When the Garmin 305 really became useful

Anyway what a difference a week makes in terms of sun and in our case a completely new ride. For the first time, I managed to plot a route on one of the many Google map mash-up sites which allows you to create a Garmin course, then upload this via the Training Centre software into my Garmin. Using the course function in map mode, I then just had to make sure the triangle stayed over the black line that represented our route. This bit of technology allowed to cycle a route we had never been on before, avoiding A roads for over 7 miles with only a couple of minor wrong turns that we spotted within 50m of the mistake. Once the course was uploaded, it really was a doddle to follow. I now have the confidence that I could use this pretty much anywhere so more interesting routes will definitely be on the cards. I will add a blog for those interested that explains how I did it. Whilst the Garmin has been a useful training aid, this “sat nav-like” functionality is what I originally thought it could do. I originally bought OS mapping software that used Waypoints for creating routes rather than courses and I discovered you could only create a route with something like 80 way points, which is not much use if you are on a complicated 70 miler. A course somehow records direction as you would expect as a continuous line that you just have to follow. I will add another entry that explains how I did it if you haven’t discovered this really useful function.

Here is a link to the route we followed, the climb from Aston Clinton past Chiltern Forest was a particularly good find, not as long or as much climbing as Box Hill in Surrey but at around 1.3 miles and 450 ft, compared to 2.5 miles and 525 ft, it is steeper.

How to make training boring

Last weekend we went on a 100 mile ride over an extended version of the edge of the Chilterns route that we have been doing since Xmas including all the old climbs: Felden Lane, Potten End Hill, Whelpley Hill. Pedley Hill, Ivinghoe Beacon, Dunstable Downs etc. The ride was so boring though as for each climb when got to the top, we just went back down again and did it again. This did mean we did 2500m of climbing though. I have included the profile in the picture above, it just looks like a badly constructed saw. My motivation of more of this over the next three months has really dropped. The weather on 19 April was really cold and windy too which didn’t help the enthusiasm. We also set out with Craig, a fellow Etape entry, but definitely not a virgin. Craig was an excellent climber and was first to the top all of the later climbs. Mike and Andy stayed on for one last repeat of Pedley Hill, while I tucked in behind Craig back to Redbourn into a surprisingly nasty wind on a downhill section you can normally coast down. I had felt fine up to this point, but the last 3 miles back to Harpenden up the hill from Rebourn were really slow, I normally manage to put a bit extra up this last section, but my legs would just not respond. I was desperately low on energy and threw some food down as soon as I got home. Thanks to Craig for providing at least some change to our repetitive route. See Craig’s report here.

How to upload course files to your Garmin

I created a route using www.mapmyride.com, but Sanoodi and Mapitpronto all now seem to have functionality to allow you to create a Garmin course file based on the route you map. The only think I found on mapmyride that was better than the others was a new beta version that has proper terrain markings so you can pick out the hills so you can include the best climbs in your area. Most of these sites also have a “follow the road” option that makes plotting the route much easier.

Here is a guide to the process:

1. Follow the instructions on the web site to plot your chosen route. This involved setting up a user ID on the site to allow me to save the route once I had finished.

2. Once this is completed use the “Save ” option and select the “Save as a Garmin Course”. You can fill out an average pace or speed. Also select the File type “.crs” option, it seems to default to “.tcx” Save this file to your PC/Mac hard drive.

3. Open Garmin’s Training Centre software, which came with the Garmin 305.

4. From the File menu, select the Import option. This will open up a window that prompts you to open a file that could be a history, course or route file. Select the course option (a *.crs file). Find the rile you created using Mapmyride (which should have a .crs extension) and this will upload into Training centre.

5. Within Training Centre, you can examine the course under by clicking on the Course tab. This should show you the route plotted over the rather crude road maps that come with the Training Centre software. If you want, you can then add notes at particular points of the ride. As an example, I added the bottom and top of the climbs I had put on the route. When you finally use the route on the road, these messages pop up as you approach the point you had selected on the original map.

6. Once you have added whatever additional information you required (you don’t have to add anything). Plug your Garmin into the PC/Mac using the USB cable and hit the upload button (send to device), I think this is also under the file menu too.

7. This should then transfer the course to your Garmin. I noted that the Garmin couldn’t cope with very many long courses before running out of memory, so if you have a 100 mile course, I suggest you delete your older courses from your Garmin (and Training Centre) and just try having one only in the device. This is a bit of a pain, but if you should copies of older courses as .crs files that you can reload back into Training Centre if you want to reuse them and go back through the process from 4 above.

8. When you are ready to hit the road, once on the bike select the Training option from the Garmin main menu structure then select the Courses option. You should see the name of the file (truncated to 8 characters) in a list. Select the course you want to follow.

9. You will then be prompted with a few options, one of which will be “Do course”, select this.

10. Then use the Mode button to go to the map page and a large black line will appear that represents the route you need to follow. Your position on the line is represented by a triangle. Your job now is to make sure this triangle stays on the black line. If you go off course, the Garmin beeps and helpfully tells you that you are indeed off route (but not how to get back on the route)! The up and down arrows control how zoomed in you are on the map down to 20 ft I think. This was far too detailed as you could not see the route ahead and where the next turn or bend was until you were on top of it. Most of the time I had the it zoomed out to the 200ft option, which shows around 0.5-1 miles ahead.

11. If you want to record your heart and speed stats, you still need to hit the start button on the front too (after you have selected the start course option).

Cornwall Tor 21st April 2008 & lessons learned

Holmes & Worboys entered this the first sportif of 2008 and achieved the mid-table mediocrity they had always dreamt of. The race is a gruelling 100 miles where the first 40 miles is comparatively flat but into a headwind blowing across bodmin moor and then as you take the coast road back from Bude the route takes the form of a saw edge blade as you climb up and down gradients of 10-28% (yes 28%) and overall for the course you do as much climbing (3,250m) as in the real etape and is therefore a great judge of progress to that target. It fortunately did not rain which not only improved our mood but also meant that the steep downhills were not quite as treacherous as they could have been. As with all practices we said the time was not important until we started racing and then pushed it pretty hard. Out of 171 finishers Worboys came 80th in 7:58 and Holmes came 89th in 8:06 which was well ahead of the 09:30 broom wagon time we had set as our target.
As ever we learned a few things from our ride being:

• The full english breakfast was not helpful and I felt like chucking up greasy bacon for the first hour Eat plenty of figs in the run-up so you lose your bowel weight before the race not during rather than after it I carried over 1lb of food I never eat or felt like eating. The dried fruit was great and the food stations provided the rest.
• Tim had a water bottle too small for the cage and promptly lost it on a bump on a hill I tried to drink from the bottle on a hill and dropped it and as my back wheel went over it I slid came out of my pedals and ended up face down on the pavement with bottle rolling back down the hill. Although going slowly at the time so not hurt it’s a real pain retrieving the bottle and restarting on a steep gradient so from then was more careful and may get a better cage for the etape.
• The food bag on the front is great for eating on the go rather than trying to delve into your back pocket whilst climbing.

Our pace is generally way ahead of broom wagon pace and so this should not be an issue except

• (1) We didn't get punctures and its worth losing speed with heavier more robust tyres than risking a puncture
• (2) We both suffered bouts of cramp on the ascents and I'm not sure why but think we need to do more training on long repeat climbs of 10%+
• (3) The first drink station is best avoided by having enough fluid with you.

It was possible to get lost as I found and briefly ended up in a caravan park It was only hot for a while but that was wilting and needed to be able to take off / add on layers Even though I thought I was drinking enough I wasn't as I was dehydrated at the end and some 4lbs lighter which has largely gone back on now I have hydrated.

The chart of finishing times is attached. 170 riders might not be representative of the 8,000 doing the etape but if it is it’s a good sign.

A great circular course and we should do it again some time.

Best Etape route so far (and you can upload to a Garmin)

After my pleading in the last but one entry, this map (now) looks like the real McCoy. There are so many mapping sites around, this is the first time I have come across MapMyRide. This also allows you to upload the map to your Garmin (as a course) and then add notes at important points of the ride. Clive the Datameister has kindly fixed this route so it now seems spot on; both for climbing and distance.

Britain strikes gold in sport no-one watches

A lovely satirical article culled from The Dailymashup.

Picture caption: TeamGB sets a new world record on their eight-wheeled cyclotron.

BRITAIN was riding the crest of a wave of victory last night after repeatedly striking gold in one of those sports that nobody ever watches.

Britain's finest two-legged men and women took home gold medals in the singles, the hot singles, the fancy doubles, the crotchless triples and the doubled pears.
An ecstatic Wayne Hayes, TeamGB manager, said: "Take one pair of perfectly round wheels, add the relentless pounding of some truly magnificent British thighs, and stand well back."

He added: "I said to every single one of them: whatever you do, for God's sake keep pedalling."
Last night's avalanche of triumph comes hot on the heels of British success at the Los Angeles Kerplunk Open and a 14-12 victory in the World Bread Making Championships in Adelaide.
British competitors now sit astride the world stage in rat-shooting, speed pottery, synchronised chewing, professional bowler hat wearing, darts and snooker.

Sport minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, said: "The next time someone tells you Britain is slow at riding a bike, you can look back on this day with pride, hold your head high and tell them to cock off."
He added: "This is the most exciting thing to have happened in British sport since Formula One boss Max Mosley paid some Nazi hookers to pummel him with a cricket bat."

Pau to Hautacam Google Earth flyover

Courtesy of Lee's blog, this a nice flyover of the route. It would be great to get hold of the Google Earth route they used that we could up load to our Garmins. The nearest I have found is on Mapitpronto, but this route is only 95 miles long, somewhere 10 miles are missing, also the climbing stats are bonkers (18000m)! Anyone who has found a better Google Maps plot of the Etape route, please let us know.