Best practice for loading Routes

I’m having an issue with loading routes that I’ve created in either PlotARoute.com or Strava. Both methods seem to be stuck on ‘calculating’ on the watch when loading the route.

Plotaroute.com routes have been exported as a .FIT file and placed in the NewFiles folder of the watch, on the PC.

Strava routes have been imported to the watch through the routecourse app / https://dynamic.watch/ method.

This happens when it’s set to ‘Use Map’ so is this calculating problem occurring from it working out Turn-by-Turn notifications? When I change it to ‘follow course’ it doesn’t have any calculating to do, but then I’m guessing I’ll get no TBT?

Is there a better method to creating a route, loading it with TBT and minimal calculating time?

Thanks!

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

I run with a group and for our runs we're provided a route. I take this list of streets/turns and use ridewithgps to map the route out. From there, I export the tcx file, and then import it into garmin training center. In here I can change street names and/or add water stops. Once I get things how I want, I export it back to the same file name, and finally open up the .tcx file in a program that converts it to a .fit. (I'm not home right now and cannot remember the name of the program, but I found it here when I had my 920 still).

The above workflow I started using when I owned my 920, but have used it ever since. Seems like a Pain, and it is until you get your tools setup and do it 500 times :) Now it's very quick/easy for me to bust out a route, and I get turn notifications on long runs vs. carrying a piece of paper. I just copy it to the watch in the NewFiles folder.

As I understand it, "Use Map" will do real time routing as needed if you go off course or for some reason the watch thinks there's a better way. "Use Course" will follow the line/course you made and not reroute. I get turn-by-turn using "Use Course" with the above method of creating my .fit file.