April 25, 2024
In 2024, komoot ambassador Lael Wilcox sets out on a round the world women’s record attempt. Ignoring the “record attempt” part for a second, it’s hard to ignore the fact that “round the world” is a pretty big distance, and it begs the question, where do you even begin with the route planning?
Even if your ambitions are shorter than a full lap of the planet, planning a long-distance, multi-day route on komoot can seem daunting. That’s why we chatted to Bea Mezzena Lona for this article, the event planner for the Trans Balkan Race and Lael’s route-planning partner for the European leg of her ride. We also spoke to Simon, a komoot data analyst who’s currently working and riding his way around Europe. If you’re dreaming up your own multi-day ride in Europe or beyond, this article is a great place to start.
Everyone has different goals and personal definitions of “fun,” not to mention their own unique circumstances. Things like whether you prefer hotels to camping, whether you’re traveling with kids, and how much you enjoy climbing will each guide which route you choose. It’s also logical to think about where you want to go and what you actually want to see at the outset of your route planning.
You need a big-picture idea of your start and end points but planning one long route on komoot (or any map) is daunting – and impractical. The more waypoints you add to the map, the more unwieldy it becomes, making it tricky to update sections individually. Instead, both Bea and Simon begin with a rough idea of their route, making notes about which countries and cities to pass through. At this stage they might consider whether it’s worth riding over mountain passes, or doing a longer ride to avoid the climbs, but the nitty gritty details, like the precise route and factors such as surface type, elevation, and relevant points of interest are only tackled in the next step.
When it comes to the details, Simon and Bea plan their routes in shorter sections, one Tour at a time. For example, instead of planning a route across Europe, or even across a country, they’ll plan a week or so worth of Tours at a time, roughly 200 kilometers per Tour. (If you have komoot Premium, you can break up a week-long ride into daily Tours using the Multi-Day Planner.) This method keeps the planning manageable as you tackle the details one Tour at a time.
In Simon’s case, he plans shorter routes between the cities he’s interested in visiting and places where he’ll find reliable Wi-Fi to work. For Lael’s record attempt, these shorter segments are usually between resupply points where she can find food or bike parts. In both cases, the shorter routes are planned as individual Tours but generally follow the course of the rough route they have in mind from stage two.
Check Trail View on and near the route: This will help you ascertain the state of a road or trail. This is important intel for Lael’s record attempt, where speed and minimizing risk of mechanical issues is paramount, but it’s useful for everyone.
Toggle sports to find the most fun-for-you route: For less interesting sections or when he’s pressed for time, Simon favors road cycling as these routes tend to be the most direct on komoot. But when he has more time for an adventure, he cross-checks the road cycling route against the gravel and bike touring options as these settings might offer a more scenic or adventurous route than the road option.
Double-check the route closely by zooming in and cross-checking map layers. For example, Simon pointed out that komoot’s inclination toward the most “straightforward route” will sometimes include ferry crossings. However, zoom in and you’ll often find a detour with a bridge crossing. A relatively short detour that could save you the stress of catching the ferry.
Apart from the ease of planning you’ll get from breaking your route down into chunks, it’s also more practical for recording and navigating your Tours. You’ll struggle to download a route with over 1,000 waypoints. Plus, you’ll run the risk of it not downloading in its entirety, which poses potential problems for route navigation down the line. Instead, download the individual route(s) you’ll need for the next day or two of riding only.
Completing a multi-day adventure, no matter the daily or overall distance, is an experience you’ll probably want to share or at least remember. After your day's recording is finished, find it in the completed Tours section of your profile, ready to share with the community. When you've finished your whole adventure, you can save all the Tours together in a personalized Collection (side note: you’ll need Premium to access the Collection feature).
Click the eye icon on the web or Android route planner in komoot to hide the Tour line. This is helpful when it comes to double-checking the details of your route.
Remember that a bike weighed down with bags could make otherwise fun routes tedious or harder to ride.
If you’re planning on riding in super remote areas or places less-frequented (by cyclists) like Africa or the South East Asia, talk to people who’ve been there recently or, better yet, locals, as cycling-specific maps in these areas go out of date fast.
Other articles you may find helpful for your long-distance ride:
5 Tips that Go Beyond the Basics for Planning a Great Cycling Route with komoot
Head-to-Toe Health and Hygiene Tips for your Bikepacking
9 things to Consider when Planning a Bikepacking Route (cartoon)
The Ultimate First Aid Kit: Pack these 8 Items so You’re Always Prepared
9 Beginner Bikepacking Tips from a Round the World Cyclist
Photos by Simon Jones