Topography Maps

[Jspear]

I was wondering if anyone knows where the stage profile's come from.

-Here's an example of what I'm talking about just in case I'm not being clear -

Is it some sort of software or program that creates these profiles?...The reason I'm asking is because I'd really like to be able to map out the topography of my personal bike routes. Is there a program or something that does this sort of thing? Thanks!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Take a look here http://bicycling.about.com/od/howtoride/tp/mapping_tools.htm

There are some programs online that give you these profiles when you map a route.

 

[BigMac]

edit: Noticed you're interested in basic profiles, as for that, Flor pointed some useful sites. You should also take a look at the race design thread.

The route is mapped using a Global Positioning System software (similar to the ones one can find online through google maps, but professional) and true elevation is gotten from sources like the army, geohraphic institutes etc. (they pay for this stuff). A basic profile is generated trough computer, but these profiles as you see them, good looking and esthetically appealing are work of a graphics designer(s). Of course this applies mostly to WT races and other second tier ones that are organised by the likes of ASO, RCS etc... Hope it helps.

You can get something simillar with basic illustration knowledge.

 

[Jspear]

Cool. Thanks for the links! It does help.

 

[DirtyWorks]

The always great inrng did a story on them:

These graphics image slices across the countryside to produce a representation of the landscape, to show where the climbs come. But they’re not to scale. If you look at the image above it shows a stage that is 219km long in the horizontal scale but the vertical scale peaks at 2.75km. The Mortirolo looks like a cliff rather than a one-in-ten road. If a stage profile was drawn to scale what would it look like?


http://inrng.com/2012/05/stage-profiles-revisited/

 

[avanti]

............. If a stage profile was drawn to scale what would it look like?
...............

A mountain stage would look flat with a few bumps.