Search found 144 matches

by cjs
14 Jul 2014, 9:22pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Dublin - Larne
Replies: 13
Views: 3040

Re: Dublin - Larne

Here's a an old post link re leaving Belfast Docks avoiding traffic, http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=58880&p=497050#p497050 - the NCR into the City along the River Lagan continues through the docks to Fortwilliam hence these pics....

By the way the road from Belfast to Carrickfergus is under construction to a dual carriageway from Jordanstown to just before 'carrick - expect heavy hassle for a few miles if you go that way... there after it's clear..

Also the main road from Belfast to Larne from Glengormly onwards is also under construction to become a dual carriageway - again heavy traffic - Antrim, ,,,etc via Ballyclare is fine...

EDIT:

Just as a NI teaser, here's a few pics taken with a W.Showers guest who stayed a while and wanted to see a few sights..

Antrim Round Tower
ART.jpg


Dunluce Castle, North Coast
NC.jpg


Supper over looking the Giants Causeway
BM.jpg
by cjs
14 Jul 2014, 9:16pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Dublin - Larne
Replies: 13
Views: 3040

Re: Dublin - Larne

What way are you coming through.... If you want to come via Belfast an easy route would be along the towpath of the River Lagan straight into the centre and out the other side on the bike route through to Carrickfergus then just follow the coast round to Larne.

An alternative from the border is to follow the Marathon route up then jump onto the NCR around the East or if you wish, the West of Lough Neagh to nearly Antrim then the back road to Larne .... Antrim > Templepatrick > Parkgate > Doagh > Ballyclare > Ballyeaston then the back road to Millbrook then onto the main line for the last 1 mile to the docks - the dual carriageway has a footpath which is a bike path...

PM me is you want more details, theres some free camp areas around the Lough if you are camping as well as good campsites at Oxford Island near Lurgan and Antrim.

Of course you have the alternative around the east coast via Newcastle & Strangford / Portferry...

PM me for further details and I can send over some GPX from Basecamp or Google Earth...

Enjoy now,,,
by cjs
9 Jul 2014, 11:13am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Panniers for kids
Replies: 9
Views: 1961

Re: Panniers for kids

MrsHJ wrote:........what happened to the cheap brands?!


These are still on the EBay side of SJS cycles - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIKE-CYCLE-FR ... 25909e3eed.

18 months ago I picked up a pair for £12.00. Sturdy, solid but not WP however if me I would simply use a garden waste plastic bag inside - this will do perfectly to begin with. Here they are on the front - well stuffed...

IMG_72392.jpg


Mine are now superseded - shame I'm in Holland at the moment and will not be back to NI until early Sept - after a trip around the Sc. Isles. - otherwise you could have a pair them just for the postage. Of course the offer will still be there if they like the trip and they / you want more storage for next year.. :)

Hope this helps..
by cjs
6 Jul 2014, 10:18pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: knee pain and touring
Replies: 54
Views: 13215

Re: knee pain and touring

Psamathe wrote:What do you/he mean by a "plastic" option.


My simplistic term for knee replacement...

Psamathe wrote:...my family has a history of lots of arthritis


Snap!

Psamathe wrote:(my physio's comment is "if it's going to happen, it's going to happen").


Pretty much... what works for me is to stay active. Obviously you have to use your head, for example, I switched from Windsurfing to Kite Surfing as with W/S the board impacts heavily on the waves at speed but with K/S the board is smaller and a lot of your weight is taken by the kite..

I find the less I do with the knee the more stiff, inflamed and painful it becomes... hence I cycle most days and swim at least 3 days a week.

Psamathe wrote:And I've only heard of what might be traditional solutions (smoothing the cartilage(?)


I had Arthroscopy around 10 years ago, for me this helped for around a year and screwed up the ligaments.. wished I'd never agreed to that one... Been back to the Surgeon several times since hence the offer of a replacement.

Any chat with the GP regarding the knee returns the stock answer, 'its probably not helped by cycling'. In my circumstances, I feel that the opposite is true - cycling with due thought and care actually keeps the knee flexible.... but then everyone is different.

Good luck now...
by cjs
6 Jul 2014, 9:13pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: knee pain and touring
Replies: 54
Views: 13215

Re: knee pain and touring

Knee issues are very individual and what suits one may not suit another.

I have one bad knee with little cartilage left. On the last visit to the surgeon 6 years ago he said the only option left was plastic and offered it. I declined. Walking is limited to around 3-4 miles before pain and subsequent inflammation become debilitating. I am 63 yrs (6'4", heavy and a lifetime of adventure activities with associated crashes and knocks etc.....)

I average 150 miles a week to keep fit and when touring 80 miles a day fully loaded is doable but not necessarily desired.

After much trial and error, for me this works:

    Seat height is crucial. It has to be exactly set by the ‘straight leg & heel with no rocking’ method. Slightly higher initially feels good on the knee but on long distances over time, pain below and to the front of the knee sets in. Any lower is simply bad news..

    Flat MTB pedals (Shimano’s with small pins) and MTB shoes (Teva) I’ve used cleats for many a year but as the knee gradually became worse changing to flat pedals worked.

    No straps. The MTB pedal and shoes provide a rock steady secure attachment with no slip no matter what the weather. At time when fully loaded (4 panniers & camping) and climbing I often reduce the loading on the knee by moving the foot forward on the pedal and when the climb gradient is reduced I shift it back to the ball of the foot.

As I said knee issues are very individual, you have to find what suits you with your cycling style, mileage and terrain...
by cjs
6 Jul 2014, 8:32pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Cookset recommendations
Replies: 33
Views: 3431

Re: Cookset recommendations

Trangia stoves & Firesteel (ferrocerium alloys) works great when temperatures are moderate, however when its colder, matches dropped in may be needed to get it lit! (pure alcohol content can also vary dependent on country / manufacturer)

An ideal combination on longer journeys for me is a firesteel and a few waterproof matches....
by cjs
14 Mar 2014, 10:30am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

ukdodger wrote: ...It just seems a bit odd to complicate a simple procedure. I cant think of another program that doesnt have a save/not save option....


Personally the BC database workflow suits me - In the past many many times I've lost work & time hence money when good ole windies blue screens or power failure happens and the work was all in 'memory' so to speak.... even Microsoft later built in auto save timers into office in case you forgot to hit the 'save' button every 5 minutes or so in that complex spreadsheet or document....

10:49 Edit: For clarity I did a few quick simple tests - BC automatically saves your work into its database when you exit the program, so my above para is part 'bull...' - a power outage / blue screen will loose your work just the same.. there may well be an auto save timer built in somewhere..

Logic tells me BC was developed by Garmin for those who have extensive data to store and manage - for example if you are an enthusiastic geocache hunter, geotag photographs, blogs etc....

ukdodger wrote: ... for my uses I'm sticking to MapSource for as long as it holds out.


Don't get me wrong, I'm no flag waver for BC but as a free programme it is very good ....

Mapsource is good as well - I still use it for specific tasks especially combining multiple maps and for most cycle tourers MapSource is all you need - however if you have lots of waypoints and routes such as may be required for long tours then BC will manage them far easier... for most..
by cjs
14 Mar 2014, 7:59am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

Sweep wrote:....Surely you can just copy the thing you want to edit and give it a different name?....


Just as an info as I understand it, your data, routes, Waypoints & stuff within Basecamp is stored in a database located normally in C:/Users/[computer name]/AppData/Roaming/Garmin/BaseCamp/Database/ (This is a hidden folder and permissions need to be set to view)

As you create, edit or add anything within BaseCamp the database is automatically updated - unlike say, MS Word, where you have to manually save the file or engage auto saving function on a timer...

Generally speaking there are no individual files per se that you can manage unless you export them to another format such as .gpx etc

However you can back up or move all your files by copying the database folder.

Under BaseCamp Edit > Options > General there is a Database Option function to create a new database and define its location away from the default which can facilitate easier sharing of the database between say a laptop and a home computer without the need for exporting individual files.
by cjs
14 Mar 2014, 6:54am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

ukdodger wrote:.....I've just discovered that if you edit a track/route and decide you dont want to save it in it's edited form you have to undo all the changes one by one. Not saving isnt an option......


Try a different workflow, select the route you want to use, right click, select duplicate (it will automatically rename by adding a number) and If your original route contains defined Waypoints I would suggest declining the offered option of duplicating them to avoid confusion...

Amend the duplicate or duplicates any way you want...

If you wish to compare how about assigning different colours to each route within their properties, then select each duplicate in turn to to bring it to the foreground...

May help...
by cjs
12 Mar 2014, 11:03pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Statler and Waldorf syndrome...
Replies: 21
Views: 8225

Statler and Waldorf syndrome...

Is it my perception or is the forum, especially this section, becoming more and more a depressing place often full of negatively, moans and rants?
by cjs
11 Mar 2014, 2:01pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

andrewjoseph wrote:....used gpx files....


Were these a 'route' or a 'track' gpx file?

andrewjoseph wrote:...i split the route into 3, scotland, midlands, west country. the 800 had no problems calculating every morning....


I have no experience of the 800 - just the Etrex - if this relates to Auto-routing then that is excellent - incidentally how did the unit react to deviations when it had to recalculate?



andrewjoseph wrote:..the garmins and basecamp are not error free and i also make mistakes but i think that like car satnavs, you have to use common sense and take responsibility for your actions. blindly trusting directions is a recipie for disaster.


Absolutely... I can recall reading some time ago off a hapless motorist driving into a canal because the GPS said turn left.... and then about 4 years ago I was travelling with a good friend through Spain - he was driving a huge RV and I was behind in a car. I had convinced him to get a GPS.... anyway we were traveling on a minor road which lead to a major road. This junction now was a roundabout over a brand new motorway that had just replaced the major road. GPS said turn left. My friend turned LEFT at the roundabout which was bad enough in Spain but then proceeded to drive down the sliproad onto the motorway the wrong way. Luckily this was out in the sticks and virtually no traffic..... I managed to alert him after about 100m!
by cjs
11 Mar 2014, 10:50am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

Continued...

... and see the result.... it puts you round the busy ring road....

16.jpg


Here is what I set for the GPS unit. As I understand it if you create a route within Basecamp do not expect the AutoRouting in the GPS to be the same... If you want exactly what you see in Basecamp convert it to a track and load that instead.... no autorouting though.....

17.jpg


If you create a route in Basecamp and use loads of waypoints then the GPS will use its own auto routing to take you to each waypoint before moving on... BUT beware that on long routes autorouting will take a long time to process - if at all!
by cjs
11 Mar 2014, 10:48am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

Sweep wrote:If anyone has the settings I should use to get reliable routing with an openfietsmap installed into basecamp I'd be very interested.....


Hi Sweep... this may help.... it works for me...

In Basecamp edit your activity profile thus...

11.jpg


Here is an example route between 2 simple waypoints from Helmond across Eindhoven in the Netherlands where I'm about for a few months...

12.jpg


It is good and the best in real life as I have used it many times and sticks to Cycle paths, quite roads even though going straight through the city centre...

Change the profile from a Faster Route to a SHORT ROUTE and let it recalculate...

13.jpg


Here's the result, shorter yes but not as nice...

14.jpg


Set your avoidance's thus... strange I know but this actually changes the biases away from cycle friendly routes - more info on OpenFietsMap and VeloMaps / OpenMTBMaps websites....

15.jpg


continued in next post....
by cjs
10 Mar 2014, 8:32pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: 'Free Bikes' in Holland..
Replies: 2
Views: 6090

'Free Bikes' in Holland..

Out enjoying the Dutch sunshine for a while...

Over the weekend on several of the canals, generally in the middle of nowhere (as far as that is possible in Holland!) I came across quite a few virtually complete bikes obviously dredged from the canal and parked up on the grass.. awaiting new owners..

P1030416.jpg
by cjs
10 Mar 2014, 3:03pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Garmin Base Camp
Replies: 55
Views: 10874

Re: Garmin Base Camp

No, I do not think there is any other software around that interacts with the Garmin Range in such a comphrehensive manner. (As expected as the software is developed for Garmin)

There are other options offline such as OsmAnd and Oruxmaps but they are Android based and very limited without a lot of tinkering.

Online, you are spoilt for choice really from Google Earth to the multitude of OSM based offerings each with differing routing mathematics and weightings....


A lot comes down to your expectations and how you use the GPS.

Yes, a track is simplistic, does not tax the unit processor and relatively easy to follow and I have used them quite a lot for pre-planned large city navigation's.

For touring, my GPS main use, I plan a rough route and mark a clatter of Waypoints and POI's and just save them to the unit. I navigate mainly by Map, Compass, Brain and inclination.

When I want help, I just fire up the GPS and the Waypoints are displayed in order as to distance from my position, select one and Navigate by Road, and follow the instructions - perfect....

A set of 2 AA's will easily last a week...

If you use large routes, the GPS processor may be very slow in its calculation...

The output of most Online Route planners, Google Earth and Basecamp can be often be imported in each other...

For touring route planning and map data uploading to a Garmin, Basecamp together with a good OSM mapset (OpenFietsMap and Velomap for example) is very good and relatively easy to use..

As a side I was away touring over the weekend in Holland with great weather - wall to wall sunshine 20C+... any way, meandering through a nature reserve of marsh I tell the GPS to head to a certain village, of it takes me for many a mile on cycle tracks eventually to be stopped by a wide canal. The route crosses the canal.... via ferry... but the GPS does not know that. The sign says no ferry till 12....12.45 still no ferry - OK head off North for 5-7 miles and start the autorouting again... it brings me back via different tracks to the same ferry....! Bridges are scarce round there... Had to go south on the compass for 8 miles before heading East and picking up where I wanted to go...

There's no avoidance setting for 'ferry'...

P1030436.JPG