Garmin routing in cities

[seangee]

Anyone found a way to get sensible routing. If you have traffic turned on the Zumo XT gives really bonkers results in London. I have it set to motorcycle routing and fastest routes. For some reason it is insistent that the fastest way from Richmond to Tower Bridge is to go around London, even when the roads are quiet (quiet is of course a relative term when talking about London). And even when I get as far as Westminster it still tries to push me onto the South bank.

Of course I do know the way to the office and back, but like to keep the Satnav on in case roads are closed and I find myself somewhere unfamiliar, or to warn me of particular traffic issues. Trouble is I have got so used to just ignoring it I may as well not use it. And the day will come where I did not take the suggestion to go on the South bank when the Embankment is actually closed because I got so used to just ignoring it 

[mustangpilot]

Question? Do you have Garmin Drive connected? My experience is it can mess up calculated route when it detects traffic jams or closed roads.

[Mike_B]

Biggest problem with London is that they keep changing the bloody roads.  One-way, buses/taxi/cycles only, no left turn here, no right turn there, no entry, go the other way round that block, changed speed limit - it's a nightmare.  Satnav maps don't have a hope of keeping up with the changes.  And if you get it wrong by doing something that was fine last week but now isn't, you're rewarded with a chunky fine.

[Paul2bikes]

Trento is an experience for sat-nav's, my Ford car's built-in satnav is fairly good in most places, but anywhere near Trento & it aint got a clue. Wants to take us off into small villages that go nowhere, never trust it, so also set my Tom-Tom Rider when going to Italy in car, that got us to our hotel on the outskirts in Pergine Valsaguna. But then took us through an apple orchard to get out on a single track, we booked the same hotel on our return & it took us along a different single track lane with a level crossing in a small village. At least it got us there, the Ford one, would have had us up a mountain to nowhere. Set both exactly the same & they kick off arguing at many a junction.

[seangee]

Originally Posted by Mike_B

Biggest problem with London is that they keep changing the bloody roads.  One-way, buses/taxi/cycles only, no left turn here, no right turn there, no entry, go the other way round that block, changed speed limit - it's a nightmare.  Satnav maps don't have a hope of keeping up with the changes.  And if you get it wrong by doing something that was fine last week but now isn't, you're rewarded with a chunky fine.

And that's exactly why I like to have it (and connected to traffic). The old TomTom used to be a lot more sensible but that was before we got awarded 20mph speed limits everywhere.

As far as I can tell the algorithms are based on the speed limit of the road and only take into account reported delays. Have had some interesting adventures in the car in Devon when a dual carriageway reports a 20 min delay and the satnav thinks you will get there quicker going an alternative route because the speed limit is 60mph and there are no reported delays - but of course there is no way you can get anywhere close to 60mph on an untreated single track, and there are no traffic cameras on those roads to report delays anyway . Don't mind that on the bike because I am just riding for enjoyment and in no rush, but its different when commuting in the City. But you would think with the volumes of traffic they could get a far more accurate assessment of how fast the traffic is actually moving at any given time.