2013 National Bike Challenge

Cateye also make bikes GPS units now. One of the Stealth models is available already I think.

I’d just use the Strava smartphone app if you don’t want a bike GPS (yet), although then you’ll have to manually import or enter miles into Endomondo.

@dasgeh 48868 wrote:

Dumb question: If I’ve never done the GPS/Strava thing, but I wanted to sign up for one of these challenges, what’s the best way? Smartphone app? Cheap GPS thingy (how cheap do they get)? Discuss…

If you have an android smartphone, you can run Strava and Endomondo at the same time. Endomondo even has a 10 second countdown timer, if you’re really focused on that kinda thing.
If you’re an iPhone user, I’m not sure if you can run two apps like that simultaneously.

Also, it doesn’t have to be a phone with a data plan. if you have an old one laying around, you can use the GPS and just upload from a wireless network.

Sorry for going back to basics here: if I sign up for Endomondo, and find the National Bike Challenge, should I join a team? Is it “Bike Arlington All Stars”?

@dasgeh 48919 wrote:

So to run the apps, I need to take my phone. Now I just need to figure out how to take my “phablet” on a ride sans my big back pack…

Thanks for joining the team, dasgeh!

Concerning the technology, there is a trade off between cost and convenience. I spoke with someone who doesn’t have a smartphone or any sort of bike computer. After a ride, he creates a map of where he rode on Mapmyride, then enters the resulting number manually. So you don’t really need any device other than a PC. Even this barrier excludes many riders, but probably no one who’s reading this.

Although I had a Garmin last year, which is really easy to sync with Endomondo, I was leary about sharing everywhere I went publicly, so I entered my miles manually. Since then I’ve gotten used to letting everyone know where I go, so this year I’m uploading GPS tracks. A bike computer can be had for about $20 these days. A smartphone can be used. I guess for a lot of people it’s a hassle to enter the miles each day. I hope everyone will take the time to do so.

I’m going to migrate from Strava to Endomondo after I complete the Strava Spring Classics Challenge tomorrow, so anyone who is stalking my position daily, be advised of the change. I’ll still post big days on Strava, but not every work day.

When I signed up for the National Bike Challenge (NBC) last year, I ran the Endomondo app on my Blackberry, but it killed my battery. It’s not a real phone, voice transmissions aren’t enabled, but I use it constantly for work updating job status (acknowledge, pick, drop) on a web-based dispatch/driver interface. The additional load of the tracking app was too much for the battery. So I bought a Garmin Edge 200. It was a little bit of an exstravagant purchase I guess, but it’s made my work and recreation more fun. Instead of being bummed when I have to deadhead to Roslyn, now I’m happy because I get more miles.

It began with the National Bike Challenge. I noticed a lot of the highest placed riders in the Greater DC Community and one of the guys ahead of me in Maryland’s Local Challenge were on Bike Arlington teams. I googled Bike Arlington and found this place. The guy ahead of me in MD was Greenbelt and I quickly found out about the Saturday rides he leads and began joining them, mostly to mark him, but I also found out how much fun group riding is!

It led to my participation in these forums, and a few months after NBC ended, the Bike Arlington Freezing Saddles Challenge started…

The final month of last year’s NBC, I rode over 1500 trying to better Chris Randall, and he wasn’t even first in our Community! We were riding for second place locally and top 50 nationally. It was fun. The results of the warm-up period will be viewable until next year so post your miles! A few riders might get to the new “Diamond” level (5000 pts) in the warm-up period! Maybe some people we know! Of course, all points return to zero on May Day…

The NBC is starting in less than two weeks, sign up and log your miles! There will be a plaque awarded to the highest placed team that I’m confident we’ll win, but I was pretty sure Crit My Pants would walk away with BAFS!

I’ve noticed you log three or four commutes each day. Do you go home for lunch?