I am planning a 3 month SEA tour later in 2024.  I kept a journal on my last (my first big tour) tour and want to do the same in SEA.  I stumbled across this site and like the clean look however without creating a journal it is difficult to tell how it works.  Based on my experience with another website  I have a few questions about Cycleblaze.

1.  Is it possible to insert a dynamic GPX file of, either, a planned route or an actual route.  The GPX is likely to be downloaded from Komoot.

2.  Is there a limit to the number of photos which can be posted on a daily, weekly, monthly or, even, lifetime basis.

3.  Can photos be multi-uploaded and re-ordered or do they have to be uploaded in the planned order of appearance?  (The other website allowed multiple uploads but they were displayed newest first using the image meta-data whereas I wanted them displayed oldest first so the were displayed to reflect my written journal).

4.  Are there any restrictions on links within the journal?  For instance, Strava activities, Google photo albums, Facebook posts etc.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Andy,

Welcome to Cycleblaze!

The short answers to your questions, based on my experience, are: 1. Yes, 2. No, 3. Yes and 4. No

Of course there are some caveats and explanations for all of these, but the bottom line is that this site is quite easy to use and much more ‘modern’ in form and function than ‘others’.

In 2019 I too stumbled across this site and used it for our 2019 Malmo to Lecce tour. After this I ‘emigrated’ here and subsequently had my passport revoked at the other place. No loss, life is good here.

With respect to item 1, GPX files, this site currently plays nice with Strava and Ride With GPS. I had never used either of these before and simply had Garmin files for our rides. It was very simple to create a free RWGPS account (I’ve subsequently moved to a paid subscription as I like the platform), import Garmin GPX (or FIT) files, and then get a dynamic RWPGS embed code that puts a dynamic map in your CB journal.  It’s quite well laid out in the site instructions and fairly intuitive. If you have a Garmin Connect account, you can link it to your RWGPS account and your files are automatically uploaded to RWGPS.

As for item 2, there may be a limit (more of a practical one that depends on the speed of your internet connection) but there are journals here that contain at least 50-100 photo’s per journal page.

Item 3 is a definite yes. You ‘upload’ pictures to an intermediate ‘landing page’ where you can resort and add captions, this is a very easy process. You can also reorder pictures, edit and add captions within the main journal page but it is slightly more cumbersome than doing it up front on the ‘landing page’.

Item 4 is also a definite yes although people are discouraged from linking to other sites that contain the main body of work (i.e a heading page on CB with a link to a full Facebook post of the day). The ‘main body of work’ should reside within CB (at least that’s my understanding)

Give it a try with an unpublished journal. I’m sure you’ll find this site very intuitive and there are a lot of folks in this community who will provide lots of help through the forums.

On a different note, I took a peek at your profile and the map of your Santander to Athens tour looks pretty close to what Kirsten and I are planning for our next tour! You also noted that you spent some extended time in Vietnam during Covid; we lived in HCMC in 2005-2007. Where about’s in SE Scotland do you live? We lived in Kilmacolm from 1989 - 1992 and then in Aberdeen from 2001-2005. We’re going to be in Scotland visiting friends in North Berwick, Aberdeen, Banchory, Inverkip and Edinburgh in late May. Are you anywhere near Inverkip? Swapping a few stories over a pint might be in order! Or if you’re in Canada this summer (the Rockies) drop by Canmore for a pint.

Hi Lyle

What a small world!

Thanks for your response.  Very useful.

I was in Thao Dien Aug 2020 - Aug 2021 only coming home because the Delta variant caught hold in Vn.  We loved the place hence my planned return.

We live in Dunbar, 12 miles from North Berwick!  We have friends in Kilmacolm and we lived in Aberdeen 1990-1992.

Our Canada trip involves a 3 week drive Calgary to Vancouver.

I'm sure a beer is feasible.

If you have any questions about your Europe plans just shout.

Super small world! We lived at 21 Nguyēn U Dī, right beside Restaurant 13 in Thao Dien. I’m quite sure we wouldn’t recognize the place now (nor even in 2020 when you were there). The pace of change there was, and probably still is, incredible.

I’m also directionally challenged! Inverkip is SW and of course North Berwick is SE!

Keep in touch re your Canada trip. We could probably put you up for a night … as we do with the 30 -40 Warm Showers cyclists we host every summer.

Welcome Andy to Cycleblaze. I'll leave the answers to your questions to others to answer as I (Rachel) is not that techno savy....and having experience on another website we find Cycleblaze a very user friendly easy to navigate and lots of friendly folks who will answer questions that you might have.

The administator will help with uploading other journals that you might have.

I find this site much easier to use than the other, and like Lyle and many others, had my membership there revoked. 

Depending when you’re in the Vancouver area, we could meet for a beer and exchange of ideas. We could even do a walk, hike, or ride to work up a bit of thirst. 

I was at the other end, just along from Saigon Outcast.  Eventually my wife joined me and we ate in Restaurant 13 once and I cycled past it daily on my way to the office.  We simply loved Saigon.

Let me know when you will be in North Berwick.

We will be in Cochrane for 4 nights, 10-14 June so maybe a meet up then would work?

Thanks Rachel.

Jacquie we are in Vancouver 30 June - 3 July but on VI the week before.

If you will be travelling from the Island to the mainland with a car, make a ferry reservation asap. If travelling without a car, you will be okay without reserving. 

Contact me at jacquiegaudet (at) gmail dot com sometime the week prior if you want to meet up. We get back June 20 and should be recovered from our jet lag by then!