ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I'm not generally keen on using technology on the bike. I've taken the computer off and find that I'm enjoying rides more now that I'm not obsessed with trying to go further faster.GrahamG said:Funny this, I'm more than happy going with maps but the recent Arrivee article on GPS systems helped to clear a little of the fog for me and I might be tempted in future, particularly as my route sheets can get pretty damn complex in order to avoid some of the motorway style A-roads.
I am particularly irritated by excessive use of mobile phones when riding. I got annoyed with one mate once after a series of calls between him and his girlfriend. We were out on some lovely Yorkshire hills and every 5 minutes it was "I'm in Tesco, do we need any jam?" then "How about teabags?", "What do you fancy eating tonight?". It was doing my head in overhearing the conversations.
Having said all of that... my GPS has completely transformed my audax experience! I no longer worry about getting lost on complex routes, and am free to enjoy the scenery and conversation without having to spend my time staring at damn route sheets. I carry them for backup, but my GPS has been 100% reliable in over 2,500 km of rides. I only once had a poor satellite lock and that was when I was in a very steep-sided valley. (For a few seconds, the GPS lost 'sight' of a few satellites and I was suddenly apparently transported 100 metres to the left of the road! As soon as I climbed out of the valley, the GPS corrected itself).
As for the 'spirit of audax' thing. As far as I'm concerned it is about doing long distance rides at a good steady pace and being self-sufficient. I don't remember wanting to be an expert map-reader, or wanting to spend my rides staring at a little sheet of paper attached to my handlebars! The GPS takes care of the route-following for me, and I'm free to enjoy the ride.
By the way - a GPS makes a really top-class bike computer. You get all the usual functions - current speed, max speed, ave speed, ride distance, odometer etc. You also get things like ETA, remaining distance, sunset and sunrise times (!), OS grid reference, altitude. Many more that I can't think of at the moment. The tracklog recorded by a GPS could be a very handy training aid - you can see exactly where you were, when and what speed you were doing at the time.
It's quite nice to just set off and explore somewhere new. When it is time to go home, just turn round and follow your tracklog back! The only catch with that is one-way streets, but I don't encounter many of them.
GPS for cycling - highly recommended! But take a map and/or a route sheet just-in-case. It's a reliable technology, but any technology can fail.