Memory-Map is loaded with features to help you enjoy your outdoor trips. Much of the enjoyment is to be had at home, planning before your trip, and afterwards, reviewing your experience. That is why Memory-Map provides much more than just a navigation tool.
The first step is to acquire the detailed maps you need. You can cover a lot of ground on a bike, and digital topo maps give you detailed coverage of a very broad area. Most topo maps show off-road bike trails, but if the trails you are interested in are not shown, you can often download the trail as a GPS overlay. Check for a GIS section in the trail association web site.
Use the software to plan your route, seeing distances, compass bearings, elevation profile and estimated time. The amount of elevation gain will determine the difficulty of the ride, and you can see the gradients in the elevation profile of the route.
Use the 3D World to find the best vistas. Fly along your route to get a good idea of the terrain you will be in.
Program your route into a hand-held GPS, or take the digital maps with you on a Pocket PC.
Print maps to take with you. Select the exact area and scale you need, overlay your route and the grid of your choice. Waterproof paper can be used to ensure your maps won't disintegrate.
A small, light handlebar-mounted GPS is best for biking. A basic model will do a great job guiding you along your planned route, and it will tell you how far you have been, how far you have to go, and when you will get there.
You can plot your position from a basic GPS on a paper map. If you have your route printed on the map, it is easier to measure distance from a waypoint than to plot lat/long coordinates or a grid reference. But manual plotting takes time, and is error-prone.
A Pocket PC running Memory-Map Pocket Navigator will show your GPS position overlaid on the digital map. Having a powerful mapping tool in the palm of your hand is a great advantage if you want to explore away from your planned route. Just tap in a new route on the map, and you can see the elevation profile, before you commit to an extra climb.
If your Pocket PC does not have a built-in GPS, you can add one to the CF or SD card slot, or use a wireless Bluetooth GPS.
How many "gadgets" do you want to carry: Phone, GPS, Camera, MP3 player.... A single compact Pocket PC can do all of these, and more!
If you want to view a Pocket PC on the handlebar, you need a fairly rugged mount, such as the Otterbox 1900 with a RAM mount. This is a bit bulky, but is very secure, and protects it from rain and dust. You want to be able to use it, especially if the weather closes in.
On longer bike trips, you'll need to recharge your Pocket PC. Non-rechargable lithium batteries carry the most charge for a given weight. A battery box carrying 4 AAs, or 2 3V lithium camera batteries, can plug into the Pocket PC to give it a recharge whenever required.
Of course, you'll take pictures on your trip, and these can be automatically located on the map. You can also make voice audio recordings, videos, or any other digital media, and have their locations appear on the map.
When you get home, connect your GPS or Pocket PC to your computer and upload your track-log.
You can see where you actually went, when you were there, and your speed at all points on the trail.
View a graph of your speed, elevation profile... even your heart-rate if you have the right equipment!
Use the 3D world to fly along the route - See all the views you missed when you were concentrating on the trail ahead.
Export the 3D fly-through as a video file. You can edit it into to your own video, with still photos and voice-over, creating an impressive multimedia presentation.