2016 MFP Grand Tour Challenge - Vuelta Now Up and Rolling...

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  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
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    So I asked to join TwinkieScoffers yesterday and haven't been let in yet.
    What is wrong with https://www.strava.com/clubs/MFP_TeamTwinkieScoff ? I'm in there with two or three others. It sure would be nice to have the whole team in one place.
  • jillyian
    jillyian Posts: 423 Member
    edited May 2016
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    It says on team TWINKIE SCOFFERS club that Chris Hannon is administrator - but he is not on that team, I'm not sure who else can approve requests to join

    There is also the strava TWINKIE SCOFF team club from just last year, but there are a few people in that club that are on different teams, I think David Alvezos(sp) is administrator on that one, but he's a different team as well,

  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
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    jillyian wrote: »
    It says on team TWINKIE SCOFFERS club that Chris Hannon is administrator - but he is not on that team, I'm not sure who else can approve requests to join

    There is also the strava TWINKIE SCOFF team club from just last year, but there are a few people in that club that are on different teams, I think David Alvezos(sp) is administrator on that one, but he's a different team as well,


    Well, if you try to join Twinkie Scoff, we'll make sure you are approved! :)
  • TDSeest
    TDSeest Posts: 1,089 Member
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    My first three rides for this challenge have all been on the Katy Trail. My lovely wife let me do some longer rides for our anniversary. I'm looking forward to resuming riding on pavement tomorrow.
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
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    OK, tomorrow is officially a Giro rest day. If we ride on Giro rest days do we log our rides on the sheet or not?
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    FitterBody wrote: »
    OK, tomorrow is officially a Giro rest day. If we ride on Giro rest days do we log our rides on the sheet or not?

    don't bother - it won't count anyway... we usually use the rest days to nag the people who haven't already logged their rides to get something declared, but, as it's only 3 days in, it's a bit pointless in this case.


  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I am in Garmin Hell (Trademark, no doubt). None of my computers will recognize my Garmin today. Yes, I did a three part ride and drew a flying pig on the map, but will my Garmin upload? No, it doesn't even seem to exist, although it's charged back up while plugged in. What on earth? I think I'm cursed... :o
  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I can see all three rides in the History on the Garmin itself but so far three computers have failed to recognize that it's plugged in (and I even tried a difference USB cord). These computers all happen to be Macs, so next step is to dig out one of the ancient PCs and try there...

    I had so much fun. I drew a freaking flying pig map with my route. It's very cute. But now I can't even upload data. <bawls>

    Here was the route when I planned it last night: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1068829584
    I figure I'm no good for speed, or long distance, or climbing, but I could add to the creativity factor... if the stupid Garmin and computers would play nice together.

    <continues sad bawling>

    And, to add insult to injury, it's just started raining (hours earlier than predicted) and the husband has not yet biked today. So now he's going to be grumpy, too.
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    usual problem is that Garmin Express (the upload-ey bit that recognises the Garmin head unit) has got screwed up in some way - BUT - as you've tried it on 3 different machines, and it's doing it on all of 'em it kind of makes me think that it's the head-unit itself.

    so, i've had a little google around, and found this nugget...

    Try

    To force the unit to mass storage:
    1. Turn the unit off
    2. Hold the PAGE/MENU/ENTER button (bottom left) down
    3. Plug the unit into USB while still holding down the MENU button
    4. Your device will eventually go to mass storage

    Other option is that you can get dirt in the usb socket. Usual remedy is to squirt a little "electrical contact cleaner" into the socket, or failing that, a little WD40.

    If either of those work, copy all the Activity *.FIT files off the head unit onto the Mac, then do a "Master Reset" on the head-unit. From memory, they'll be in the Garmin/Activities folder...

    Master Reset - "Press and hold Page/Menu, Start/Stop and Power simultaneously"

  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    WARNING!!!!

    don't do the master reset until you've tried the other options, as you may lose any of th activities on the head unit...
  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Thanks!

    Tenth try is a charm...

    I tried ONE MORE TIME, before leaving to drive the team car, to find the Garmin on the iMac (after rebooting the iMac and such) and it finally worked. I do not know why and, of course, I had tried three computers at that point, so it makes no sense that the iMac would suddenly work after rebooting when the Mac Book Air, for instance, did not. I do not understand how this technology is so cranky pants.

    Although, I don't think I'm driving the team car if the husband is on a different team. It's probably a violation of some obscure rule.

    I still might be buying a new Garmin soon. The silly thing has been perfectly fine for many years until recently, when odd things seem to crop up.
  • Jakess1971
    Jakess1971 Posts: 1,208 Member
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    If you have a smart phone you can upload the rides via Bluetooth with the Garmin connect app, my Garmin 810 doesn't work via USB anymore, got a new one coming tomorrow coincidentally, I always now have a little Garmin 520 running at the same time these days, for one its handy for displaying power stats, it's small so great as a little mini second display, it's there when the other Garmin 810 fails which has happened a dozen times in the last couple of years usually during an epic ride, I recommend a backup device when this kind of crap happens, hope you get it sorted, I know how gutting it can be to loose ride data.
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    Jakess1971 wrote: »
    If you have a smart phone you can upload the rides via Bluetooth with the Garmin connect app, my Garmin 810 doesn't work via USB anymore, got a new one coming tomorrow coincidentally, I always now have a little Garmin 520 running at the same time these days, for one its handy for displaying power stats, it's small so great as a little mini second display, it's there when the other Garmin 810 fails which has happened a dozen times in the last couple of years usually during an epic ride, I recommend a backup device when this kind of crap happens, hope you get it sorted, I know how gutting it can be to loose ride data.

    Not with a 500 or 800 you can't, they're very much USB only.

  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
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    Jakess1971 wrote: »
    If you have a smart phone you can upload the rides via Bluetooth with the Garmin connect app, my Garmin 810 doesn't work via USB anymore, got a new one coming tomorrow coincidentally, I always now have a little Garmin 520 running at the same time these days, for one its handy for displaying power stats, it's small so great as a little mini second display, it's there when the other Garmin 810 fails which has happened a dozen times in the last couple of years usually during an epic ride, I recommend a backup device when this kind of crap happens, hope you get it sorted, I know how gutting it can be to loose ride data.

    I only have the Garmin Edge 500. I am thinking I might need to get a newer one. I hate hate hate not having data. This time it sorted itself out but it doesn't always.
  • jillyian
    jillyian Posts: 423 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I have the edge 510 and that one you can upload via blue tooth, it is the best thing ever!
    The other option, which I did when I wasn't sure if my previous Garmin was going to give me issues, is to use your iPhone or whatever phone you have and track your ride with Strava app as a just in case backup,
  • wesleepuntilthesungoesdown
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    Does the 500 take micro sd cards, if so record to that then you can always get the files even if the usb fails.
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    Does the 500 take micro sd cards, if so record to that then you can always get the files even if the usb fails.

    Nope, no external memory slots, IMO that's a big failing of the 500 series heads (and the reason I'm trying to stick with my 800 until they launch a 520 like replacement for the 810) - but for people having the same problem on a 800 which is also USB only, the 800 DOES take SD cards, and definitely CAN be configured to write to the SD card instead of internal memory. It's noticeably slower in operation than working in internal memory - so switching on and off takes longer, and if you have auto-laps enabled, the head unit feels like it freezes for a noticeable amount of time each lap, as the data is written to the memory card, BUT if you are nervous about the head unit, OR you simply forgot to clear down the rides from the head unit and find yourself having run out of space mid-ride, it can save you losing data.


  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,682 Member
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    Anyhow - as a break from the Garmin / Strava fault-fixing clinic...

    I've been working this morning on yet another analysis "Tab" on the spreadsheet...

    It Seemed apt, in a grand tour that's focussed on Climbing (wait until you hit the second and third weeks!!) that I try and add a Climbing Efficiency measure...

    And, of course, VAM sprang to mind... what with it being an Italian Acronym - "velocità ascensionale media" - guess we anglophones would call it Average Ascent Velocity or AAV, but I'm going to stick with Dr. Ferrari's original ;)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAM_(bicycling) gives a bit of an idea of what I'm on about... but basically, it's not just about how much climbing you've done, but how fast your rate of ascent is...

    Have a look on the Blue "VAM" tab in the spreadsheet - there's a list of everyone riding, and their calcuated VAM figures....

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PDVJ62IHFMJyZKkyhc45ygozKehBqmrPjo-8lzI5Nao/edit?usp=sharing

    As always with the reporting charts, you should be allowed to re-order columns by the usual method - click in the lettered column header, then select the little triangular pulldown and use the sort functions therein...



    Oh - and please note - for those of us who are complete data geeks, and who already analyse their rides to the n'th degree, this VAM figure will be highly unlikely to "match up" with the figures spat out by such respected analysis tools as TrainingPeaks, WKO3/4 or GoldenCheetah... it's based on an average figure, of a series of up to 21 average figures, taken from anything up to 120 or more rides you may make (I think my spreadsheet burps at more than 6 rides in a day from Strava incidentally, so if anyone is planning on doing more than that, can they let me know and i'll make a few tweaks...). Guess what I'm saying is, it's a comparison tool for within the Challenge only, rather than something to be bragging on... but, it's nice to have nonetheless...

    I'd welcome your feedback on this add-in, or any other aspect of the spreadsheet...



  • TDSeest
    TDSeest Posts: 1,089 Member
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    Looks like I should be in riding shape by tomorrow again. My back quack did a great job as usual, and my inflammation was very low, as I quit riding as soon as I knew I was having the problem with the back. I'm hoping to get in some good distance during the week, assuming my work schedule doesn't get in the way.
  • TDSeest
    TDSeest Posts: 1,089 Member
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    TheBigYin wrote: »
    Anyhow - as a break from the Garmin / Strava fault-fixing clinic...

    I've been working this morning on yet another analysis "Tab" on the spreadsheet...

    It Seemed apt, in a grand tour that's focussed on Climbing (wait until you hit the second and third weeks!!) that I try and add a Climbing Efficiency measure...

    And, of course, VAM sprang to mind... what with it being an Italian Acronym - "velocità ascensionale media" - guess we anglophones would call it Average Ascent Velocity or AAV, but I'm going to stick with Dr. Ferrari's original ;)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAM_(bicycling) gives a bit of an idea of what I'm on about... but basically, it's not just about how much climbing you've done, but how fast your rate of ascent is...

    Have a look on the Blue "VAM" tab in the spreadsheet - there's a list of everyone riding, and their calcuated VAM figures....

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PDVJ62IHFMJyZKkyhc45ygozKehBqmrPjo-8lzI5Nao/edit?usp=sharing

    As always with the reporting charts, you should be allowed to re-order columns by the usual method - click in the lettered column header, then select the little triangular pulldown and use the sort functions therein...



    Oh - and please note - for those of us who are complete data geeks, and who already analyse their rides to the n'th degree, this VAM figure will be highly unlikely to "match up" with the figures spat out by such respected analysis tools as TrainingPeaks, WKO3/4 or GoldenCheetah... it's based on an average figure, of a series of up to 21 average figures, taken from anything up to 120 or more rides you may make (I think my spreadsheet burps at more than 6 rides in a day from Strava incidentally, so if anyone is planning on doing more than that, can they let me know and i'll make a few tweaks...). Guess what I'm saying is, it's a comparison tool for within the Challenge only, rather than something to be bragging on... but, it's nice to have nonetheless...

    I'd welcome your feedback on this add-in, or any other aspect of the spreadsheet...




    My VAM should improve next week when I spend a week working up in Wisconsin. I have better access to hilly terrain up there, than I do at home.