Using the Route Sheets
Some of the bike routes on this website have a map. These maps only provide the shape of the ride and the relative location of facilities along the route. They do not provide the necessary detail to navigate the route. For anyone unfamiliar with the area of a route, it is strongly recommend that you bring along a detailed street map. The maps have been created using DeLorme TOPO North America (TM) 10.0. Carrying a GPS device and/or compass can also come in handy.
The following conventions are used on the route sheets. Being familiar with these conventions will make them easier to follow. Always be aware of the next turn you need to take and how soon it will occur. Turns that occur very soon after another (less than 0.1 mile) are often indicated on the route sheet as either QR or QL for "quick right" and "quick left." Because some turns come up quickly, it is a good idea to always look at least two cues ahead. All turns from one road to another are noted on the route sheets with the distance from the start of the ride. At times, when a road continues straight, or makes a turn, the route sheet will depict this by indicating the direction to go (e.g., ST for straight, R for right, etc.) with the initials TCO, which means "To Continue On." Keep in mind that each bicycle computer may be calibrated a bit differently from other bicycle computers. For this reason, the actual distances on the route sheet may trend slightly greater or less on your computer. KR (Keep Right) and KL (Keep Left) are used when another road branches off the named road you need to stay on. BR (Bear Right) and BL (Bear Left) are used when you want to turn off the named road you’re on, but the angle of the turn is less than 45 degrees. Always go straight at intersections/stop signs/traffic lights unless the route sheet indicates otherwise. If no choice is exactly straight, take the road that has the same name as the road you are already on. Often, when a road enters another town, and occasionally at intersections, the name of the road changes. These changes are indicated by ">>" ("becomes"); for example, Maple St >> Hallock Rd (Maple St becomes Hallock Rd). Generally, when a road has both a name and a route number, both are indicated on the route sheet. Occasionally, but not often, the route will use a dirt road. These are indicated on the route sheet. At times a turn will be onto a road without a street sign. These are indicated on the route sheet with "(n/s)," meaning "no sign." Be aware that things can change. Street signs may be missing or may have been installed after the route sheet was developed. Stop signs and traffic lights may have been added, and intersections may have been realigned. And, although occurring very infrequently, a street name on a map may be different from the name on a street sign. Where we have noticed this, the street name on the street sign has been used. At times, a route sheet entry will indicate that there is a stop sign (SS) or traffic light (TL). However, not all stop signs and traffic lights you might encounter are indicated on the route sheet. For example, if the route follows a road for several miles and there are stops signs along the way, these stop signs will not be indicated on the route sheet. Route sheet entries in blue italics are points of interest and/or suggested lunch/snack/regrouping spots. These also have an "O" in the "Dir" column. Items in parentheses in the "Road Info/Description" column contain either additional information about a turn to help make sure you go the correct way, or an indication to use extra caution. When used, the symbol "~" means "about" or "approximately." |
Elev. is the total number of feet the ride ascends and ft./mi. is simply the elevation divided by the length of the ride.The numbers are provided primarily to compare the hilliness of one ride to another. Generally, a ride that averages under 60 feet per mile is fairly flat, but can have some short, steep climbs. A ride that averages 60 feet to 85 feet per mile has rolling terrain with some flat stretches, and a ride that averages over 85 feet per mile can be quite hilly with some longer and/or steeper climbs. Keep in mind that rides that will some consider a flat ride others others will consider hilly and vice versa.
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