pikebacker/docs/04_data_sources.md

Data Sources

Verified source links are listed in docs/source_references.md.

Core principle

The raw route network can be built from OpenStreetMap. The competitive advantage comes from derived intelligence:

• route segment suitability,
• loaded-bike rideability,
• route-corridor logistics,
• water/food/sleep reliability,
• local rules confidence,
• trusted local reports,
• actual ride feedback.

Data-source matrix

Domain	Source candidates	MVP use	Production use	Caveats
Base map/network	OpenStreetMap extracts via Geofabrik or planet.osm	Road/path graph, surfaces, access, POIs	Full regional/global ingestion	ODbL obligations; data quality varies
Routing engine	openrouteservice, GraphHopper, Valhalla, BRouter	Hosted API or local engine adapter	Self-hosted customized profiles	Requires tuning; public APIs have limits
Elevation	Copernicus DEM GLO-30/GLO-90, NASA SRTM	Elevation profile and grade warnings	Segment-level grade/hike-a-bike modeling	DEM artifacts; bridges/tunnels need handling
Vector maps	OpenMapTiles, Protomaps/PMTiles, MapTiler, custom tiles	Web/mobile map display	Offline vector packs	Attribution and tile generation costs
POIs	OSM POIs, Overture Places, partner APIs	Water/food/sleep/repair corridor	Reliability scoring and deduplication	POIs stale/incomplete; licensing varies
Protected areas	Protected Planet WDPA/WDPCA, national/regional open data	Rule warnings	Rule confidence engine	Rules are jurisdiction-specific
Weather	Open-Meteo, MET Norway/Yr, national weather services, commercial APIs	Forecast along route	Weather-aware rerouting	Forecast uncertainty; API licensing
Accommodation	OSM campsites/shelters, Booking Demand API, direct campsite/hut partners, Warmshowers-style partnerships	Deep links and search cards	Reservation/check availability where allowed	API access/partner terms
Bike devices	GPX/TCX/FIT export, Garmin Courses API, Wahoo Cloud API	GPX export	Direct sync	API approval required

OSM tags to prioritize

Route network

• highway=*
• bicycle=*
• access=*
• surface=*
• smoothness=*
• tracktype=*
• sac_scale=*
• mtb:scale=*
• incline=*
• ford=*
• bridge=*
• tunnel=*
• barrier=*
• route=bicycle
• network=*

Water

• amenity=drinking_water
• drinking_water=yes/no
• natural=spring
• man_made=water_well
• amenity=fountain

Food and resupply

• shop=supermarket
• shop=convenience
• shop=bakery
• amenity=cafe
• amenity=restaurant
• amenity=fast_food
• amenity=fuel

Sleep

• tourism=camp_site
• tourism=caravan_site
• tourism=alpine_hut
• tourism=wilderness_hut
• tourism=hostel
• tourism=hotel
• amenity=shelter

Bike repair

• shop=bicycle
• amenity=bicycle_repair_station
• service:bicycle:repair=yes
• service:bicycle:pump=yes

Bailout

• railway=station
• public_transport=station
• amenity=bus_station
• route=ferry

Data ingestion notes

OSM

Use regional PBF extracts for development. Do not query public Overpass for production-scale route-corridor POI needs. Import regional extracts into PostGIS or a search index.

POI deduplication

POIs may appear in multiple sources. Use a deduplication key based on:

• geohash proximity,
• normalized name,
• category,
• phone/website if available,
• source reliability.

Reliability scoring

Each POI should have:

• source,
• last_seen_at,
• last_confirmed_by_user_at,
• seasonality,
• opening_hours,
• confidence,
• bikepacker_notes_count,
• negative_reports_count.

Rules

Rules must be jurisdiction-specific and confidence-scored. Never present legal/camping rules as absolute unless sourced from official/local authority data and current.