diff --git a/profiles/bicycle.lua b/profiles/bicycle.lua
index 0cd3a62c9..6da708d1c 100644
--- a/profiles/bicycle.lua
+++ b/profiles/bicycle.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ api_version = 4
 Set = require('lib/set')
 Sequence = require('lib/sequence')
 Handlers = require("lib/way_handlers")
+Relations = require("lib/relations")
 find_access_tag = require("lib/access").find_access_tag
 limit = require("lib/maxspeed").limit
 
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ function setup()
     turn_penalty              = 6,
     turn_bias                 = 1.4,
     use_public_transport      = true,
+    route_preference          = 1.1,
 
     allowed_start_modes = Set {
       mode.cycling,
@@ -314,6 +316,7 @@ function handle_bicycle_tags(profile,way,result,data)
   end
 
   safety_handler(profile,way,result,data)
+  bicycle_relation_handler(profile,way,result,data,relations)
 end
 
 
@@ -454,6 +457,16 @@ function cycleway_handler(profile,way,result,data)
   end
 end
 
+function bicycle_relation_handler(profile,way,result,data,relations)
+  -- prefer ways on route=bicycle by factor of profile.route_preference
+  if result.forward_rate and Relations.filter_relations(relations, way, "route", "bicycle", "route", "forward") == "bicycle" then
+    result.forward_rate = result.forward_rate * profile.route_preference
+  end
+  if result.backward_rate and Relations.filter_relations(relations, way, "route", "bicycle", "route", "backward") == "bicycle" then
+    result.backward_rate = result.backward_rate * profile.route_preference
+  end
+end
+
 function bike_push_handler(profile,way,result,data)
   -- pushing bikes - if no other mode found
   if result.forward_mode == mode.inaccessible or result.backward_mode == mode.inaccessible or
diff --git a/profiles/lib/relations.lua b/profiles/lib/relations.lua
index f061b5780..169374890 100644
--- a/profiles/lib/relations.lua
+++ b/profiles/lib/relations.lua
@@ -258,4 +258,18 @@ function Relations.process_way_refs(way, relations, result)
   end
 end
 
+function Relations.filter_relations(relations, way, key, value, ret, forward)
+  -- if any of way's relation have key=value, return tag ret; else return nil
+  -- todo: check backward and forward
+  if not forward then forward = 'forward'; end -- ignored at the moment
+  local rel_id_list = relations:get_relations(way)
+  for i, rel_id in ipairs(rel_id_list) do
+    local rel = relations:relation(rel_id);
+    local p = rel:get_value_by_key(key);
+    if value == '*' and p then return rel:get_value_by_key(ret); end
+    if p == value then return rel:get_value_by_key(ret); end
+  end
+  return nil;
+end
+
 return Relations