Originally Posted by
mdilthey
I'm struck with a problem. Maybe business managers and obsessive-compulsives never run into this issue, but the idea of google mapping every road on a bike tour, checking for traffic, slope, and distance, and planning a route day-by-day seems outlandishly difficult and daunting to me. Just typing a general destination in Google Maps and hitting "Bicycle" nets me 20-30 pages of instructions.
In the northeast US, is it safe to just bring a few general maps and make up the route as we go along, consulting maps when we need work-arounds or orienteering? Or does everyone spend a few weeks painstakingly solidifying a blue line from A to B?
Myself and my ride-mates would be more likely to see hills as "challenges" and cars as "obstacles," so a little danger is fine. I don't want to get stuck on the highway, though.
I decided to join the 21st Century this year and purchased an Iphone this spring. I found an app from All-stay that shows tent campgrounds throughout the US. I also got the app for Warm Showers and for Yelp. All of them give directions through the on-board Google map app that is resident on the phone from Apple. For my route through the South, I had planned my general route using Ride with GPS but for day to day directions, I used the Google Map app. I'd pick a distance that I wanted to travel and then find something in the area and let the Google map give me the route. The Google map app isn't perfect since it only gives you the choice of car (following mostly interstate highways), bus (??) and pedestrian. I used the pedestrian maps but they had their own problems in that they would sometimes take you on hiking paths which weren't negotiable by bike.
Overall, however, the phone allowed me to follow my general route but make adjustments to the routes as needed. I'm not a huge fan of electronic technology on tour but the stupid smart phone allowed me a level of flexibility that I've never experienced before. I'll definitely use it in the future.