1) Get access to open cycle map?

Where? On the website? On the app? IOS or Android? When planning? When navigating by app?

These are my map options on the website. I'm not in the UK so Ordnance Survey maps aren't listed, as an example, but are available for UK supporters (and for me if I'm planning a route there.)

These are the maps available on my Android app with the same comments on availability as above. However, not all these maps are downloadable (usable offline). 

2) When planning routes, be able to add waypoints to notify me, for example, when I am at certain places, eg near a millennium milepost?

You'll need to supply more information for that. App?  GPS unit? Cue sheet? AFAIK there is nothing inherent to being a subscriber to work this. I have been adding 'notes' to viapoints for quite a while that display as messages on my GPS unit. I cannot speak for the app. The key is in the detail. Try it for yourself and see.

It might help to view supporter status as less a transaction (give A and get B in return) and more of contribution towards the future. One big advantage of being a supporter is the monthlyish 'progress reports'. Impressive! 

I am a supporter (Cake) but haven't come across a "monthlyish progress report". How do I actually get one?

Mike, I receive mine as an email from Patreon. It looks like this in my inbox

Thanks.

I ‘upgraded’ to cake status months ago but, looking through bank statements etc, for some reason, the 3.99 monthly amount has only actually started being taken on 6th May. That’s probably why I haven’t received a report yet.

Mike, to the best of my knowledge there are no additional benefits to the different levels of support. Any supporter should be receiving the newsletter. 

I'd suggest checking your email provider or your Patreon account.  

I’ve not heard of Patreon Account before. Can’t seem to find a reference to it on CT.

What is it / do you know how I get one?

Thanks

What is it / do you know how I get one?

Mike, Patreon is the online service that CT uses to process payments (and send newsletters). 

 Perhaps you are an IOS user and there is a different system for Apple users (I doubt it) but you will have signed up to Patreon when you became a supporter. For us, it prevents individual sites (like CT) getting access to our bank details and for CT it gives a variety of tools for acquiring subscribers, processing payments and methods of communication - all at arms length for security for both parties. 

My suggestion is to check your email. Search 'Cycle.Travel' or 'Patreon'. Either search should give you access to the 'newsletter' emails. 

I have checked and searched my e-mails several times now. There is nothing from 'Patreon' and only one from CT and that was confirmation of my registration with CT on28 Jan 2019.; it doesn't mention Patreon.

I've e-mails from Apple Services confirming my subscription as Coffee Supporter on 25 April 2023 and another confirming My subscription as Cake Supporter on 6 Jan 2025. Neither of them mention Patreon.

My subscription is paid through Apple Services. I have no idea who they pay. They get my money through PayPal who, in turn, get it from my credit card.

I have absolutely no recollection of ever having anything to do with Patreon.

I have just searched the web for "Patreon Cycle.Travel" and found the page with the Newsletters but they are locked to me. I joined Patreon using the same e-mail and password as for CT but that didn't help.

I guess I'm at a brick wall. Never mind, it doesn't affect my use or support of CT

Mike, thanks for confirming you've checked your emails. It does indeed seem that IOS supporters have a different option to support. I can't 'help' anymore but I'm sure Richard will see the thread when he's back from the road. 

Mike440, 

There is some information in the cycle.travel Frequently Asked Questions page:

https://cycle.travel/advice/map/faq

Under the heading "I’m using an Apple device but can’t see my routes/supporter status", it mentions that Apple log-in has the option "Hide my email" which might explain why you do not receive Richard's cycle.travel newsletters?

Chris

Thanks for the suggestion.

I’ve just checked “Hide my email” option in icloud in Apple settings on my iphone but CT is not on its (short) list of those hidden

It took me a while to figure this out too. 

As far as I can tell, there are two totally separate paths to supporting (subscribing).

1. Supporting via in-app subscription in the iOS app (I don't know about android)
2. Supporting via Patreon

Using #1 means that Richard doesn't have the ability to email you - AFAIK, Apple does not provide a way for developers to directly contact subscribers. 

Using #2 means you will get the email newsletter. 

In the FAQ linked above:

But if you’re really stuck, drop us a line at info@cycle.travel and we can manually marry up your two accounts.

I think what worked for me was:

• canceling in-app subscription 
• changing my email address via the website from somethingrandom@icloud.com to the same email address I used for Patreon login 

Couple of things to unpack here and thank you for everyone who’s answered while I’ve been away!

You can support cycle.travel either via Patreon or via the apps (iPhone or Android).

If you support via Patreon you get the monthly email newsletter.

If you support via the apps the newsletter isn’t emailed to you, partly because Apple/Google themselves don’t provide an email feature like Patreon does, but also because I figure most people don’t want to install an app and it to start emailing them. But on the Android app, you can read the newsletter by going to Settings > Account status > Read newsletter. This will be in the next version of the iPhone app which should be along in a couple of weeks.

The waypoint handling isn’t any different for supporters and non-supporters. If you add a via point and attach a note to it, the note will show up in your turn-by-turn directions. If you add a marker icon, it doesn’t show in the turn-by-turn but will appear on the screen.