This is hand drawn map #140 on the Hand Drawn Map Association‘s website.  It details how to avoid nosy neighbors and their silly comments such as “If you had a car you’d go faster” as you leave your house on your bike. Found via ReadyMade magazine, this website is an ongoing collection of user-submitted hand drawn maps and diagrams. The collection includes meticulously drawn maps of the tokyo subway, ambiguous scribbles to the local pub, detailed drawings of imaginary worlds, even sad maps of relationships past.
A few of the maps are funny, like the map someone drew of the neighborhood their design studio is in–and then realized they were surrounded by drug dealers, both legal (doctors offices) and illegal (crack houses). Among them are a few with cycling themes, shown after the break–along with our contribution from “The Best Road Ride Ever”…
It’s always interesting to see someone’s interpretation of the land we live on and their perception of space. Maps can be colorful or just black and white, detailed and exact or sketchy and “not to scale”. Landmarks are always interesting too, as in the time we went to Detroit and figured out how to get somewhere by turning right at the second Dunkin Donuts and left at the McDonald’s…
Ever scribbled directions to the nearest trail on the back of a flyer for someone at the bike shop asking about where’s the “best place to go mountain biking ’round here”? Well, that bit ‘o paper could be the newest addition to the collection of maps on the Hand Drawn Map Association’s website. Interested in submitting one of your own? Click here. And while you’re at it, send it to us too. Until then, here are a few maps from their collection:
click on any image to see it larger…
#61 – a drawing that was part of a proposal to turn an old rail line into bike trails in Seattle.
#77 – a map detailing bike path maintenance, where to do it and what to do along the bike paths for West Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
#97 – a bike ride to enlightenment (!).
#129 – a map documenting a stolen bike as a result of not having a bike lock.
#132 – a drawing of the test gear room of Women’s Adventure Magazine (complete with drawing of bikes to test!).
#152, 153 – two most beautiful maps detailing separate bike rides on Upper and Lower Block Island, RI, from Elizabeth Daggar.
…and our own map of the Best Road Ride Ever.
What does your map look like?