Messages

91

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: GPS Watches

« on: July 30, 2022, 06:57:08 am »

Let me know how it works for turns, interesting.

Pulse ox is useless on the wrist I'm told so turning it off makes sense

92

General Discussion / Re: Long, steep descents -- questions about safety

« on: July 30, 2022, 06:25:56 am »

Lots of advice here already, but my two cents:

0) practice on big hills without any panniers first

1) the death wobble that some bikes develop at high speed is terrifying, so if a new bike, be cautious on first few descents carrying a load, and use one or both knees to clamp top tube if it happens, as others have said

2) if braking too hard, your tires may skid and that is hard to control.  If that happens stop braking and steer.

3) if gravel road, be careful while braking as easy to skid in gravel, and skidding might be the start of crashing.  Brake before the turn, then turn with minimal braking.

4) Icefields Parkway scared me 40 years ago as road surface was corrugated suddenly coming around a curve at high speed.   Became hard to steer and hard to brake safely.  Caution is  better but I miss my youth

93

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: GPS Watches

« on: July 30, 2022, 06:03:55 am »

I haven't tried it but I got a Fenix 7 Solar as a gift and the display is awfully small.  Instinct does not work with power meters, so Fenix is their bicycle watch.  Battery life is far less than  claimed life with GPS on and solar does very little if anything to increase that . 

Warranty is only one year, and heart rate monitor just died after 2 months(!), so trying to decide if I should return (REI allows returns for first 90 days on outdoor electronics), or get it fixed under warranty.  Expensive as heck so I expected better reliability.  I'm under warranty, but thinking about returning to REI. 

Googling I see mixed experiences with repairs out of warranty, a quote of 1/3 retail price, a quote of $160, and someone who was not charged by Garmin.  Best Buy may offer their usual extended replacement warranties(?), so that may be the best choice assuming they stay in business.

94

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: Custom poster similar to TransAm Poster

« on: July 30, 2022, 05:41:48 am »

That would create a great conversation starter

95

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: Bloomington IN - Eastern Express

« on: July 29, 2022, 01:13:13 pm »

We like dirt roads actually, so that would be a plus, not a minus.   

96

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: Bloomington IN - Eastern Express

« on: July 29, 2022, 12:04:01 pm »

Will do, good suggestion.

Are you a Hoosier?   What do you think of this (generated with Komoots): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40384616

Matt

PS - A local once told me the term was really "Stonies" not "Cutters"?  Anyway, yes.

97

Connecting ACA Routes / Bloomington IN - Eastern Express

« on: July 29, 2022, 08:36:59 am »

Looking to take Eastern Express Trans Am route westbound, but would like to go through Bloomington IN perhaps where I have family.

That appears to be about 20 miles south of the route (map 14).  I can toy with mapping apps but wondered if anyone had done similar work already

98

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Custom poster similar to TransAm Poster

« on: July 27, 2022, 08:27:32 pm »

I recently bought the great TransAm map poster from ACA.   Trying to plan a similar trip, but different and wondered if anyone has a good process for creating custom posters that are similar to this?   

Thinking the process might be something like this, but I have no idea what I am talking about mind you:

1) use ridewithgps to create the entire route (I am premium member, so I can merge routes, but some is manual routing of course)
2) export a gpx(? format?) to disk
3) import gpx into google earth and turn on profile?   (geez, I dislike the satellite view)  OR
3) import gpx (??) into google maps and use randymajors.org to turn on profile (not that I have actually tried randymajors.org yet)
4) turn on what seems relevant and print to pdf using a huge paper size (24x36 for example) and then crop to get rid of extraneous stuff
5) take may cropped pdf to FedEx and print it.

Anyone do this?

Matt

99

General Discussion / Re: (Video) - Eurovelo 1 - London to Cork, Ireland - Bicycle adventure

« on: October 24, 2017, 07:17:56 am »

Music is not necessary, imo, or could be very soft in background.  You can add narration in the end, after video editing, as a separate audio track.  May take a couple tries to be comfortable with the sound of your own voice.   Fwiw

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

100

General Discussion / Re: (Video) - Eurovelo 1 - London to Cork, Ireland - Bicycle adventure

« on: October 22, 2017, 11:25:47 am »

Nice video.  My favorite bike tour videos include narration.  More work for the videographer, if done after the fact, but more meaningful to those of us who weren't on the tour.   

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

101

Routes / White Hall VA Community Center

« on: April 10, 2012, 06:48:33 am »

Thinking about camping one night behind the community center in White Hall, VA (TransAm trail), which I hear people do, but then I also hear the center is mostly locked these days???    A bit confused what you do about water and facilities in that case.   I know how to wilderness camp, but normal functions become ill-mannered inside town limits.....