Bad ride yesterday - We all have them!
TheSmithers
Posts: 291
A combination of poor preparation and my Garmin 800 throwing a few wobblies made for a bit of a disastrous ride yesterday.
The plan was to follow a 58 mile route with over 4000ft of climbing, which is in itself a challenge (for me anyway). However, leaving it until 12:30 in the afternoon to start the ride was probably not the brightest idea. Time and daylight were always going to be against me. Coupled with the fact I didn't get a decent breakfast, because I'd run out of sugar and instead tried sweetening my porridge with marmalade! It did NOT taste good, so I only ate half of it! So really I was on the back foot before I'd even started. I've been road cycling for about 5 months now so should have known better!
The first 35 miles into the ride were good. I was strong up the climbs and was really enjoying it, but I was in unfamiliar territory. It's times like that when you need your GPS device to be on the ball. Sadly, mine wasn't. In most respects, the Edge 800 is a superb piece of kit, and I've found it's really enhanced my rides. But one area it seems to persistently let me down is navigation, which is ironic considering it's the 800s key feature. So yesterday, I came to a fork in the road. It told me to go right but the arrow on the map went left! So I went left and tip toed down this flooded lane where it beeped at me to say I was off course. I did a U turn and went down the right road. It beeped at me again to say I was off course. I then spent the next 15 minutes stationary trying to work out where I was on the route and which direction I was pointing. I got so frustrated and angry with it!
Thereafter it was fine until I decided to abandon the route due to time and failing daylight. I set it to take me home and it played up again. I would get to a T-junction for example with no instruction whatsoever of which direction to go. So I ended up guessing, being sent up more unforgiving climbs, not even knowing if I was on the right road. I was cold, fatigued, it was windy and I was not feeling the love at all by this point. In the end, my body just hit a wall and I just couldn't pedal anymore. Got my bro to come and pick me up about 6 miles from home!
So not my best ride, but there are some positives to take away. The route destroyed me yesterday, but I see this as a good thing. No pain, no gain as they say, and I will have gained fitness from it. I'd rather do a testing ride that nearly kills me than a ride where I don't feel I've been pushed enough. And I will ALWAYS make sure I have enough sugar for my porridge!
A pic from yesterday from the top of Old Winchester Hill:
The ride on Strava:
http://app.strava.com/activities/39635068
Anyone else have rides like this they'd like to share, where they wish they'd just stayed in bed? Maybe we should start a 'Your disastrous rides' thread. I think it would be interesting! Anyhow, it's behind me and I'm looking forward to the next one!
The plan was to follow a 58 mile route with over 4000ft of climbing, which is in itself a challenge (for me anyway). However, leaving it until 12:30 in the afternoon to start the ride was probably not the brightest idea. Time and daylight were always going to be against me. Coupled with the fact I didn't get a decent breakfast, because I'd run out of sugar and instead tried sweetening my porridge with marmalade! It did NOT taste good, so I only ate half of it! So really I was on the back foot before I'd even started. I've been road cycling for about 5 months now so should have known better!
The first 35 miles into the ride were good. I was strong up the climbs and was really enjoying it, but I was in unfamiliar territory. It's times like that when you need your GPS device to be on the ball. Sadly, mine wasn't. In most respects, the Edge 800 is a superb piece of kit, and I've found it's really enhanced my rides. But one area it seems to persistently let me down is navigation, which is ironic considering it's the 800s key feature. So yesterday, I came to a fork in the road. It told me to go right but the arrow on the map went left! So I went left and tip toed down this flooded lane where it beeped at me to say I was off course. I did a U turn and went down the right road. It beeped at me again to say I was off course. I then spent the next 15 minutes stationary trying to work out where I was on the route and which direction I was pointing. I got so frustrated and angry with it!
Thereafter it was fine until I decided to abandon the route due to time and failing daylight. I set it to take me home and it played up again. I would get to a T-junction for example with no instruction whatsoever of which direction to go. So I ended up guessing, being sent up more unforgiving climbs, not even knowing if I was on the right road. I was cold, fatigued, it was windy and I was not feeling the love at all by this point. In the end, my body just hit a wall and I just couldn't pedal anymore. Got my bro to come and pick me up about 6 miles from home!
So not my best ride, but there are some positives to take away. The route destroyed me yesterday, but I see this as a good thing. No pain, no gain as they say, and I will have gained fitness from it. I'd rather do a testing ride that nearly kills me than a ride where I don't feel I've been pushed enough. And I will ALWAYS make sure I have enough sugar for my porridge!
A pic from yesterday from the top of Old Winchester Hill:
The ride on Strava:
http://app.strava.com/activities/39635068
Anyone else have rides like this they'd like to share, where they wish they'd just stayed in bed? Maybe we should start a 'Your disastrous rides' thread. I think it would be interesting! Anyhow, it's behind me and I'm looking forward to the next one!
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Comments
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Never rely solely on GPS technology on the bike or in the car, study the route online first and print out some maps.0
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Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?0 -
barrowmatt wrote:Never rely solely on GPS technology on the bike or in the car, study the route online first and print out some maps.
This.
I need to know where I am at all times.0 -
The trouble with these expensive satnav do everything kits is you end up relying on them to the extent that when they go wrong you cant trace your way back home because you havent been paying enough attention to your route.the deeper the section the deeper the pleasure.0
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Went up Winchester hill yesterday morning about half nine was windy as anything up there!! Good ride thow!!0
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Being somewhat familiar with the area I'm not sure how you manage to get this ride to add up to over 4000 FT of climbing, is the sat nav telling you this? If it's like mine it grossly overstates the climbs.0
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I was using courses for the 1st time on my Garmin Edge 200 and took a wrong turn and my bro who was out in front did an impromptu U turn not realising I was so close and completely wiped me out. Chipped my forks and left me sprawled out in the road. Manage to buckle his back wheel and knock his SRAM red rear mech out so gear changing was a nightmare for him. At least my 1st crash is out of the way... we must of looked a right pair of clowns 0
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styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Gone are the days of a bad ride being about having no legs and putting out crap power
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styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Each to their own I say :roll: .
I personally like to know if I'm improving, and with all the telemetry the Garmin records over time, it allows me to see where I'm improving and where I need to do better. Yes, I could have gone for a cheaper model that does all that, but I plan on doing rides in other parts of the country and abroad and the maps and navigation will be very useful. Being new to all this, I have rather naively put too much faith in it, but you live and learn.
As for Strava, I personally have found it very motivating. I find myself attacking some uphill segments in order to beat my previous personal best. I think that's a good thing! It's also a great way of networking and discovering new routes. I can understand why it's not for everyone.
Come on chaps, I don't want to have to justify why I use a Garmin and upload my rides to Strava. This was more about telling you about a not so good ride and to hear about yours.0 -
Clickrumble wrote:Being somewhat familiar with the area I'm not sure how you manage to get this ride to add up to over 4000 FT of climbing, is the sat nav telling you this? If it's like mine it grossly overstates the climbs.
I didn't do the full route, far from it. I did about 35 miles out of 58. I planned the full route on ridewithgps.com, which had the total elevation coming out at over 4,100ft. How accurate that is I've no idea, but in the absence of any other information or knowledge, I'll go with it.
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Marcryan206 wrote:Went up Winchester hill yesterday morning about half nine was windy as anything up there!! Good ride thow!!
The wind was definitely a feature yesterday. On a calmer, warmer day with more daylight it could have been a different outcome.0 -
Here's the full intended route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/21125080
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My bad 'ride' today...(sorry no real technology in this one)
Sun shining, absolutely no wind. Set off for a ride incorporating a visit to the doctors (annual blood test) was kept waiting an hour and a half so by the time I left it was time to go home to eat (have eat every 3 hours to balance with injected insulin) OK no big deal I can go out after lunch, on the way home I had to do a U turn as I had forgotten something and managed to lock my front wheel between the cobbles at right angles to the bike and go over the handlebars! Still clipped in obviously.
Total distance 1.85km. my isetta is a 300cc bike0 -
Clickrumble wrote:Being somewhat familiar with the area I'm not sure how you manage to get this ride to add up to over 4000 FT of climbing, is the sat nav telling you this? If it's like mine it grossly overstates the climbs.
It did a similar route roun that way and strava says I did 2,495ft. So think it is possible!! But then again a strava doesn't liestyxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
I do just go out on my bike and enjoy riding, but I use strava just to record my rides and get some sort of data from a ride0 -
ShutUpLegs wrote:styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Gone are the days of a bad ride being about having no legs and putting out crap power 0 -
TheSmithers wrote:styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Each to their own I say :roll: .
This was more about telling you about a not so good ride and to hear about yours.
I agree.
My good rides are the ones where I climb aboard my bike and then pedal it for as long or as far as I want down whichever roads I like the look of. On returning home, I lounge about on the settee drinking milk and eating sandwiches whilst watching "come dine with me"
I imagine the bad ones would involve attaching electronic gadgets to my wrist or bike and then spending more time looking at a screen than where I'm going. I wouldn't decide where to cycle by myself, I'd let a computer that doesnt know me decide instead. On returning home, I'd settle in front of the computer and upload my data for a solid couple of hours number crunching.
thankfully I dont have many bad rides.0 -
[/quote]
I wouldn't decide where to cycle by myself, I'd let a computer that doesnt know me decide instead. On returning home, I'd settle in front of the computer and upload my data for a solid couple of hours number crunching.
thankfully I dont have many bad rides.[/quote]
Where as you could have a look at a few roads you'd like to cycle or a few hills you'd like to get up and plot a route that you can put in your GPS and follow without having to stop and check a map. Very few cyclists actually put a destination in thier Garmins and follow the route given. But please don't let reality enter your smug little world of ' I ride without a computer and am therefore better than someone that does'0 -
Brakeless wrote:Where as you could have a look at a few roads you'd like to cycle or a few hills you'd like to get up and plot a route that you can put in your GPS and follow without having to stop and check a map. Very few cyclists actually put a destination in thier Garmins and follow the route given. But please don't let reality enter your smug little world of ' I ride without a computer and am therefore better than someone that does'
I'm not crossing continents, I'm riding within about a 50 mile radius of my house. I ride on "feel". Why would I need a map?0 -
Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ... "oo why would you need a GPS you can ride without one" ... well of course you can ride without one and you can ride without mapping - but ask yourself this ... why SHOULDN'T you ride with one? It adds another dimension to your ride should you want one, it can add a degree of record keeping that allows you to see how well you are improving (or not) and it can sometimes help with navigation - leaving you more time to enjoy the ride...styxd wrote:TheSmithers wrote:styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Each to their own I say :roll: .
This was more about telling you about a not so good ride and to hear about yours.
I agree.
My good rides are the ones where I climb aboard my bike and then pedal it for as long or as far as I want down whichever roads I like the look of. On returning home, I lounge about on the settee drinking milk and eating sandwiches whilst watching "come dine with me"
I imagine the bad ones would involve attaching electronic gadgets to my wrist or bike and then spending more time looking at a screen than where I'm going. I wouldn't decide where to cycle by myself, I'd let a computer that doesnt know me decide instead. On returning home, I'd settle in front of the computer and upload my data for a solid couple of hours number crunching.
thankfully I dont have many bad rides.
Mine is on every ride - I don't need the stats whilst riding and (most of the time) I know where I'm going - but it records the ride for me and it can be quite interesting to compare how you rode segments against a previous ride.
Alternatively I can use it to target certain elements of riding - so I could try to ride to a heart rate or beat a personal record - or if I ride on unfamiliar roads I can switch to the mapping element to help me understand where I could go to take the flatest/quickest/hardest/longest ride.
Having a GPS on my bike gives me the choice - I can choose to use it or ignore it - at any point in the ride ... you might not want one, but just because you don't doesn't mean everyone else should go without too ...0 -
Slowbike wrote:
Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ... "oo why would you need a GPS you can ride without one" ... well of course you can ride without one and you can ride without mapping - but ask yourself this ... why SHOULDN'T you ride with one? It adds another dimension to your ride should you want one, it can add a degree of record keeping that allows you to see how well you are improving (or not) and it can sometimes help with navigation - leaving you more time to enjoy the ride...styxd wrote:TheSmithers wrote:styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Each to their own I say :roll: .
This was more about telling you about a not so good ride and to hear about yours.
I agree.
My good rides are the ones where I climb aboard my bike and then pedal it for as long or as far as I want down whichever roads I like the look of. On returning home, I lounge about on the settee drinking milk and eating sandwiches whilst watching "come dine with me"
I imagine the bad ones would involve attaching electronic gadgets to my wrist or bike and then spending more time looking at a screen than where I'm going. I wouldn't decide where to cycle by myself, I'd let a computer that doesnt know me decide instead. On returning home, I'd settle in front of the computer and upload my data for a solid couple of hours number crunching.
thankfully I dont have many bad rides.
Mine is on every ride - I don't need the stats whilst riding and (most of the time) I know where I'm going - but it records the ride for me and it can be quite interesting to compare how you rode segments against a previous ride.
Alternatively I can use it to target certain elements of riding - so I could try to ride to a heart rate or beat a personal record - or if I ride on unfamiliar roads I can switch to the mapping element to help me understand where I could go to take the flatest/quickest/hardest/longest ride.
Having a GPS on my bike gives me the choice - I can choose to use it or ignore it - at any point in the ride ... you might not want one, but just because you don't doesn't mean everyone else should go without too ...
This0 -
styxd wrote:TheSmithers wrote:styxd wrote:Do people not just go out and ride their bikes anymore?
For me, Strava and Gamins and GPS's would spoil riding my bike, not enhance. Why do you need them?
Each to their own I say :roll: .
This was more about telling you about a not so good ride and to hear about yours.
I agree.
My good rides are the ones where I climb aboard my bike and then pedal it for as long or as far as I want down whichever roads I like the look of. On returning home, I lounge about on the settee drinking milk and eating sandwiches whilst watching "come dine with me"
I imagine the bad ones would involve attaching electronic gadgets to my wrist or bike and then spending more time looking at a screen than where I'm going. I wouldn't decide where to cycle by myself, I'd let a computer that doesnt know me decide instead. On returning home, I'd settle in front of the computer and upload my data for a solid couple of hours number crunching.
thankfully I dont have many bad rides.
Good for you.
I spend all of 15 minutes uploading my ride and having a look at any segments I may have got a PB on and feeling damn good if I have. I then also lounge about on the settee drinking milk and eating sandwiches whilst watching "come dine with me" 0 -
Slowbike wrote:Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ... "oo why would you need a GPS you can ride without one" ... well of course you can ride without one and you can ride without mapping - but ask yourself this ... why SHOULDN'T you ride with one? It adds another dimension to your ride should you want one, it can add a degree of record keeping that allows you to see how well you are improving (or not) and it can sometimes help with navigation - leaving you more time to enjoy the ride...
Mine is on every ride - I don't need the stats whilst riding and (most of the time) I know where I'm going - but it records the ride for me and it can be quite interesting to compare how you rode segments against a previous ride.
Alternatively I can use it to target certain elements of riding - so I could try to ride to a heart rate or beat a personal record - or if I ride on unfamiliar roads I can switch to the mapping element to help me understand where I could go to take the flatest/quickest/hardest/longest ride.
Having a GPS on my bike gives me the choice - I can choose to use it or ignore it - at any point in the ride ... you might not want one, but just because you don't doesn't mean everyone else should go without too ...
Cycling should be about freedom, daring, adventure, bravery, challenge etc.
Its not about the Garmin, or the bike, or the Strava segments.
I think the real cycling heroes/pioneers would agree.
Having to "log on" before riding your bike seems to undermine everything cycling is about.0 -
styxd wrote:Cycling should be about freedom, daring, adventure, bravery, challenge etc.
How does having a GPS bike computer detract from any of that really?
It doesn't control me or my ride. It supplements my ride. I don't ride along with my eyes glued to the figures. I still get a feeling of freedom, daring and all the other stuff you mention. It's what I love about cycling. Are you saying I'm less brave for having a GPS cycle computer, or that it's less of a challenge? What rubbish! You sound to me like a more traditional cyclist, and there's nothing wrong with that at all and I respect you for it, but you should also respect my choice for wanting to use hi-tech gadgetry to enhance and supplement my rides.
FYI, I don't normally program routes into my Garmin for it to navigate me round. I only did for this one particular course because it was intricate and much of it in unfamiliar territory. Without it, I would never have got as far as I did.0 -
styxd wrote:Slowbike wrote:Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ...
Cycling should be about freedom, daring, adventure, bravery, challenge etc.
Its not about the Garmin, or the bike, or the Strava segments.
I think the real cycling heroes/pioneers would agree.
Having to "log on" before riding your bike seems to undermine everything cycling is about.
I may as well just repeat myself ...Slowbike wrote:Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ...
But - I'll take your points ...
Freedom - absolutely ... and a mapping GPS can assist that because you're not afraid of getting lost ...
Daring/Adventure - again, absolutely - you can flick off the mapping function or not even look at the GPS and cycle places you've never been before ... if you want to be really adventurous, you can always leave it at home .. but that kinda defeats the last one ...
Bravery - well, with todays traffic you have to have a certain amount of bravery when you take to the roads ...
Challenge - yup - but in what? Riding where you've never been before? getting lost? Speed? Cadence? Segments?
We all ride for different reasons and sometimes different reasons each time we go out.
If we were all the same we'd all be on the same bike, with the same set up .... doing the same ride ... wouldn't life be boring!0 -
styxd wrote:Slowbike wrote:Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ... "oo why would you need a GPS you can ride without one" ... well of course you can ride without one and you can ride without mapping - but ask yourself this ... why SHOULDN'T you ride with one? It adds another dimension to your ride should you want one, it can add a degree of record keeping that allows you to see how well you are improving (or not) and it can sometimes help with navigation - leaving you more time to enjoy the ride...
Mine is on every ride - I don't need the stats whilst riding and (most of the time) I know where I'm going - but it records the ride for me and it can be quite interesting to compare how you rode segments against a previous ride.
Alternatively I can use it to target certain elements of riding - so I could try to ride to a heart rate or beat a personal record - or if I ride on unfamiliar roads I can switch to the mapping element to help me understand where I could go to take the flatest/quickest/hardest/longest ride.
Having a GPS on my bike gives me the choice - I can choose to use it or ignore it - at any point in the ride ... you might not want one, but just because you don't doesn't mean everyone else should go without too ...
Cycling should be about freedom, daring, adventure, bravery, challenge etc.
Its not about the Garmin, or the bike, or the Strava segments.
I think the real cycling heroes/pioneers would agree.
Having to "log on" before riding your bike seems to undermine everything cycling is about.
What a load of bollerxx0 -
Brakeless wrote:styxd wrote:Slowbike wrote:Amazing how sanctimonious you guys can sound ... "oo why would you need a GPS you can ride without one" ... well of course you can ride without one and you can ride without mapping - but ask yourself this ... why SHOULDN'T you ride with one? It adds another dimension to your ride should you want one, it can add a degree of record keeping that allows you to see how well you are improving (or not) and it can sometimes help with navigation - leaving you more time to enjoy the ride...
Mine is on every ride - I don't need the stats whilst riding and (most of the time) I know where I'm going - but it records the ride for me and it can be quite interesting to compare how you rode segments against a previous ride.
Alternatively I can use it to target certain elements of riding - so I could try to ride to a heart rate or beat a personal record - or if I ride on unfamiliar roads I can switch to the mapping element to help me understand where I could go to take the flatest/quickest/hardest/longest ride.
Having a GPS on my bike gives me the choice - I can choose to use it or ignore it - at any point in the ride ... you might not want one, but just because you don't doesn't mean everyone else should go without too ...
Cycling should be about freedom, daring, adventure, bravery, challenge etc.
Its not about the Garmin, or the bike, or the Strava segments.
I think the real cycling heroes/pioneers would agree.
Having to "log on" before riding your bike seems to undermine everything cycling is about.
What a load of bollerxx
Can you expand?0 -
TheSmithers wrote:styxd wrote:Cycling should be about freedom, daring, adventure, bravery, challenge etc.
How does having a GPS bike computer detract from any of that really?
It doesn't control me or my ride. It supplements my ride. I don't ride along with my eyes glued to the figures. I still get a feeling of freedom, daring and all the other stuff you mention. It's what I love about cycling. Are you saying I'm less brave for having a GPS cycle computer, or that it's less of a challenge? What rubbish! You sound to me like a more traditional cyclist, and there's nothing wrong with that at all and I respect you for it, but you should also respect my choice for wanting to use hi-tech gadgetry to enhance and supplement my rides.
FYI, I don't normally program routes into my Garmin for it to navigate me round. I only did for this one particular course because it was intricate and much of it in unfamiliar territory. Without it, I would never have got as far as I did.
All I'm saying is, if a Garmin computer ruined a bike ride then I wouldn't use one. Get rid of it. It might happen next time you go out. How many ruined rides will it take?
Ride on feel.0 -
Don't use a gadget because it might go wrong?
Or ...
Don't let a malfunctioning gadget ruin your ride ...0
