I am looking preferably for an app that is a good bike gps besides google maps. Google maps continues to send me to dead ends or streets that just do not have the greatest bike routes. I'm not even sure if there is one dedicated just for cyclists. I may just have to do map it out manually.

I am hoping to stop using google bike maps because it continues to send me to dead ends or roads with no bike lane and or heavy traffic. I also feel that most apps are just GPS tracking rather than directions. Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Are you selecting bicycle routes on Google Maps?

In some cities that's not bad, or at least, it is in Ann Arbor, the only one I've ridden in apart from around where I live 20 miles away. Where I live there is no such thing as bicycle infrastructure and besides I know where everything is so I don't need a GPS anyway.

Are you using the bicycle mode in Google Maps?

Other apps may be better for some areas, but none that I have tried have the same national and international coverage as Google Maps.

yes I do use the bicycle function. I love in a pretty big city so it's probably not fully integrated with the bike routes yet.

Merged threads.

What OS are you using? I'm familiar with some Android apps, but so much iOS, Windows, or BBM.

If Android, check out OsmAnd Free if exploring unknown areas or use RideWithGPS if planning your own routes in known areas.

Your expectations don't quite match reality.

Keep in mind that it takes a lot of work to creating the mapping data. There's a strong (commercial) value to mapping roads that cars use and less value to mapping cycle paths. So, it shouldn't be too surprising that cycling-specific information is weaker than that for roads.

I'm not sure where Google gets its bicycle path data from but it's not driving on them.

The completeness/quality of the bicycle path data probably varies by locations too (some places have better data than others).

Google's bicycle routing is likely based on very basic road properties anyway (remember, Google isn't driving cars on them and driving cars is the primary method Google uses to get mapping/routing information).

Openstreetmap maps (OSM) have a fair amount of cycle path information (again, the quality varies by location). There are many smartphone apps that use the OSM data. Since anybody can update OSM data, OSM is more likely to contain information that is interesting to a small-number of motivated people.

Part of the difficulty with generating routes for cycling is that some cyclists want to get somewhere and other just want a nice ride (and these two groups might have rather different opinions about what roads to use). As it happens, people driving generally just want to get to another place using the fastest/short route. Since that is a much bigger market (by far) than cyclists, what is available tends to work better for them.

This is your best bet. Especially, since a mapping program can't really know what things you prefer.

In keeping with this opening post and what was already said by others I think you have one of two main choices:

First choice; download an app that lets you plan ( and download ) your own route using one of the mapping websites or...

Second choice; Use an app like Google map or an app that uses OSM and navigate your own route as you go. To do this you may need to stop for a couple minutes here or there to scroll the map to see what options you have.

Personally I prefer option one. I like planning ( and downloading ) my own route in advance. If for some reason I want to change things up while on the ride I can always close out the route and just use the basic map. Works for me.

It takes quaity time to construct a map on the computer, then download it to your GPS. However, I found out the hard way that map software is less than satisfactory for the cyclist. Even in my own town, it chose one of the fastest streets to ride on and didn't even know the bike route was just one block over!!

"Bike route"?

We have random-ish "bike route" signs scattered around the towns in my area.

I don't know exactly what purpose they serve. (I suspect they are designating routes to schools.)

There are signs for the "9" bicycle route that goes along the Hudson River.

What "map software" are you using?

I don't think your expectations match reality either.

It's much easier to generate routes for car drivers.

Well to some extent it does take some time to put together a route on-line as there are many factors to consider. Factors like traffic, total distance, road surface composition, construction detours, whether or not the roads have shoulders, what amenities are available along the way, on-line availability of cell towers for your device( if applicable )...not all questions are easily or quickly answered The computer itself though or website really does make the job easier ( when planned in advance ).

Of course it really helps if you have some general knowledge of the area you wish to ride in. A good mapping website helps a lot. The mapping website I use most is RWGPS. Most of the time if I have any questions on the roads I set up I can check the various issues that might concern me. If I'm worried it might be too hilly I can check the elevation ( either total for the route ) or check just a particular road. If I'm worried about "road surface / shoulder availability", I can use the "little google man" ( if available ) to actually view portions of the route.

Yes, there is a learning curve with anything. Learning to use the websites and how to interpret the information does take some time. All things considered, it is much better to plan things in advance rather than to just go somewhere and ride by the seat of your pants. Of course just how important this is varies from person to person. Younger people usually have a better ability to adapt to the unexpected so for them knowing everything ahead of time might not be so important. As for me, I'm not so young. Having the luxury of turn by turn navigation for the entire route allows me more time to just gawk at the scenery without worrying about , "how many miles till next turn"?, or "Oh, did I just make a wrong turn"? Yeah, every once in a while I might have to consult the map but for the most part the worry is eliminated and the over-all enjoyment of the ride is enhanced significantly.

+1

I'm all for GPS technology and won't go back to paper maps again. Maybe I didn't make myself clear but the built in auto map feature in your standard GPS is only good if you have a motocycle! If it can't find a street, it will dump you on the the expressway real fast.

I have gotten in a number of bad situations where I would end up blocked by an expressway left with having to climb up ramps! Not fun.


The OP is looking for a bicycle GPS that creates a route that guildes you through subdivisions and away from main highways. No such device is on the market and you will certainly won't see an app on Google Play either.

Quite frankly, I would pay serious money for some developer who could do this for each state around the country.

Your "serious money" isn't anywhere near enough. Even beyond just you, there aren't enough people willing to spend enough to make it happen. You underestimate the difficultly.

serious money . . you'd probably have to find at least 100,000 people willing to pay $5-10 annually to get started and keep going. Even if you were selling data gathered from the app, good luck with that. where's a billionaire looking for a right off to start a npo\ngo . .

A lot of the map data is crowd-sourced. When you see a problem, report it. This is why it keeps improving. I have submitted corrections to Google Maps, and they have accepted them. I understand that pretty much all of Africa's maps are crowd-sourced. Amazing, eh?

Most of Google's map data is from Google. Most commercial companies provide ways for the public to provide corrections.

It appears that Openstreetmap (OSM) is the largest (by far) crowd-sourced map database and, at least in the US, it started with a huge amount of publicly-funded (governmental) data. I suspect that's true for Africa too. (And editing OSM data is assisted, in important ways, by commercial companies, such as Bing, and governments).

Regardless, there are many places where the OSM maps are the best available. From what I've experienced (mostly in the US and some in Germany), my opinion is that the OSM maps are very good. But, in areas well covered by commercial firms, the commercial maps are more complete and accurate. There are, more often than one might expect, fairly major things missing or wrong on the OSM maps (I know because I fix them!)

Still, I like the OSM maps (well enough to take the effort make them better). But they aren't perfect.

None of this is meant to discourage people from using OSM (in some cases, you might not have a choice) but to make sure people's expectations are realistic.

I agree that OpenStreetMap is very good. I use OSM and also edit it so the areas I ride most are up to date. It's not perfect but nothing is I'v never found a map without mistakes plus things change. I'm happier with it then with the Garmin maps. A Garmin GPS will route on bike paths with OSM but not with a Garmin map. I mostly ride road but sometimes a bike path can be a good shortcut, also some of the Brevets I do use some bike trails. If I find an error I can fix it and have an update fast and free. I have found errors on Garmin maps and reported them. They update maps 4 times a year so depending on timing it could be 3+ months for the correction to make it to the map. I must then buy a new map to get the update. I have Garmin maps on my GPS so if I'm in an area I think they are better than OSM I can switch to it.

Yes.

The commercial mappers don't map bicycle paths because there isn't much commercial value in it and because it's more effort (there are two things against paths being included in commercial maps). The money is in maps for motor vehicles.

OSM proves a way for people interested in features that commercial mappers ignore be able to add those features to good maps (that's a really big thing).

Still, if you look at the features both cover, the commercial maps are significantly more complete and accurate (generally; there will always be exceptions). Part of the reason why is that the commercial mappers systematically review their maps. Nothing like that happens in OSM: things are added/updated when some random person has sufficient interest in doing so.

OSM compensates by being free, including "specialty" features, and having a fast update rate.

There isn't any reason for people to be quite happy with the OSM maps.

Note that the Garmin Touring and 1000 come with OSM maps.

Yes in a lot of cases the commercial maps are better that's why I have both loaded in my GPS.

Hopefully now that Garmin is including OSM maps on the Touring and 1000 more people will start updating and improving the maps.

Or more people will be frustrated and annoyed (because they don't quite understand how all this stuff works).

That's possible. I hope not.

strava and garmin have heat maps where you can see where others are riding the most

sometimes being lost on a bicycle is an adventure that leads to good things other times not so much but it simply happens and is part of the sport

Strava's is behind a paywall...Garmin's well...Garmin Connect is a relative ghost town compared to Strava.

Strava's general heatmap does not require a fee. What requires a paid membership is for them to display a heatmap of your own personal rides.

To see the local heatmap of all Strava rides, start to create a new route, click on the "gear" icon in the top left corner of the map window, click on the "Global Heatmap" toggle switch, and voilą!