Digital_Cowboy

I know that Map My Ride/Run allows people to create maps of routes that they want to ride/run. I also know that Google Maps allows one to alter a route that it's created.

Is it possible while using Google Maps to to map out a route from scratch without having a start/stop destination, or does one need to already have a route that they created to modify?

What I'd like to do is to use Google Maps to map out my usual ride so that I can send the link to my Girlfriend so that she knows (roughly) what my route would be so she could find me if needed, or if I was "late" in getting back she'd know about how long it should take me to complete the ride.

johnny99

I use RideWithGPS to create the route, save the route to a KML file, then upload it to Google Maps.

Pridedog

Google maps has a simple program: https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ that is easy to use and you can send the map electronically to anyone. I use it all the time and find it easier to use than Map My Ride, Velo Routes, etc.

cplager

I used to use this until I started using https://RideWithGps.com. The latter can easily export the files in various formats, including loading queue sheets into my Garmin Edge 305. One can also upload GPX files from various smartphone programs into Ride With GPS.

Cheers,
Charles

rogerstg

I use a utility that works with google maps and creates a cue sheet. It includes a tiny URL of the route. Here's one of my routes https://tinyurl.com/btuzcer

wahoonc

I am trying to figure out what the question is...

I use gmap.pedometer to plan routes. When I am actually riding I use Endomondo app on one of my smartass phones to track the actual ride.

Aaron

Digital_Cowboy

Aaron,

The question is other then using the start/stop destination is there anyway to draw a route using Google Maps? I have a route that I ride where I go north for a 20 mile loop and then south for another 10 - 20 mile loop. And the start/stop point is the same.

prathmann

Not sure I see the problem either. You can put in a series of destinations, so you can certainly define a route which ends at the same place as it starts, but with various intermediate destinations along the way. And if the route chosen between two of the destinations isn't to your liking you can click on the route and drag it over to the road/path you'd rather use.

rdtompki

Just use the Glympse app on your Android (or similar iPhone app) and your gf can track you in real tiime (if you have cell phone coverage)

wahoonc

Well unless you are into tele-transportation and can materialize mid route... any route is going to have start and stop point. I build loop routes on Gmap/pedometer all the time, typically using my house as the starting and ending point. You have to manually build the route, it will not route automatically. You click on a start point, then click on intermediate points along the route until you get back to where you started.

Aaron

Looigi

FWIW: One thing you can do in Google maps is put in a start point and destination that are adjacent, say two different addresses on the same street, then start dragging the course outward to shape it to your ride. You can also put in the destination elsewhere, start shaping the route, then drag the destination next to the start.

Digital_Cowboy

Okay, just how does one go about doing that, i.e. putting in a series of destinations? I haven't seen that option.

Also I've noticed that when I am altering a route by dragging the route, that neither Google Maps nor MapMyRide, seem to be able to correctly handle cul-de-sacs, and/or dead-ends.

Digital_Cowboy

Aaron,

As I just said in the post above, when I attempt to alter the route to use cul-de-sacs/dead-ends it bypasses them. Even when I go all the way to the end of the road and draw the route around the cul-de-sack/dead-end.

cplager

RideWithGPS.com has no problems with cul-de-sacs. When tracing a route, just click where you want to go. If you don't like the route it chose, undo the last point and be more specific. You can then save the routes, email them to friends, export them in various different formats, ...

Cheers,
Charles

prathmann

You start by entering your starting point in the 'A' box and your first intermediate destination in the 'B' box. Then click on 'Add destination' under the 'B' box and a 'C' box will appear for your second intermediate destination. Keep doing this for 'D' 'E' etc. destinations and have the last one be the same location as 'A' for a loop trip. If part of your trip is to go to the end of a cul-de-sac and back just enter that end as one of the intermediate destinations.

treadtread

You can also just drag the route that Google comes up with and as you add more destinations by dragging, Google reroutes to bike friendly alternatives.

Digital_Cowboy

What about dead-ends? I'll give that a try.

Digital_Cowboy

I just checked it out, and probably saw it, but it never "clicked." It looks like it might have promise as it were.

Digital_Cowboy

That's one of the "problems" that I have with Google Maps. It tries a little too hard to make bicycle friendly routes, and they're full of twists and turns and double back on itself. It'd be nice if it'd just plot a bicycle friendly route that was as straight as possible.

One thing that I think I've noticed is that I think it calculates the travel time based on a person riding 10MPH. Is there anyway for a person to enter their average speed so that Google Maps can calculate a more realistic travel time?

ThermionicScott 

I usually pretend to be a car when using Google Maps.

Digital_Cowboy

That's probably a good way to deal with Google Maps.

SanDiegoSteve

I think MapMyRide.com uses goggle maps for their engine. I like their drawing tools the best. Bikeroutetoaster is also good, but harder to retrace a route if you mess it up (I haven't learned how).

I expoert from MapMyRide to RideWithGPS, make any final tweaks and then I can load into my Garmin. I think BikeRouteToaster (can also go to from MapMyRide) makes a better queue sheet.


To another point, yes, tell google maps you are a car, else you will be on the 5 MPH bike path if it is near... and it may route you fare off your path if there is one around.

agent pombero

Google Maps is decent for route planning here in Portland, even when you tell Google that you're a bicycle. There are a couple of instances where Google suggests a road that isn't great to bike on but that is easily adjusted.

I think it's important that if you're using Google Maps and it gives you a glaringly bad route suggestion (a specific road to ride on or what have you) take the time to click the link where you can report problems/make suggestions. I don't know how effective it really is but if enough people report the same problem it will probably be changed.

I just checked out MapMyRide.com and holy moly the # of NoScript and Ghostery warnings!

Does anyone have a map showing the locations of every stop sign and traffic signal in Portland, Oregon? I'd like to input the locations of stop signs/red lights into a map for better route optimization. It would be cool if one day cyclists had the ability to know which lights will be green several blocks into the future, and the computer suggests alternatives based upon travel speed if it believes the cyclist won't make the light. I don't have the ability to go that far with it, but I'd like to be able to plan routes with as few traffic signals as possible.

StephenH

Personally, I find Google maps and Mapmyride very irritating to use. I just recently discovered ridewithgps.com. I assumed you needed to be using some sort of gps device to use it, but not so, it is a great mapping tool. There's a bit of learning curve, but there's a couple of how-to videos, also.