2.05.2023 GPS raving looniness!

 ~o~

Tuesday 2nd 38F. It looks clear and bright. The early sunshine is expected to give way to cloud later. At
the moment it is flooding into the house. Quite breezy at times from the NW. Up at 5am. Unhappy dreams about my wife again.

 I have a new goal for a ride today. A coastal town to the south east about 30km away. I want to avoid the main roads and travel by the country lanes as much as possible. So I used Google Earth to plan a route. Then sent it as a .gpx file to my phone and thence, via Bluetooth, to the Bosch Nyon.

 An aerial map will be guiding me, literally from my home to my destination. With directions at every turn. The map constantly rotating to show the bike riding straight ahead. Amazing! 

 Those who have GPS in their cars will no doubt yawn. My car is from the mid 90s. So you will forgive me if I find this technology rather novel. Particularly at the more humble, cycling level.

 There is no hurry today. My recent use of Sport mode can be relaxed to a more leisurely Tour. I shall only use Sport mode for assistance on climbs. There will be plenty of those. The spare battery will give me all the range I need. A leather strap now has the battery fixed firmly in place. Without the fuss of nylon webbing and plastic buckles. Handy should I decide to go off-route and explore further afield. [This was meant as a joke!] 

 I am very familiar with the entire area but expect some changes since I was last there. A tailwind will get me to my destination without effort. Coming home will be the complete opposite but with slightly lighter winds. [In your dreams!]

 You would  not believe the raving lunacy of the Bosch Nyon route guide! It sent me across and around sandy fields. With tractors busily moving about in a dust storm. Only my wide tires, motor assistance and suspension allowed me to continue! It tried to send me across a field full of huge, free range pigs!  They were too dozy to take any interest in me, Though I was grateful when I was able to retreat at a warning tape across the grassy track. Not sure it should have been there if it was a public right of way. 

 Then it was into the deep, dark forest. Taking me on a completely wild goose chase. Where the same lane passed by both entrance and exit! I could have ridden along the road in a far shorter distance! That said, it was an amazing experience under today's favourable conditions. More valuable practice on two wheels over very different surfaces and inclines. I could not have done it on the trike. It doesn't like rutted tracks. Nor sand!

 According to the recorded data I rode 93km [in four hours.] Instead of under three hours for 60km by the most direct routes. I had to change the battery on the way back. Which was the usual struggle into a blustery headwind. I engaged Sport mode and stayed in it. Grateful for its effortless assistance. Though I still have to change gear all the time to cope with inclines.

 I was far colder than expected. Having reached only 14C/58F now at 14.50 with lunch consumed. I gained 1000m and lost 1000m. It finally dumped me in the middle of a housing estate. Then told me I had reached my destination! This, after sending me though an industrial estate. Including a tour of a busy, builder's merchant's yard! I had to limbo under an immovable security bar! With the Moustache e-bike leaned right over.

 Once the GPS was activated at home it counted down in meters to the next change of direction. Stretching a blue line on the map to show the way ahead. It showed every detail of the buildings I passed. Even down to garden ponds and double garages. As it smoothly scrolled the map to follow my progress. Once it had shown my route to its conclusion it defaulted to a street/road map. With my route still being shown and followed but no more guidance at junctions.

 I was having some slightly worrying pain in my right quadriceps throughout, but continued. These are the muscles on the front of my thigh. I was becoming more saddle sore towards the end too. I wore my thickest padded bibs [padded racing shorts with braces] with bare legs. Though I took trousers in case it was too cold. I kept my Endura jacket tightly zipped up over my cycling cardigan and racing jersey. 

 Dinner will have to be mackerel on toast. There's only one egg left.

~o~