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Looking for a good dual-sport ride from KC to Manhattan. Something that incorporates pavement, gravel, hard pack, and maybe even some soft stuff. You know, the perfect ride, that exists doesn't it?

Actually, for my first DS ride I'd really like to try to experience as much as possible to see if I'm even cut-out for this stuff.

Ian

Do you have a GPS unit? If so, what brand or what file-formats do you support?

I believe I have a dualsport route file from the KC Northland to Randolph, KS (North end of Tuttle Creek North of Manhattan). I'll check when I get home.

Safiri may have a route file from Prarie Village to Manhattan--I'm not sure. Macwildcat may have a route for part of it as he is Manhattan based and has ridden towards KC many times.

I know collectively we have some good route files for some loops around Lawrence--the northern parts of those loops could be incorporated into a KC to Manhattan route.

I have an old school Magellan/Meridian. I can load maps, but not routes, however, if the routes have GPS coords I can put each coordinate into the GPS by hand, not a fun way to do it, but definitely cheaper than buying a new GPS.

Ian

Edit: Actually, I found a neat little program called GPS Utility that works with my GPS and can upload GPX files, and perhaps others. So track away.

A relevant discussion is here:
http://www.rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=96
Especially note the links to the Kansas County PDF maps. These are great for planning routes in KS.

I was wrong about having a route already. Sorry. If you aren't in a hurry, just start riding West. Stay on dirt as much you want. When a road ends, turn! Take your GPS so you can know where you are so you don't overshoot Manhattan or go to far North or South.

Troy, I, and others did this one:
http://home.everestkc.net/malsin/Motorc ... 20Loop.gdb
Gets you near Manhattan. Greenhoot/boots and Dave H planned this IIRC. Both out and back were awesome.

Here are Troy's pictures of that ride:
(link bad ... will fix when I get the correct link) http://home.troywolf.com/SiteAlbum/?a=. ... 2006-07-08


Other routes and tracks:
http://home.everestkc.net/malsin/Motorcycle/archive.htm

Edit: I just posted the above routes / tracks in GPX format. Go to my archive page.

Ian: Magellan Meridian users should do this: Go to the Magellan web site and download the free MapSend Lite. This program recognizes the MapSend topo or Streets programs and more importantly to you, recognizes Garmin GPX files. You can then load the waypoints and routes directly into your Meridian. The lite program will also convert your Magellian files to the Garmin GPX format to share with your friends. PM me if you have any questions. Mark

The tough thing about it is that everything north of Topeka for about 10 miles or more is pavement. As you head west, south of Perry Lake and north of US 40, you really have to get north in a hurry, up as far north as Meriden and Hoyt, before you are on solid gravel, as opposed to hardball. I think the east-west roads that are roughly the latitude of 110 Rd., 102 Rd., and 94 Rd. are gravelicious west of Shawnee State Fishing Lake to the Jeffrey Energy Center. By the way, the Oregon Trail Road that heads NW about 10 miles from St. Mary's (nice town) to Red Vermillion Crossing is OK, not real sexy, but you can go fast, and there is a cool graveyard to contemplate.

If you are in for a long day, then you can head south: Wamego, Alma, Hessdale Rd. SE to Eskridge, Wakarusa, Lone Star, Vinland, Olathe. That's nuts, though, a really long day. I like to plan this stuff starting with the DeLorme Kansas Atlas and Gazetteer, $20 at any bookstore... if there are any bookstores left.

I am using a friends garminetrex legend c and mapsource. The maps on map source are pretty vague most just highways and only major high ways. What do I need to do to get a better map?

It won't open any of Safiri rides. This stuff is confusing to me. I've read through the instructions that the GPS unit came with took the tutorial with the software but I still have a limited idea of how to plan a route but talking about it on this is helping.

Have you set the map detail in mapsource to the highest setting. If it is on the highest setting and you zoom in close enough you should be able to see all of the dirt roads. There will even be some that are no longer there.[/quote]

The Harm wrote:I am using a friends garminetrex legend c and mapsource. The maps on map source are pretty vague most just highways and only major high ways. What do I need to do to get a better map?

It won't open any of Safiri rides. This stuff is confusing to me. I've read through the instructions that the GPS unit came with took the tutorial with the software but I still have a limited idea of how to plan a route but talking about it on this is helping.

Does your friend have either the City OR the TOPO map files that you have to buy from Garmin? MapSource comes with the GPS, but the map sets are $100. (I just downloaded my file at work and it opened fine, but no detail showed up until I inserted my Topo CDROM.)

You can probably view these on the online site that Troy has used.

Download my file (GPX format). Save it to your local machine.
Open the file with word pad. Do not use MS XML editer. Word might work.
Cntrl-A to select all, cntrl-c to copy.

Go to: http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/
Choose "Load"
When the window opens, cntrl-V to paste the GPX/XML file into the window. Choose OK. Now wait a bit. This one took some time to load.

I see my waypoints / routepoints. That should help with your route planning.

Gotta go do some work.

Do make sure you read through the Route Building 101 thread.
http://www.rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=96

Good point, safiri--when you buy a Garmin GPS unit, the pre-loaded maps only contain major highways and interstates. You must purchase one of their map products to get more detail. See the Route Building 101 thread for more info on various map products and where to get them.

You mention not being able to open Safiri's route files with your MapSource. I don't think you would have to have the maps to open the gdb files. I mean, without the maps, the data points would not be nearly as useful, but I don't think the maps prevent you from opening the route file. In your MapSource, look in the menus for an option to download an update. You may be many, many revisions behind.

Final advice: stay with it--you'll master this stuff yet. In my opinion, this stuff is not intuitive, and most of the software tools are clunky. But you will be able to make it work for you--it just takes a little time and help from your RideForum.NET friends.

I believe the mapquest version is old and will not support safiri's route until I get a newer version. Although I think I would like to purchase a different unit than the etrex. I used it this past sunday for our ride around Holt/Smithville but the screen is too small for me to see while riding. Any suggesions on which units to look into??

The Harm wrote:Any suggesions on which units to look into??

A topic we've beaten to death...check out these discussions. All, if you reply regarding recommended GPS units, it would be better to post in one of these threads:

What GPS Units do you use?
http://www.rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=101

GPS for my dad
http://www.rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=18

Route Building 101
http://www.rideforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=96

Thanks!

If you can find your way to St. Marys, the Oregon Trail Road begins there. The first road north of highway 24 is the O.T.R. This road will take you all the way to Wamego/Louisville. At Louisville, go approx. 1 mile south to Elm Slough road. You can then continue west to within two miles of Manhattan. This the route I like to take to get from NE rides back to Manhattan with very little pavement.
From St. Marys on west you always know you are within a couple of miles of Hwy. 24 if you want to jump back on pavement. Cool roads with lots of curves and whoops.