Zumo User Forums

Michelin Maps for me.. look for the roads with a green border denoting scenic routes... create a route on Mapsource send to unit

I once rode from Calais to Southern Spain linking up as many of these roads as possible, it made for a really good journey over a week or so.

rbentnail wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:22 pm I use Google maps and drag & drop the little man over to a street. If it lights up blue, it's paved. If not, it's not.

The blue lines just indicate roads for which a Street View is available. Street Views are available for the most commonly used roads, which are usually paved. But Google does send their camera cars down dirt and gravel roads, and there are many paved roads that were too small for them to bother recording (yet).

Satellite views and topo maps can give some good clues about roads in an area. I look for hills, rivers, and creeks. A road running along ridge tops will likely have some good curves and some elevation changes. A road in a valley that runs along a creek will have be even better, with more flowing curves.

lkraus wrote: ↑Thu Jan 19, 2023 3:23 am

rbentnail wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:22 pm I use Google maps and drag & drop the little man over to a street. If it lights up blue, it's paved. If not, it's not.

The blue lines just indicate roads for which a Street View is available. Street Views are available for the most commonly used roads, which are usually paved. But Google does send their camera cars down dirt and gravel roads, and there are many paved roads that were too small for them to bother recording (yet).

Satellite views and topo maps can give some good clues about roads in an area. I look for hills, rivers, and creeks. A road running along ridge tops will likely have some good curves and some elevation changes. A road in a valley that runs along a creek will have be even better, with more flowing curves.

With the routes I've created over the years about 98% guaranteed that what I said is true, good enough for me. This of course may change as time passes. Thanks for the advice but I'm good. I am not so anal that I feel the need to explore all roads on my route before ever riding them as I am not opposed to riding on dirt roads or that I need to pour over different types of maps to find anything. After some 30 yrs of riding the same old now-boring VA/NC/TN mountain roads I've moved on from seeking them out. To me there's more to riding than that.

I am not advocating that I am as accurate as some others may require, or that anyone has to do "it" like I do. I am simply describing what works for me. YMMV.