Katherine Noyes, wrote an article on it for Tech News World magazine.

GOOGLE MAPS OUT HAPPY TRAILS FOR BICYCLE RIDERS By Katherine Noyes TechNewsWorld 03/10/10 11:46 AM PT

Bicyclists in 150 U.S. cities can now use Google Maps to figure out the best way to go from Point [...]]]> Wednesday, Google maps launched a new feature to include directions for bike routes.

Katherine Noyes, wrote an article on it for Tech News World magazine.

GOOGLE MAPS OUT HAPPY TRAILS FOR BICYCLE RIDERS
By Katherine Noyes
TechNewsWorld
03/10/10 11:46 AM PT

Bicyclists in 150 U.S. cities can now use Google Maps to figure out the best way to go from Point A to Point B on two wheels. The move “reaffirms the legitimacy of cycling as a form of transportation,” said New York blogger BikeSnobNYC. The addition of biking directions was one of the most requested new features for the popular service.
In a move sure to make the grade with cyclists across the United States, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) on Wednesday added bicycle routes to its Google Maps service.

“When I need to get off the trail to cross town, biking directions makes sure to keep me on bike-friendly roads and avoid some of the city’s busiest intersections,” Google product manager Shannon Guymon explained in a blog post early Wednesday morning. “The time estimate for the route is based on a complex set of variables accounting for the type of road, terrain and turns over the course of my ride.”

read the entire article here.

Seems like there is a lot going on with mapping. I got sent info on a new iphone app that was launched today:

Iparksny.com

Here is a press release from developer Jeff Willoughby:

NEW YORK, NY – March 11, 2010 – iParks NY, the first iPhone App designed to illuminate the Places and Events occurring in New York City’s parks system, was launched today by Ring Bear, LLC. iParks NY uses the iPhones GPS combined with a proprietary database to help users find the nearest or highest rated parks, playgrounds, dog runs, etc. The App also features an events database that links “the where” with “the when” showing users when to visit Central Park for the official walking tour or when to head to Union Square for its famous green market.

The combination of the iPhone platform and iParks NY App turns the iPhone into a dynamic personal guidebook for navigating the 2,000+ city, state, and private parks and playgrounds that New York City has to offer, and has obvious appeal to both locals and visitors, be they adults, kids, or parents. Additional features include an integrated bike map, editorial content including reviews and pictures, location information including costs, hours, phone numbers and links, as well as content bookmarking which makes it a snap to see upcoming events at your favorite places whenever you reopen iParks NY.
iParks NY was inspired by a 2.5yr old New Yorker and playground aficionado, Maya Willoughby, who frequently exhorted her father, “Daddy, I want to go to a NEW park!” He realized it was too difficult to navigate the parks system on his iPhone, bought a programming book, and spent many months visiting parks by day, programming by night.

So I wanted to find out, what applications are most helpful to you in mapping bike routes. Here is my poll of the week.

Recap of what happened and what didn’t from the organizer himself: Victor-

“So this is how it all went down.

* the only thing that went according to plan was friday. Why, we’ll there wasen’t that much to do [...]]]> Here’s a couple of recaps of what went down at last weekend’s fixed gear only, world famous alleycat race:
MONSTER TRACK.

Recap of what happened and what didn’t from the organizer himself:
Victor-

“So this is how it all went down.

* the only thing that went according to plan was friday. Why, we’ll there wasen’t that much to do but wait until Saturday. Saturday, the way it was supposed to be was after registration, we would mass ride to manhattan from brooklyn over the Williamsburg bridge car path. Of course there is a new law in NyC that says you can’t have more that 50 people at a time anytime, riding anywhere, and i had about 130 people registered . Whatever, a plan is a plan and we would give it a go. i had instructions on how to get to the first checkpoint where the first manifest would be printed out. i couldn’t tell anyone where that was since, nyc alley-cat riders would and do try to cheat,(thats just how it is in alley-cats,always is,always will be)and i gave half to jason from affinity with instructions. he was to start the race if the cops stopped us,and i would try and stall the cops,get a ticket if need be.A cop from NYPD 90 precincts reminded me that,potentially we could all get stopped.i figured the worst that can happen was me getting a ticket,like a couple of years ago when i got not one but two tickets,which i don’t even know where they are right now. Well we rode over the bridge and of course since no one listens or pays attention when you have a big crowd,everyone followed someone,and apparently,bumrushed jason for the instructions on how to get the first checkpoint. “
Read the rest here.

I mean, come on…the cops secretly love us as seen here with our own Heather Loop.

Chari and Co, grabbed a few shots of MT winners Alfred and Austin, from their checkpoint.

Kevin Dillard of Demoncats.com has a great series up.

Check out his albums here.

And over at Smashenger, Krillz put up a great link to a recap from Dave’s Quality Meats Blog.

Photos by Aaron Joseph

Check it out here.

And my photo set on flickr.

A Bike Theft in the Time of Twitter By J. DAVID GOODMAN New York Times, March 9, 2010

Austin Horse thought he was just leaving his bike for a second when he ran into the lobby of an office building at 28th Street and Madison Avenue last Tuesday afternoon to make [...]]]> found from Joe Hendry from messmedia.org

A Bike Theft in the Time of Twitter
By J. DAVID GOODMAN
New York Times, March 9, 2010

Austin Horse thought he was just leaving his bike for a second when he ran into the lobby of an office building at 28th Street and Madison Avenue last Tuesday afternoon to make a pickup.

Mr. Horse, a messenger since 2005, expected a quick turnaround — run up to the desk, get the package, get back on the bike — and locking his bright orange track bike would just slow the whole process. “I had it fake-locked,” he said, describing how he had placed a U-lock through the back wheel without closing it, as a decoy. “Normally, a pickup like that, it takes 30 seconds.”

But there had been some confusion at the company, and the package was not ready for him. Ten minutes passed, with Mr. Horse standing around the lobby, watching the bike through large glass windows, growing increasingly antsy. Finally, the package arrived, and he went to the desk to get it, turning his back to the windows.

A minute later, the bike was gone.

Read the rest of the article here.

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