Google Maps Now Helps You Avoid Hills When Cycling

During my high school days, I used to ride my bike everywhere. I even rode one mountain bike so often that it fell apart. Seriously. It broke in half while I was riding it down the sidewalk. I’ve talked to many bikers over the years, and none of them have ever had that happen to them before. Even though I was in pretty good shape back then and loved riding my bike, there was one thing I most certainly hated about it; the hills. If you are any kind of cyclist at all, you more than likely know the feeling. Sometimes, I’d even go completely out of my way to avoid most of the energy-stealing inclines. But sometimes, you’re not too familiar with the area and avoiding all of the hills isn’t so easy. That’s where Google Maps can help out the inner cyclist in all of us.

With a recent update, the popular Maps service has added a new bike route feature that will help you to avoid most all of the annoying hills on your bike route(s), and that is certainly a cause for celebration.

That’s What I Call An Update!

Google Maps didn’t just add new features to their bike routing, they added a whole new elevation system which tells you high steep (or flat) your route will be. And, if it seems a little bit too steep, just have the program adjust it for you to an incline more to your liking. As of right now, you can’t do this on the Google Maps mobile app, but you can do it on the desktop version and then send it to your mobile device.

So, why not let the folks behind Google Maps help you get where you’re going just a little easier? Of course, if you want the exercise and the more strenuous activity, there’s nothing like a good hill to climb while biking to get up the ol’ heart rate.

What do you think of this new feature? Will you be giving it a try?

[Image via Gizmodo]

SOURCE: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/17/google-maps-bike-route-elevation-data/