Search found 514 matches

by skicat
27 Sep 2015, 12:18pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Crazy Guy on a Bike Site. Anyone Use it?
Replies: 5
Views: 1050

Re: Crazy Guy on a Bike Site. Anyone Use it?

Yes, I have documented every tour I've ever done on the CGOAB site. That is precisely one ! :wink:

The first journals on the site are from 2001 and I think Neil created the site to blog about his own cycle tour(s). I think it is very much "hand-crafted", i.e. he doesn't use any off the shelf packages in the way that this site uses phpBB for example. He probably never felt the need to update it as it still does what it set out to do. I agree a bit of CSS to modernise the look wouldn't go amiss.
by skicat
23 Sep 2015, 6:53pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Garmin Oregon 600t
Replies: 3
Views: 467

Re: Garmin Oregon 600t

I have an Oregon 650 which is the same as a 600 but with a camera. I'm not sure what the 't' designates, possibly it means bundled Topo maps. I bought my 650 from Cotswold Outdoor (CTC 15% discount) along with the Garmin Ordnance Survey map product on an SD card. It's good enough to use for driving. For cycling I use OpenFietsmap cycle maps. There is plenty of memory in the 600/650 for a detailed cycle map of the entire UK. I don't use the 650 for routing (although it can do it). I prefer to plan routes in Basecamp then download them into the GPS. I have found that maps based on OpenStreetmap data (such as OpenFietsMap) can cause the 650 to crash or hang, which I put down to the Garmin software not being very resilient to bad/invalid map data.

There is a wealth of information here: http://garminoregon6xx.wikispaces.com/
by skicat
2 Sep 2015, 5:19pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: What do you do when the going gets tough?
Replies: 52
Views: 5284

Re: What do you do when the going gets tough?

Bruce J wrote:We tandemists quite often burst into song towards the end of a long hard day ....... good for team morale and, of course, breathing.


We soloists do that as well. With the advantage that there's no-one around to complain about the racket.
by skicat
28 Aug 2015, 9:25am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gpx files
Replies: 10
Views: 1523

Re: Gpx files

Steve O'C wrote:Garmin publish their own free desktop software called BaseCamp. It reads GPX files and you can use it to create routes and customise routes created on other applications. It also makes it easy to transfer those routes to your GPS device. No doubt other applications are just as good but the learning curve for Basecamp is not too steep.

I'll second Basecamp as a very useful tool; I use it all the time.

One thing to watch for - the latest Basecamp does not run on Windows XP, however Garmin still publish the final version (4.2.5) that did. It will no longer continue to be improved but it does mean that you can at least work with maps and GPX files on XP. The database and all your data files can be read by the latest Basecamp should you choose to upgrade from XP in the future. If you do go sown this route (ha ha), Basecamp can be downloaded from here and there's nothing to stop you trying it before you even get a GPS.
by skicat
23 Aug 2015, 5:15pm
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: LEJOG: when to go and which bike?
Replies: 10
Views: 6035

Re: LEJOG: when to go and which bike?

Hi, welcome to the forum.

You have pretty much asked all the questions I asked myself about 18 months ago. I found lots of information in these forums, but sometimes it can be contradictory. In the end, only you can evaluate it all and make your own decisions but a few things spring to mind.

I did JoGLE last year over 14 days (last week Sep, 1st week Oct) staying only in B&Bs. I would not have wanted to be doing it much later in the year as the weather was deteriorating towards the end and the days were getting noticeably shorter as well. I had ruled out a trip in the height of summer as I do not get on with hot weather at all. I didn't meet any midges, just a couple of big spiders. :shock:

The bike was a Claud Butler aluminium hybrid with front suspension. I'm sure a dedicated tourer with a better fit would have made the journey easier, but I'm not an avid cyclist, nor am I especially fit and I made it ok. I had set the suspension to as stiff as it would go as 99% of my route was on tarmac.

IMGP0810.jpg


I didn't use full size panniers, but this Topeak MTX trunk-bag forced me to travel light. There are before and after packing pictures on my blog, here https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=tS&page_id=392108&v=7o. I had an Ortlieb bar bag as well for the valuables and need-it-in-a-hurry items. I'm sure you'd be fine with full-size panniers.
by skicat
18 Aug 2015, 1:53pm
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: Inland route north of Inverness
Replies: 22
Views: 7976

Re: Inland route north of Inverness

nickodemia wrote:I believe the hotel at Bettyhill has closed.


I stayed at the Farr Bay Inn on the outskirts of Bettyhill. It's basic but inexpensive and the people are very friendly. I was there 11 months ago.
http://www.farrbayinn.co.uk/
by skicat
14 Aug 2015, 7:51pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Windows 10 preview
Replies: 99
Views: 10495

Re: Windows 10 preview

kwackers wrote:
skicat wrote:Me (screaming): Just navigate home you useless pile of **^%^$***( &&^%9@#
Navigating Home

:roll:

I suspect the word 'navigate' was the key.
(Would be on my phone otherwise how would it know that I want to go home? It might think I want the home page on my browser or something...)
My phone seems to understand me pretty well - which is amazing, my success rate with people is a lot worse... :lol:


Well, it was a dedicated satnav not a phone so I can't imagine what other activities it expected I might ask it to do.
by skicat
13 Aug 2015, 9:40am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Windows 10 preview
Replies: 99
Views: 10495

Re: Windows 10 preview

My first ever interaction with a voice-operated satnav went something like:

Me: Go Home
Not recognised

Me: Home
Not recognised

Me (very slowly): Home
Not recognised

Me (in exaggerated received pronunciation): Home
Not recognised

Me (in exaggerated Geordie accent just to see if that would work): Home
Not recognised

Me (screaming): Just navigate home you useless pile of **^%^$***( &&^%9@#
Navigating Home

:roll:
by skicat
13 Aug 2015, 9:32am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Anyone watched 'Belleville Rendez-vous' ?
Replies: 13
Views: 3234

Re: Anyone watched 'Belleville Rendez-vous' ?

Paulatic wrote:My copy is a give away (from the Times) dated 2003. Specifically states "not for sale"


Ditto. But I've watched my copy more times than most of the videos and DVDs I've paid for over the years.
by skicat
3 Feb 2015, 9:09am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Honda Jazz - no bikes on car roof?
Replies: 19
Views: 6916

Re: Honda Jazz - no bikes on car roof?

pete75 wrote:Certainly if you look one the accessories page the only bike carrier listed is for towbar fitting even though they list several roof rack options including for skis - though it's hard to imagine the typical, geriatric jizz owner having much interest in skiing.

A friend of mine I met through skiing was 80 last May. He skis 4 or 5 weeks every year. I don't know what sort of car he has though but in any case I wouldn't speculate based on outmoded pre-conceptions
by skicat
24 Jan 2015, 12:08pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Alphabetic Photograph Challenge
Replies: 338
Views: 35140

Re: Alphabetic Photograph Challenge

Does this thread start again at 'A'? I think it should, with the additional rule of no duplicates. :D
by skicat
29 Dec 2014, 6:14pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Circular routes & a suitable satnav.
Replies: 6
Views: 1153

Re: Circular routes & a suitable satnav.

The behaviour you are seeing is exactly what Garmins do as well (or at least my eMap, Colorado, Oregon 450 and Oregon 650 all did this). The routing algorithm is trying to be "smart" and getting you to the closest via-point in your route. As you set off, that happens to be your endpoint. I've long since given up on trying to fool the devices, so now I always just create 2 routes - one to the point furthest from the start, and a second that starts there and finishes at my final destination. This strategy has a second benefit of making it less likely that you will run up against the "maximum number of waypoints allowed in a route" limit.
by skicat
19 Dec 2014, 2:27pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: ...if cyling is the new golf?
Replies: 30
Views: 2698

Re: ...if cyling is the new golf?

Galloper wrote:I wear weird looking clothing
I am obsessed by shiny new accessories for my hobby
I spend large amounts of time with friends similarly obsessed
I spend lots of money on magazines relating to my sport
I avidly follow the major annual events then dream about holidays testing myself on the same challenges
I spend far too much time on internet sites devoted to my passion
I come home wet an depressed but can't wait to get out again

I'm a ?????


I know this one. It's skier
by skicat
18 Dec 2014, 10:25am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: ...if cyling is the new golf?
Replies: 30
Views: 2698

Re: ...if cyling is the new golf?

Cycling through Perth on my JOGLE a couple of months ago, I mis-navigated a tricky bend on the cycle path and ended up heading across the North Inch golf course. A couple of chaps in weird trousers soon put me straight. So for me, golf was almost the new cycling :shock:
by skicat
8 Dec 2014, 10:03am
Forum: On the road
Topic: news paper nutcase
Replies: 46
Views: 7977

Re: news paper nutcase

As a manager at a company I worked at a few years ago once said, "Yes there is a blame culture in this company. But who's fault is that?"