folder fanatic

https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/tech...ps-biking.html

Simply go to Google Maps, Select "Bicycling" in the drop down box, type in the streets locations in the "Get Directions" section, and your personal map directions & estimated time will be displayed.

Robert Foster

I have been using Map My Ride and Ride with GPS so I will have to take a look at the Google site.

wahoonc

Ugly! The pedestrian version works better for me. The bike version routed me on on limited access freeway and two multi lane high speed roads, as well as a street that doesn't go through anymore...hasn't in over 15 years. It was cut off by the limited access freeway.

I realize it is beta....no substitute for local knowledge I guess.

Aaron

Artkansas 

I had a similar experience, which I detailed in the commuting forum. It's definitely in beta. At one point it had me cross 4 lanes of traffic to go into a little industrial alley for about 4 blocks and then cross the same 4 lanes of traffic to get back on the street I was on. Where as it's easier to just stay on that street which is much more bike friendly than the alley. It also routed me along one section of highway that I consider a death zone for its potholes, narrow lanes, heavy traffic and complete lack of sidewalks.

It's one tool to use when planning routes, but I sure wouldn't take it as gospel.

gerv 

I tried it out yesterday and the more I think about it, the more I like sites like bikely.com where you get route suggestions from other cyclists. Google was missing a couple of key trails in Des Moines. When I wanted to head downtown, it routed me down one of the busiest streets and the route was a little longer than my current route.

I expect that Google might figure out a feedback mechanism to improve their data though, so it might get better in a while.

Smallwheels

It routed me on a busy street where the road narrows with no shoulder.

Right click on the map and there is a report bug menu choice. I tried it three times and each time I typed a comment it would disappear on the next step of the process. So if you do try to report a bug don't type anything until you get to a box that has many multiple choice options. Then type on that box. It is the last in the two window reporting steps. After the first screw up I decided to copy my reply. Upon failure of the second time I started again. This time when I got to the last box to add my comments the box wouldn't allow me to paste my previously typed information. Thus I typed a nasty curse word filled rant instead of the useful comments.

Dahon.Steve

I tested it and it sent me up a four lane high speed road with no shoulder. It's amazing how these auto-route planners always take the fastest route to your destination. Shouldn't they know that most roads on a map that are straight as an arrow are almost always high speed highways, parkways or turnpikes?

Crazy Fist

This is an awesome feature. I entered my apt address with my mothers house being the destination, knowing that the fastest route would be through a bike path and sure enough that where it took me.

Another win for Google.

Crazy Fist

woops double post.

cooker

They've mapped most of North America so it is not reasonable to expect it it going to work perfectly. If you don't like the choice it makes you have the option of dragging part of it onto another street and it will revise the overall route.

Doohickie

For all of you who bothered to post up here as to how badly the bicycle option works, have you made the same effort to report the problems to Google? If you right click on any of their route maps, the last option is "Report a Problem" and it's about as easy to do that as it is to write a post to this forum. This is a Beta version for Google. If you want refined for your own personal routes, you will need to tell them what refinements you want to see.

Ekdog

Can't wait for this to become available for Europe.

wahoonc

I have reported so much crap to Google I am surprised they haven't blocked my IP

Every time I use Google maps (and I use it almost exclusively) I find something out of whack and report it.

Aaron

akohekohe

Well, I tried going from the Space Needle in Seattle to the Empire State Building in New York. Sent me on a very Nothern Route and taking the ferry across Lake Michigan (says road may be seasonally closed!). Interesting though, has me doing lots rail to trail stuff. Knows enough to send me over the GWB into Manhattan instead of the Lincoln tunnel.

Doohickie

Well, you know, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once on a while...

For the directions from work to home, it suggest that I levitate over this locked gate.

Roody

Actually it's pretty amazing that they even have a street view of that deadend! I don't know about this particular location, but I do take shortcuts that are just as strange as that one. However, I wouldn;'t levitate over the gate, I'd throw the bike over and squeeze my fat ass through it.

gerv 

I'd have better luck throwing my fat ass over, after squeezing the bike through.

Wake

I reported a route they had created for me to commute to work - through a locked gate and around the airport on a maintenance road next to the runways! However, I did discover a nice alternate route that goes right by the passenger terminal that avoids a bad traffic section and a stop light. It's my new normal way to go now.

Roody

I tried the cool feature on Google where you can click on the route and drag it over to a parallel road or path. This opens a lot of possibilities for trying alternate routes.

As most of you know, there's usually at least a dozen ways to travel between any two points on a bicycle. And if you free your mind and trust your instincts, you can often find literally more dozens of additional routes. Services like Google bike maps are fun and useful, but they can't totally replace old-fashioned exploring in the saddle, IMO.

Brontide

It's not perfect, but with the drag rerouting it's pretty easy to find an acceptable way to go. It has some of the official bike paths, but misses a few of the critical ones for things like bridges. It's handy that most of the area is not bad when it comes to cycling. There are few places in Albany where cycling is not allowed or would be patently unsafe.

Platy

I didn't know about the drag rerouting feature. I tried it and it's very cool.

Last week I did a crosstown ride, 40.8 miles round trip. Google's suggested route, 39.2 miles, is actually a 4% improvement over my usual route. I think the Austin data base has probably been hand tweaked by a local group that's been working for a while on automatic bike routing.

Roody

If you want to see bike routes that have been ridden and mapped by actual cyclists, check out bikely.com.

(warning--website performance is even worse than bikeforums! )

Bikepacker67

Well, the OP's article was titled:

Google Maps adds biking routes for the intrepid cyclist

Free Spirit

Hmmm, I tried this and all it gives me is the Bike paths around Dallas.. I tried putting in my address and my brothers addres and got NOTHING...I did send a report to Google but havnt heard back from them yet..

cooker

They've launched Ride the City in Toronto (https://ridethecity.com/toronto) and I typed in my start and stop coordinates, and was stunned that they almost exactly duplicated my usual route. It's a site based on a combination of geomapping and user feedback, that started in New York.