How to Improve Your Sense of Direction to Stop Getting Lost

If you’re not someone who’s born with a natural sense of direction, getting lost and relying on GPS can get tiresome really fast. Here’s how you can improve your sense of direction, so you can stop getting lost and quickly figure out where you are when you DO get lost.
There’s two main things to nail down when you’re improving your sense of direction: 1) your mental compass 2) your mental map. Your mental compass gives you the big picture of where you are in relation to your destination while your mental map gives you the details of how to get from point A to point B.
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[@andylicht8017]

The mental map has been a skill I've been working on for decades! Today I know much of upstate NY, some areas generally and others with a lot of detail. This skill transcends cycling and includes backcountry activities and walking and driving. An excellent video with real benifit to anyone who doesn't know their area well . Maps 4 life!

[@hurricaneheli79]

How I improve? Explore & get lost. Best way to get to know an area.

[@Micro776]

hurricaneheli79 and waste valuable fuel but i know the amazing feeling when you get lost

[@Josue.ab7]

If exploring its the option, also make sure the fuel tank its full 😁

[@patrickjan7896]

To improve your sense of direction. Get lost out of nowhere and them get back with gps.. trust me

[@augustineliu7543]

Well.... this method may work for the people who already pretty good in sense of direction.... it is useless for people like me

[@greenessR]

This is exactly the type of video I have been looking for, thank you so much! This was very helpful.

[@bruhmaxxer]

Thanks, you just tripled my bike courier income

[@stylejames]

I was same but something worked for me! I was so organized person before .. keeping everything in order , accounts , good in remembering each tiny details of anything. But wasn’t able to exit from a building I entered. Then I become so unorganized person 😅 , I mean keeping nothin in head , not remembering anything , means stopped the excessive use of brain (overthinking) . Started living in Present (without worrying of any other tasks or thoughts ) whatever comes in head just focus on that and enjoy that. So less brain power used, but feel of living in the moment and enjoying increased. Then I noticed wherever I go , without any effort brain gives me location where I am and makes mental map from where I started my journey. (I do not make any effort to keep remembering but it works automatically)

[@WTFerryGames]

I always try to remember which direction im heading relative to the place I came from which allows me to always kinda know where I am

[@thomasfrater855]

Community College helped me find my direction.

[@MattSezer]

Racing alleycats improved my sense of direction immensely. The time you take to look at your phone could be the difference between winning and losing. Also, unless you're really unfamiliar with the area, it's less about direction and more about what route is the fastest. What street is the most efficient and you can go the fastest on without slowing down or stopping? Most bike routes are bad if you're trying to get places quickly as they you way out of the way and often take you on mixed use paths where you're dealing with slow-moving pedestrians or bikes. I often find the Google walking directions to be better.

[@JogBird]

when i planned my bike tour this summer i manually plotted my route online several times, so for the trip i was very familiar already

[@jremy89]

in hiking and backpacking we call this orienteering

[@xG4mx]

Probably not ideal for cycling folks, but I pay attention to the public transite lines/buses. They all provide context for the area I'm in.

[@Ryan_Rides]

I wish this applied to me. I live in South Florida and I've been here for almost 19 years. Everything is the same down here. It's difficult to get lost. From Wellington to Miami. All the same.

[@toratecommentandorsubscrib9359]

The alleys are the footnotes of the avenues.

[@MaQuGo119]

This channel needs more riding bidios, that place looks comfy AF

[@joachimmacdonald2702]

Or you could buy a compass... No, really, the amount of times I’ve used a compass to get my bearings cycling around London is probably more than you’d expect

[@bettyfischer6909]

Thanks for your great videos! When I ride long rides to areas I have never been before, I look at a map before I leave and write the villages that I want to ride through on a small piece of paper. Then, I put that on my stem or the toptube and this way, I have the direction where to go but I have to find the routes on my own. Also, if I have ridden a route one time, it seems like I can remember it forever.

[@yanaviles8145]

So helpful! Not a lot of content on this, so I thank you! Much appreciated! 🙏

[@thenerdycanadian7172]

i have a Wahoo Bolt and it works great for choosing cycling friendly routes if you use the in app route planner. it takes side streets instead of the main street, and even foot paths that go between streets. i've also noticed it will route on more flat roads even if its a bit farther than a hilly road.

[@ham3775]

one of your most helpful videos, great job zach!

[@Marc1136]

Hey you're Filipino. You ever think about reaching out to the Manila fixed gear scene?

[@collinjmiller]

Zach, seriously practical advice. Good content.

[@periteu]

3:36 - Remember streets names

[@frankienofilter3228]

Go to your local bike shop or chamber of commerce and pick up a free bike path map that the city publishes

[@jremy89]

also the google maps bicycle function will often lead you down bike paths

[@kunntakentay]

Thank you so much for this.

[@femmy5400]

really like the footage of downtown.

[@femmy5400]

looking at the map of my town and remembering some big street names.

[@yohan2290]

awesome video and advise!

[@TinyZaiS]

I prefer OsmAnd~ before ride to check how AI will route it (it has bike aware mode, so it will plan to minimize evaluation gain). On the road it's quite rare to check map (unless I need particular address and numbering is not clear). Also most of non-US cities appear to be less planned and full of chaotic junctions and roads which can change direction multiple times.

[@alienrefugee51]

Just ride and pay attention, rinse and repeat

[@pauppaler]

Thanks bro.

[@Kyoshin.Hyou2019]

Thanks a lot!!

[@oschoa]

bro. thank you.

[@bulatgaynullin677]

Nice one, thx

[@owenlattin4185]

Lmao just raced my first alleycat in a city I just moved to

[@MW-ud8zp]

how did it go?

[@willemjohannes9007]

Hey Zach, what are your thoughts on the Kilo WT? I assume you have no direct experience with it, but it seems like a comfier version of the TT, without all the issues of inconsistent spacing as well as a standard headset size for only $50 more.

[@DarioCast2]

not a bike question, but what equipment do you use to record your videos ? i.e camera, audio equipment

[@limbolegs]

DarioCast2 I’m sure he uses both of those

[@DarioCast2]

What equipment, not of he uses it lol

[@julian32000]

Hey bro ive been riding my aventon Cordoba for a few months now its super light and i was watching your video on the aerospokes. Is there any rear wheel disk or tri spoke you can recommend that won't severely increase the weight ?

[@teresamcbean]

Dude I love you!! Learned so much about bikes from watching your channel!! I know i was never motivated to comment when I it was all love but check the made up YT diction

[@jsl1584]

It's 10:32pm in New York

[@arielc4499]

What do u think of the aluminum 6ku urban track bike? It seems really solid.

[@Amused_bat]

Its a good bike for the money, imo. If you are looking for a bike for minimal use, the 6ku would be a good bet.

[@geraldg4631]

Is the thumbnail Los Santos?

[@jamaniholmes5066]

If this video isn’t helping I’m assuming I’m screwed huh?

[@aleksandermendozagorska9267]

First

[@lloyd6751]

Too cyclecentric

[@davidbingley6734]

Yeah, maps are relatively fine, but no GPS. Spoken like a truly left brain person. With your same logic, you shouldn't use a map or GPS, but instead use only a compass and land marks. Not helpful. Lol

[@Ober1kenobi]

Ngl, never had this problem. However, id like to think I live in a somewhat well layed out city, even if the infrastructure is poor. Also, the internal compass is pretty 👌😊