{"id":569,"date":"2026-02-03T10:13:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T09:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultra.mondolfo.fr\/?p=569"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:30:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:30:02","slug":"ultra-cycling-with-a-free-route-tracing-the-desertus-bikus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultra.mondolfo.fr\/index.php\/en\/2026\/02\/03\/ultra-cycling-with-a-free-route-tracing-the-desertus-bikus\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultra-cycling with a free route: tracing the Desertus Bikus"},"content":{"rendered":"
1\u20132 minutes<\/div>\n\n\n

One destination and hundreds of possible routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a non-exhaustive list of tools to discover, explore, and test the different routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main quest: avoid getting lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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*If you are already accustomed to mapping out your ultra routes, you can probably skip the first part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I \/ Best practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Serein in Hasparren<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why spend time on the route?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In ultra races with a free route, you can arrive at the start with a route planned in 10 minutes, BUT<\/strong> you could be in for some unpleasant surprises and miss out on interesting shortcuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

*The tools mentioned work better on a computer than on a mobile device, and it is more comfortable to use them on a PC anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What not to do: the Disasterus Bikus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take an example of a mishap during Desertus 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Justinas Leveika was one of the favorites. But at the finish line, he was 12 hours behind the winner. He fell behind by taking a chaotic route on his Trek Madone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@justin.and.bikes into the wild<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Justinas’ route reduced the amount of kilometers without taking sufficient account of the terrain and surfaces traveled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even for one of the world’s best bikepackers, a bad road can ruin a trip. The king of chaos concludes: \u201cdo your homework.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@justin.and.bikes finisher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Splitting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n



Some bike GPS devices may have difficulty handling tracks that are too long (over 500 km).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maps from Desertus 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Distance \/ elevation gain \/ surface<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whether you want to race or simply finish within the time limit, you’ll want to cover as few kilometers as possible<\/strong> because there’s already enough to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look for a route that’s as flat as possible<\/strong>. The flatter it is, the higher your average speed will be, especially with a bike loaded with clothes, water, and food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The N-II and its wide shoulders, the fastest route between Girona and Figueres<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The third parameter to adjust will be the volume of unpaved kilometers. You can always go faster on a flat surface than on a rocky trail. You may even lose several hours on an impassable section. Each unpaved section will need to be analyzed<\/strong> to assess whether it is viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Distribution of surface types on Strava<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Distribution of surface types on Komoot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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II \/ Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Long straight lines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Route planners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I usually generate several routes<\/strong> by tinkering with different planners and settings, then compare them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stra\\moot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I test different tools, moving points around to find shortcuts<\/strong> while monitoring the elevation gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I find an interesting result, I export the track as a .gpx file<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\/!\\ Be careful with the figures when switching from one route planner to another, as each one estimates elevation gain differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Komoot<\/a> :<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Komoot<\/a> is popular and effective, even though it has a reputation for sending us off course.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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To<\/span><\/span> <\/span>avoid<\/span><\/span> <\/span>this<\/span><\/span> <\/span>as<\/span><\/span> <\/span>much<\/span><\/span> <\/span>as<\/span><\/span> <\/span>possible<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>I<\/span><\/span> <\/span>only<\/span><\/span> <\/span>use<\/span><\/span> <\/span>the<\/span><\/span> \u201c<\/span>Road<\/span><\/span> <\/span>Cycling<\/span><\/span>\u201d <\/span>mode<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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– Strava<\/a> :<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Strava planner is one of the paid features, but there is a free trial available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major advantage is having the heatmap in the background (more info in part three<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In mountainous regions, it is useful to switch between 2D and 3D views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The premium version of Komoot has the same functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By default, Strava prioritizes the routes most traveled by cyclists over mileage.

Other settings can give interesting results, but sometimes with pitfalls \/!\\ .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A diabolical setting, check all \u201cunknown\u201d parts!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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– RideWithGPS<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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RWGPS offers a good balance between speed and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used it with excellent results on French Route 66 to bypass the Paris region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– BRouter<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BRouter helped me during French Road 66 to try to escape the wind by riding through forests as much as possible with its \u201cconsider_forest\u201d setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is much more configurable than the others, and the profile can be fully customized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I usually use the \u201cRoad bike\u201d profile with the setting \u201cconsider traffic: with a group of cyclists at weekends.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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View options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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– GPX.studio<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This tool comes into play once I have several files; it allows me to view the different options<\/strong> on the table. Routes start to take shape, and we begin to see where we’re going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I load the different tracks into GPX.studio to get an overview. From there, I can make an initial choice for the basic route<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also works for comparing your tracks with those of your friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alternative routes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In ultra cycling, the weather is an unknown factor when planning your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sometimes keep several alternatives between two checkpoints, in case the trails are muddy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After three days of rain, I should have chosen the road option (Nomadian Rhapsobike in Scotland).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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III \/ Explore and refine the track<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThe devil is in the details.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once you have a draft, it is crucial to check routes in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would recommend using the route planner you are most comfortable with for the next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next steps will require juggling between different tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Climbfinder<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To identify the profile of major climbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By uploading GPX files, you can retrieve a list of climbs, with the longest ones referenced with a detailed profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Artzamendi, a Basque mountain pass \ud83c\udf36\ufe0f\ud83c\udf36\ufe0f\ud83c\udf36\ufe0f<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If the route takes us across the Pyrenees into the Basque Country \ud83c\udf36\ufe0f, it’s a good idea to take a look at the profile of the passes we’ll be crossing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Komoot alerts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In \u201croad bike\u201d mode, Komoot displays alerts when the surface is considered unsuitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is wise to first check those sections that we may have missed. Sometimes it is a shortcut, sometimes a path to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this case, it was a path to avoid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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– Google Street View in Komoot \/ RWGPS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A large part of Spain’s roads are available in Street View.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The integration of Google Maps into Komoot and RideWithGPS is very useful for us. We can check the quality of the roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In Komoot: import the GPX file, then in route editing mode, when you click on a road, the little Google Maps icon becomes clickable if the road is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Komoot Trail View<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Google Street View, Komoot offers photos of trails provided by its users via the \u201cTrail View\u201d feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The images are marked by green dots on the map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– La heatmap de Strava<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The global activity map or \u201cglobal heatmap\u201d is very useful for mapping unknown areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Strava’s route planner is a paid service, the global heatmap can be viewed for free<\/a>. It shows the sum of cycling activities recorded on Strava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thicker the line, the more popular the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ce \u00ab\u00a0raccourci\u00a0\u00bb pour le checkpoint du Gorafe (Desertus 2022 et 2023) \u00e9tait ferm\u00e9 par un portail. La heatmap de Strava nous permet de voir qu’il est beaucoup moins emprunt\u00e9 que les autres pistes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We will be able to extrapolate information about potential obstacles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we see a line that stops abruptly, it may indicate that there is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n