Muppets mistake

dodger421

I've just done something that only a muppet would do, and I feel the need to rant a little.

Finished work early so I jumped on the bike with the intention of doing 20ish miles and attacking some Strava segments I've been trying to improve on. As I'm setting off I hit the start button on my forerunner 610 watch and pedal off into the distance. At the two segments I'm particularly trying to improve I give it the beans, and have a really good feeling about them, not KoM pace but at least top ten I reckoned.

So I get back home, hop off the bike and go to stop the watch. To my shock the screen is locked, and it hasn't recorded any of the ride. Obviously I hadn't actually started it, and didn't notice because it was covered by my top. I'm now metaphorically kicking myself in the head, in a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

Two lessons learned;

1) I should probably mount the watch on the handlebars so I can see it whilst riding.
2) Always, always, always check the damn thing is recording before setting off.

Thanks for listening.

Peddle Up!

Muppet's mistake? He's dumber than us!

baldwin471

I've done something similar to this with the garmin. Whenever i pause it to grab a drink (I know i should carry on but still not very sure about my balance) i forget to restart it. So i'll pause it at the bottom of a hill and get to the top and think "I'd like to see the info on that" and look at the garmin to see it's still paused <doh>

ShutUpLegs

If you pause it does it no longer show the gradient?

negativelycra

I had similar before i finally conquored strava via blackberry. Did 4 rides on various apps etc, got home and "no gps data" every bloody time.
Returning to those roads now means i can't see improvements, the first 200, poss 250 miles since i started cycling i have no record of. Not the end of the world, but it'd be good to see just how unfit i was!

baldwin471

ShutUpLegs wrote:

If you pause it does it no longer show the gradient?

I have the route screen on all the time for now, as i have no idea where i am normally.

Bustacapp

I have a windows phone and therefore no Strava app. I have to use a basic gps logger and upload my logs to Strave when I get home. Unfortunately the GPS logger does not support pausing, and it doesn't seem to work in the background when using the phone for anything else (it stops logging if you try to make a call for example). It's only a matter of time until someone (my heavily pregnant wife for example) phones me mid-ride and destroys my log.

siamon

Isn't there a "movement detected, start timer" alarm on the 610?

negativelycra

Bustacapp wrote:

I have a windows phone and therefore no Strava app. I have to use a basic gps logger and upload my logs to Strave when I get home. Unfortunately the GPS logger does not support pausing, and it doesn't seem to work in the background when using the phone for anything else (it stops logging if you try to make a call for example). It's only a matter of time until someone (my heavily pregnant wife for example) phones me mid-ride and destroys my log.

Gps ii for blackberry does the same. I checked the map, dind't realise, and lost my biggest ride to date. Lesson learned i spose, but a pity to lose what was, for me, a big achievement. I'm just banking on the reality thaat in 2 months, riding the cat and fiddle via laze hil willmbe normal, not exceptional. Hell, i walked part of it!

dodger421

siamon wrote:

Isn't there a "movement detected, start timer" alarm on the 610?

I've not seen one after nine months of using the 610, but it's possible I simply haven't noticed it.

Mikey23

My edge 500 is configured that way ... Saved me a couple of frustrating rides already

DubaiNeil

IIRC the "movement detected.." warning only works at the start of an activity (i.e. just after you have switched the device on). If you stop the timer manually, then when you start riding again the warning isn't displayed. (Edge 500).

I just use auto-pause (set to on) and it works fine for me.

Back to the O/P - as you say, have the watch on display so you know its running - I did the same thing when I tried to use a Forerunner 305 when I did my first sky-dive. I was really only interested in the HR log, and of course nothing recorded...

farrina

siamon wrote:

Isn't there a "movement detected, start timer" alarm on the 610

Definitely one on my 310XT and would appear to be one on the 610

More here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9q6jIMNuPI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Regards Alan

dodger421

Unfortunately auto pause only works during an activity, it won't do the initial timer start by itself. I use it whilst running, so I don't need to remember to pause/start the watch when waiting to cross roads. I tried using it whilst cycling, but it kept pausing even whilst I was travelling at constant speed, so I turned it off again.

farrina

That's a shame as when I cycle with my 310XT it auto pauses only when I stop (not immediately but accurately enough to be acceptable).

I wonder if it has fully satellite coverage as I have noticed when I use my 310XT when walking on hills it can sometimes become somewhat temperamental and become unreliable (on/off as you describe). This seems to be when it does not have good visability of the horizon.

Is this happening to you when riding through heavily wooded areas or valleys ?

Regards

Alan

slowondefy2

Bustacapp wrote:

I have a windows phone and therefore no Strava app. I have to use a basic gps logger and upload my logs to Strave when I get home. Unfortunately the GPS logger does not support pausing, and it doesn't seem to work in the background when using the phone for anything else (it stops logging if you try to make a call for example). It's only a matter of time until someone (my heavily pregnant wife for example) phones me mid-ride and destroys my log.

When you upload the .GPX file to the Strava website it will detect the pauses for itself so there's no need to pause the logging app when you stop temporarily. If you only stop for 10-30 seconds then it may not register as a pause, but a pause of any significant length will be detected.

Bustacapp

slowondefy2 wrote:

When you upload the .GPX file to the Strava website it will detect the pauses for itself so there's no need to pause the logging app when you stop temporarily. If you only stop for 10-30 seconds then it may not register as a pause, but a pause of any significant length will be detected.

Didn't know that. Do you know of any other decent GPS logging apps? The one I use does not use data connection whatsoever so is good in that respect, but it's multi functionality is poor.

slowondefy2

Bustacapp wrote:

slowondefy2 wrote:

When you upload the .GPX file to the Strava website it will detect the pauses for itself so there's no need to pause the logging app when you stop temporarily. If you only stop for 10-30 seconds then it may not register as a pause, but a pause of any significant length will be detected.

Didn't know that. Do you know of any other decent GPS logging apps? The one I use does not use data connection whatsoever so is good in that respect, but it's multi functionality is poor.

I've bought and used them all (that I know of!). The only one I think is any good at all is MotionX GPS. It's not a dedicated cycling app - it's designed for any activity requiring GPS logging. As such it can't use a cadence sensor, although it will record from a Bluetooth heart rate monitor if you want.

Anyway, I like it mainly because of it's stability. I've never lost an activity with it crashing (150 tracks recorded so far). It has a range of maps you can use (google, bing, satellite, road, terrain, etc), and you can download the maps to your phone so you don't need an active data connection when you're out (it'll only download the OpenStreetMaps due to licensing).

You can easily export the track via a .GPX file to your email (which can then be forwarded to upload@strava.com - if you send it from your Strava registered email account it'll add directly to your Strava account). You can import .GPX files into MotionX to create a 'breadcrumb' trail on the map display to follow (no turn-by-turn directions, though).

Downloading maps takes quite a long time if you want to download all the zoom options for your chosen area and it's not really the simplest of apps to use. I get about 4.5 hours battery life with a iphone 4S with the screen on constantly, or about double that with the screen off.

Bustacapp

Negativelycra wrote:

Bustacapp wrote:

Gps ii for blackberry does the same. I checked the map, dind't realise, and lost my biggest ride to date. Lesson learned i spose, but a pity to lose what was, for me, a big achievement. I'm just banking on the reality thaat in 2 months, riding the cat and fiddle via laze hil willmbe normal, not exceptional. Hell, i walked part of it!

There is an option on Strava to manually add a ride. It's not got a map of where you went but at least you could still make a record of it.

Also, if you know where you went, start and finish times, you may be able to recreate the ride on a website such as mapmyride.com and export the gpx file and then import it into strava?

Bustacapp

slowondefy2 wrote:

Bustacapp wrote:

I've bought and used them all (that I know of!). The only one I think is any good at all is MotionX GPS. It's not a dedicated cycling app - it's designed for any activity requiring GPS logging. As such it can't use a cadence sensor, although it will record from a Bluetooth heart rate monitor if you want.

Anyway, I like it mainly because of it's stability. I've never lost an activity with it crashing (150 tracks recorded so far). It has a range of maps you can use (google, bing, satellite, road, terrain, etc), and you can download the maps to your phone so you don't need an active data connection when you're out (it'll only download the OpenStreetMaps due to licensing).

You can easily export the track via a .GPX file to your email (which can then be forwarded to upload@strava.com - if you send it from your Strava registered email account it'll add directly to your Strava account). You can import .GPX files into MotionX to create a 'breadcrumb' trail on the map display to follow (no turn-by-turn directions, though).

Downloading maps takes quite a long time if you want to download all the zoom options for your chosen area and it's not really the simplest of apps to use. I get about 4.5 hours battery life with a iphone 4S with the screen on constantly, or about double that with the screen off.

Thanks. Will see if it's available for WP7. I'm really happy with my simple GPS tracker apart from it stopping whenever I try to make a call etc!

dodger421

farrina wrote:

I wonder if it has fully satellite coverage as I have noticed when I use my 310XT when walking on hills it can sometimes become somewhat temperamental and become unreliable (on/off as you describe). This seems to be when it does not have good visability of the horizon.

Is this happening to you when riding through heavily wooded areas or valleys ?

I suspect that's exactly what's happening, usually it ocurrs at the start of the ride and between hills/trees.

andyeb

dodger421 wrote:

...
1) I should probably mount the watch on the handlebars so I can see it whilst riding.
...

Tip - you can mount any watch-type device on your handlebars by wrapping a 1-inch length of pipe insulation around your handlebars. This increases the diameter enough to mimic a wrist and also adds cushioning/shock absorption too.

Something like this should do the trick:

<http://www.screwfix.com/p/pipe-insulation-15-x-25mm-1m/69211&gt;

Works a treat with my heart rate monitor watch and cost a fraction of the official mount.

Bustacapp

andyeb wrote:

dodger421 wrote:

...
1) I should probably mount the watch on the handlebars so I can see it whilst riding.
...

Tip - you can mount any watch-type device on your handlebars by wrapping a 1-inch length of pipe insulation around your handlebars. This increases the diameter enough to mimic a wrist and also adds cushioning/shock absorption too.

Something like this should do the trick:

<http://www.screwfix.com/p/pipe-insulation-15-x-25mm-1m/69211&gt;

Works a treat with my heart rate monitor watch and cost a fraction of the official mount.

splendid tip there!