Monday, June 27, 2011

GPS Software Review







Anyone who has read my previous posts on 'training' will probably know that I've been a big fan of SportTracks software. However, recent events, such as my ownership of an iBone (Dog and...), a period of the Garmin not recording any rides due to it being full, and some friends recommending I try Strava and Endomondo means that for the past few months I've been on a bit of mix and match training software review. Here are my findings: 

SportTracks 

Advantages: 
- It's free and Open Source. This means geeks develop plug ins, such as the power without power plug in and the TRIMP system- the two most valuable parts of the software that basically try to do the same job as Training Peaks. 
- The maps are good, you can edit and manually enter workouts and the software is reliable. 

Disadvantages 
- No iBone app means that if you want to run without the garmin you would have to record in another software then enter manually. I found this just wasn't happening as I am too lazy / busy to do this and running with just your iBone, rather than separate iPod & GPS does make sense. 
- No 'social networking' or motivational bumpf to tell you about pb's or how much faster / slower you are than your buddies. 
- PC based software (no good for macs). 

Strava 

 Advantages 
- iBone app means you don't have to take the garmin on your run / ride and it will automatically upload your workout to the website after. Considering mid week I don't usually have time between finishing my ride / run before work and having to leave the flat this is a big bonus and means I've become much better once more at keeping track of my fitness by using Strava. 
- The 'social networking' aspect is actually really good. Once uploaded the software automatically detects any climbs and puts your time up the hill against your own PB, as well as within a leaderboard so you can see how much slower / faster you are than other riders. I'm proud to say that I now top one KOM leaderboard in Hong Kong! This can also be used for TT race not races for a little club rivalry... And, handily, you can set up Strava 'clubs', such as http://app.strava.com/clubs/colossi-cc 

 Disadvantages 
- Whilst the usual charts and graphs are there, I don't think Strava is on a par with TrainingPeaks / Golden Cheetah or even SportTracks for detailed analysis. It's better than Garmin Connect, but for true power junkies you might need more software. 
- There is a subscription fee, though there have been plenty of tester deals going around.

Endomondo 

Advantages 
- Another free iBone app, Endomondo is easy to use, keeps a record of you run / rides, and if you buy their heart rate kit it's a cheap effective way of using your iBone instead of buying / using a Garmin. 
- The best bit about Endomondo is the voice over in your ear telling you how fast / slow you just ran the last km. As well as being motivational, this is a great way of pacing yourself if you were to run a 10km / marathon. 

Disadvantages 
- Social networking is limited to just posting to Facebook you just cycled 25km in 1hr blah blah. No one cares and that and it is boring. 
- Detailed analysis not so great. 
- Whilst uploading from a garmin is possible I didn't find the interface as intuitive as Strava or SportTracks. 

Garmin Connect 

Advantages
- The best bit about Garmin Connect is the wealth of other people's data on there. If you are looking for rides in far away places chances are a search will yield something. 
- It's easy to post a link for sharing rides with others and yes, you can bore your Facebook friends also. 
- It's free. 

Disadvantages 
- The interface is unreliable, unintuitive and you cannot edit the data or input manually. 
- There's no iBone app as this is, unsurprisingly, Garmin only. 

Others 

Other options i haven't tried, but have researched a little include the golden standard of power based analysis Training Peaks and it's newer cousin Golden Cheetah. Both of these are quite expensive I think but may be worth it if you're really serious / you like to spend as much time analysing as riding. Mac users may also want to try Ascent. Mapmyride used to be a good way of sharing rides before they went all flash based and reduced the functionality. Bikeroutetoaster is probably the easiest way to map rides also, though no good for analysis.



Conclusion


I'm sold on Strava as my new main way of recording my rides & my feeble attempts to run. I will continue to use SportTracks for detailed workout analysis of some rides and Garmin Connect / bikeroutetoaster for lifting other peoples / doing my own mapping. It's a fast moving world out there but here's hoping that one sticks until the next round of technology renders all this useless.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Steven Holl in Shenzhen















On the list of things to see in Shenzhen for a future visit. Steven Holl does a building as long as the Empire State is tall.

http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?id=60&type

Thursday, June 23, 2011

English TT















Here's a TT bike you have to appreciate for the ingenuity. I don't think there's any way I could flex enough to ride it without becoming some sort of Yoga guru, but fair play if you can.

http://www.englishcycles.com/bikepics/rob/robtt.htm

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Wong Nai Chung Gap

















HK summer so far has been a mix of the sublime and the ridiculous- lovely clear hot days mixed up with torrential rain and grimness. Often on the same day. Anyhow, this afternoon was nice- it's not often you can pick out ICC quite so easily from here.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

It's in the Head















The cycling year 2011 so far has not been such a good one for me. A number of crashes and illness have meant whenever I felt like I was approaching some sort of race fitness something would happen and I'd be pegged back another few weeks. The fitness aspect of this is predictable enough and something you have to take on the chin and move forward with. The truth is that even if I hadn't fallen off as much as I have I know  work pressures and a (temporary) long commute make training the required hours to be competitive pretty much impossible anyhow for the time being.

What has been harder to deal with in many ways has been the psychology of crashing. I've crashed mountain bikes plenty of times over the years and I take it as part and parcel of the sport, and I've developed a good sense for knowing where the dangers are and not pushing my limits too far beyond what I'm capable of (perhaps this holds me back?). However, on the road bike I've always felt like the only reason I've ever crashed has been extenuating circumstances- i.e. it's someone else's fault (usually a driver). I've always had the utmost confidence in the grip of my tires, my technique, my stability and my ability to descend as fast as road conditions dictate. I might not be Vicenzo Nibali (pictured) down a hill, but I know I'm not bad.

However, after coming off 3 times in 3 months I've developed a fear for any tram tracks and the slightest bit of water on the road. I know that I'm tenser than I should be and this contributes to my chances of coming down. I know that speed and safety comes from being smooth, but somehow what I'm trying to tell my mind and what my body does is not always coming through. I over analyse all situations rather than just letting go, and the thought of doing a crit right now makes me quite nervous! I'm hoping it will pass, and perhaps just writing this will help (?), but I guess it's interesting that practicing what you preach is easier said than done.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Pylons

















Just a nice photo I took of a pylon whilst out riding the other week. Can it be reinvented?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/23/electricity-pylon-competition-design

Monday, June 6, 2011

Sui Lam > Happy Valley

















A pretty fun Bank Holiday ride today proving that it is possible to ride from Tai Lam Chung reservoir to Hong Kong Island. We managed to avoid the container terminal this time around, though the trip did still involve monkeys and a few too many stairs dropping into On Chit Road. Ahem.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

TTT




An image from the Sunday's Team Time Trial in Tung Chung. Results wise we had a bad day as our team got pretty much blown apart in the first quarter of the race, leaving 4 men to bring it home. Alas, I was probably the weakest of the 4, but I was pleased to at least get pretty much dragged to the finishing line (at 43.5kph) given my recent time off the bike. Report up on http://www.colossi.cc/reports