Originally Posted by
mdilthey
It's a defect to blindly follow a mapping program that is in beta if you have very specific preferences or needs for your route.
It's a defect to follow
any map blindly regardless of preferences and needs.
Part of the problem is that people assume their experience with using maps for driving translates into using maps for cycling. That isn't quite true (I listed some of the reasons in another post above).
Also, quite a few people have an idea that maps are perfect.
I'm going to assume that you know what you are doing. I'm talking about people that might need more help.
Originally Posted by
mdilthey
If I was on skinny road tires and refused to touch dirt, I would plan my route more carefully and potentially select the "cars" option with "avoid highways" checked. That usually works for me.
Of course, but that requires having good data too. You also don't always have the option to plan routes "more carefully".
Locally, I've seen (in OSM) a road that was classified as "cycleable" that wasn't and a road that is an important cycle route classified as "not cycleable".