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115 Posts
My name is Maxwell, and I'm just getting back into riding dirt regularly.
I do all kinds of riding, from commuting to centuries to tallbikes on AIDS/Lifecyle to fixies through Death Valley. The last few months though have the first time time I've been riding mountain bikes regularly since I was 10 years old. I like to explore, and string together epic routes, but I'm finding maps a bit patchy.
Are you underwhelmed by the available trail maps for SoCal? I am, and that's why I'd like to make a better one. There's a lot of great riding in SoCal, but the maps of trails are just not as thorough as other locales.
While looking for a way to overlay multiple GPS tracks from GeoLadders and MotionBased on a googlemap, I discovered the OpenStreetMap project. It's a wiki-type effort to create an open source map of the world. Some folks are already using it to make maps of mtb trails, particularly in Germany.
wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mountainbike
Folks in the UK, Netherlands and Germany are mapping their national networks of bike routes. opencyclemap.org
Most fire roads and bike paths are already on the map, I just need GPS tracks from singletrack that I have permission to use. I plan to ride as many trails as I can, (hopefully every single one in the Santa Monicas and San Gabriels) but the more help I get the better, especially for trails with multiple lines.
Ways you can help
From least to most time and effort:
•Just post or send me your GPS tracks, with as much or little info as you want about names and types of trails.
•Keep an eye on the map at openstreetbugs. I can pencil some trails in from satellite photos, and will just need them identified.
•Get to work mapping trails yourself, the tools are very easy to use, just takes time to draw.
•If you're a programmer/web designer/graphic artist, I could use help tinkering with the software to render the map data in ways that make it a better mtb map. I hope to use this map data on the web and in print.
My goal for 2009 is to make maps of SoCal trails better than any you can buy right now. I think with the great tools from openstreetmaps, the proliferation of GPS, and help from the community, it's totally doable.
So that's my idea! What do you think?
Oh, yeah, feel free to e-mail me at
maxtheheathen at gmail dot com
I do all kinds of riding, from commuting to centuries to tallbikes on AIDS/Lifecyle to fixies through Death Valley. The last few months though have the first time time I've been riding mountain bikes regularly since I was 10 years old. I like to explore, and string together epic routes, but I'm finding maps a bit patchy.
Are you underwhelmed by the available trail maps for SoCal? I am, and that's why I'd like to make a better one. There's a lot of great riding in SoCal, but the maps of trails are just not as thorough as other locales.
While looking for a way to overlay multiple GPS tracks from GeoLadders and MotionBased on a googlemap, I discovered the OpenStreetMap project. It's a wiki-type effort to create an open source map of the world. Some folks are already using it to make maps of mtb trails, particularly in Germany.
wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mountainbike
Folks in the UK, Netherlands and Germany are mapping their national networks of bike routes. opencyclemap.org
Most fire roads and bike paths are already on the map, I just need GPS tracks from singletrack that I have permission to use. I plan to ride as many trails as I can, (hopefully every single one in the Santa Monicas and San Gabriels) but the more help I get the better, especially for trails with multiple lines.
Ways you can help
From least to most time and effort:
•Just post or send me your GPS tracks, with as much or little info as you want about names and types of trails.
•Keep an eye on the map at openstreetbugs. I can pencil some trails in from satellite photos, and will just need them identified.
•Get to work mapping trails yourself, the tools are very easy to use, just takes time to draw.
•If you're a programmer/web designer/graphic artist, I could use help tinkering with the software to render the map data in ways that make it a better mtb map. I hope to use this map data on the web and in print.
My goal for 2009 is to make maps of SoCal trails better than any you can buy right now. I think with the great tools from openstreetmaps, the proliferation of GPS, and help from the community, it's totally doable.
So that's my idea! What do you think?
Oh, yeah, feel free to e-mail me at
maxtheheathen at gmail dot com
