Touring - I hate google maps!. . .can I get a little help here?

Yesterday I spent a couple hours laying out a nice little 150 mile loop for a three day trip. I was using google maps "bike there" function which actually seemed to work ok in this instance. Recently I had tried to use it to plan a route around downtown Chicago and it was worth less for that. It randomly circled blocks for no reason etc, ended up getting an old fashioned paper map out and doing it old school.

So I get done, stops all bookmarked, route and mileage, set. I save the map, ok cool. I then go and continue my search for a decent camping site for day two. Find one, go back to my map, IT"S NOT THERE! It saved my title and description but popped up a map of the whole U.S. without my carefully laid out route on it.

So undoubtedly as much as I think the thing needs a bit of work, I did something wrong, anyone have any idea as to what i might have done wrong? I'm going to redo my route this evening and don't want to lose it again.

btw route is Pere Marquette railtrail to Reed City Michigan, then down the White pine trail past big rapids and looping back to Midland MI

I had the same thing happen the other day. I've used it before with no problem but a couple of days ago, I spent an hour mapping a route and I couldn't figure out how to move it into MyMaps. I saved the link but when I went to the link, there was nothing there. Maybe it's a Google problem? I noticed that Google Groups is having a problem too.

Have you tried Delorme's Topo USA? I use their Street Atlas for road routes, and have had good luck with it. Maybe Topo USA would be better for trails and such? Just a thought.

Try ridewithgps.com

It gives elevations, cue sheets, and a bunch more. Never had any problems saving with it.

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Something you may want to try... I mentioned having trouble with Google Maps and Groups. I signed out of Google, deleted all the cookies and now everything works. Maybe a bad cookie from Google?

www.ridewithgps.com

Ok evidently you can't create a map with that many stops and import it to my maps. I can of course save the url and bring it up again.

Here's my planned wander if anyone would like to look at it.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Midland,+MI&daddr=Reed+city+MI+to:Stanwood,+MI+to:Edmore,+MI+to:Alma,+MI+to:Midland+MI&geocode=FV6FmQIdVH36-ikXB9sDnIAhiDGQCrIi5INseg%3BFcl6nQIdXjjn-imxHLyN5CUfiDFNI71xfcMibA%3BFQ31mAIdCCbo-il_jakCLtAYiDF0Sz93BIf3lA%3BFddalgId2Gnu-ilX86kwi6EYiDHLemlrPKBzyQ%3BFejolQId8TH0-imlW5P95xQiiDHRtiDCGEAjkg%3BFV6FmQIdVH36-ikXB9sDnIAhiDGQCrIi5INseg&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=b&sll=43.642038,-84.877625&sspn=0.993802,2.469177&ie=UTF8&z=9&lci=bike

you can also try walking directions (only option here)

[QUOTE
Here's my planned wander if anyone would like to look at it.
[/QUOTE]

Looks like a good route but do you know both of those trails are gravel and paved. At least they were the last time I rode them. Good luck with your trip.

you can also try walking directions (only option here)I like walking directions better, because the route planning does not guide me well out of my way just to put me on a road with a bike lane.

I love the roads that google shows as through roads that are actually dead ends. I would never use google to plan a route.

google does ok by me. that said, i dont use the "my maps" feature. tried it once, it was a total pain in the butt. instead of having a web based map, i print off either a map ot the route, or multiple segment route maps, the segment ones being a single days ride map whare as the general map is of the route in total.

So undoubtedly as much as I think the thing needs a bit of work, I did something wrong, anyone have any idea as to what i might have done wrong? I'm going to redo my route this evening and don't want to lose it again.

1) You used google to plan a route.

2) You didn't save it as an image.

3) You didn't use a paper map.

Bikely.com. Make a separate map for each day of your trip for easiest editing and most helpful elevation profiles.

Bikely.com. Make a separate map for each day of your trip for easiest editing and most helpful elevation profiles.

Keeping in mind that Bikely's elevation numbers are estimates at best which may or may not be anywhere in the ballpark of what is actually out there.

I've had a lot of problems with Google Maps too. I started mapping the route on www.mapmyride.com because it follows the roads and is pretty quick mapping then I switch to Google maps for the satelite mode to look closer at towns which mapmyride does not have.

i've not had problems with google maps or google earth. i prefer google earth if you don't mind having stand alone software. i usually have a gps w/ me as well. Also, bikely has been alright for me since there is not too much elevation gain here in NW florida. our biggest mountains are sand dunes on the beach :)

I use Bike Route Toaster and Route You and have no problems at all

Try www.mapmyride.com

Well I have the route now, thanks for all the help. I have used some of the others like mapmyride etc in the past. When on tour I prefer paper and will transfer the route to that for the actual trip.

Now I need to make a tire decision.

Mr. Jim -- dollars to doughnuts you didn't save the link to your map, you just saved a link to Google Maps.

When viewing a map in Google Maps, you'll see three links just to the top right of the map: "Print", "Send", and "Link". Clicking on the "Link" link will bring up a small text box containing a direct link to the map you have on your screen. This is the link you need to save/bookmark/whatever.

Mr. Jim -- dollars to doughnuts you didn't save the link to your map, you just saved a link to Google Maps.

When viewing a map in Google Maps, you'll see three links just to the top right of the map: "Print", "Send", and "Link". Clicking on the "Link" link will bring up a small text box containing a direct link to the map you have on your screen. This is the link you need to save/bookmark/whatever.

Nope I did it right, it works

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Midland,+MI&daddr=Reed+city+MI+to:Stanwood,+MI+to:Edmore,+MI+to:Alma,+MI+to:Midland+MI&geocode=FV6FmQIdVH36-ikXB9sDnIAhiDGQCrIi5INseg%3BFcl6nQIdXjjn-imxHLyN5CUfiDFNI71xfcMibA%3BFQ31mAIdCCbo-il_jakCLtAYiDF0Sz93BIf3lA%3BFddalgId2Gnu-ilX86kwi6EYiDHLemlrPKBzyQ%3BFejolQId8TH0-imlW5P95xQiiDHRtiDCGEAjkg%3BFV6FmQIdVH36-ikXB9sDnIAhiDGQCrIi5INseg&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=b&sll=43.642038,-84.877625&sspn=0.993802,2.469177&ie=UTF8&z=9&lci=bike

The forum software must shorten the url, when I hit "edit" the whole thing shows up.

Ah, ok, I missed your later post with the map.

As far as I know there's no way to save "driving directions" into your My Maps. There's a crappy work-around that involves exporting your directions as a KML file and then importing that KML file into your My Maps, but you can't make any changes to it after you've saved it.

The best way I've come up with to save customized maps is to simply bookmark the Link to your map, either locally in your browser or with a bookmarking service (like delicious.com).

@tjwarren: You can save driving directions to My Maps. I have done it before. I'm not sure if you can modify the route once save but you can save it.

@bwhite829: Google recently integrated Earth in to Maps. You need to download a little plug in but Earth is available on the web.

My all time favorite mapping program is National Geographic TOPO. There are a lot of nice features in that program I have yet to see in any web-based application. In reality TOPO does is USGS Topo based and does not have any "follow road" feature, so it is not that useful for road bike route creation (mountain biking and hiking yes). I used Bikely for years and have found it to be a very solid little program. I have recently started using RideWithGPS. There are a few features I wish it had: edit an imported rout, split a route, and continue drawing an existing route after saving come to mind. That said, the route creation method is excellent and fast, I LOVE the little cross hair on the center of the map (simple and genius), and the best of all the tight association between the elevation profile and the map. You can hover over a part of the profile and see where that section is on the map. You can select a portion of the profile for deeper analysis on the profile and on the map. I do not know of any other web-based mapping program with the functionality. Of course TOPO has it. ;)

Just logged onto http://www.ridewithgps.com/ setup account, mapped out one the best rides yet. Did it tonight. That was easy! I'm now a http://www.ridewithgps.com/ fan!

Just logged onto http://www.ridewithgps.com/ setup account, mapped out one the best rides yet. Did it tonight. That was easy! I'm now a http://www.ridewithgps.com/ fan!

I ended up doing the same. Seemed straight froward and easy to use. So I set up an account there as well.