I’ve got a new bike using the government backed cycle scheme.
I only really wanted to buy all the wet weather gear for cycling during the winter but ended up with a new bike.
It’s so much easier than the mountain bike for the commute. The recent weather has tested out the clothing well. Waterproof overshoes aren’t very effective but the rest I’m quite happy with.
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Open Street Map now has an easy export function which means it’s easier than ever to get images of map. More importantly you can export the XML for an area.
Here’s a state of the map for the wirral.
I’ve been mapping my local area on OSM for a while and been recording tracks whilst out on my bike.
Whilst searching for cycle routes recently I found this great website called gravity storm by a guy called Andy Allan.
Andy has written a map renderer for the OSM map data specifically for cycle routes giving an OSM cycle map.
This prompted me to finish mapping the National cycle route 56 from the Chester to Liverpool.
It should be rerendered in on the map next Wednesday or there abouts.
Whilst searching for cool tools for my phone and the GPS I use with it, I found Open Street Map or OSM.
To quote from the OSM wiki….
“OpenStreetMap creates and provides free geographic data such as street maps to anyone who wants them. The project was started because most maps you think of as free actually have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive or unexpected ways.”
Anyone with a bit of practice can edit the map. Sign up for a username and map your local area.
I have been saving GPS tracks on my phone using TrekBuddy whilst out in the car or on the bike. These can then be uploaded into the OSM editor and the dots joined to make routes. Tag them with a type e.g. road, cycleway and with a name eg “A41″, “Wirral Way” and the next time the map is re-rendered (re-generated) your road or whatever appears.
This years birthday present was a rather nice Specialized Hardrock.
