Check out if your local city pubishes a map with good and bad cycling routes. In Buffalo NY for instance you can go to: http://gbnrtc.org/bicycle_route_map.htm. You can also call and get them to send you the paper map for free. This is not an interactive computer based route map, but I can use it to help plan a route through a part of town I haven't cycled through before, and it was spot on. I had to ride a short streach of road that was listed red (avoid) and I can confirm that it was a lousy street for cyclists (4 busy lanes, no room for a bicycle anywhere). An other route was listed as Orange meaning OK for cyclists, but not a deficated bike lane, and it was a good route. The road was wide enough in most parts that the cars could pass and give me about 3 ft of space without having to go into on-coming traffic. I also used a MUP that runs from about .1 mile from my office, up along the end of the Erie canal and the along the Niagara river. There is only one section that can get busy with pedestrians, the rest is nice cylcing.

If you are uncertain and are scoping out a ride you will do more often, you could scout the route by car... I know that is partly defeating the purpose of cycling, but getting hurt on a bad street does no one any good.

Happy riding,
André