For those who hadn’t yet noticed (and I certainly hadn’t), Google quietly added bicycle directions to Google Maps in 2010. To do route planning by bicycle, simply to go maps.google.ca, enter both your starting point and your destination, and select the bicycle icon from the row of four icons in the “Get Directions” box (the other three being car, bus, or walking directions).

Better still, you can enter multiple destinations, letting you plan the best route while doing errands along the way. If you notice something that doesn’t seem quite right, Google notes that “Bicycling directions are in beta,” and that you should “Use caution and please report unmapped bike routes, streets that aren’t suited for cycling, and other problems here.”

Especially with this feedback from locals about preferred cycling routes, this could become a great resource for commuting and touring cyclists.