Road Maps?

[pugbuddy]

Does anyone know where to find good interstate road maps for small scooters like the Buddy 125. I've looked at Bicycle map sites but those seem to mainly be prepackaged "tours" and that won't work for me.

I plan to take a cross-country trip from Tulsa OK to Bloomington IL (by way of Bloomington IN) in September. But finding maps with roads I'm allowed to travel on is turning out to be a pain.

Also, what are best sites to check on what road types each state will allow me and my Buddy to ride upon?

Thanks for any help!

[ScooterTrash]

google maps, you can make your own

[pugbuddy]

I tried it; won't work. All of the maps online center around the interstates and large highways. My 125 cannot use them for the most part.

[Alix B]

Hey, I used Google extensively on my scooter trip. Just check "avoid highways" at the top of the directions. No sweat. I ride a Buddy125 also. I think you will be fine where you are going. Individual states map were also handy, with more detail.

Usually I would get the google directions, then google the by-way or highway itself.Sounds crazy, but even though google steers you away from interstates, you can still wind up on roads where the speed limit is 65mph plus. Usually the Transportation Dept or even Wikipedia has some info somewhere that gives you a general idea of whats ahead.

Often there are service roads parallel to main highways, helpful stuff. You're gonna be able to tool around on some country roads in those parts.

Talk to local scoot shops too. You said Tulsa? Your local scooter shop knows whats up.

Peace

[pugbuddy]

Thanks folks. I tried the "avoid highways" option but had no luck with it. I'll try again and see what I can turn up!

[pugbuddy]

Alix,

On your ride across country, what speed did you average? I'm thinking 40mph may be good but it looks like Google wants to send me through a lot of small towns.

[Alix B]

I rode about 58-65 mph. I was really thorough about my routes, it became rather annoying actually. Sometimes you have to put in halfway points, instead of just the whole trip, start to end. I googled mapped your trip and it looks fine, first glance.

What is the speed limit on Hwy 54 and 100? Through most of those places, speed limit will drop near towns, then pick back up to 50-65.
My limited exp. in the MidWest, Plains and West was that truckers use alternative routes too-and so due to farmland and shortage of roads, you will be sharing.

Peace Out
Alix

[jmazza]

Thanks folks. I tried the "avoid highways" option but had no luck with it. I'll try again and see what I can turn up!

There was a thread here that just revealed to me that once Google maps your route you can drag the route to other roads with your mouse. Mouse over the route line and you'll see draggable points. I messed around a little with it and it's pretty cool.

That ought to give you every option you need.

Those Google kids. They scare me, but they're pretty smart!

[coopdway]

I don't know of a central point to find them, but searching for state bicycle maps sites has proven very helpful to me for high quality motorcycle roads. The maps provided by the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation are fantastic, highlighting Busy, Quiet, Use Care, etc. types of roads, state wide.

Good bicycle roads are good motorcycle roads and I don't go out the driveway without having these maps along. I'll be doing the same with Buddy.

I'm a map lover, reader and collector. Half of the fun on my routes is sitting down with a map and seeking 'proper' roads out. Various online sources allow you to set parameters as far as most scenic, most direct, using local roads, etc. Even with all of the new modern help, I still have the most fun spreading real maps out and finding the Good roads. I avoid faster and more direct roads whenever I get the chance and it has nothing to do with how fast I can go.

Good luck and have fun with your planning!

[scullyfu]

if anyone has AAA, won't they 'map a trip' for you?

also, if you live in washington, check this out:

viewtopic.php?t=2476&highlight=

folks in other states may have the same thing. worth checking out.

[Alix B]

Those bicycle routes came in very handy twice for me, on the West Coast.
Worth checking into on some occasions. Google it! Never found the actual bike maps, just looked online and wrote down what i needed. Oh, and about that, it's all preference of course, I had a postcard placed on the mount "arms" of my windscreen, for directions. Really wish I had rigged up a whiteboard system of SOME kind, dunno what.

AAA, wouldn't do motorcyle routes, my friend tried for me. Parent or friend have AAA? Make sure they don't spill the beans, just request those small scenic roads where you can see the corn growing and smell the cow pooing.
Have a great ride!

[EP_scoot]

Pug,
view this tread: topic2990.html

[jrsjr]

I hesitate to recommend a Microsoft product, but MS Streets&Trips is what was used to map the Scooter Cannonballs. Google can be set to avoid Interstates, but Streets has even more flexibility, plus Streets gives you the ability to do that cool drag&drop thing with individual legs of your trip. So, like, you can quickly do a basic route from point to point, then go back and alter it on the fly. For scooter touring, this is a really nice feature, because it makes it easy to pick and choose your roads in as much or a little detail as you like. It does a whole lot of other stuff for you, too. Again, esp in this winter of our Vista discontent, I hesitate to recommend a MickeySoft product, but Streets&Trips is an inexpensive, mature product that, in my experience, actually works.

[coopdway]

.... but Streets&Trips is an inexpensive, mature product that, in my experience, actually works.

Strongly agree and I use it every day. The one issue I have with it (and all of the most recent versions) is that once I get over '18 mile view', I lose the detail of the small road detail. I wish this limitation would go away, but otherwise, I think the program is very flexible and powerful. There are at least one and normally a dozen of MS&T sheets in my tankbag.

[pugbuddy]

There was a thread here that just revealed to me that once Google maps your route you can drag the route to other roads with your mouse. Mouse over the route line and you'll see draggable points. I messed around a little with it and it's pretty cool.

Great advice all! Thanks!

I originally tried to find bike maps but havent' had any luck. I will keep playing with Google and get ahold of Microsoft S&Ts if I can (it may be on my computer, forgotten, already!).

Alix, you averaged 50-65 on your Buddy? Pretty cool. I was aiming very low to account for all the towns I expected to have to slow down for but it sounds fun!

Keep in mind, I won't have computer access while on the trip so everything has to be planned out ahead of time (at least generally, which is how I prefer to travel). But there's a lot of time between now and September so I'll be able to make plans!

[robtaylor]

another tulsan!

you may want to consider buying or borrowing a gps unit

mine has a choice of avoid hiway, bicycle, pedestrian, etc. so if i choose the bicycle i usually know it'll be safe for me. mine also give live traffic updates and adjusts for traffic, wrecks, etc.

[pugbuddy]

Ok, here's another question for the road trippers out there.

On Google maps there are 60+ twists and turns on the route from Tulsa OK to Bloomington IN. How do you keep up with all of them enroute? I cannot imagine stopping that many times to check the directions. What's the best way to handle this?

I also wonder if there is a nifty, inexpensive GPS item that I could attach to my scoot to guide me along the way (like the OnStar car thingy)? Any ideas?

And when I post, this appears:

you may want to consider buying or borrowing a gps unit

.

Recommendations?

Also, how long have you been scooting in Tulsa?

[robtaylor]

1-if i were you i would try to print out details where roads change, get confusing etc and the rest i would print as little as possible of things like "go north on hwy x for 100 miles" other than that i don't know

2- yeah you can buy an onstar type deal at radio shack and they have a few units at the tuesday morning on 31st and harvard for like 20-30 bucks

3- my gps unit connects to my pda/phone and it is a garmin 10 but only availble through a pda or laptop

4- been scooting only about 8 months or so.

[whonozz]

This may be an option you.

Try buying a copy of the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer for the state/states you intent to travel in. I live in Missouri and have one of their atlases for my day trips. Not only are their atlases very detailed topographic maps that show you roads as small as blacktop county back roads and even gravel farm roads, but they also show you the terrain the roads go through.

I own a 125 SI and I have to say that I’ve found no pleasure in riding anywhere even close to an Interstate Highway. OK. to IN. is a long haul on something as small as these Buddy’s. I don’t think I’d even want to give it a try.

With that said, the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer’s are still great maps for semi-local scooting. You’ll find lots of cool, off the beaten path treks.

Enjoy….