Summary
When you are navigating with Cyclers, there are two distinct features designed to help you adapt your planned route if you accidentally wander off course or come across an area where riding is not possible: automatic rerouting and find detour.
While rerouting happens automatically when you go off track, finding a detour is a manual action you take to avoid an active obstacle ahead of you.
Key Differences at a Glance
Feature | How it works | When to use it | Requirements |
Rerouting | Automatic | You took a wrong turn or missed a junction by mistake. | Stable internet connection & being roughly 80 metres off course. |
Find Detour | Manual | You see a physical barrier ahead (construction, closed road, bad surface). | Initiated by you via the in-app navigation menu. |
How each feature works
1. Automatic Rerouting
If you make a mistake, take a wrong turn, or simply decide to explore a side street, Cyclers will get you back on track automatically.
The trigger: Once you drift approximately 80 metres away from your original planned route, the app detects that you are off course.
The action: It recalculates a new path from your current position to connect you back to your destination safely.
What you need: This feature runs quietly in the background but requires a stable internet connection to calculate the new path.
2. Find Detour
Sometimes you are following the route perfectly, but the road ahead is physically blocked by construction, fallen trees, flooding, or an unexpectedly poor surface.
The trigger: This is a manual action. When you spot an impassable section, you swipe up from the bottom of the navigation screen and select Find detour.
The action: You will be asked to select the reason for the detour (which also helps us improve our map data). The app will then actively avoid that blocked segment and offer you one or two alternative routes to choose from.
The benefit: Unlike automatic rerouting (which might try to guide you back to the blocked road if you are close to it), a detour explicitly blocks the obstructed segment from being used in the calculation.
How to use the Detour feature:
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the navigation menu.
Choose Find detour.
Select the relevant reason for the detour (e.g. missing path, overgrown path, bad surface, etc.).
Optionally, add your comment and attach a picture of the location.
Tap the Find detour button to submit the report and recalculate your route.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why isn't the app rerouting me automatically when I go off course?
The most common cause is a weak or missing internet connection, as the routing engine needs a data connection to calculate new paths. Additionally, make sure you have ridden at least 80 metres away from the original line, as small GPS drifts within a few metres will not trigger a recalculation.
Can I use "Find detour" to report a permanently closed path?
Yes! Selecting a reason when you request a detour acts as a map report. If you want to submit more detail, a comment, or a photo of the obstruction, you can do so directly within the detour menu before confirming your new route.