sriley4290

so I am not even sure how to search for what I am asking so I am sorry if this is duplicated. i am looking for a website or app that will allow me to go to a map, and draw the route I want to take and it figure out the mileage for me. there is a new loop I am looking at riding, but I need to know how far the loop is to be able to account for time. I have heard of websites, but haven't found one yet. Does anyone know of a website or app like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated...

68venable

Strava.com

sriley4290

did some more research and found mapmydistance.com
click the route, and it will allow snapping to roads. very nice little website. I will also look at Strava. Thanks venable

WNCGoater

Strava, and Map My Ride both do that. Also, Google maps will do it and has a bicycle feature though not quite as much info as Strava or MMR. All are free to use. With MMR or Strava you can print out the cue sheet.

indyfabz

ridewithgps.com

You won't get all the clutter that mapmyride gives you. Here is an example. It's a tour route I have planned for next year:

MONTANA 2016 - Orchard Homes, MT

rm -rf

You should start with ridewithgps.com. It's very good at designing routes, with hill grades shown, undo-redo options for trying alternate roads, a running total of mileage and elevation, etc. And you can use the "Find" tab to look for other routes in your area.

I found ridewithgps way better than mapmyride some years ago. Perhaps mapmyride has improved, but I still find viewing other rider's mapmyride routes to be slow and annoying.

I wrote up a ridewithgps review in 2013 in this thread.

~~~

For just estimating distances before designing a route in detail, I use google maps with the bicycle setting. The routes it picks aren't always the best choice, but I can get a quick idea of the mileage between two points, and zoom in to check some of the roads. Then I go to ridewithgps to draw the actual route.

Strava Heatmap
For unknown areas, I like to browse the Strava Heatmap. (it changes the URL as you zoom and pan the map, so you can bookmark that part of the map.)

It's a map of all the rides uploaded from the last few years. Blue is somewhat traveled, red is commonly traveled. As you zoom in, more lightly traveled side roads get colored in. Fun to browse.

Some of the heatmap's "popular" roads are ridden because they are the only reasonable choice in that area, and may be kind of annoying to ride. And it will show the locally famous steep climbs that most riders avoid. But most of the red roads are great for biking.

WebFootFreak

Google Maps will do in a pinch as well. Mapped out 50.8 for last monday. Ended up with 52.0 after making a wrong turn...

bruce19

Also, Microsoft Streets & Trips but you have to buy it.

Jim from Boston

I follow a mileage based training schedule, and it’s hard to trace out routes on MapMyRide for example, with the crazy, haphazard web-like roadways around here. I have a very good, nicely scaled AAA paper roadmap of Metro Boston. Using my home as a center point I have drawn concentric arcs of 10, 20, and 30 miles around it, so I can estimate where to go to fullfill my mileage quota. Of course I can always just ride half the distance, then back the same route.

I did keep a spreadsheet of mileages amd routes as a reference to select routes. After years of riding, and with increased emphasis on speed than miles, I can usually sufficiently estimate the mileage on an intended route.

sriley4290

wow Jim, that is pretty cool. one day I would like to have a map of Atlanta metro and highlight all of the roads I have ridden in North Ga.

Machka 

I use Google Maps.

Jim from Boston

Try AAA or ask a friend who is a member for a map from an AAA business office. They seemed to have Metropolitan maps of all the major cities I have visited. They are free to members, and the scale is such that they encompass a wide area, yet detailed enough to show good cycling roads. I have even planned Century rides using the Metro Boston map.

One problem I have had using them en route is that I have to find my location on the map. This is my first year riding with a smartphone (I 6+) with GPS that will immediately show me my position on the map.

sriley4290

very cool Jim, thank you for the information. I do know people who are members of AAA. I have been using MMR since I started riding a year and a half ago. I use it for almost every ride I do no matter how short. just created my first route on it today. I do like the create a route feature on the website.

wheelsmcgee

It might be similar to some already mentioned, but I like a website called gmaps pedometer. It's not affiliated with Google AFAIK, but I believe it uses Google maps on the backend. Simple to use, just click at reference points from start to finish...you can switch from "snap to road" to "line of sight" during a route, which is handy if you do a little off road.

fietsbob

Old way Dividers .. use the scale in the corner of the map to set the dividers width between points.
then use the distance transferred to the line of the Road , and walk off the distance with the dividers .

rollwithme

Google Maps has an overlay option for bicycles....showing dedicated trails, lanes, "bicycle friendly" streets, etc.

T Stew

I have used google maps, I use google maps all the time for everything so might as well for biking too. Turn-by-turn navigation while on the bike too for unfamiliar routes. Problem is I need to draw it on the computer (since you need mouse to grab the route and drag it onto particular roads since it defaults to fastest options which you likely wont be biking) and then transfer it to my phone (via email link usually). I wish there was a way to create the route on the phone too incase I am on the go and don't have time to do it on pc ahead of time. Does anyone know if there is a way to do that on a phone?

I've heard you can also with Endomondo which I use, but never tried its route creating features yet.