Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Bike Routes mapping sites? Also etiquette Q

Hello

I am returning to bike riding after many years away. I have a 15 mile commute to work I want to start biking this year. My first question, what are the best sites for figuring out a route? On my first attempt I got a flat because I had to get off a busy narrow road. I want to see if I can figure out a better way that avoids some of those headaches.

Then my other question, the narrow busy road I got off, is that part of the life of a bicyclist? Or should I have just held up traffic for a little while until it widened etc. Ideally I would have planned a better route in the first place to avoid the problem.

Hmm... Google Maps (http://maps.google.ca)should help out. To my knowledge the viewing of local traffic option only works in the US of A which is handy for checking out the traffic in the area.

BTW did you have a repair kit when riding? Or a spare tube? You should carry a spare tube at the least and a pump to fill that tube up so you can keep going and not walk home with a flat. You do know how to fix a flat right??

I am waiting for the day someone makes a map that includes any ridable passage. but they would be incredibly difficult to implement properly.

If you sign up for Buckeyeoutdoors.com. You can log all your data, and there is a route making option.
It's not perfect, but it is functional. I'm pretty sure it interfaces with Google.

Ps...Spare tube and C02 inflator. The sanity you save may be your own.

My favorites:
MyOutdoors.net
example route:
http://myoutdoors.net/entry.php?id=13384

gmap-pedometer.com
example route:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=446258

If you've got a GPS unit, motionbased.com
example route: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=86632&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=2471332

I love using Mapquest, because you can set it to avoid highways and do the shortest distance, which usually gives you smaller streets.

+1 for mapquest

Try
http://www.toporoute.com
It allows you to plot a route and see how far it is. When you use it, check the "follow road" check box at the top.

Russ B

Check out mapmyrid.com. excellent for mapping and locating other routes in your area.

www.mapmyride.com (http://www.mapmyride.com) is what I recommend. Awesome mapping features, especially the "auto-route" and elevation options. I think www.routeslip.com (http://www.routeslip.com) has those features too, though support has been spotty until the past few weeks.

My first question, what are the best sites for figuring out a route? On my first attempt I got a flat because I had to get off a busy narrow road. I want to see if I can figure out a better way that avoids some of those headaches.
Try checking with your city/town hall to see if they publish a map, or have a list, of streets with dedicated bike lanes or suggested bike routes on side streets.

Check out if your local city pubishes a map with good and bad cycling routes. In Buffalo NY for instance you can go to: http://gbnrtc.org/bicycle_route_map.htm. You can also call and get them to send you the paper map for free. This is not an interactive computer based route map, but I can use it to help plan a route through a part of town I haven't cycled through before, and it was spot on. I had to ride a short streach of road that was listed red (avoid) and I can confirm that it was a lousy street for cyclists (4 busy lanes, no room for a bicycle anywhere). An other route was listed as Orange meaning OK for cyclists, but not a deficated bike lane, and it was a good route. The road was wide enough in most parts that the cars could pass and give me about 3 ft of space without having to go into on-coming traffic. I also used a MUP that runs from about .1 mile from my office, up along the end of the Erie canal and the along the Niagara river. There is only one section that can get busy with pedestrians, the rest is nice cylcing.

If you are uncertain and are scoping out a ride you will do more often, you could scout the route by car... I know that is partly defeating the purpose of cycling, but getting hurt on a bad street does no one any good.

Happy riding,
André