Oh, and by the title, I thought they were going to shut down the service.

One of the differences I've found between Strava and RideWithGPS is that RideWithGPS seems to forget where I've been. Strava seems to keep maps, at least in the vicinity of where one typically is riding.

I could certainly imagine the benefits of an app like Google allowing route planing. Go from A to B, then to download all the maps within a couple of miles of the intended course.

I still have some HUGE cell phone coverage holes, and I also generally run Strava with an off-line device.