Summer season GPS courses – a reviewTourstart organized twolocal GPS courses forriders and new Tourstartusers in May and June.Each being an individualone day event, thecourses saw over 50riders from all overDenmark, all eager tomaster all of the detailsabout GPS routeplanning. MC TouringCamp – an exclusivecampsite formotocyclists, was thechosen venue. Selecting a campsite as the meeting point, potentially allowed spending the night in anicely prepared environment with other passionate riders before setting off back to home.

Tourstart's side of the coin, highways, messy routes and GPS compatibilityThe 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? Readers 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 aftermany via points arecreated – it is importantto zoom in and checkwhether the points wereplaced accurately beforeuploading the route toyour GPS.

Device compatibility isanother recurringquestion. The biggestbrands, Garmin andTomTom, providenavigators thatsometimes 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 seminarsIn order to give a fulloverview of the courses,Tourstart alsointerviewed severalparticipants. Happily, allrespondents weresatisfied with thearrangements, thelocation and thecontent of the courses.The users learned moreabout the details ofroute planning withTourstart. Somehighlighted that the newinfo 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 bea wise one – it is in the middle of Jutland, the mainland part of Denmark, accessible for many local riders.

However, while still on the topic of location and accessibility, the participants were asked what theirthoughts 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!

Finally, the users sharedtheir experience withTourstart's route planningtool. Most had alreadycreated several routes,planned their summervacation trips, even usedit for trips with theirvintage cars. All agreedthat they can benefitfrom the service andwould recommend it toany rider whom theymet.

Dear all, remember thatTourstart 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 findtime for our adventures - let's plan and ride!