gothic novel. The route comprises a regularly changing mix of moorland track, fast forest road, singletrack, medieval flagstone pathway, former mineral railway, and quiet country roads, including England’s joint steepest climb at 33%.

The upland plateau is bordered to the north and west by the rocky escarpments of the Cleveland and Hambleton Hills, to the east by Jurassic cliffs along the North Sea coast, while to the south the Tabular Hills tumble down to the Vale of Pickering. The figure-eight route takes in the diversity of landscapes the national park has to offer, from the heather-covered sandstone moorland through wooded, steep valley sides to the dry stone wall-lined fields below.