Creating Tracks

Our definition of a 'track' here is a single line of co-ordinates that (given this is an cycling site) define a route which is a good place to ride. A track by itself is not a map but the idea is that many tracks grouped together do.

For the above reason each item of track content on this site is associated with a ride database entry. The idea is you create your write up of an area (eg. Terrey Hills then you post track content for the trails in that area. These tracks then automagically appear in the KMZ (and therefore maps) for that area, and are also shown on the track page for each ride area we have (eg. tracks in Terrey Hills. As you can see from the example if the data you create a track from has elevation it is shown.

Separating tracks like this is useful as each can be tagged single track, firetrail, etc. and when discussion arises a user can post a link to the specific track they want to reference. No more, "... the one running left from the top of that steep firetrail in Cascades..."

So to create a track, go to the appropriate node creation page: add a track.

Most fields are self explanatory, but the 'Track Data' section is not so. There are several options to enter co-ordinate data into this field, the easiest of which are described below.

Copy/Paste from Google Earth

If you don't have a GPS and the trails you want to draw are easily visible on Google Earth (either from the satellite, or on the 'roads' overlay) the method is quiet easy.

1. Open up Google Earth.
2. Create a new 'path', drawing along the track you wish to describe.
3. Once the path is complete here, on the Google Earth sidebar right click it and select 'copy'.
4. Come back to the track node creation form here, and paste (control+V, or on the right mouse menu in most browsers) the clipboard contents into the large track data field.
5. In the 'Treat data as' drop down, select 'KML'
6. Complete the rest of the content form and save in the usual way.

You can go back at any time and edit the data by simply using copy/paste from a new path. The copy/paste works in both directions too; you can select all (control+A in most browsers) the contents of the track data box and paste it back into Google Earth.