MapMyRide

When I first started this blog back in 2010 I had hoped to use Google maps to create and share maps of some nice, not-too-hard scenic routes. But I found Google didn't work well on loop routes, it insisted on sticking to there-and-back rides along the shortest distance between points. Which is not the way I roll.

Twelve years later, and now there is MapMyRide. I downloaded it to my phone last month and have been having great fun re-visiting some favorite rides. It uses GPS to track your movement from point to point, and measures distance, average speed and total time. The distance measure doesn't match up exactly with my bike odometer, but I've already discovered that tire tread and inflation have a noticeable effect there. The "pause" button turns off the GPS, but the clock continues running while you stop for a coffee break or passing train, so your speeds will be lower, and total time will be higher than those measured on a bike computer. But I don't really care that much about performance stats, it's the mapping functions I wanted. My favorite feature is the elevation profile, which compares up- and down-grades to your speed, and provides validation that certain hills really are as hard as they feel on the way up.

I have noticed that using MapMyRide makes a difference in my riding habits, beyond just giving me a new incentive to ride. I used to ride out to a destination town like Lynden, Everson, Birch Bay or Blaine, where I would stop at a cafe for a snack and coffee before heading back home. Now I'm tending to ride in a continuous loop, stopping near home for a break if I want one. I even skip bathroom breaks or stops to take photos or window-shop along the way. This may change once the novelty wears off, though.

The dreaded two-roundabout Northwest Drive hillclimb

A rambling ride to Birch Bay State Park