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Tourstart GPS training courses

Sunday, August 30, 2015 @ 06:51

Summer season GPS courses – a reviewThe MC crowd is gathering

Tourstart organized three local GPS courses for riders and new Tourstart users in May and June. Each being an individual one day event, the courses saw over 50 riders from all over Denmark, all eager to master all of the details about GPS route planning. MC Touring Camp and MC Camp Sydhavsøerne – both an  exclusive campsite for motocyclists. Selecting a campsite as the meeting point, potentially allowed spending the night in a nicely prepared environment with other passionate riders before setting off back to home. 


Tourstart's side of the coin, highways, messy routes and GPS compatibility

The article includes excerpts of and is supported by an interview with Jan Agnoletti Pedersen, Tourstart's creator. From Tourstart's perspective, such courses are a great way of explaining the concepts behind the main features of the tour planning platform itself and discussing relevant matters with the users directly.

When asked what is the most frequently asked question, Jan pinpoints “How to avoid highways?” straightaway. Who likes cruising along a straight road for hours, after all? The venueReaders who are in doubt about this issue themselves, are suggested to read THIS section of the FAQ. It explains the simple steps included in adjusting the route via a couple of drag points.

Besides that, Jan often gets questions with regards to cleaning up “messy” (Too many unnecessary via points or wrongly ordered) routes and why sometimes the GPS leads riders to tiny side roads. The latter happens after many via points are created – it is important to zoom in and check whether the points were placed accurately before uploading the route to your GPS. 

Device compatibility is another recurring question. The biggest brands, Garmin and TomTom, provide navigators that sometimes can be tricky to use when it comes to uploading new routes. Once again though, make sure to visit the Tourstart's FAQ section, where a lot of information on compatibility is uploaded.

All in all, Jan is happy that participants leave with better skills and deeper understanding of the software, website and involved processes. Furthermore, getting direct feedback always leaves the creator inspired for future development of the Tourstart tool. And, of course, such gatherings provide an opportunity to escape the daily routine and focus on motorcycling!

The participants' reflections and the prospect of online seminars

In order to give a full overview of the courses, Tourstart also interviewed several participants. Happily, all respondents were satisfied with the arrangements, the location andResting beasts the content of the courses. The users learned more about the details of route planning with Tourstart. Some highlighted that the new info about creating well-arranged routes from scratch and tips for altering existent trip plans was highly useful. 

When asked about how the chosen location of the event could influence their decision whether to participate or not, riders gave different answers. Some, having ridden over 200 km to this course, would not mind riding even more if there also were opportunities for lodging, while others would choose not to participate in alternate locations. Hence the choice of MC Touring Camp proved to be a wise one – it is in the middle of Jutland, the mainland part of Denmark, accessible for many local riders, as well as the participants on the MC Camp Sydhavsøerne who came from the southern part of Denmark.

However, while still on the topic of location and accessibility, the participants were asked what their thoughts on online seminars are. Very few had participated in any but all have heard about the possibility and were excited by the thought that similar courses could be held during winters, when the metal beasts are resting, and extend to help users all over the country and, of course, the world!

 

About to set off for a new journey

Finally, the users shared their experience with Tourstart's route planning tool. Most had already created several routes, planned their summer vacation trips, even used it for trips with their vintage cars. All agreed that they can benefit from the service and would recommend it to any rider whom they met.

Dear all, remember that Tourstart is always willing to help you make the most of the offered services. Get in touch and let us know whether you have either some issues or suggestions. I think John F. Kennedy was onto something when he proclaimed: “We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” We all deserve to find time for our adventures - let's plan and ride!

 

 

Here is the a short clip and the route itself that the course participants rode throughout the day. Wonderful Danish scenery did not disappoint - even the rain felt refreshing.

Lukas J.

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