Commuting - maps

Mapquest use to have a featur where you can look up alternative routes and they no longer have that. Is there anything on the net similar to what mapquest use to have?

Mapquest use to have a featur where you can look up alternative routes and they no longer have that. Is there anything on the net similar to what mapquest use to have?
Kenshi,

I have used Mapquest to find routes by clicking on the spot I wanted to center, then zooming in as close as possible. That should reveal any smaller alternative routes.

Or, just buy a Rand McNally map of the area. Then you can study it for a while without waiting for your computer to download. Don't forget that you should ride the route once, if not on a bike then in a car, to really see what it's like.

The problem i have with mapquest is that it keeps trying to route you on freeways. They did used to have an alternityive but it's disappeared. Get a copy of Microsoft Streets it's much easier to work with.

The problem i have with mapquest is that it keeps trying to route you on freeways. They did used to have an alternityive but it's disappeared. Get a copy of Microsoft Streets it's much easier to work with.

I've had to same problem with Microsoft Street as it tends to find the fastest route which will often not be the best route for the cyclists. This is why I've stopped bringing maps with me and now use a GPS.

I still use Streets and Trips before the ride to get coordinates that I'll input on my GPS but that's about it. Once the "waypoints" are entered, I'll take off in that direction my GPS is pointing. If there's a road or a highway that's too fast, I'll take an alternate or just ride the city streets till I get to my location. If I had maps, I'd constantly have my eyes down on the map instead of looking at the road! Today, I just glance on the GPS to see where the arrow is pointing.

The GPS has changed my riding entirely. I ride without a worry in the world of getting lost.

I use Delorme Street Atlas (now I use their XMAP program)...

This is a trick I use (It may work with the MS S&T)....

Street Atlas has a road-preference setting under routes->advanced.

Here you can choose the prefered roads... Unfortunatly this only reduces the chance of using an interstate...

So the next trick is you can also change the SPEED of the road... This is the item I use for my trick...

1) Set the MAX speed of all interstate and toll roads to 1mph (urban and rural)
2) Set the MAX speed of all other roads to 18mph.
3) Tell the program you want to calculate the route using the QUICKEST method not the shortest method.

Because it will take such a long time to travel via interstate (1mph) vs other roads (18mph) then the program never chooses an interstate... Except when I was plotting a coast to coast route where the route got cornered and had to choose an interstate... But that is a rare case :) and a simple VIA command fixed it.

You can also tweek the speeds of other roads the same and get degrees of routing... For example if you want to stay off of state highways if possible then set their speed to say, 14mph and so on :)

I also use MS Streets & Strips and find it very easy to use. The only quibble about it is that there are dirt roads on this earth and sometimes the map know these dirt roads and if select the shortest route feature occasionally you end up on a dirt road.

By the way you can eliminate interestates, limited access and tool roads by going to trip options to segments then click on edit preferences you then can eliminate interstate limited acess and toll roads usage entirely if you slide the slider too dislike. Also with MS you can lower your max speed as Preston indicated on the interestates etc just too make sure those are excluded.

I do not use a GPS and find such devices a waste of money. I have used maps for 30+ years and never gotten loss, in fact people I rode with over the years that are in my generation never got lost either so it's not just me. But for those who do not know how to use a map properly or those who just want the latest toy then the GPS may be handy or perhaps those who are offroad cycling.

If one does not know how to use a map properly, then that person will have an equally hard time using a GPS, maybe worse cause there will be even less marked roads on the GPS than on a map. I agree, an up-to-date county map will be as good for direction finding, but the GPS is handy as it's small platform can be mounted on the handlebar, a little more compactly than a map and if you have the right software, you can even get topography, which most non-USGS maps don't include.

And of course, I don't carry maps of every county in the US, but a GPS has rudimentary county roads to make it more convienient. Of course, this is more for "Touring" than "commuting".

I hike alot and also do some bushwacking and I always use map and compass, but I do carry a GPS with some premarked waypoints as a backup, and I'll typically mark landmarks, canisters, etc when I get there. Still, a GPS is a nice tool to supplement maps and when touring.

Jay

I do not use a GPS and find such devices a waste of money. I have used maps for 30+ years and never gotten loss, in fact people I rode with over the years that are in my generation never got lost either so it's not just me. But for those who do not know how to use a map properly or those who just want the latest toy then the GPS may be handy or perhaps those who are offroad cycling.

It has nothing to do about not being able to read a map. I was just tired of having to buy new maps and carry them with me all the time. I can read maps just as good as most people can but don't like the hassle of having to unfold them or place them on the handlebar while riding. You can spend ten or fifteen minutes trying to find yourself on the map and looking for the correct destination. Furthermore, I don't have to spend any time studying maps before venturing and just bolt out the door not really knowing where I'm going.

If there are places I want to visit where an exact address location is needed, a GPS is hard to beat. Once I get the coordinates, the GPS takes me there without having to look at a map once. I don't consider it a toy.

If one does not know how to use a map properly, then that person will have an equally hard time using a GPS, maybe worse cause there will be even less marked roads on the GPS than on a map.
Jay

There is a learning curve with a GPS but most of the features are not really needed! I rarely use the map feature on the GPS unless I'm lost which is hardly ever. Some GPS's come with better maps than others and but it's not really necessary if you have several coordinates that can take you home.

Last summer, there was only one coordinate in my GPS in case I was lost. The Brooklyn Bridge. I traveled all New York City (Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx) and If I was lost, the coordinate to the bridge would take me home.

The map features in GPS's are more designed for the motorists than the cyclists.

I didn't know MapQuest disabled this feature. I used it quite often. After a considerable 'net search, I found this: http://www.mapsonus.com/

The link for "More driving directions options" allows you to select an option to avoid highways, but you have to enter each address on a separate screen. Better yet, you can first map the addresses, then choose to "Plan Another Route" where your last entries were saved, then you can select the "Avoid Highways" option and resubmit.

Oh, and use a popup killer, mine seems to be on overdrive while using this site.