Check out Google Earth!

[Longhorn]

You can map a route with mileage, determine elevation changes, "fly over" your bike route, etc., all from this free program!

http://earth.google.com/

This link uses Google maps and satellite images to also let you map out a route to determine mileage:

http://www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer/

I've been virtually riding my commute for the last 24 hours! :D

[bvar22]

1. Pretty kewel!

Thanks!
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Hey!!!
Who is that parked in front of my girlfriend's house?

[welshTerrier2]

2. fantastic software ... thanks ...

i have a question on how to use the "tour" feature ...

if you click on the directions tab, enter a starting point and a destination, and then click "search", you get a map of the route and step-by-step directions ...

if you then hit the "VCR play control", you get a "fly over" virtual tour of the route ...

but, if you hit the "pause" button and then the "play" button to resume the tour, the tour seems to restart from the beginning ...

is there a way to have the tour just continue from where you paused it???

btw, the details of my house when i keep enlarging the view are pretty scary ... next time i'll remember to pull the shades down !!

[Longhorn]

3. You've figured out more than I have!

But I did do the math on my "Killer Hill" at the end of my commute. It works out to a 10.7% grade over about 0.2 mile. Here's what it looks like on Google Earth:



The lower part is steeper. I zigzag up that section, walk my bike past the barrier, rest in the shade of a tree for a minute, then zigzag up the rest, though my zigzags on the upper section are getting longer. The climb continues through the parking lot but it's *only* 4.9%.

That's a pretty decent hill, isn't it?

[jeffreyi]

4. Tour De France stages on Google Earth

Thanks for the tip!
Check out the Tour de France Google Earth routes!!!

http://tinyurl.com/7w54s

[Gregorian]

7. Thank you!

I never thought of that. Brill!

[dean_dem]

5. Holy-freakin'-crap

I just wasted three hours of precious work time playing with that program.

[Longhorn]

6. Sorry! ;)

I was at it a good part of the weekend. Even my husband got hooked and he's not much of a computer fan. It's pretty amazing and all I was focusing on was my commute route!

And by the way, I shaved off nearly TEN minutes because I cut out half a mile that included a big hill! :)

[Gregorian]

8. Here's something you'll LOVE

Even on a fast connection this tour takes time to work properly. Go to this thread. Near the top is "open this placemark". Download it, open Google earth, go to Places, select only the file, and click the play button. And sit back. I suggest playing it several times, or stopping at each location and letting the streaming go to 100%. Then, you can watch the show uninterrupted. And is it ever a show. :)



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Keyhole Community: Our Beautiful Earth