Originally Posted by
TiHabanero
Turn by turn through large population areas is not practical, but I am going to give it a go to see how long the instructions become.
No? See the attached. 90 miles through some large population areas (
e.g., Newark, NJ, the most densely populated area of the most densely populated state in the U.S.). Nearly 120 cues, complete with mileage legs, that fits on one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper when copied double side. I left off the 7 miles in Manhattan and Brooklyn because by that point in the ride the group I was leading would stay together. Had I omitted the key that additional mileage would have fit on the back page. Also, I used 14 pt. type for those of us with old eyes. Smaller size would have reduced the amount of space needed.
If this can be done on paper, imaging what can be done with an electronic device like a phone. Indeed, I led a group on a modified version of this ride back in September. For a couple of reasons, including last minute detours due to Ida flooding damage, some of the route was unknown to me. A woman in my group had a device that literally spoke the upcoming turns, even through densely populated places like Linden, NJ and Staten Island, NY.
When I crossed the country in '99 we rode through The Twin Cities, The Quad Cities area (Davenport, IA and surroundings), Cleveland, OH and Buffalo, NY using only PGS--paper guidance system. It really wasn't a big deal.