Routes built for riders
A* routing weighted toward character — curves, low-traffic, rural classification — instead of “shortest time.” Plan a loop, not a commute.
The Journey is the Destination
Motorcycle route planning for Minnesota. Every through-road, no dead ends, weighted toward the roads worth riding.
What makes it different
Record the ride
Low-power GPS logging with batched writes and offline-tolerant sync. Runs on your phone without draining the battery before lunch.
Every road connects
Spurs, cul-de-sacs, and private driveways are classified and hidden. What’s left is the set of roads you can actually ride through.
How it works
- Pick a region. Ride MN ingests OpenStreetMap data for your area.
- We classify every road. Graph analysis marks each segment as a through-road or a dead-end. Takes ~15 minutes for a metro-sized region.
- Plan rides that flow. Search for a scenic loop, drop a pin, or just browse. Every road on the map is one you can actually ride.
About
Short version
A project by Minnesota motorcycle riders who want to see more than a highway. A route planner and mapping service that understands the journey is the destination.
Why this exists
Fed up trying to plan trips around our great state with services who’s only priority is getting from A to B in the shortest time possible. That’s the opposite of what recreational riders want. A good motorcycle ride is about the road itself… The curves, the camaraderie, the scenery. A great ride connects great roads without dumping you into a dead-end.
What’s different
- Dead-end detection. Every spur, cul-de-sac, boat-ramp access road, and private driveway is classified and hidden. What’s left is the set of roads you can actually ride through.
- Scenic routing. A* routing weighted toward road character (curves, low traffic, rural classification) rather than travel time.
- POI awareness. Historic markers, scenic overlooks, state parks, and other riding-relevant points layered in from OSM.
- Ride recording. Low-power GPS logging for on-bike use — batches writes every two minutes so your phone battery doesn’t disappear.
- Self-hosted and privacy-respecting. Your email and rides live on a single server in Minnesota. No third-party analytics, no ad tracking.
Request access
Ride MN is currently in private beta. Leave an email and we’ll reach out as we open the region.
Contact
Ride MN is a small personal project. Email is the fastest way to reach the operator.