We’ve all been there: you planned a glorious route for a bike ride. You checked OS Maps and confirmed it’s a bridleway that you may legally use. You planned a 50 mile loop, using that bridleway to avoid a nasty, busy A-road. Then you arrive, and that “legal right of way” is a chest-high sea of nettles or a bog that would swallow a tank. How can you avoid a repeat?
The truth is, no single mapping tool tells the whole story. To plan a route that actually works on a Sunday morning, you need the Hybrid Scout method: a three-way cross-reference between the Law (OS Maps), the Community (OSM), and the Reality (Google).
The Route Planning Matrix
Below is how these tools stack up when you’re sitting at your desk trying to decide if a track is “Any-Bike” friendly or a “Gravel-Bike” nightmare.
| Feature | OS Maps (The Law) | OpenStreetMap (The Community) | Google Earth (The View) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Status | Definitive Bridleway/Byway status. | Crowdsourced; usually right, but not legal proof. | None. Doesn’t distinguish between a driveway and a path. |
| Surface Detail | “Track” or “Path” (Very vague). | Excellent “Tags” (e.g., Asphalt vs. Unpaved). | Visual confirmation of ruts, mud, or loose rock. |
| Amenities | Public toilets and pubs only. | Repair stations, bike racks, and taps. | Can see if a cafe actually has outdoor seating. |
| Obstacles | Shows “FB” or “Gate” symbols. | Often tags “Stile” or “Cattle Grid.” | 3D Tilt shows the height of the hills and gate types. |
1. The OS Map: Your Legal Shield
If you aren’t using the 1:25k Explorer layer, you’re guessing. This is the only tool that tells you where you are legally allowed to be. For cycle touring, we are looking for those long green or pink dashes. Having said that, when wild camping, I effectively trespass, so I contacted the National Police Chiefs Council for legal clarification. I really suggest you go read what they had to say.
The WillCycle Tip: Just because it’s a Bridleway doesn’t mean it’s been maintained since the 1970s. This is where the next few tools come in.
2. OpenStreetMap (OSM): Crowdsourced knowledge
OSM is the “Wikipedia of Maps.” Layers like CyclOSM or OpenCycleMap are a revelation.
- The “Smoothness” Tag: Many OSM-based apps (like RideWithGPS) pull data that tells you if a path is “Excellent” (Tarmac) or “Very Horrible” (Big rocks).
- The PINS: Need a bike pump in the middle of nowhere? OSM users frequently mark “Fix-it” stations and water troughs that the Ordnance Survey ignores.
Brilliant as the Open Street Map is, it isn’t perfect, and sometimes contains inaccuracies. This is where you come in: anybody can, and should edit the map. The easiest way to do so is to simply visit this link, and add what you need to the map.
3. Google Earth: The reality check
This is your final check.
- The Rut Test: Zoom into that Bridleway. If you see two dark parallel lines with green in the middle, it’s a farm track. In winter, that’s a mud bath. If it’s a solid light-grey line, it’s likely compacted stone—go for it.
- The Street View “Peek”: If the trail crosses a road, drop the little yellow man onto the road. Turn around and look at the trail entrance. Is there a “No Cycling” sign? Is there a kissing gate too narrow for your panniers? Ten seconds of Street View can save ten miles of backtracking.
The bonus: RideWithGPS
I tend to design routes using the superb RideWithGPS site. In addition to allowing me to seamlessly switch between maps, and even drop into StreetView, RideWithGPS brings another enormous advantage: heat maps!
Heat maps indicate how heavily-used, and therefore how popular with other cyclists, a route is. After all, if nobody else is using a particular route segment, it’s a safe bet that you’d be physically prevented from using that segment, or it’s a very scary road to ride.
The Verdict
Don’t trust, verify. Use OS Maps to find the legal path, OSM and the heat maps on RideWithGPS to see if other cyclists actually use it, and Google Earth to see if you’ll be carrying your bike over a metre-deep puddle.
Planning a ride this weekend? Check out my DayCycle Routes!