I have found Google maps to be a useful tool for cycling routes on occasion. It's better than nothing, and often provides excellent supplementary information, even when you have other maps. Here are some examples. I rode the entire Erie Canal trail last summer from Buffalo to Albany. We had the official guidebook with maps, but it was cumbersome to keep handy and read while riding. We also had days when we rode off the official route, such as a side trip to Niagara Falls and a long detour in the Rochester area. Google maps on our iPhones was very useful in finding other routes. You also can use Google maps on your phone to pinpoint your exact location on a route.

Another example is from an organized group ride that I participated in a couple of years ago. The ride was supposed to be a metric century and it was mid-January when most people are not trying to set personal best speeds. It was a local club ride with the typical hotshots whose primary goal seems to be dropping other riders. The ride leaders did not have cue sheets or maps to distribute and quickly dropped 2-3 riders. Myself and 3-4 other guys hung with the leaders until about the 40-mile point but they dropped us on a very long hill. One of the remaining riders told us not to worry, he knew the route. Turns out, he didn't know it very well and got us very lost about the 50 mile point, after missing a turn. I finally pulled out my iPhone and found us the shortest safe route to the starting point. We ended up with about 67 miles for the day, which was fine because it was my birthday ride and I made my miles!