This is the sort of thing that makes me feel 🤢 about European Cyclists Federation

This is the sort of thing that makes me feel about European Cyclists Federation

The Number 1 speaker they list for their #VC26 Rimini event is from Google Maps http://r.sendmail.ecf.com/mk/mr/sh/SMJz09SDriOHW0pgipnqcu77qOG8/G9-b6x7x-lDN

They ought to have @notjustbikes to tell them why Google Maps for cycling in Europe is rubbish

This is the @notjustbikes I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csHdwHTteOw

@jon @notjustbikes The hell of it is, Google Maps is one of the best options of a limited menu of shite (a bit like political parties, amiright?). Which is why it's so important to push for and support e.g. OpenStreetMap to be improved.

Also https://mastodon.social/@mcc/116002605778465161

@jon Not only because of this. Also because of everything bad that Google embodies. We are Europe, and Google is not.

@jon @notjustbikes Although I do wish that the fietsersbond would make their additional data (over the kadaster) available on OSM rather than only having it (as I understand it as non-open data) just on their own route planner.

@brad No, actually no. There are dozens of tools that work better for cycle routing than Google Maps does. And Google Maps doesn't even offer you cycle routing in a bunch of countries, and where it does offer it, it's shit. @notjustbikes @mcc

@olokolo Yes, but here the issues are intertwined. Google thinking car first (which is a political bias) leaves it with crap cycle routing.

@jon @brad @notjustbikes @mcc For cycle routing, https://cycle.travel is great !

@jon @notjustbikes meanwhile in Barcelona Google refuses to even add the bike lanes (and happily sends you down the very busy road parallel to a good bike lane) even though the city has repeatedly tried to tell them everything they need is sitting right there in their open data portal.

@steven @brad @notjustbikes @mcc Oh take your pick, there are half a dozen. I am using Mapy, and am very happy with it.

@steven off topic, but are you aware of any gmaps alternatives that work for (1) business search and (2) transit directions? I'm moving from Google to Kagi but kagi maps are just worse

@jon @notjustbikes @mcc Depending on where you are, sure. Not everyone's in a place with a good non-Google closed alternative, and the closed alternatives aren't exactly great long-term anyway.

People really into their cycling will find and use those alternatives. Civilians like me need (want) a better general-purpose tool that will help with multi-mode travel - walking, cycling, public transport, and also for driving.

@brad I can't speak for anything outside Europe, but any OSM-based dedicated bike app does a solid job in every European country having, well, cycled in ALL of Europe as part of my work! @notjustbikes @mcc

@steven I'm happy to hear there are bike apps but my city is not very bike friendly

@jon @notjustbikes Google sucks for cars as well. Generally clueless about the roads it sends you over. They have all the data but they're not using it.

@jon @notjustbikes It's like do they even ride bikes in Europe? You don't even need to ride much in order to find out just how awful Google Maps is for cycling. The routes don't use the fastest paths, there's missing cycleways, occasionally Google sends you onto a forest path or the road doesn't exist at all.