I should perhaps point out that when I make a post on the "Today's Bike Ride" thread with a distance estimate, that estimate is made by laying out the OS map on a table and running one of those little measuring wheels over the route.Originally Posted by felltrumpet
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
I can't deny that I am also sucked into the Garmin stuff for my bike these last couple of years and it does help with a little motivation in my old age. But I went through my running life without anything but a watch sometimes, to see what the time was (so not late home etc.) or aproximate pace on my favourite runs, I wouldn't dream of listening to music in the countryside.
It never occured to me that people would need gadgets to even start running.
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
Years ago I drove to ODG planning a walk. When I got there I realised I had forgotten my Garmin so I went straight back home. My only excuse was that the weather was pretty grim.
Until relatively recently I was even lower tech; using a piece of string on the OS map and then measuring it against the scale rule on the bottom (Is this beginning to sound like the four Yorkshiremen sketch?)
If you wanted to update your tech, without buying anything or carrying anything else on your bike, you could use the 'Directions from here' option when you right-click on Google Maps (might be different if you're not using Windows), and click start and end points. You can then right-click again to use the 'Add a destination' to add control points. I have found the distance to be accurate compared to GPS and map measuring, although the height gained I would describe as 'questionable'.
Another free alternative, is https://cycle.travel/map where you can pick your points and the 'Mountain' button will show you your profile. My research indicated this is more accurate than Google maps.
For what it's worth, I only use my Garmin Forerunner 35 for training, and then I have it strapped to the bars to tell me how fast I'm going during intervals. I don't do Strava and chase segments.
I use two Garmins on my bars measuring different fields.
I suppose I could add my phone as well but there isn't much room.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
I can remember Terry Pratchett being asked why he had 6 computer screens open at the same time at his work desk - his answer - "Because there isn't room for 8".
Just remember the little mechanical bike distance recorders with a little cog wheel on the end that clipped to your forks with a little spike on your spokes that hit the cog on every revolution? Click, click, click, click....
Or in some cases click.........click......
click...
As much fun as when the first thing you did when you got a car was go to buy a stick on rear windscreen demister and wire it dubiously to whatever live feed you could find in the rats nest of wires under the dashboard.
[QUOTE=Mark G;683312]Just remember the little mechanical bike distance recorders with a little cog wheel on the end that clipped to your forks with a little spike on your spokes that hit the cog on every revolution? Click, click, click, click....
Or in some cases click.........click......
click...
Yep. Told you all you really needed to know...and even allowing for inflation they didn't cost upwards of £500.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
I recall when we helped organise LDWA events, that was invariably done in the pub using an OS map and bit of string round the course, this was the published distance - all fine and acceptable until the first GPS came along.
Then the arguments started, the event finish became all about comparing GPS recorded distances, most accurate GPS models, elevation etc. and naturally comments to the organisers who had got the stated distance wrong by x miles or feet or whatever.
Everybody seemed quite happy until the technology reared it's ugly head, now it is an obsession.
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
I love it when Gen Z discover something 'new' that people have been doing for thousands of years up until the last couple of decades (running without any 'tech') and have to give it a special name #nakedrunning
I can't wait for them to discover dimple pint beer mugs and tin-baths, and take inspiration from surely the greenist, net-zero friendly, of all vehicle types and power sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq7noaMwLfg
Am Yisrael Chai
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote