I’m sure this isn’t a new idea, per se, but it is something that I think should be thrown out into the fray of ideas: a “bike” option to click on for Google Maps, Mapquest, or whichever online map service you prefer. I have my standard bike routes of varying mileage, but it’s a pain to plot them out on paper for several reasons, the most important of which being that you have no way of knowing which roads are narrow, busy, or gravel without having previously ridden on them.

The system I envision starts off just like Google Maps, except the user first inputs the desired mileage. The next step is to choose a starting point, and however many destinations he or she wants to go past. If the desired mileage is not adequate, the map will adjust the route to just barely allow all destinations, or the user can go back and edit the initial submission. The map itself will be operated/manipulated just like normal, but the roads will be colored differently for various surfaces, and marked for relative business (most of this data is available either officially by the county, or by passionate cyclists, and is generally accurate). I can also see a huge community aspect in this, too. Rides could be saved with a small description, and other users could rate and comment on these rides. Similarly, landmarks can be marked as being interesting. Cyclists share a similar sense of camaraderie in real life, so I have no reason to suspect it would change on the Internet. For the commuter, a different algorithm could be used (and constantly updated) to generate a timely route based on estimated departure time. This feature would probably have to be worked in.

There is a service that is along these lines called Gmaps Pedometer, where you can submit routes created; however, the program does not generate routes for you. At any rate, I think a tool like this would not only benefit cyclists such as myself, but it would promote alternative transportation (namely by bike) because it eliminates the hardest part: finding a good route.

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