How to use cycling directions in Maps on watchOS 7

With macOS 7, Apple added the ability for the Maps app on your Apple Watch to provide biking directions. What’s more, cycling directions for select cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Beijing, for now) will be available right on the smartwatch. 

Maps offers routes on bike paths, bike lanes, and bike-friendly roads (if available). You can preview the elevation for your ride, check how busy a road is, and choose a route that best avoids hills.

As you travel along your route, Maps speaks cycling-specific directions for turns and maneuvers. With an Apple Watch, you can glance at them on your wrist. Her’s how:

° Open the Maps app on your Apple Watch.

° Turn the Digital Crown to scroll to Favorites, Guides, and Recents.

° Tap an entry to get walking, driving, transit, and cycling directions.

° Tap a mode  (in this case, cycling) to see suggested routes, then tap a route to begin your trip and to see an overview of it—with turns, distance between turns, and street names.
When you choose Cycling, you see an overview of elevation changes along the route. Tap the more info icon (three dots) to learn about the kind of roads you’ll ride—whether they have a bike path, are a side or main road, or require you to dismount your bike and walk.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages — where the images sometimes come from.)