I’m thinking that people still expect too much from the new free Google Maps beta called Bike There. Of course, lots of folks asked Google for it, so, as of this month, we have it.
But, Bike There is not enough for at least one Berkeley resident at the tersely-named Berkeley Blog. And believe it or not, Sylvia Paull’s recent tale of woe got a mention in the New York Timeseses’ The Bay Area. Seems that, after consulting her PC and starting a journey on her $5000* custom-made, carbon/titanium/unobtainium Ben Serrota ride:
“‘Ms. Paul found herself pushing her bike up ‘Everest’ hills. ‘If Google bicycle maps had told me the truth,’ she said, ‘I think I would have missed the party or found a ride with friends.’”
She should ask for a full refund from Google or something, huh? Or, alternatively, she could invest $5 or so in a bike map that shows hills.
Over here in the West Si-iiide of the Bay, people use the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s SF Bike Map and Walking Guide to see how hilly the streets are. On the East si-iiide, you all have a wealth of free online sources plus the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s East of the Hills Map. It looks a bit like this:
Easy peasy, right?
Of course, some people like Get There more than others, but oh well.
*Mas o menos, those things cost muy dinero, especially the ones that are “much easier” to carry on BART than a laptop PC.
