PitStopper.net

Overview

PitStopper.net helps you discover Points of Interest (POIs) along your routes or around any location. Perfect for cyclists, hikers, runners, and travelers who want to find essential amenities, services, and attractions along their journey.

Getting Started

Welcome Screen

When you first visit PitStopper.net, you'll see three options to begin:

Interface Overview

Once your route is loaded, the interface consists of four main areas:

• Header - Application title (compacts when route is loaded)
• Sidebar (left) - Control panel for searches, categories, and settings (toggle with H key)
• Map View (center) - Interactive map showing your route and POIs
• Elevation Panel (bottom) - Elevation profile chart (toggle with P key)
• Footer Bar (bottom) - Statistics and quick action buttons

Operating Modes

Route Mode (GPX Upload)

The primary mode for planning trips along a specific route.

• Load GPX file containing a track or route
• POIs are searched within a specified distance from the route path
• View elevation profile with gradient-colored climbs and descents
• Add distance markers at regular intervals
• Export enhanced GPX with POI waypoints
• Reverse route direction if needed

Location Mode

Ideal for exploring POIs around a specific location.

• Use current GPS location or click map to set center point
• Define search radius (circular area)
• Find POIs within the specified radius
• No elevation profile available in this mode
• Useful for finding services in a new city or area

Live Location Tracking

Track your real-time GPS position on the map while viewing routes or exploring locations.

Show My Location (Route Mode)

While viewing a loaded GPX route, you can see your current position overlaid on the map.

• Open the Tools menu in the footer
• Click Show My Location
• Your browser will request location permission (allow it)
• The map zooms to your position with a pulsing blue marker
• A checkmark appears next to the menu option when tracking is active
• Click Show My Location again to stop tracking

This is useful for following along your planned route in real-time, checking how far you've come, or identifying which POI you're approaching.

Live Tracking (Location Mode)

When entering Location Mode via "Use My Location" on the landing page, you can enable continuous tracking.

• Check the Enable live tracking checkbox before clicking "Use My Current Location"
• Your position will update automatically as you move
• The search radius circle follows your position
• A small battery warning reminds you that GPS tracking uses additional power

Tracking Features

• Pulsing Marker - A blue pulsing dot shows your current position
• Breadcrumb Trail - A blue line traces your movement path (points added every 10+ meters)
• Accuracy Circle - When GPS accuracy is low (>20m), a faint circle shows the uncertainty range

Footer Tracking Controls

When tracking is active, controls appear in the footer:

• Toggle Tracking - Start/stop location tracking
• Auto-Follow - When enabled (default), the map automatically pans to keep your position centered. Disable to manually explore while tracking continues.
• Clear Trail - Remove the breadcrumb trail from the map

Battery Considerations

Live tracking uses your device's GPS, which consumes battery. To minimize impact:

• PitStopper uses battery-friendly GPS settings (not high-accuracy mode)
• Position is cached for 5 seconds to reduce GPS polling
• Stop tracking when not needed by clicking the toggle button or menu option

Multi-Route Support

PitStopper supports loading multiple GPX routes simultaneously, perfect for planning multi-day trips, comparing route options, or organizing event stages.

Adding Routes

After loading your first route, you can add more routes in several ways:

• Routes Panel - Click the button in the Routes box in the sidebar
• Drag & Drop - Drag additional GPX files onto the map
• File Menu - Use File > Add Route

When adding a new route, you'll be asked whether to Add it alongside existing routes or Replace all current routes.

Each route is automatically assigned a unique color for easy identification on the map.

Managing Routes

The Routes panel in the sidebar provides controls for managing multiple routes:

Route Cards

Each route appears as a card showing:

• Color indicator - The route's color on the map
• Name - Click to make this the active route
• Distance & elevation - Quick stats for the route

Multi-Route Controls

When multiple routes are loaded, additional controls appear:

• Drag Handle - Drag routes to reorder them. Routes at the top appear on top on the map.
• POI Visibility - Show/hide POIs for individual routes
• Route Visibility - Show/hide routes on the map
• Checkbox - Select which routes to include in POI searches and the POI list
• Settings - Rename, change color, or delete the route

Route Selection

The colored line below the Routes panel indicates which routes are currently selected for POI operations. Use the checkboxes to control:

• Which routes are searched when finding POIs
• Which routes' POIs appear in the sidebar list
• Which routes are dimmed on the map (unselected routes appear faded)

Active Route

Click on a route card to make it the active route. The active route determines:

• Which route's elevation profile is shown in the chart
• Which route's stats appear in the footer
• The default route for new manually-added POIs

Splitting Routes

You can split any route into two separate segments at any point along the route.

Why Split a Route?

Splitting is particularly useful for multi-day events and long tours. Start with your complete route, then split it at logical stopping points to create daily stages. This allows you to:

• Plan overnight stops and identify accommodation at each split point
• View distance and elevation statistics for each day separately
• Search for POIs specific to each stage
• Export individual daily GPX files for your GPS device

How to Split a Route

1. Select the route - Click on the route card in the Routes panel to make it the active route (highlighted)
2. Right-click on the map - Right-click at the point where you want to split the route
3. Choose "Split Route Here" - Select Split Route Here from the context menu

What Happens When You Split

• The original route is removed
• Two new routes are created: "Route Name (Part 1)" and "Route Name (Part 2)"
• The first segment keeps the original route's color
• The second segment is assigned a new color automatically
• Both segments share the split point (it becomes the end of Part 1 and start of Part 2)
• Distance and elevation statistics are recalculated for each segment

Important Notes

• Route must be selected first - The split option only appears when right-clicking on the currently active route. This prevents accidentally splitting the wrong route when multiple routes overlap on the same road.
• Cannot split at endpoints - The "Split Route Here" option is hidden when clicking near the start or end of the route
• Split repeatedly - You can split the resulting segments again to create multiple sections

Comparing Routes

When you have 2 or more routes loaded, a comparison button appears next to the route count. Click it to open the Route Comparison modal:

• Elevation Chart - All routes overlaid on a single chart for easy visual comparison
• Statistics Table - Side-by-side comparison of distance, elevation gain/loss, and min/max elevation

Export Options

Multi-route support extends to exports:

• GPX Export - Export selected routes as combined or separate files
• Print Report - Generate reports with separate pages per route
• Projects - Save all routes and POIs together for later use

Map & Navigation

Map Interface

Map Controls (Top Right)

• Zoom +/- - Zoom in and out of map
• Layer Selector - Choose from 8 map types:
  • Streets (OpenStreetMap)
  • Satellite (ESRI)
  • Topographic (OpenTopoMap)
  • Terrain (MapTiler)
  • Hillshade (ESRI)
  • Cycling (CyclOSM)
  • Outdoors (Thunderforest)
  • Dark (CARTO)

  Note: Streets, Topographic, and Cycling tiles are served via our caching server for improved performance. If the cache is unavailable, the app automatically falls back to public tile servers.

Custom Map Controls (Right Side)

• Center on Route - Zoom map to fit entire route
• Toggle Route Visibility - Show/hide route line
• Go to Current Location - Center map on your GPS position
• Query POIs - Click any map location to search for nearby points of interest (zoom level 5+ required)
• POI Clustering - Toggle POI clustering on/off. When enabled, nearby markers are grouped into clusters with count badges. Preference is saved to browser storage.
• POI Navigation - Step through POIs in route order. The currently navigated POI displays with an orange pulsing glow. Maintains zoom level while panning.
• Distance Markers Toggle - Show/hide distance markers along your route. Uses graduated visibility based on zoom level (shows ~25% at zoom 12, scaling to 100% at zoom 15+).
• Settings - Access application settings

Zoom Level Indicator

The current zoom level (e.g., "Zoom: 12") is displayed next to the scale control at the bottom-left of the map for better navigation awareness.

Map Interactions

• Click POI markers to open popups with details
• Click map to add manual POIs (when enabled)
• Zoom with mouse wheel or pinch gesture
• Pan by dragging

POI Discovery

POI Search (Route Mode)

Search Radius

Control how far from your route to search for POIs.

• Adjust slider from 10m to 1000m (default range)
• Use arrow buttons for fine adjustments
• Display automatically converts to miles if using imperial units
• Larger radius finds more POIs but may be less relevant

Quick Presets

Eight pre-configured category combinations for common use cases:

POI Categories

Choose from 70+ POI types organized into 11 groups:

Category Management

• Search Filter - Quickly find POI categories with fuzzy matching across all supported languages.
• Click group header to expand/collapse categories
• Click "All" button to toggle all categories in a group
• Check/uncheck individual categories
• Live count shows checked/total per group
• Use "Select All" or "Deselect All" buttons for quick changes

Custom Search Distances

Set a specific search radius for individual categories:

• Click the pencil icon next to any category
• Enter custom search distance (meters, kilometers, or miles)
• Useful for finding rare POIs further from route
• Blue "Reset Distances" button clears all custom distances

Custom Tags

Create your own POI categories using OpenStreetMap tags. This lets you search for any type of map feature, not just the 70+ built-in categories.

Adding a Custom Tag

1. Expand the Custom Tags section in the sidebar (green border)
2. Click the + button or "Add custom tag..."
3. Search for your desired tag (e.g., "windmill", "lighthouse")
4. Select a tag from the search results
5. Enter a display name (e.g., "Windmills")
6. Choose an icon for the category
7. Click Add Tag

Using Custom Tags

• Custom tags appear in the Custom Tags section with a green border
• Select them like any other category, then click Search
• Custom tags support individual distance settings (click pencil icon)
• Custom tags are saved in your browser and persist across sessions
• Custom tags are included when you save/load presets
• Delete a custom tag by clicking the trash icon

POI Count Limiting

Control the number of POIs displayed per category to keep your map clean and focused.

Global Count Limit

• Enable with checkbox in sidebar search panel
• Adjust slider from 1-25 POIs per category
• When enabled, shows only the N closest POIs for each category
• Slider is greyed out when disabled, turns green when enabled
• Use arrow buttons for fine adjustments
• Default state: unchecked (unlimited POIs)

Per-Category Count Overrides

• Click the three-dot edit icon next to any category
• Set a custom limit for that specific category
• Overrides the global limit when enabled
• Blue label shows "(Top N)" when custom limit is active
• Clear button removes the custom limit

Count Badges

Category badges show count information:

• Single number (e.g., "12") - Showing all POIs found
• X/Y format (e.g., "10/127") - Showing 10 out of 127 total POIs (limiting active)
• Hover over badge for detailed tooltip

How Limiting Works

• POIs are sorted by distance from your route (closest first)
• Only the N closest POIs are displayed on map and in sidebar
• Exported GPX files include only the limited POIs shown
• Settings are saved with your projects

Search Results

POI List (Sidebar)

Search results appear in the sidebar with detailed information:

• Search/Filter - Filter the list of found POIs by name using the search icon next to the sort button.
• POI Name - Editable by clicking
• Category - Type with emoji icon
• Distance from route - How far off the path
• Side - Left (L) or Right (R) of travel direction
• Compass bearing - Direction from route
• Elevation - Height above sea level
• Opening hours - If available from OpenStreetMap

Filter Options

Narrow down results by distance from route:

• All POIs - Show everything found
• Within 100m - POIs within 100 meters of route
• Within 500m - POIs within 500 meters of route
• Show return pass POIs - Toggle visibility of POIs encountered on out-and-back routes

Map Markers

• Color-coded by category for easy identification
• Emoji icons represent POI types
• Click marker to open popup with actions:
  • Navigation Buttons - Move between POIs in route order directly from the popup.
  • OSM Tags - View useful amenity icons like toilets, WiFi, ATM, and more directly in the popup.
  • Edit POI name
  • View full details
  • Delete POI
  • Center map on POI
  • View on OpenStreetMap website
• Right-click on any marker or POI list item for quick actions:
  • Zoom to POI - Center the map on the POI
  • Mark/Remove Favorite - Add or remove from favorites
  • Edit POI - Open the edit popup
  • Add Note - Attach a custom note to the POI
  • Move POI - Drag the marker to reposition it
  • Change Icon - Select a custom emoji icon for the POI
  • Copy Coordinates - Copy name and lat/lon to clipboard
  • Open in Google Maps - View the POI location in Google Maps
  • Delete POI - Remove from the list

Map Context Menu

Right-click anywhere on the map (not on a POI) for additional options:

• Location Info:
  • Coordinates - Shows lat/lon of clicked point
  • Copy Coordinates - Copy to clipboard
  • Get Elevation - Auto-fetches elevation data
• POI Actions:
  • Add POI Here - Create a manual POI at this location
  • Query POIs at Location - Search for all POIs within 100m
  • Query Closest POI - Find and display the single nearest POI
• Route Info (when a route is loaded):
  • Distance from Start - Distance along route to nearest point
  • Distance to End - Remaining distance to the end of route
  • Elevation at Point - Elevation at the nearest route point
  • Time from Start - Elapsed time to this point (clock time shown if start time is set)
• Map Controls: (icon buttons)
  • Centre on Route - Zoom to fit the entire route
  • Zoom In/Out - Adjust zoom at clicked location
• External Links:
  • Open in Google Maps - View location in Google Maps
  • Open in OpenStreetMap - View in OSM at same zoom
• Export GPX - Quick access to export your route

Press ESC to close any context menu.

Changing Custom POI Type

For manually-added POIs (Info, Alert, Danger, Event Sticker), you can change the type directly from the popup:

• Click the type badge (the colored pill showing "Info", "Alert", etc.)
• Select a new type from the dropdown
• The marker color and icon will update to match the new type

Multi-Pass POI Detection

For out-and-back routes, the system automatically detects when you'll pass the same POI multiple times:

• Badge indicator shows pass count (2x, 3x, etc.)
• Distance calculated to closest pass
• Toggle "Show return pass POIs" to hide duplicates
• Useful for loops and out-and-back routes

Fuel Prices & Station Information

When you search for petrol stations (fuel) along your route, PitStopper automatically fetches live fuel prices, opening hours, and station amenities for stations in the UK, France, and Germany. This data appears directly in the POI popup when you click on a fuel station marker.

What You'll See

• Live fuel prices - Current prices for all available fuel types at the station
• Opening hours - Full weekly schedule with open/closed status for right now
• Station amenities - Facilities like toilets, car wash, water, EV charging, and more
• Station badges - Motorway/Autoroute and Supermarket indicators where applicable

Supported Regions

How It Works

• Search for Petrol Stations as a POI category (in the Transport group)
• Fuel data is fetched in the background after your POI search completes - no extra steps needed
• The system detects which country each station is in based on its coordinates
• Results are cached for 30 minutes in your browser to avoid repeated API calls
• A loading spinner appears briefly on popups while data is being fetched

Query POIs - Location-Based Search

The Query POIs feature works like OpenStreetMap's "Query Features" tool, allowing you to click any location on the map and discover ALL nearby points of interest within a 100-meter radius. This search is completely independent of your sidebar category selections.

How to Use Query POIs

1. Zoom In - Zoom to level 5 or higher (the Query POIs button is disabled at lower zoom levels for precision)
2. Click the Query Button - Click the question mark icon (bi-patch-question) in the right-side map controls
3. Click the Map - Your cursor changes to a question mark; click any location you want to explore
4. View Results - An orange pulsing marker appears with an expanding circle animation, and results display in a new "Query Results" section at the top of the sidebar

Query Results Section

Results appear in a distinctive orange-bordered panel with the following features:

• Location coordinates - Exact lat/lng of your query point
• Search radius - Shows 100m search distance
• Results count - Total POIs found
• Organized by category - POIs grouped by type (restaurants, shops, parks, etc.)
• Distance from query point - Each POI shows its distance from where you clicked
• Orange markers - Query results display with distinctive orange markers on the map

Adding Query Results to Your Project

• Individual POIs - Click "Add to Project" button next to any POI in the results list
• Add All - Click the "Add All to Project" button to add all query results at once
• Clear Results - Click "Clear Results" to remove the query results section and orange markers

Key Differences from Standard POI Search

Best Use Cases

• Exploring unfamiliar areas - "What's at this location?"
• Finding specific services - Click near a town center to see all available amenities
• Discovering hidden POIs - May find interesting places not in your selected categories
• Quick local search - Faster than selecting multiple categories for a small area
• Urban exploration - Dense city areas typically return 50-500 POIs

Location Explorer

The Location Explorer lets you dive deep into any location along your route, providing street-level photography and Wikipedia articles to help you understand what you'll encounter on your journey.

How to Access

• Right-click anywhere on your route
• Select "View Photos & Wikipedia" from the context menu
• The Location Explorer sidebar will open with both photo and article tabs

Street Photos Tab

Discover street-level photography around your selected location using Mapillary's global database.

Features

• Direction Matching - Photos are automatically filtered to match your route direction, showing what you'll see while traveling
• Global Coverage - Access photos from Mapillary's worldwide database of street-level imagery
• Map Markers - Blue "P" markers show photo locations on the map
• Quick Preview - Thumbnail images let you preview locations before arriving

Wikipedia Articles Tab

Learn about nearby landmarks, history, and points of interest through Wikipedia's geosearch.

Features

• Local Knowledge - Discover historical information, landmark details, and cultural significance
• Compact Display - Articles shown in a clean, scannable format with brief descriptions
• Map Markers - Blue "W" markers indicate Wikipedia article locations
• Direct Links - Links to full Wikipedia articles for deeper exploration

Controls & Options

Choose New Location

• Click the crosshair button in the sidebar header
• Click any new location on the map to explore that area
• Exit location picker mode by pressing ESC or clicking the button again

Wider Area Search

If few results are found, both tabs offer a "Search Wider Area" option to extend the search radius to 500 meters.

Simultaneous Display

Both photo markers (P) and Wikipedia markers (W) can be displayed on the map simultaneously, making it easy to plan stops and detours.

Collapsible Sidebar

Click the left arrow to collapse the sidebar to a small tab. When collapsed, all markers and search circles are temporarily hidden to keep your map clean.

Elevation & Terrain

Elevation Profile Chart

Chart Features

• Gradient coloring shows terrain difficulty:
  • Green - Flat (0-3% grade)
  • Yellow - Moderate climb (3-8%)
  • Orange/Red - Steep climb (8%+)
  • Blue shades - Descents
• Hover crosshair - Shows distance, elevation, and estimated clock time (if configured) at any point.
• POI markers - Click to view POI details
• Click anywhere - Center map at that location

Elevation Statistics

Detailed terrain analysis displayed above chart:

• Total distance
• Elevation gain (total climbing)
• Elevation loss (total descending)
• Maximum elevation
• Minimum elevation
• Average grade
• Steepest section grade

Panel Controls

• Click expand/collapse button to toggle full panel
• Use P key to toggle panel
• Map Sync Button - Toggle to sync the elevation chart zoom to match the visible route section on the map. When enabled, the chart automatically updates as you pan or zoom the map. State persists across page reloads.
• Mini widget - When collapsed, shows thumbnail in bottom-right corner
  • Click thumbnail to expand
  • Quick visual reference

Interactive POI Highlighting

POIs on the map and elevation chart are linked with bidirectional hover highlighting:

• Map → Chart: Hover over a POI marker on the map to highlight and enlarge the corresponding annotation on the elevation chart
• Chart → Map: Hover over a POI annotation on the elevation chart to highlight the map marker with an orange pulsing glow
• Custom POIs (Alert, Danger, Event Sticker) and Start/End flags also appear on the chart with color-coded icons

Progressive Detail on Zoom

The elevation chart uses a 2-level detail system for optimal performance:

• Full route view: Shows optimized 1,000 points for smooth rendering
• Zoomed in (<40% of route): Automatically switches to full resolution (up to 10,000 points) for detailed terrain analysis

Batch Elevation Fetching

Fetch elevation data for multiple POIs at once using the PitStopper Elevation Server.

How to Use

• Click the Fetch Elevations button in the POI list header
• Button shows count of POIs missing elevation data
• Progress indicator displays during fetching
• Elevations are saved with each POI automatically

Location Search

Powerful location search feature that helps you find and navigate to any place on the map using multiple search methods, with enhanced geocoding, intelligent filtering, and productivity features.

Accessing Location Search

• Click Tools → Search Location from the footer menu
• Modal opens with three input methods via tabbed interface
• Press ESC to close the modal at any time

Search Methods

Search Results & Intelligent Filtering

Recent Searches History

• Automatically saves your last 10 searches
• Click search input to view recent searches dropdown
• One-click to re-execute previous searches
• Shows search type icon (📍 address, 🎯 coordinates)
• "Clear History" button to remove all saved searches
• Duplicate searches not saved consecutively
• History persists across browser sessions

Action Selection Modal

After selecting a location, choose what to do next:

Preview Markers

• All search results displayed on map with blue teardrop markers
• Different appearance from POI markers (easy to distinguish)
• Click marker to select that result (opens action modal)
• Hover over marker to highlight corresponding list item
• Markers automatically cleared when modal closes
• Markers removed when new search performed

In-Modal Search Radius Control

Adjust POI search radius without leaving the Search Location modal:

• Click "Search Radius" button to expand controls
• Slider adjusts from 50m to 5000m
• Current value displayed dynamically (e.g., "500m", "2.5km")
• Automatically converts to miles/feet if using imperial units
• Changes sync instantly to main sidebar radius slider
• Chevron icon indicates expanded/collapsed state

Keyboard Navigation & Shortcuts

Copy Coordinates Button

• Each result has a copy button (📋 icon)
• Click to copy decimal coordinates to clipboard
• Format: "latitude, longitude" (e.g., "51.5074, -0.1278")
• Visual feedback: button briefly shows "✓ Copied!"
• Also works via Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut
• Useful for sharing locations or external app integration

Usage Workflows

Adding & Editing

Manual POI Addition

Add custom points of interest by clicking the map.

POI Types

• INFO (blue) - General information, points of interest
• Alert (orange) - Warnings, cautions
• Danger (red) - Hazards, dangerous sections
• Event Sticker (purple) - Event markers for printing on bike frames

Adding Manual POIs

1. Enable "Add POI to map" mode from settings
2. Click anywhere on the map, or use coordinate input tabs
3. Choose POI type
4. Enter name/description
5. Google Street View - Use the "View Street View" button to preview the location before adding.
6. Optionally fetch elevation data
7. For multi-pass routes, select which segment
8. POI is automatically attached to nearest route point

Coordinate Input Methods

The Add Manual POI modal offers multiple ways to specify the location:

• Map Click - Default mode. Click anywhere on the map to set POI location.
• Decimal - Enter decimal coordinates (e.g., 51.5074, -0.1278)
• DMS - Enter Degrees/Minutes/Seconds format (e.g., 51°30'26.5"N 0°07'39.5"W)
• Plus Code - Enter Google Plus Codes for precise locations:
  • Global codes: 8FVC9G8F+6X
  • Short codes with locality: 7M3X+RH Tadworth, UK

Elevation Fetching

Get the elevation of your manually added POI using the Get Elevation button in the modal:

• Click the button to fetch elevation from the Open-Elevation API
• Elevation displays in your preferred unit (meters or feet)
• Useful for understanding terrain at specific waypoints
• Elevation data is saved with the POI

Distance Markers

Visual markers showing distance along your route at regular intervals.

Adding Distance Markers

Access via Footer → Tools → Distance Markers.

• Interval - Choose spacing between markers (e.g., every 5km, 10mi)
• Units - Select kilometres or miles
• Show ETA - Display estimated time of arrival at each marker

ETA on Distance Markers

When you have Clock Time settings configured, you can enable ETA display on distance markers:

• Check "Show estimated time of arrival (ETA)" in the dialog
• Markers will display as "10km [10:45]" showing distance and arrival time
• ETAs are calculated based on your average speed setting
• Useful for meeting targets along your route or coordinating with others
• If Clock Time is not set, the ETA option is disabled with a link to configure it

Exporting Distance Markers

Distance markers are included in GPX exports:

• Exported as waypoints with the full label (including ETA if enabled)
• Example: waypoint name "10km [10:45]" appears on your GPS device
• Useful for tracking progress during your ride

Visibility Controls

• Toggle visibility via the distance markers button in the footer
• Adaptive density based on zoom level (shows fewer markers when zoomed out)
• Remove all markers via the Distance Markers dialog

Clock Time Settings

Configure actual clock times for your trip to see when you'll arrive at each POI. Perfect for coordinating meeting times, planning meal stops, or ensuring you reach destinations before closing time.

Setting Up Clock Time

Access via Tools → Clock Time Settings from the footer menu.

Quick Setup During GPX Import

When importing a GPX file containing timing data, the Import Summary modal includes optional clock time fields:

• Start date auto-fills with today's date
• Start time field for quick configuration
• Skip these fields to use the app without clock time
• Can always configure later via Clock Time Settings

Clock Time Display Throughout App

Daylight Tracking & Sunrise/Sunset

When you set a date in Clock Time Settings, the app uses the SunCalc library to calculate sunrise, sunset, dawn and dusk times locally in your browser - no external API calls needed.

Multi-Day Trip Support

• Automatic overnight trip detection
• Day markers show when crossing midnight
• Time calculations account for day changes
• Useful for bikepacking, long-distance hiking, or ultra-endurance events

Project Integration

• Clock time settings saved with your project
• Automatically restored when loading saved projects
• Settings persist across browser sessions

Import & Export

GPX File Upload

Upload your route file to begin searching for POIs along your path.

Uploading

• Drag and drop GPX file onto the drop zone
• Or click "Drop your GPX file here" to browse
• File is processed locally in your browser (not uploaded to server)
• Route appears on map with animated drawing (optional)

Route Animation

When a GPX is loaded, the route animates from start to finish, giving you a visual preview of your journey.

• Animation speed adapts to route length (1.5-4 seconds)
• Click "Skip Animation" to display route immediately
• Toggle animation on/off in settings for future uploads

Tools Menu

Access tools and route management options via the wrench icon in the footer:

• Reverse Route - Flip direction of travel
  • Recalculates all distances
  • Updates POI side (L/R)
  • Re-animates route
  • Can be undone
• Toggle Distance Markers - Show/hide km/mi markers
• Clear All POIs - Remove all found POIs (route remains)
• Clear Route - Remove route and start over
• Check Elevation - Verify GPX elevation accuracy
  • Compares GPX elevation data against SRTM satellite terrain data
  • Samples 100 points along your route (option for 300 points)
  • Shows summary stats: average difference, max difference, data quality rating
  • Displays histogram of variance distribution
  • Lists significant variations (>50m difference)
  • Helps identify if GPS recorded accurate elevation or needs correction
• Hazards & Obstacles - Comprehensive detection of route hazards and obstacles
  • Tunnels - With length, lighting status, and time estimate (assumes 15mph cycling speed)
  • Bridges - Shows bridge type and layer information
  • Fords - Water crossings with depth information when available
  • Level Crossings - Railway crossings along your route
  • Other Hazards - Detects OSM hazard tags including:
    • Side winds, dangerous junctions, slippery surfaces
    • Washouts, road holes, contamination warnings
    • Barriers: cattle grids, toll booths, gates, cycle barriers, border control
  • Steep Sections - Analyzes route elevation to find >15% grade sections
    • Shows climb or descent direction with max gradient
    • Displays elevation change and section length

  Features:

  • Displays detected features as highlighted polylines on the map
  • Click any result to zoom to that location
  • Right-click obstacles on map for quick actions
  • Shows OSM descriptions when available
  • Add individual or all obstacles as Alert POI waypoints
  • Collapsible side panel stays accessible while exploring the map

Export Options

Export GPX

Save an enhanced GPX file containing:

• Original route/track
• All POI waypoints with names
• POI descriptions with opening hours
• Distance and elevation information
• Compatible with GPS devices and navigation apps

Print Report

Generate a comprehensive print-friendly report perfect for offline reference during your trip.

Accessing Print Report

• Click Export → Print Report from the footer menu
• Customize report sections and columns
• Preview before printing or saving as PDF

Report Customization

• Custom report title
• Select sections to include:
  • Summary with route statistics
  • Daylight information (when clock time with date is set)
  • Elevation chart image
  • Original GPX waypoints
  • Looked-up POIs
  • Custom alerts/dangers
  • Event markers
  • Distance markers
• Choose table columns:
  • POI number, name, category
  • Distance from start
  • Elevation
  • Distance from route
  • Side (L/R)
  • Compass bearing
  • Opening hours
  • Notes/description

Daylight Information in Reports

When clock time settings include a date, print reports automatically include comprehensive daylight information:

• Sunrise Time - When the sun rises at route end location
• Sunset Time - When the sun sets at route end location
• Gets Dark Time - Civil twilight end (30-40 min after sunset)
• Day Length - Total hours of daylight available

CSV Export

Export your POIs as a CSV file for use in spreadsheets, databases, or other applications. Access via Export → Export POIs as CSV from the footer menu.

Event Sticker Generator

Create printable circular stickers for bike frames:

• 100mm diameter design
• Customizable event name and location
• Optional logo/badge
• Distance and date display
• Export as SVG for printing

Settings & Preferences

Distance Units

Toggle between metric and imperial units:

• Click KM/MI button in footer
• Switches between:
  • Metric - Kilometers, meters
  • Imperial - Miles, feet
• Affects all distance displays, search radius, and elevation
• Preference saved in browser

Dark Mode

Reduce eye strain with dark theme:

• Toggle in settings menu
• Automatic detection of system dark mode preference
• Affects entire interface including map controls
• Preference saved in browser

Display Options

• Route animation - Toggle animated route drawing on/off
• Show return pass POIs - For multi-pass routes
• Route visibility - Show/hide route line
• POI visibility - Show/hide POI markers

Saving Your Work

Saved Presets

Save your favorite POI category selections, search radius, and custom distances as named presets for quick access. Perfect for recurring trip types like bikepacking, hiking, or road trips.

Creating a Preset

1. Select the POI categories you want
2. Set your search radius (and custom distances if needed)
3. Click the Save Preset button
4. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Bikepacking Setup", "Hiking Essentials")
5. Click Save

Loading a Preset

1. Click the Load Preset button
2. Select from your saved presets
3. The preset will apply immediately and automatically search if a route is loaded

Managing Your Presets

Below is a list of all your saved presets. You can view details, load, or delete presets from this page.

Features

• Active Preset Indicator - Shows which preset is currently active
• Auto-clear on manual changes - Indicator clears when you manually change categories, radius, or distances
• Overwrite protection - Warns before overwriting existing presets
• Browser storage - Presets saved locally in your browser (no account needed)
• Timestamp tracking - See when presets were created and last used

Project Save/Load

Save your entire work session - including route, POIs, settings, and map view - as a named project. Return later and pick up exactly where you left off!

What is a Project?

A project is a complete snapshot of your current work, including:

• Route Data: Complete GPX route with all points and elevation
• POI Data: All discovered POIs with their categories and custom distances
• Search Settings: Selected categories, search radius, custom distances
• Map View: Current map position, zoom level, and layer selection
• Application Settings: Distance units, dark mode preference
• Statistics: Route distance, elevation gain/loss

Saving a Project

1. Load a GPX route and search for POIs
2. Configure your settings (categories, radius, custom distances)
3. Click Tools → Save Project
4. Enter a descriptive project name (e.g., "Wales Day 2 Planning")
5. Optionally add notes/description
6. Click Save

Loading a Project

From Landing Page (Quick Access):

• When you visit PitStopper.net, saved projects appear as cards
• See the 3 most recently used projects
• Click Load on any project card to restore it instantly
• Click View All Projects to see your complete list

From Tools Menu (Full Management):

• Click Tools → Load Project
• Browse all saved projects with details
• Click Load to restore a project
• Click Delete to remove unwanted projects

Downloading & Sharing Projects

You can download projects as files to back them up, transfer to another device, or share with others.

Downloading a Project:

1. Click Download → Save Project
2. Enter a project name and optional description
3. Click Download as File
4. A .psp file will be saved to your downloads folder

About .psp Files:

• PSP stands for PitStopper Project
• Files are compressed (gzip) to reduce size by 70-85%
• A 1MB project typically compresses to around 200KB
• Can be uploaded on the landing page or via Tools → Load Project

Loading a .psp File:

• Drag and drop the .psp file onto the landing page, or
• Click Upload GPX or Project File and select the file, or
• Use Tools → Load Project → Load from File

Managing Your Projects

Below is a list of all your saved projects. You can view details and delete projects from this page.

Important Notes

Use Cases

• Multi-day trip planning: Save each day as a separate project
• Alternative routes: Compare different route options by saving each as a project
• Work in progress: Save your current work and come back later
• Shared computer: Keep multiple users' projects organized

Auto-Save Draft

PitStopper automatically saves a draft of your work every 60 seconds to prevent data loss:

• Automatic: No action needed - drafts are saved in the background
• Recovery: If you close the browser accidentally, you'll see a recovery prompt when you return
• Draft vs Project: Auto-saved drafts are temporary. Use Save Project for permanent saves
• Cleared on Save: The draft is automatically cleared when you save a project

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these keyboard shortcuts:

Navigation & Interface

• H - Toggle sidebar visibility
• P - Toggle elevation panel
• ESC - Close modals and dialogs
• ? - Open help documentation in new tab

Undo/Redo

• Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z - Undo last action
• Ctrl+Shift+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z - Redo (Mac)
• Ctrl+Y - Redo (Windows/Linux)

Mobile Experience

Mobile Optimizations

• Hamburger menu - Sidebar accessed via menu button (top-left)
• Touch-optimized controls - Larger tap targets for buttons
• Full-width sidebar - Slides in from left on mobile
• Simplified footer - Shows essential stats only
• Responsive elevation chart - Adapts to screen size
• Gesture support - Pinch to zoom, swipe to pan

Mobile Tips

• Use landscape orientation for better map view
• Collapse sidebar when viewing map for maximum space
• Tap mini elevation chart to expand
• Use Quick Presets instead of scrolling through categories

Tips & Best Practices

Planning Trips

Performance Tips

• Large routes (2000+ points) are automatically optimized for chart rendering
• If map is slow with many POIs, use filters to reduce visible markers
• Close unused POI category groups for a cleaner sidebar
• Wider search radius isn't always better - be selective

Common Workflows

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Browser Support

• Modern browsers required (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• JavaScript must be enabled
• Geolocation permission needed for current location feature
• Cookies/local storage needed for saving preferences

Glossary

Common terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used throughout PitStopper.