Apple Maps Now Offers Cycling Directions Across All 50 U.S. States

[hagar]

SARC ON: Really, you think they could handle the most bycle-friendly place on the planet?

Kidding aside, they really are late to the game here. In Europe, I never use apple maps, it's hopeless frankly. Rumour had it that they would take 10 years to catch up to google, well it's been at least 10 years and they are ages behind still... Unless they build an index of the internet as google has, I wonder if they will ever be able to catch up frankly... Maps are really much more than simply the streets on a page...

I’m not here to defend Apple’s painfully slow rollout, but Maps is pretty great in Europe. I use it daily and in over a dozen countries and it rarely disappoints.

It does suck as a business directory. But for navigation, traffic and detours it does a great job.

 

[Lynge]

Have you used cycling directions on Google Maps? Its pretty awful.

But still better than non!

 

[Killbill2]

Nice they can do bike routes, slightly better than the competition. It would be better if they wowed us with accessible pedestrian routes, and even better Accessibility features. Remember Tim Cook's "When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind, I don’t consider the bloody ROI”? Well deliver the accessibility leadership. Oh, And we still don't have "look around" in many places in US…

 

[nvmls]

Nice they can do bike routes, slightly better than the competition. It would be better if they wowed us with accessible pedestrian routes, and even better Accessibility features. Remember Tim Cook's "When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind, I don’t consider the bloody ROI”? Well deliver the accessibility leadership. Oh, And we still don't have "look around" in many places in US…

It's coming along the notch removal in 2043..

 

[MacCheetah3]

I'll use this once I buy an electric bicycle. I used to do 25 mile per day rides or longer but not any longer. Now I'm watching my bike sit and going to the gym which is sad but I think an electric assist would be a great way to get back out and with the range many of them have I could use some of the routing maybe. I cant tell if it finds safe roads or if that is still on me. Right around here you have to watch out but not too far away we have bike paths where you can go for many miles without a car around.

It’s greatly motivating! If you (still) enjoy the cycling aspect, it’s superbly/amazingly motivating. Most of the ride I go without pedal assist and I have already enjoyably completed 20 mile rides without the battery meter dropping a single bar. I’ve done 20 mile rides before but, admittedly, quite exhausted by the end. Using the motor to give you a slight rest occasionally is more effective than most probably imagine.

A business may have 1 star and then I check and then it’s one review of someone complaining about parking while it may have a 4,5 on Google

The problem with group reviews in general.

 

[mapsdotapp]

News flash: cycling isn’t important.

Cycling is the main form of transportation for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Across all 50 states? That's a long bike ride! Good luck getting to Hawaii!

You'll probably need one of these:

 

[TheWatchfulOne]

I get that apple can’t just release every maps feature on day one or even day 2001 but when they do a maps demo in an iOS keynote showing off the way they’ve slightly updated how shadows fall off buildings and there’s still no cycling directions in your city of 500k people it does make you scratch your head a little on where their priorities are.

Pretty sure they have different teams of people working on different things. Adding cycling routes would involve changing and verifying map data. That's a moving target, BTW. It will take a long time to build up map data. If they take the time to verify that it is correct, it take even longer. The stuff they show at keynote presentations seem more like application changes. That would not take as long to develop. No head scratching required.

Its embarrassing how far behind Google Apple are with Maps. I try and use apple maps 90% of the time but there's always those times when it just doesn't work. Unfortunately Google Maps is a battery hog so I don't like using it too much.

Google is 20 years ahead of everybody. Literally. Nothing embarrassing about it. MapQuest and/or Yahoo Maps could have been not too far behind if they had chosen to put in the effort. Are either of them still around? Apple is behind now, but it seems they are improving at a faster rate than Google.

 

[parseckadet]

I've had it in Denver for a couple months now and it's.... ok. Most of the bike paths that I'm aware of are there, and I have discovered some new ones. But there are also a few that telepathically exist, but are barricaded off. What would be really nice is the ability to alter the route in certain places to take ways that you know to be better, much like what google offers on their site. To be fair, the google app doesn't offer that either. But google will insist on sending me on some two lane road with a speed limit of 50mph and a TON of traffic. The thing is a death wish for anyone on a bike. Apple does seem to be better about avoiding busy streets.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Nice they can do bike routes, slightly better than the competition. It would be better if they wowed us with accessible pedestrian routes, and even better Accessibility features. Remember Tim Cook's "When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind, I don’t consider the bloody ROI”? Well deliver the accessibility leadership. Oh, And we still don't have "look around" in many places in US…

Apple Maps already has this. There are walking paths marked with stairs, ways to avoid stairs, hills, and busy roads for walking directions, and destinations are marked with accessibility features. What would you suggest they add?

 

[tehabe]

I think it is weird, that Apple Maps doesn't offer cycling routes in the Netherlands.

 

[AppleFan1998]

Hopefully this would be useful when visiting another city.

 

[RaceTripper]

I ride some 6000 miles a year. Unless Apple Maps has a way to plan bicycle routes I can save and upload to my Garmin Edge for TbT navigation, the feature is pretty irrelevant. Probably more useful for casual cyclists and commuters I suppose. I’ll never use it. I think every cyclist I know couldn’t care less about the feature for iPhone. Even those who use a iPhone as a bike computer are going to use Strava or RideWithGSP (and both have basic free services that are adequate for TbT navigation).

I’m guessing Apple doesn’t know anything about heat maps, something that is rather standard for cycling route design with RideWithGPS and Strava.

 

[darcyf]

Pretty sure they have different teams of people working on different things. Adding cycling routes would involve changing and verifying map data. That's a moving target, BTW. It will take a long time to build up map data. If they take the time to verify that it is correct, it take even longer. The stuff they show at keynote presentations seem more like application changes. That would not take as long to develop. No head scratching required.

Google is 20 years ahead of everybody. Literally. Nothing embarrassing about it. MapQuest and/or Yahoo Maps could have been not too far behind if they had chosen to put in the effort. Are either of them still around? Apple is behind now, but it seems they are improving at a faster rate than Google.

It’s safe to assume the team that makes the shadows is not the same team that maps the cycling routes, but thanks for the 101 on software development lol. I’d be far less inclined to find your comment a tad condescending if it weren’t for the fact that maps has been out for a decade now and it’s not like cycling is this new craze that apple couldn’t have seen coming. Decisions were made not to put resources into cycling when there’s no way in heck they couldn’t have been. They chose not to and there’s no sense in trying to justify it at this point and it’s why when they tell us look at the new shadows that we made it’s baffling because no one is asking for new shadows while tens if not hundreds of millions are saying where the heck are the cycling directions.

 

[burgman]

Arriving 10+ years after the competition. Right on schedule for Apple feature roll outs and bug fixes.

Fortunately for you they added it so you could post.

 

[TTTedP]

Hope there’s a constant reminder that a bike is not a car or a motorcycle. Use common sense and stay out of traffic.

that means we have your support for funding more bike lanes right?

 

[TTTedP]

.

 

[RaceTripper]

Garmin or Strava heat maps are more useful for those who know but this is helpful for the average Joe who isn’t aware of/into those apps yet.

Not perfect, but helpful and I appreciate the effort.

I tried it in my area and it suggested a mix of dedicated trails and 40mph roads with zero shoulder. Kinda reflects the hodgepodge state of bike infrastructure in the US. Not Apples fault either.

Yeah, I did say the Apple maps might be useful to casual cyclists and commuters. Those who cycle more than that eventually find their way to Strava, RideWithGPS, or similar.

 

[switz]

Not a rocket science Apple Maps user. Most of the time it does okay where I travel in the US.

I use a Garmin RV 1060 GPS when towing as it specializes in knowing where there are low bridges and other tidbits that apply to towing. The bigger screen helps to transmit info at a quick glance rather that a long stare at the smaller screen of the iPhone.

 

[SAIRUS]

 

[surfzen21]

I'll use this once I buy an electric bicycle. I used to do 25 mile per day rides or longer but not any longer. Now I'm watching my bike sit and going to the gym which is sad but I think an electric assist would be a great way to get back out and with the range many of them have I could use some of the routing maybe. I cant tell if it finds safe roads or if that is still on me. Right around here you have to watch out but not too far away we have bike paths where you can go for many miles without a car around.

Get back on the bike. Your body will thank you and the scenery is probably much better than in a gym.

 

[RaceTripper]

Get back on the bike. Your body will thank you and the scenery is probably much better than in a gym.

If an e-bike makes the difference between someone riding or not riding I'm all for it. I'll be 64 this week and ride a regular bike, but hope to continue riding for decades. If it means switching to an e-bike at some point that can't be worse than not riding at all and just waiting to die.

 

[yvovandoorn]

SARC ON: Really, you think they could handle the most bycle-friendly place on the planet?

Kidding aside, they really are late to the game here. In Europe, I never use apple maps, it's hopeless frankly. Rumour had it that they would take 10 years to catch up to google, well it's been at least 10 years and they are ages behind still... Unless they build an index of the internet as google has, I wonder if they will ever be able to catch up frankly... Maps are really much more than simply the streets on a page...

Agreed. Pretty embarrassing that Apple doesn't offer cycle nav in a city that offers many cycling paths. Any tourist, with an iPhone that enjoys Apple Maps, gets rejected for not offering instructions.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Unless Apple Maps has a way to plan bicycle routes

Do you know which or some apps that do? None of the apps I’ve tried suggest a route I would describe as optimal/best for cyclists — I have not used Strava in awhile, maybe I’ll try it again. Also, plenty of times cruising/recreational routes are loops (i.e. start and finish are the same spot). More specifically, planning new recreational routes.

Also, cyclists can legally in many circumstances act just like a car. Motor vehicle statutes mostly give them access to public roads with the exact same rights and privileges as licensed motorists. We have to ride as far to the right of the road as is “safe”! Sometime that means taking the entire lane when it’s too narrow for cars to pass safely without changing lanes. Consider this, we aren’t blocking traffic. We are traffic. Get used to it. The law supports us, and we are growing in numbers.

And, in some cities, bicyclists are required to use the road:

City Ordinance does not allow bicycles to be ridden on sidewalks (except for law enforcement and emergency personnel) [City of San Antonio Ordinances Sec. 19-286]

Laws & Ordinances

Rules of the road for bicycle riders.

www.sanantonio.gov

Which can make it a lose-lose, possibly creamed by motor vehicle or swerve around/nag pedestrians who ignorantly/stubbornly walk the middle of paths or groups that span the width.

If only there were rules/guidelines to aid everybody with consistent expectations. 😉

 

[MrRom92]

Hope it’s not as completely useless as their walking directions. Seems like the typical Apple Maps experience would be significantly more frustrating and dangerous on 2 wheels than it is on 2 feet.