On yer bike with Google Maps

Posted on 11 Mar 2010 at 11:51

This week Google took the first step in adding cycling directions to its online Google Maps service. For the time being these are only available for US cities, but just like Streetview, we'd imagine it will be rolled out to major European cities in the near future. To have a look at how the new directions work, you'll need to visit http://maps.google.com/biking. As per usual with new Google Maps features San Francisco is a good place to give it a test ride.

The new route option, which sits alongside those for cars and public transport, lets you enter your location and destination, and then calculates your route. It tries to avoid steep hills and busy roads; instead preferring established cycle paths and quieter streets. Users are encouraged to provide feedback to improve the service.

You can also access a new Bicycling map layer, which overlays all the known cycle paths on the usual road map. This is accessed via the More button, which sits next to the Map/Satellite/Terrain buttons in the top right-hand corner, click our picture above to see this.

We tested the system by plugging in various San Fransisco landmarks, and tried to recreate some rides we'd undertaken on holiday. Based on our limited knowledge of the city, the results were practical and sensible. We look forward to seeing its launch in the UK, though we'll be interested to see if it can compete with the ever-growing OpenCycleMap.org.

Author: Seth Barton

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