[PeteD]

As a former owner of the GoPro Hero3 Black edition, I’m anxiously waiting the Garmin. Sad to the the Countour go. Price drop on the Sony camera has piqued my interest, but I’m still going to wait somewhat for the Garmin.

[PeteD]

@fuzzy 61694 wrote:

I’m sure folks see your presence as another enjoyable moment on their jog/commute…. Good sir, may I suggest a play list of things to blast? I’ll start with Hocus Pocus by Focus!……

Gah, now you’ve started me…

Lets see.. Solar powered Bluetooth speakers… Some work to mount it on the front drops… GS4 handlebar mount… And an android app to play 3-5 second clips… Should be fun?

–Pete

[PeteD]

@hozn 61436 wrote:

I think all of those segments are probably right to have been flagged. It looks, anyway, like all of those segments start right at the W&OD/VirginiaLn stop sign. I.e. the only way you are going to get on the leaderboard for any of those segments is by blowing through that stop sign at 25 mph (at least).

It comes down to the difficulty of having sprint challenges on or around multi-use paths.

I agree, that with consumer grade GPS and a capped GPS system, having a segment next to a multi-use path is difficult. But you’re wrong on the leaderboard part. One needs not even ride on the W&OD to achieve a >20mph speed (well, 19.9mph): It’s quite easy to complete a legal turn from Shreve onto Virginia which involves no stop signs. (For example: http://www.strava.com/activities/60933387 did not touch the W&OD until after I crossed I-66).

Same with Bucklew to Tower. If you come down the hill from Shreve, turn left onto Bucklew, and sprint for all your might, making a right turn (with no stop sign) onto Tower, you have now completed two legal turns that involved 0 ft traveled on the W&OD, though you probably broke the speed limit before you bunny-hopped over the speed bump and the bottom of the hill.

Though I do ride the majority of my miles on the W&OD/Custis/MVT, I’m not *always* on a mutli-use trail. And a Bike’s normal place is on a road.

–Pete

[PeteD]

Pretty easy to go up against the contour:

http://www.geekwire.com/2013/contour-closes-seattle-hq-surprises-employees-execs-mum-status-gopro-rival/

I liked my gopro so much I made sure to buy it at REI so I could return it when it bricked itself or stopped working right, which for me happened to be at Dutch Corner on Alpe d’Huez.

–Pete

[PeteD]

I’ve noticed it too, the steady Hazardization of any segment along the W&OD. Someone’s going through and marking them hazardous, and one can present valid points on both sides of the argument about them being hazardous. I think there’s another thread here somewhere with people discussing this same topic.

Interesting that just about any segment could be listed as hazardous, since you’re on a bike, and you could crash, and there’s cars, and people. For example, the Virginia Lane segments:

http://www.strava.com/segments/4546867
– Hazardous, since I guess you could crash or be hit by a car on a street, especially when climbing the hill on a 2 lane highway with a couple of right hand bends.

http://www.strava.com/segments/1129134
– Not Hazardous, since you’re actually on a road, and not a trail, just like the one above, and those right handers provide a big sight line.

http://www.strava.com/segments/1596546
– Also not Hazardous, as it’s a shorter route, that doesn’t include the very hazardous bit of bridge that crosses over I-66, as you might be distracted and crash looking at all the lemmings sitting in their shiny metal boxes.

I can understand the marking of segments in well traveled parts of the W&OD as hazardous; there’s no reason for providing ELITE Stravathletes a reason to ride fast, but marking routes as hazardous that are uphill climbs on a paved road… That’s silly.

–Pete

[PeteD]

Bike Friendly Falls Church

I totally came to a complete stop officer.

[PeteD]

Places that I rode, not really “training” but it helped for Alpe d’Huez.

Mt. Weather loop on a Hybrid with flat pedals.
Sugarloaf
Riding up Walter Reed from 4 Mile Run (several times a week)
Storming of Thunder Ridge.
Catoctin Ridge riding.
Woodburn Rd.
Tuesday Night FB Hill Ride.
Lots of Arlington Loops.

Alpe d’Huez is tougher than anything around here that I had ridden except Coxey Brown. The first 4 switchbacks hurt the most, especially the first, since it’s about 10% and a long uphill haul. Each switchback is relatively flat, so you get a chance to ease off a bit and spin for 50m. After that, it’s just the grade+distance (as referenced above) and learning to get yourself into the grinding mindset.

The best approximation I can give with how tough those first 4 switchbacks are is Walter Reed. Instead of attacking it and trying to ride it quickly, put yourself into your highest rings and spend the 2 to 3 to 4 minutes grinding up it. Same thing with Powhatan Dr. on the Tuesday Night FB ride. That’s what it’s going to feel like. A trip to Skyline Drive, Mt. Weather, or the Blue Ridge Parkway (Thunder Ridge) will give you a lengthier climb and allow you to train your brain to deal with the suffering.

[PeteD]

Sorry to be in Ottawa and not able to chase the Fast group for him. Need to go rent a bike today and ride in solidarity.

[PeteD]

Those are nasty, the weaving you have to do to avoid possible flats makes you look like a drunken monkey.

Hope they move on to the rollers up by Lee and 66 by the pedestrian overpass near Mccoy park.

[PeteD]

This is the bike that got me around France. The thing I’ve noticed since coming back and riding my Synapse is how “little” the synapse feels. I almost feel cramped up on it, and now wonder if I shouldn’t get something with a more race style geometry, or if I now need a longer stem/handle bars.

[PeteD]

…improving every day.

[PeteD]

@culimerc 57858 wrote:

And so for the most important question; How long did it take you??

2 Hours and 15 minutes. Though 3 minutes of that was wading through traffic at the summit to get to the sign/monument.

[PeteD]

I’m in talking to the cashier at the top of Mont Ventoux to buy a post card, and in walks a guy from the Gainesville Bike club… So I was able to negate his mileage today. We had a short chat, but it was just funny seeing someone from there in the middle of France.

[PeteD]

Started off on a morning ride, my first stop was to change out the battery in my GoPro. Damn thing sucks batteries like they’re going out of style.

Was getting close to the turn around point of my trip, so I pulled my phone out Dirt-style, just for some documentation.

And here’s me at the turn around point.

All kidding aside, thanks to everyone who’s provided advice and help and pulls along the way, I couldn’t have done this without you all.

–Pete

[PeteD]

Feelin’ Patriotic

Forgive the Typos, on my Smartphone

[Author]

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