The recent Newsletter included a short piece on the overlays and this resulted in, as I type, 17 requests for the current version. This surge suggested that the overlays have not been uppermost in people's minds and, with GRM commanding so much comment and attention, I thought a few words may be timely.
GRM came into being to provide an online visual aid of what unsurfaced roads were legal for us to use and, throughout England and Wales, it has become a well received tool.
Of note is the conscious decision that it would not permit the download of data meaning that, for planning a route and generating a track to follow, GRM needs to be used in conjunction with a separate and secondary method (mapping software, GPS app or paper maps) with information manually and laboriously transferred between the two.
However, for many years Devon TRF has provided members with an overlay which, when used with suitable software, enables members to view OS maps and plot their rides (or view previous rides) in one place which may be any device from a personal computer through dedicated GPS devices such as Garmin down to a smartphone.
The overlays are rigorously maintained to ensure the legality of a lane and the addition of new ones (generally those deteriorating due to Highways abandoning them) keeping them current. Additionally, 'comments' provide an idea of what to expect (based on run sheet/track log submissions) so it's advisable to request regular updates.
The overlays are available by sending an email to johnleah@blueyonder.co.uk noting your TRF membership number.
