One of the most overlooked features in PitStopper is the Clock Time settings. It's easy to skip past, but setting a start time unlocks powerful features that transform how you plan your route. Let's explore what it does and how to use it effectively.
What Clock Time Does
Clock Time is simple in concept but powerful in practice: tell PitStopper when you plan to start (or finish) your route, and it calculates estimated arrival times at every POI along the way.
Once set, you'll see in every POI popup:
- Distance from route start - How far you'll travel to reach it
- Estimated arrival time - What time you'll get there (e.g., "2:15 PM")
- Estimated time to end - How much longer until you finish
This transforms route planning from abstract distances to real-world timing. Instead of "there's a cafe 5 km away," you see "there's a cafe at 2:45 PM"—which immediately tells you if it works for your schedule.
Setting Up Clock Time
Getting started takes just 30 seconds:
- Click the clock icon in the footer bar (bottom-left of the screen)
- Choose Start Time or End Time mode
- Set your time and date
- Click Save
That's it. Your route now has timing information baked in.
Three Key Features Clock Time Unlocks
Overnight Trip Detection
Plan a route that crosses midnight? Clock Time automatically detects it and shows you a warning. Multi-day trips display day markers (Day 1, Day 2) in POI popups so you know which day you'll arrive at each stop.
Daylight Information
Set a date and Clock Time shows you sunrise and sunset times for your route. If you're traveling after dark, you'll see a darkness warning in the footer and at the end of your route—critical info for safety planning.
Auto-Generated Sunrise/Sunset POIs
Click "Add Daylight POIs" and PitStopper automatically marks where you'll experience sunrise, sunset, dusk, and dawn on your route. These appear as yellow markers on your map and elevation chart, helping you plan scenic stops or energy breaks at meaningful times.
Quick Tips for Best Results
Always set a date. While you can set just a time, adding a date enables daylight tracking and ensures accurate information for multi-day trips. Without a date, daylight features won't work.
Use "Start Time" for simplicity. If your route has variable pace, start time is easier to predict than finish time. Set when you'll roll out in the morning and let PitStopper calculate from there.
Check for darkness warnings. If you see a moon icon next to your trip time in the footer, part of your route happens after dark. Plan accordingly with lights, caffeine, or schedule adjustments.
Daylight POIs for Adventure Planning
The auto-generated sunrise/sunset POIs are more than just visual markers. They help you plan special moments: know exactly where you'll watch the sunrise, where golden hour occurs, or where darkness falls. For bikepacking trips, this helps you pace your day and find good camping spots before dark.
When Clock Time Matters Most
Multi-day trips: You'll instantly see if a water source is at lunch time or dinner time.
Fixed schedules: Looking for restaurants that match your planned meal times? Clock Time shows you exactly.
Safety planning: Long routes that push into evening benefit enormously from darkness warnings and daylight markers.
Event planning: For organized rides or races, clock time helps coordinate stop locations with expected pace.
Start Using It Today
The next time you upload a route, take 30 seconds to set your clock time. You'll immediately see arrival times in POI popups, get daylight information, and unlock automatic sunrise/sunset markers.
It's a small feature with big planning payoffs. Happy routing.