like Bwgride, i use Mapmyride and zoom down to a mile or less to get the skinny on sections i'm interested in. hasn't let me down yet.

i settle down with the computer, get some chips and salsa, and enjoy the experience. it may take a while depending on my route. BTW, i usually have a google maps tab on my browser open too, just to get a perspective and flip back and forth between the road map mode and the 'earth' view mode. lot's a fun.