My weekend adventures in editing the “Papanui Parallel / Puari ki Papanui” raised a big question: how could I demonstrate personal knowledge of this major cycleway developed by the Christchurch City Council? ( https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Adam%20Heinz/diary/41739 )

I decided to try OSMTracker to see if I could demonstrate where I had been. ( http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSMTracker_(Android) )

Within minutes of finishing work I had downloaded OSMTracker for free from the Google Play store and was on my bike. ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.guillaumin.android.osmtracker&hl=en )

I whipped out my phone at the intersection of Bealey Avenue and Colombo Street and opened the app. It asked me to enable GPS in Google Location services. As soon as I had a “GPS fix” - the accuracy wavered from 3 to 5 meters - I hit the “cycle track” button followed by “cycleway” and pedalled northwards.

The route itself was a dream to ride on a road bike. I felt so safe that it was a rude shock to realise I was crossing an intersection and hadn’t looked out for my own safety. Fortunately the drivers were very considerate and gave way to me. After being cocooned on the segregated cycle track, the section of “greenway” along Trafalgar Street was a sharp reminder of just how frightening it can be to cycle on the road at night.

Before I knew it I had arrived in comfort and style at the end of the cycleway at the railway crossing on Sawyers Arms Road. A quick hit of the save button and I had my first GPS trace. ( https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Adam%20Heinz/traces/2436735 )

The return journey southwards was just as quick and easy and I had my second GPS trace. ( https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Adam%20Heinz/traces/2436734 )

The “Export to Open Street Map” option was greyed out so I hit “Export as GPX”. This was the first moment where I was left scratching my head - I even had to resort to reading the instructions. ( http://learnosm.org/en/mobile-mapping/osmtracker/ )

Within minutes I had transferred the GPX files to my laptop and uploaded the GPS traces to Open Street Map.

The accuracy on a cheap android phone was enough to indicate the streets that I had travelled along when editing the route details. It was enough to remind me where the track had crossed from one side of the street to the other.

(I would look at using a proper GNSS receiver if looking to accurately map things - such as one of the segregated cycling paths that are a reasonable distance from motorway centerlines, for example).

In all, I was astonished at how easy the quick start to OSMTracker was. It left me wanting to learn more and to use the more advanced functions on my next ride.

Adam Heinz is a cyclist, citizen of Christchurch, and a staff member of Christchurch City Council