new routes

How mush forethought do you put into route selection? Is it a
serendipitous, 'wherever I end up' or painstakingly planned and rigorously
adhered to?

I 've come to rely on Gmaps for both plotting potential tours and recording
actual ones.

I certainly don't stick to intended routes. Indeed the variance can be
instructive. Here's a couple I'm planning for the end of July. The longer
one 200 km one will probably be a two day affair.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2048260

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2048325

Why these routes? The Toronto trek has a certain 'belly of the beast'
element, venturing into the maw that is urban sprawl development. It's also
a bit of a nostalgia trip to places I used to live.

As for Brantford, I know some people there so there is a respite before the
return leg.

It remains to be seen how much the actual routes vary from the intended.

"recycled" wrote in message
...

How mush forethought do you put into route selection? Is it a
serendipitous, 'wherever I end up' or painstakingly planned and rigorously
adhered to?

I 've come to rely on Gmaps for both plotting potential tours and
recording actual ones.

I certainly don't stick to intended routes. Indeed the variance can be
instructive. Here's a couple I'm planning for the end of July. The longer
one 200 km one will probably be a two day affair.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2048260

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2048325

Why these routes? The Toronto trek has a certain 'belly of the beast'
element, venturing into the maw that is urban sprawl development. It's
also a bit of a nostalgia trip to places I used to live.

As for Brantford, I know some people there so there is a respite before
the return leg.

It remains to be seen how much the actual routes vary from the intended.


Speaking for myself . . . It depends.

If I'm going out to burn some calories, I'll go whichever way looks good at
that particular moment. On the other hand, If I have a goal in mind, and
I've never been there before, yes, I'll dig around in some maps, usually
using my GPS software to assist, and develop a route. Once I've done the
route, I may add variations . . . within limits, i.e. if an alternate route
is closed to bicycles, I won't go, construction detours, or routes that are
not amenable to bicycles due to traffic or safety, etc.

On Jul 5, 5:26 pm, "emanon" wrote:

Speaking for myself . . . It depends.

If I'm going out to burn some calories, I'll go whichever way looks good at
that particular moment.

That was the case with our ride today. I accompanied a friend for the
first portion of his trip. His goal was to get from the East Bay area
of California to the LA area as expeditiously as possible. So the
route was very straight-forward: head east to I-5 and then go south on
it. I only went with him for the initial 60 miles and then came back;
he's presumably still pedaling southward. Somewhat different from
most bike routes, but it was quite enjoyable. The shoulder pavement
is in good shape, but there were some issues with debris, particularly
truck tire treads. I got a flat due to a piece of wire from the steel
belting on one of these. The reaction of wildlife by the side of the
road was interesting. Oblivious to the stream of trucks going by, the
squirrels, gophers, deer, etc. nevertheless fled at the approach of
our two bikes.

On Jul 5, 6:54*pm, "recycled" wrote:
*How mush forethought do you put into route selection? Is it a
serendipitous, 'wherever I end up' or painstakingly planned and rigorously
adhered to?

*I 've come to rely on Gmaps for both plotting potential tours and recording
actual ones.

*I certainly don't stick to intended routes. Indeed the variance can be
instructive. Here's a couple I'm planning for the end of July. The longer
one 200 km one will probably be a two day affair.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2048260

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2048325

Why these routes? The Toronto trek has a certain 'belly of the beast'
element, venturing into the maw that is urban sprawl development. It's also
a bit of a nostalgia trip to places I used to live.

*As for Brantford, I know some people there so there is a respite before the
return leg.

*It remains to be seen how much the actual routes vary from the intended.

I use pedometer to plan routes all the time. I don't think I've ever
stuck to one completely, however. There's always a trail or backroad
that looks too tempting, and next thing I know I'm so far off the plan
it makes more sense (to me) to just keep going and see where I end up.