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Old 07-09-12, 03:59 PM
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Guitarfool5931
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Curious about...

I'm curious about how everyone goes about picking their best route? (i.e. any special websites that list bike friendly roads, elevation charts, etc.) My trip is fairly short I'm sure in comparison to the average rider in this part of the forums but I figured who best than people who ride cross state/country. I want to bike from Chicago to Seneca, IL but don't know which streets are bike legal without taking neighborhood streets and having a million stops signs on the way. I know it's super short but I've always wondered how people get from city to city without taking neighborhood streets. Thanks guys. Sorry if it's a dumb question.
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Old 07-09-12, 04:35 PM
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I usually start with Google Maps and choose the bicycle routing option. This is what it looks like with the parameters you gave. I also use the pull down on the right side that says "Traffic" and select "Bicycle", that is what the green routes that are marked are.

Then I will zoom in to street level and decide if I like the route or not, it is fairly easy to drag the route over to a different street if need be. You can also go into "street view" to see what the streets and the area looks like. There is also an option somewhere that will "fly" the route in 3D. If you are worried about hills you can use the "Traffic" pull down and check terrain too.

By using this system I have discovered a previously unknown to me, off road bike path that ran within a block of my hotel. I had been playing in traffic on a busy highway because I didn't know it was there.

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Old 07-09-12, 04:50 PM
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With enough research as suggested above, you can usually pick a pretty good route thru a city. Some have bike trails that may help. Shown in green with Googles' cycling option. Many times it'll be through neighborhoods with stop signs if you are determined to avoid trafficed thoroughfares. You could also call a local bike shop or a Warmshower host for ideas for navigating a city.

I recently avoided a busy thoroughfare in Little Rock using Google street views. It was a through steet, but not nearly as busy as the alternative that had been suggested by a friend. The route I took was through a 'sketchy' neighborhood, his description. I reasoned it was
midday and the homeboys would still be in bed.
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Old 07-09-12, 05:08 PM
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https://www.bikelib.org/maps-and-ride...ate-bike-maps/

I think that the state of Illinois has some of the best bike maps there are. I imagine that you can pick these up somewhere, they mailed them to me when I was planning a trip a few years ago. Maps are coded for usage, legality, and the like.

Plus, I find the google maps to be good for planning routes as well.
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