I’ve added some new features to our Ordnance Survey map of the Peak District which shows local tracks. This brings it from version 2 to version 2.5.

New Features

• View URL encoded routes
• Users can add a customisable Marker and share it using a URL
• Search by place names, post codes or OS Grid References (6 or 8 figure)
• Easier sharing of locations, tracks and built in routes; using URLs
• Better layout
• Link to a map legend (key)

URL encoded routes are the first step in our plan to let users design and share routes using our map. Not only that but you’ll be able to draw a 20 mile route in under a minute! Sounds too good to be true, but I’ve come with a special system that I haven’t see used anywhere else. The route designer is still in development, but this version of the public map allows you to view what we create, eg routes of rides we’ve been or are planning. Hopefully the next public version will have the route designer in it, but that depends on how well the development goes.
All the information for the route is encoded in a hyperlink which means we avoid the tricky business of letting people store routes files on our server or in our database, but still lets you share them in an easy way. (Unfortunately VERY long routes will not be compatible with Internet Explorer which limits URLs to ~2040 characters (cos it’s crap), but I have done everything I can to shorten the encoded length.)

Example: Boxing day route, with a custom marker with an image.

To make a Custom Marker, click ‘position’ and the click anywhere on the map to place it, then click its icon and enter your text and optionally the URL address of an image (eg a thumbnail of one your pictures on Facebook), then click Save. The information has been stored in the ‘Link’ in the sidebar, click it to view your marker in a new window, you can share this with anyone by sending them the link (by copying it from the address bar, or right click ‘Link’ and choose Copy Link Location or Copy Shortcut). If you know HTML tags you can use them in the text box for links etc.

You are welcome to leave comments with feedback or suggestions for future features below.

Taken on today’s Christmas Eve ride.

In previous years we’ve had Christmas themed rides and boxing day rides, but I don’t think we did one last year. So now is time to plan who wants to join us this year and where and when.

So far Thursday the 24th (Christmas Eve) and Saturday 26th (Boxing Day) are marked for rides. The usual route for Christmas rides is our traditional EPIC loop, comprising 4 or so of the best downhills, which we normally session best bits of. This route will be done on the 26th, no route is planned for 24th yet, suggestions are welcome. Irwin and I are off work after Christmas ’til the 3rd of January, so there may be a ride around the start of 2010 too.

Anyone who knows us is welcome to join us, just leave a comment below.

Boxing day ride; Saturday 26th – Route: Traditional EPIC loop or slight variation?

Irwin
Jeff
Shane
Oliver
Jack R
Ed
…

Meeting at 9.30 at the pump track or 9.50 in Aston, and as with other Christmas ride bring warm clothing/gloves food/drink enough for a full day ride.

So Ambergate is somewhere I have only ever visited once before, back in May with Jeff . Ambergate is often compared to Wharncliffe, but I feel it offers something slightly different. The hill for one is nowhere near as steep or as big as Wharncliffe so the tracks offer a generally less intimidating proposition.

I lost count of just how many riders there were out but at there were at least 15 people i would say, a couple of people i had met before such as the dog man, and Eamon and many new people. Sorry i cant remember many of your names. Anyway this was the first time out with my new Nikon D40 Camera, i bit of a steep learning curve but i am please with quite a few of the shots so something to build on. The Camera itself if awesome.

This section of the track was causing a fair bit of interest if like me you were not the one riding it as what looked like a simple bomb hole gap/step down was catching most people out as there wasnt much of a kicker to help you clear it instead the rider had to almost bunny hope the gap. James (not me ) on his new V-10 was making it look easy even having time to give it abit of style. Whilst i was laying on my back looking up trying to take a low panning shot of the gap i was taken by just how calm and peaceful the trees were, even with us in there.

After a while we moved onto another of the tracks in the woods which featured a fairly tech rock garden. After checking the lines and forgetting them! Everyone was hitting it well, with v10 James showing his local knowledge in doubling up what most were taking a two separate drops.

Anyway thanks to all for the riding and hope you enjoy the rest of the pictures.

09-10-18 Ambergate JI+, 20 Pictures by James

Here’s the video from last month at the Pump Track, with Irwin, Shane, Jeff, Jack, Ed, Alex & Jonerz. It was billed as the last opportunity to ride the Pump Track in the dry and within a week or two this was proved correct. With the new berm, bowl jump line thing ready for some testing. Which adds a new feature to the track, anyway enjoy the video.

Go to Vimeo to view in HD.