The best free online tool for mapping your bike route

Whether you’re in an unfamiliar place, broadening your horizons, or wherever you are, there are plenty of tools online to customize different walking, running, and biking routes. Not all of the online tools highlighted here are created the same, so let’s take a look at the best free options, depending on what you’re looking for on the map.

All of the following options have solid reviews, and most importantly, there’s a free version that’s free or you can get the job done. About all of these We recommend using the desktop version instead of the mobile appI think it’s much easier to drag and drop different points on the path using the mouse pad, at least initially; using the mouse pad.

How to map a bike route on Google Maps

Even if you don’t have the ability to customize your bike or running route, you’re probably familiar with Google Maps. Here’s how to map your bike route on Google Maps:

1. Click the direction icon. Make sure you have selected the walking or cycling icon.

2. Select a starting point and a destination. You’re probably creating a loop, so click the plus sign to add the starting position again as the third stop.

3. The map shows the fastest and most direct route to your destination. Drag the blue line to customize the loop according to your desired distance and target where you want to go.

4. When you’re ready, click Options to send directions to your mobile phone.

After connecting to your smartphone, tap Profile icon On Google Maps Offline map..Then tap Set your own map Then you will see a zoomed-out map of where you are. All you need to do is move the blue rectangle over the area you are going to visit and then tap it. download..

With Google Maps, you can safely trust the accuracy of the route and all its features (time, distance, elevation). However, once you get used to the site’s interface for planning bike routes, it becomes clear that Google Maps isn’t focused on building routes. Still, if you don’t want to try something new or unfamiliar, you can’t get rid of Google Maps.

For a no-frills experience: Onthegomap

I’m partial onthegomap.. It’s easy and easy to use. Click the map to create a point on the route and drag, drop and delete as needed to create the route. It’s faster than Google Maps, but has much less information (such as traffic reports and detailed terrain profiles) compared to the options below.

For many customization tools: Plotaroute

If you like to dig into the details, Plotaroute.com There are a wide range of route editing tools. You can also create routes from scratch, combine existing routes to split them, or use the magical “Create Route” feature in specific areas. The menu next to the map has many icons for plotting detours, repeating loops, and navigating to different sides of the road.

After designing the route, you can inspect the terrain to see the numbered directions to follow the route (this turned out to be a very underrated feature on all these sites). Plotaroute is free, but you need to sign up for an account to get all these customization tools.

For your off-road adventure: Komoot

If you’re serious about cycling or trail running, Komoot Best for sports-specific routing. There are inch-by-inch surface and way-type analyzes, but it’s all Komoot’s pre-built routes that make this perfect for outdoor adventures. Filtered by distance, difficulty, and public transport links, the routes already in Komoot seem to be an easy-to-use version of the trail map at the entrance to most parks.

For the best crowdsourcing data, BikeMaps.org

BikeMaps.org It’s like Waze for cyclists. Websites and apps are crowdsourced tools that local cyclists can use to map trouble spots while riding, such as crashes, near misses, hazards, and theft.

It’s very sensitive to zooming in and out on the trackpad, but the interface is also visually appealing. The main drawback of BikeMaps: This site seems to be the most popular in Canada. Therefore, your experience depends on the number of fellow cyclists uploading data in your area.

For Notables: Strava

please listen. I know that the route building feature moved behind the paywall a few years ago, but it goes without saying. Strava Jeez.

For now: For enthusiastic Strava users who missed the route-For builders, in the list of past activities,[ルートに保存]You can click to reuse it in future activities.

As a bit of an invitation … Stay tuned for more detailed posts on how to hack a free subscription and create your own route anyway. Until then: Strava is loved by athletes of all kinds, Heatmaps are a great tool for finding proven routes near you..

Final idea

You cannot make a mistake in any of the above options. Some are geeky about elevation profiles per inch, while others just want to lose 3 points. Use the first loop you created on the map. My last secret is to always make sure I’ve downloaded the offline version of the map. Even better, write down the backup instructions on a piece of paper. A wand that won’t fall.