Thursday's APRS/GPS Tracking Actually Worked!
This is a day late and a dollar short, as the saying goes, but whatever.
Jacque and I are sputtering back to regular activity on the trike, and Thursday our ride was much more pleasant - at least for me, having knocked some of the rust off my lazy leg ligaments.
We rode again up to the Post Office and then on up to the Triangle Shell Station for a snack break. The weather, again, was beautiful, although it was very close to sundown on the return leg, and since THAT direction is largely downhill, got a bit chilly screaming down along the pavement.
Tinkerbell, our Terrific Traveler, has begun a small nasty habit of groaning and whining as we chug along, especially if we are crawling slowly in Gramma Gear. She doesn't seem to mind when we're going faster, even at speeds that make Jacque's eyes pop wide open in terror, but she really gets irritated when we are going at more normal speeds, especially when in lower gears huffing uphill. Which irritates US, so we're trying to get her to knock it off. Even with that small irritant she's still too much fun to leave in the car or at home with boring Old Dog Radar, the Gruesome Graying Greyhound.
For some reason my tracking system had not worked the last couple of short trips we've ridden, but Thursday it seemed to work fine. It had been mounted behind Jacque's stoker seat in a seat-back pouch that was crammed in under the front of Tinkerbell's riding cage, which is metal in construction, and this may have been preventing the GPS from working correctly. I had moved it up to MY seat-back pocket sleeve which is more in the clear so perhaps that's the reason it worked well. We'll keep a watch on it for the immediate future.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.0 Ending Voltage: 12.7
Lowest Temp 44 F Highest Temp: 70 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.97
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
3.2 MPH 5.9 MPH 23.3 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 33 mins 50 mins 33 secs 42 minutes 27 seconds
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thanksgiving, Vomiting Virus, and Other Excuses
Reasons (I.E., Excuses) why we haven't been human-powering anything recently:
1) - I underwent cataract surgery on my left eye on 16 November, Friday.
2) - Doctor's orders included a restriction on exercise for the next 10 days after the operation.
3) - On Thanksgiving Day, Jacque awoke with the dreaded Norwalk or Vomiting Virus, with violent diahrrea and vomiting that lasted a blessedly short 48 hours.
4) - The day after she started feeling better, Sunday morning, **I** awoke with the exact same symptoms which kept me horizontal for 24 hours and in no mood to ride the day after (Monday last).
5) - We sorta kinda thought we might ride yesterday, Tuesday, but didn't quite get around to it.
We paid for all this inactivity today. We did the most simplest ride we know of, though energy-sapping: Riding the almost 3 miles to the Post Office and back. My legs were stiff, STIFF, almost all the way to the Post Office. After the short break of mailing our outgoing stuff and viewing our single piece of incoming junque mail, my legs were warmed up and felt much better.
We are having trouble trying to hate this warm winter. Yes, it freezes at night, but just barely recently, and the daytimes have been relatively warm and sunny.
Something is wrong with my GPS/Tracker/APRS Ham Radio system. Gotta go work on that....
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 3.54
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.4 MPH 5.9 MPH 26.8 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
48 mins 28 secs 35 mins 55 secs 12 minutes 33 seconds
Friday, November 16, 2012
Back on the Trike - 7 miles and We're Bushed
Today's Short but Effective APRS/GPS tracking via Ham Radio
Jacque and I have been sorely missing rides on the trike so we loaded it up on the roof-rack and took it down to the civilized road and pedaled up to the Post Office and then on up the rest of the short way to the Triangle Shell Station for a short soda/lemonade break.
We were shocked, SHOCKED, to find how out of shape we were and spent most of our westbound / uphill time in grandma gear wishing there were a few more lower gears than that. BUT, we made it up the looooooonnng hill to the Post Office and then on up the last half mile or so to the Triangle Shell station where we normally consume a refreshing beverage. Lemonade for Jacque and Diet Coke for me.
By the time we saddled up and started for home it was clouding up again and getting CHILLY. Especially so since going back toward home is largely and wonderfully downhill, but at almost 30 MPH it REALLY got cool-ish.
But we made it fine, and have a renewed determination to keep more regular at riding so we don't run out of steam so soon.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.7 Ending Voltage: 13.0 (Weird batt behavior)
Lowest Temp 59 F Highest Temp: 73 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.28
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.6 MPH 5.8 MPH 28.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 37 mins 43 mins 59 secs 53 minutes 43 seconds
Jacque and I have been sorely missing rides on the trike so we loaded it up on the roof-rack and took it down to the civilized road and pedaled up to the Post Office and then on up the rest of the short way to the Triangle Shell Station for a short soda/lemonade break.
We were shocked, SHOCKED, to find how out of shape we were and spent most of our westbound / uphill time in grandma gear wishing there were a few more lower gears than that. BUT, we made it up the looooooonnng hill to the Post Office and then on up the last half mile or so to the Triangle Shell station where we normally consume a refreshing beverage. Lemonade for Jacque and Diet Coke for me.
By the time we saddled up and started for home it was clouding up again and getting CHILLY. Especially so since going back toward home is largely and wonderfully downhill, but at almost 30 MPH it REALLY got cool-ish.
But we made it fine, and have a renewed determination to keep more regular at riding so we don't run out of steam so soon.
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.7 Ending Voltage: 13.0 (Weird batt behavior)
Lowest Temp 59 F Highest Temp: 73 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.28
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
2.6 MPH 5.8 MPH 28.5 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
1 hour 37 mins 43 mins 59 secs 53 minutes 43 seconds
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
32 miles and I'm Bushed
Poor APRS Tracking Today
I had a lunch date today with some former co-workers and current friends, Mark K5LXP and Tai AE5HS. So in spite of the cold I decided to ride the bike there and back. Jacque was driving to Tijeras at the same time anyway so she offered to give me a lift there and let me and the bike go from there. That saved me a long hill-climb and about 9 miles on a 26-mile (each way) trip.
I was layered up and very glad of it as I rode into Albuquerque via Old Route 66 in the cool breeze. But it was GREAT to be back on the bike again rolling under my own steam.
When I got through Tijeras Canyon I was sufficiently warmed such that I removed my outer jacket and skull cap and switched from padded ski mittens to full-fingered bike gloves..... and almost immediately my fingers got too cold so I switched to my gun-mittens that have a velcro pocket that covers the fingers to keep them warm but easily fold open at the fingers so that such things as gun triggers, radio buttons, etc, can be operated. They were not so suffocating as the ski mittens but warmer than the thinner gloves so I had happy hands from thenceforth.
I realized about the time I got to Albuquerque that I had not turned on the beacon function on my handheld Kenwood TH-D7 tracker radio, so any tracking started late, and then it didn't seem to report very many positions. So it only tracked about 7 miles out of the twenty-something miles each way. BAH
My blood glucose was distressingly high during the trip into town, and was 227 - still way too high - when I arrived at the restaurant. I worried that my insulin pump's infusion site was boogered and not actually getting any insulin into play. I didn't have any way to change any of this on this trip so I just set the pump for the high BG and hoped for the best. I also didn't eat a whole lot, less than 40 grams of carbs, worrying about the elevated BG. After lunch as I was pedaling back toward home I thought I'd better check the blood glucose again to make sure it wasn't too high and it was too LOW for comfort, even though I'd just eaten. The BG reading was 107 or so at that time so I ate some stashed cookies and rode on. Before I left the city limits I'd stopped at least 3 times from feeling woozy and finding the blood sugar was 50-something. Each time I ate some more and kept riding, and just couldn't seem to get enough carbs in me to keep the BG up where it should be. This, even after backing the insulin pump way down to avoid insulin reactions. So evidently the pump is working well but I did not dose it correctly earlier in the day.
I took one of these breaks at the Eubank bike underpass and as I was eating my snack, a fellow walked out from the underpass looking like a street-person, and when I turned around to watch him pass he had disappeared. I spotted him climbing up the bank towards the Eubank off-ramp from I-40, a popular spot for panhandlers.... he had somehow scaled the chain link fence that was over 6 feet tall. When I looked at the fence a bit more closely I spotted an opening that had been ripped in the fence for evidently just this purpose, panhandling access to the aforementioned intersection. As I walked closer and looked at it to see if it had been cut with wire cutters, it evidently had been a joint in the fence that had been opened up by panhandlers..... and it had a PADLOCK hanging on the fence, to refasten it closed, obviously an attempt by some nervy panhandler to restrict this access for his own use. I've heard that panhandlers are quite jealous and protective of their favorite "Spots", but this was funny.
Coming eastbound, mostly gradually uphill, I was running out of steam. I called Jacque and asked for a rescue mission and she appeared a half hour later and I was saved. Again. I need to ride more regularly to keep my stamina up, though I'm finding it difficult to dedicate entire days to longer trips. I love cycling but I have other things to do, unfortunately.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 32.71
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.6 MPH 9.3 MPH 23.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
4 hours 55 mins 3 hours 30 mins 1 hour 25 minutes
I had a lunch date today with some former co-workers and current friends, Mark K5LXP and Tai AE5HS. So in spite of the cold I decided to ride the bike there and back. Jacque was driving to Tijeras at the same time anyway so she offered to give me a lift there and let me and the bike go from there. That saved me a long hill-climb and about 9 miles on a 26-mile (each way) trip.
I was layered up and very glad of it as I rode into Albuquerque via Old Route 66 in the cool breeze. But it was GREAT to be back on the bike again rolling under my own steam.
When I got through Tijeras Canyon I was sufficiently warmed such that I removed my outer jacket and skull cap and switched from padded ski mittens to full-fingered bike gloves..... and almost immediately my fingers got too cold so I switched to my gun-mittens that have a velcro pocket that covers the fingers to keep them warm but easily fold open at the fingers so that such things as gun triggers, radio buttons, etc, can be operated. They were not so suffocating as the ski mittens but warmer than the thinner gloves so I had happy hands from thenceforth.
I realized about the time I got to Albuquerque that I had not turned on the beacon function on my handheld Kenwood TH-D7 tracker radio, so any tracking started late, and then it didn't seem to report very many positions. So it only tracked about 7 miles out of the twenty-something miles each way. BAH
My blood glucose was distressingly high during the trip into town, and was 227 - still way too high - when I arrived at the restaurant. I worried that my insulin pump's infusion site was boogered and not actually getting any insulin into play. I didn't have any way to change any of this on this trip so I just set the pump for the high BG and hoped for the best. I also didn't eat a whole lot, less than 40 grams of carbs, worrying about the elevated BG. After lunch as I was pedaling back toward home I thought I'd better check the blood glucose again to make sure it wasn't too high and it was too LOW for comfort, even though I'd just eaten. The BG reading was 107 or so at that time so I ate some stashed cookies and rode on. Before I left the city limits I'd stopped at least 3 times from feeling woozy and finding the blood sugar was 50-something. Each time I ate some more and kept riding, and just couldn't seem to get enough carbs in me to keep the BG up where it should be. This, even after backing the insulin pump way down to avoid insulin reactions. So evidently the pump is working well but I did not dose it correctly earlier in the day.
I took one of these breaks at the Eubank bike underpass and as I was eating my snack, a fellow walked out from the underpass looking like a street-person, and when I turned around to watch him pass he had disappeared. I spotted him climbing up the bank towards the Eubank off-ramp from I-40, a popular spot for panhandlers.... he had somehow scaled the chain link fence that was over 6 feet tall. When I looked at the fence a bit more closely I spotted an opening that had been ripped in the fence for evidently just this purpose, panhandling access to the aforementioned intersection. As I walked closer and looked at it to see if it had been cut with wire cutters, it evidently had been a joint in the fence that had been opened up by panhandlers..... and it had a PADLOCK hanging on the fence, to refasten it closed, obviously an attempt by some nervy panhandler to restrict this access for his own use. I've heard that panhandlers are quite jealous and protective of their favorite "Spots", but this was funny.
Coming eastbound, mostly gradually uphill, I was running out of steam. I called Jacque and asked for a rescue mission and she appeared a half hour later and I was saved. Again. I need to ride more regularly to keep my stamina up, though I'm finding it difficult to dedicate entire days to longer trips. I love cycling but I have other things to do, unfortunately.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 32.71
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.6 MPH 9.3 MPH 23.2 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
4 hours 55 mins 3 hours 30 mins 1 hour 25 minutes
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Been Gone a Week, Glad to be Biking Again
Very Short Jaunt Tracking Today
We waited too late to go for a trike ride today so I jammed on the 2-wheel 'bent and rode to the Post Office to send off a couple bills.
I was surprised at the strength I felt in the old legs this afternoon - I guess 6 days off is a decent break without losing all my strength.... maybe.
There were a lot of walkers and dogs on the trail today, and on the way back from the Post Office I encountered a rather attractive lady with two dogs..... who looked absolutely HORRIFIED that I would deign to be on HER trail interfering with HER doggie waking. So I did what any decent Christian would do.... I got huffy and detoured over to the main road so I wouldn't encounter any of "her type" again for the rest of the trip home.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.50
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.3 MPH 8.6 MPH 25.1 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
52 mins 38 mins 13 minutes 42 seconds
We waited too late to go for a trike ride today so I jammed on the 2-wheel 'bent and rode to the Post Office to send off a couple bills.
I was surprised at the strength I felt in the old legs this afternoon - I guess 6 days off is a decent break without losing all my strength.... maybe.
There were a lot of walkers and dogs on the trail today, and on the way back from the Post Office I encountered a rather attractive lady with two dogs..... who looked absolutely HORRIFIED that I would deign to be on HER trail interfering with HER doggie waking. So I did what any decent Christian would do.... I got huffy and detoured over to the main road so I wouldn't encounter any of "her type" again for the rest of the trip home.
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 5.50
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
6.3 MPH 8.6 MPH 25.1 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
52 mins 38 mins 13 minutes 42 seconds
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