One way of finding out what a ride looks like before you take the ride is to just get on a bike and do the ride. That’s so 2010. These days if you want to see what the front of a business looks like before you go there, you get on Google’s Street View and check it out. In similar fashion, Cyclodeo, is bringing this same ease of information to your fingertips by allowing users to upload their videos of a ride and sharing it with the world. It’s a great way to share information.
Google’s Street View is a great tool for seeing static images, but if you want to get a feel, a real look, at what a bike ride would really look like, you have a better shot of seeing it through a bikers eyes. Street View does not take into account cars parked in bike lanes or bike paths that run parallel to major roads. If urban planners are smart, they can use this tool to see where the dangerous parts of rides are and how to improve them all with the help of the people that ride them everyday.
Currently constrained to roads, it would be cool to see this technology applied to mountain bike trails. Mountain bike trails can sometimes be even more dangerous than commuting in the city. I know I’ve gone off some fairly large drops on Galbraith Mountain! Having the ability to preview the trail before riding it would be handy for people starting out to see what they are getting in to before heading down the hill. Especially if the trails are not marked with a difficulty rating (as most aren’t).
If you want to submit your ride, check out Cyclodeo.
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