lifeHack: edit route in viewRanger, export gpx, upload to google drive, import into BeeLine app, follow route.

Went for a #within5km bigish cycle on the weekend.
I used the Beeline device and found that it worked quite well.

Long long ago with a motorola phone I found the Bluetooth and Beeline device lost communication with each other too often so it just didn't work :-(. Nowadays I have a Huawei P9 and it works well.

Happy with this process: Edit the route in viewRanger, exported to gpx, upload to google drive, import into BeeLine app, follow route. What I _actually_ did was start editing route in Beeline app, that was not great for the route up over the forest trails, so I looked into editing route in Strava. Found that yes, I could do that if I start a free 60 day Strava subscription. I found you can import any .gpx into Beeline**. (**later discovered any .gpx BUT Android app limits importing file from a small set of slightly inconvenient locations on phone AND seems to not find .gpx files in certain folders ? - that part of the app needs some work). So I edited route quickly in ViewRanger, routing for bike, turning off routing where open-street-map route did not know about connections. Routing for bike in ViewRanger on occasion actually finds some new cycle paths that I didn't know about and are good route options. So happy with that! Then as I have said importing the .gpx file into the Beeline app was not as straightforward as it might have been!! I used filemanagers to copy the .gpx file to various locations but the Beeline app still didn't seem to pick up the file. Finally putting the .gpx file into google drive and import into Beeline worked. Then follow route.

The route created: 55km circuit including some forest trails, mostly on road:
https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzA1MDc0Nw==

On following the route the beeline device is mostly intuitive.
It moves on automatically to next route point.

But if I skipped a part of route or bypassed a point the Beeline stayed pointing to the last route point.
(It sort-of makes sense you cannot automatically move on as routes could loop or re-use points but it would not be that hard to check in software that your route doesn't overlap or re-use points.) I found later how to do it on device. The route arrow should go black, then you can tap on the top arrow and re-route journey == move routing on to next point.
https://ridebeeline.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020956713-Route-Mode-vs-Compass-Mode
Or do what I did. In app on phone tap on arrow. There you can move forward or backwards through route points. Ok as I had phone in holder on my bike handlebars.

Anyway, track of the route: Within 5km Dublin Road Cycling 23 May 2020

18:40 to 22:43 == 4 hours.
Total distance: 54 km
Altitude gain: 831m
https://my.viewranger.com/track/details/MTQzNDAzMzM=

Used Beeline device to follow the route.
On forest trails with my regular commuter bike.

Highlights: JUDDERY arms and ass area well rattled and massaged to itchy rash extreme heat point from the long gravelly downhill Three Rock to Kilmashogue without suspension.
Explored the new not open Tully Church Laghanstown Park area, amused to encounter working traffic junctions on the new disconnected roads.

Process or work flows:

#1 edit route in Beeline app, follow route.

Limited to Beeline app map views map/terrain/satellite/hybrid.
Which is ok.
Can turn Route mode on or off.

#2 edit route in viewRanger, export gpx, upload to google drive, import into BeeLine app, follow route.

Route editing in viewRanger is a bit clunky but it gives you nice cycling/hiking options, better map views, combined routing and non-routing control.

Importing .gpx into Beeline app on android was a bit annoying. It would import from certain folders only, Images, Videos, . . . Not from viewRanger folder. Not from downloads folder. Eventually putting the .gpx file into drive and importing from there worked.

#3 edit route in Strava, import route directly in BeeLine app, follow route. (requires 

Beeline imports Strava routes natively.
But you have to pay for a regular Strava subscription to be able to edit routes beyond the free 60 days.

Beeline here is not the Russian mobile telephone company but the Beeline bluetooth GPS device.

Not the Droids:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeline_(brand) Vimpelcom Russian telecommunications

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeline_(software_company)  SAAS Workforce Management

Yes the Droids:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ridebeeline/beeline-smart-navigation-for-bicycles-made-simple/posts

https://beeline.co/ Simple, navigation for bikes/motorcycles
Simple interface.
Good design.
An arrow, pointing at destination (or next route turning point) and distance.
Clear display visible in sunlight or backlit visible in the dark.
Cute and robust design (so far).

The phone does the grunt work GPS location on and Bluetooth to communicate with Beeline.

diary/blog(bench repair, cycle to work, cars) and how Writing is like Engineering components that interfaces with brains

This morning mmmmhmm,
 I set off the alarm when I open the back door,
 I varnish planks for bench repair,
   I hear Fionnuala unmloading dishwasher,
  Quiet house, girls went to Cobh yesterday morning to visit
grandparents & cows & cat & dog & farm generally.
Bye to Fionn, quick coffee, cycle to ParcelMotel in Sandyford . . .
 Traffic in Sandyford village is slow, there must be a funeral ? cars
parking on pavements on the lower part of the hill away from the
shurch. I squeeze past/through.
 At the ParcelMotel bip bip bip bip bip bip - bip - wrong pin ? oops
enter mobile and pin bip * 10 bip * 6 bip kerchunk YAY.
  Unwrap. Shoe goo. - NOTE: as of 2023 TEC-7 stuff is much better for repairing boots etc . . .
   Into bag.
 Cycle on to work.
   Through Moreen, zoom cycle around roads, onto Drummartin bypass
traffic around but quiet enough,
   still it gets backed up as usual so bike catches up and undertakes
cars at each set of traffic lights,
   and I stop but then go walking pace through some red lights - very
quiet - no traffic moving through.

vibrant chain of thoughts after shower in work

Writing something is not like engineering and yet . .

With engineering each part has to function and mesh with other parts
and work together.
   The function and the mesh can be polished like a diamond or a
Toyota or a new Kia!
       And the whole works smoothly and it is a joy to behold.
   The function or the mesh might be a bit degraded,
       Yet the whole can still work albeit not perfectly.
   The function or the mesh might be degraded enough such that the
whole doesn't work any more.
   Maybe some repair could be done but it doesn't work.
The working or not working of the whole is obvious with engineering:
   a bench
   a road
   a bridge
   a canal system
   a bike
   a car
   a watch
   a computer ? maybe sometimes working is not so obvious!
   software . . . ?

With writing it is not so obvious if the parts do not work together.
   Writing has to connect with the mind of the reader,
     and mesh with modules of knowledge already there,
     and enhance some modules,
     and perhaps create new modules.
   Good writing will be efficient and state the minimum necessary to
engage with the mind of the reader.
Some writing is factual and some writing aims to impart facts and
techniques or methods.
   The mind of the reader is given information to load into modules,
   the mind of the reader is given instructions,
   so writing controls the mind and actions of the reader.
After reading,
  if the methods cannot be followed,
    it is less obvious if the writing is broken OR if the reader is
missing knowledge or skills or . . . something.
    Perhaps the writing would mesh better another reader with a
different set of knowledge.
    Perhaps the original reader would need to read other items or
practice skills before being able to understand.
    Or perhaps the writing is defective, incorrect in places or
misleading - correct but under certain conditions and complexity has
been left out.

Minimal and TLDR; versus comprehensive.
Need comprehensive yet simple documentation/info exchange, yet people
are too impatient to wait for or read comprehensive docs.
Combine writing with diagrams.
Reference to other documents. Divide up topic.

In school books were my friend.
Learning off by rote names or dates or lists of counties or chemicals
was not really my thing.
 Or poems or worse prose or irish quotes. Or french words or verbs!
 Or maths theorems.
Why learn things off if they were already written down ?
I always found that hard and convinced myself it was optional for a
clever chap like me.
 Anyway,
  somehow a decent vocabulkary of English words built up in my head.
 On occasion a more unusual word would come out in conversation
sounding normal in my head yet catching the ear of others who might
occasionally point out the novelty.
 Somehow lists of chemicals and facts about trees and physics and
maths and all sorts built up in my head.
 Some cool and simple enough poems like McCavity the Mystery cat,
Ozymandias, some Kavanagh stayed in my head for a while.
  Although the exact sequence is very hard to retain.
  As an adult learning song lyrics takes work . . and is very hard to
get to a rote state.
   First lines of verses will obstinately not pop into my head at the
right time :-7
   But with pratice and taking a step back to learn songs at different
levels works . .


With computers and software the engineering definition of "working"
seems to have become more fuzzy.
And as computers or more complexity are added into cars, washing
machines, lightbulbs the fuzzy workingness is becoming ubiquitous.
Our Renault Grande Scenic - great space inside - seats fold down to
make van space.
 Worked well for us for years, last couple of years the fundamental
problems were:
    1. air blowers stopped working, air heater stopped working,
       IF we had only known KEEP your air intakes (below windscreen
under grille at top of bonnet) free of leaves/gunk !!
    2. cylinder coil went in the end, too much to repair
 Various other issues were:
  Parking brake warning and stopped fixed nicely by Welsh parking
brake fixy people and local mechanic.
  Periodically a cylinder coil would degrade and need replacement.
  Windows:
    need to reprogram if battery went dead,
    near the end once a window went down by itself and stayed down,
for a week . . . and then started working again
       (I did clean/lubricate but not much),
    otherwise fine for us despite stories of funny window behaviour by
other owners.
  Sunroof: (need to keep lubricated - on new Kia as well)
  Seats (need to keep lubricated, clear rubbish so they fold or click
upright correctly.
  Very frequently blew light bulbs (dipped beams, main beam, others) :-P
  Keys: my key fob died and I killed it altogether trying to open the
case and solder a fix too hastily.

  Battery replaced periodically . . . serviced oil/air filters, oil,
windscreen wash . . . tyres, steering parts

The older fiesta similar major problems:
 1. Heater/air blower:
   mostly didn't work so cold and foggy windscreen in the winter
   occasionally did work but got stuck on hot so long trip down
country people overheating windows down
 2. rust underneath and coming up sides/doors
   repaired a few times to get through NCT
 Key twisty roundy needed to get replacement and program it.
 Paintwork rusty patches sprayed in very patchy manner.



Engineering software if I look at how some parts of system works . . .
Distributed system - a seemingly simple operation like checking
version - not designed, could be done in various ways. Answer now not
a simple "vx.xx.xx" but might be multiple versions + elements of
config. Complex systems. :-P  Yet not that complex. Bring back the
says of 64k RAM! Maybe :) It comes back to DESIGN. Design and
architecture of software components, how they mesh together. Same for
writing, architecture of what documents are needed, design of chapters
and diagrams, writing, implementation.




The Bench
Strong cast iron with wooden seat and wooden + cast iron back.
The wood was very poor and not treated well and started rotting very
quickly a year or so after buying bench.
I replaced most of the the bench seat planks retaining front most
curved one and rear and wood-stained all but didn't dismantle bench to
paint all surfaces. Lasted a few years with a clean and top up of
woodstain some time.

Now the planks on bench back are rotten (from the unpainted surfaces
in contact with cast iron).
And older unreplaced planks are more rotten so replacing almost all
now with new.

Measured. Bought wood. 2 planks:
 plank #1 W2 x L*2 x H
 plank #2 W x L*2+20cm*2 x H
  Let L = bench width 170mm I think.
  Let L2 = shorter plank at front ~168cm.
  Let W = 7cm new (original about 65mm) narrower planks on back sides
and on seat.
  Let W2 = 9cm new (original about 8cm) two wider planks on back.
  Let H = 18mm (or 20mm new planks (or 16mm smaller older planks)).
  For back:
    2 W2 x L x H
    2 short sides 20cm x W x H
  For seat:
    1 W x L x H at back
    1 W x L2 x H at front

Kate cut the planks to size(making a mistake cutting wide plank for
back slightly shorter length for front) but will work around that
using one narrow one wide plank on back. Kate took off one rotten
plank from front of bench. Kate hand drilled holes for front plank and
wood cracked a bit with force of bolt going in. Will varnish and
gorilla glue support the crack.
  Tue: Took rotten wood off back. Oiled bolts. Cleaned off bench/parts.
  Wed: I finished cutting. Measured and drilled bolt holes.
Sanded/cleaned wood. Applied white spirits and coat of varnish.
  Thur morn: applied another coat of varnish to new planks.
  TODO: Varnish on old wood on bench (take off all planks and do it properly?).
    Another coat of varnish on new wood.
    Assemble.
    Burn cool/cute things on backside ?

My Bike(s?):
  Pedal needs replacing on my hybrid commuter.
  And bell and water bottle holder.
  AFter JamboRi took carrier off MTB and put back on my bike and fixed
up mudguard.
  Mudguards are held with sisal and old broken bungee :-7 is ok for now.
TODO: Kate brakes, Kate mudguard lost on JamboRi I think
TODO: carrier for MTB >;) and pannier.

Ideas for support for 30k speed limit. Slogan idea: "70% Living - 30k Traffic"

"70% Living - 30k Traffic"   

 - I like this one. Implies that:

   - if you go at 20k Living gets up to 80%  :-) 

   - if you go at 40k Living goes down up to 60%   :-(

"70% Living - 30k Traffic"   

Traffic, Please Allow some Space for Living.

Be Gentle in Residential Areas.

we can draw a graph showing dominance of traffic . . . sorry! very scribbley!

for: http://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/30kph-campaign 30kph Campaign

"The Dublin Cycling Campaign, together with Cyclist.ie, strongly support the introduction of widespread 30Kp/h zones in the city, particularly in residential streets and in the vicinity of schools. In fact we are calling for 30Kp/h to be the default speed limit in urban areas, with higher speed only allowed where they are shown to be safe."

I started with something like "Thirty Together".

But the emphasis on the speed is wrong.

The emphasis should be on Bigger Traffic taking care of Less Powerful People.

"100% Living Area - 30k Traffic Zone"

"70% Living Area - 30k Traffic Zone"

"30k for a better way" - mbleh :-P but fits in with changing priority from traffic to living

"Living Area - Traffic take care at 30k"

"Living Area - Traffic Welcome up to 30k"

Considerate traffic will already be doing 30k or less where there are vulnerable road users around.

"Take a moment to enjoy this living area at a max of 30k . . . " meh

"Welcome to this Living Area - Traffic Please be Gentle with our People"

Thirty Together - Priority for Life, Living People - Welcome to this Living Area

Traffic Tolerated at max 30kph in this Shared Living Area

Welcome to our Shared Living Area.

Priority for Living - Playing - Walking.

Emphasising 

 - sharing of space and that priority should be for living - playing - walking not for transport.

Pointing out 

 - that traffic (of all kinds bike, car, bus, truck) is bigger, more powerful than people

 - that traffic is a guest in the area

 - that traffic should treat those less powerful gently

The streets need to look like a pedestrianised district - underfoot, layout and signage.

Emphasising that motorised traffic does not have ownership of the road in the area.

With Inspiration from the Dutch woonerf - "shared street" and "car is the guest" ideas.

http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/03/6-places-where-cars-bikes-and-pedestrians-all-share-the-road-as-equals

https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/another-new-bicycle-street-in-utrecht

http://m.interglot.com/nl/en/woon

living, residential

http://m.interglot.com/nl/en/erf

area, farmyard

http://m.interglot.com/nl/en/toegestaan

allowable, permitted, accepted, tolerated, admissible, permissible, tolerable, afforded

New bike lights for myself and for Kate. Moon Mask and Comet Rear and Knog Blinders. LED and USB rechargable.

Bike lights arrived today.

I especially was in need of a front light so good to have that sorted.

Charged up and ready to go . . . road test on way home.

Moon Mask and Moon Comet Rear. 

Glowey blue and orange charging lights. Mini-USB.

Also got red knog front and back for Kate.

This is the place I got them from, good price and v. good selection AND good website where can sort lights by category: 

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-lights-44302/

This morning on cycle in at the junction of Baggot St. Upper, Haddington and Lemsip road just before going over the bridge on canal there was a rear bike light on ground. Totally run over and smashed. I picked it up (compulsive rubbish picker-up) to get it out of the way. It has red duct tape on it. In case someone is wondering where their rear light has gone to! It's in the bin :-7

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Selecting bike lights . . . 

There is a very big selection out there.

LED lighting and battery tech has been improving every year.

But what are good lights to buy for bike?

We got a pair of knog blinders for Daire at start of September. 

They're so small and handy and also neat/cute/cool!

I borrowed one a couple of times.

Bike shops in Dublin have some lights but there is really a much better selection at better price on the internet.

Bike Light Database . . . compare features and look at reviews.

http://www.bikelightdatabase.com/headlights/

Lights needed for James, Kate, ?Maeve, ?Fionnuala . . . 

Knog frog, cheap - coin batteries.

http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/accessories/lights-reflectors/frog-strobe-twinpack-light-set-black

€23.99

http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/accessories/lights-reflectors/halfords-mini-silicone-led-bike-lights-purple

coin or AAA batteries in Halfords Knog style silicone lights . . . 

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lezyne-femto-drive-front-light-15l/rp-prod111699

coin batteries

http://www.adverts.ie/bike-lights/cree-q5-led-flashlight-with-bracket-mount-holder/6573708

city cycles 1 AA 10 euros

There are alot of very simple Knog frog style lights now from generic/any manufacturers.

Cycleways on Parnell St.

http://www.cycleways.com/store/product/67295/Nite-Rider-Lumina-650-Front-Light/

€139.99

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/lights

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/knog/accessories

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/knog-blinder-1-led-front-rear-twin-pack/rp-prod89710

Knog Blinder 1 LED Front & Rear Twin Pack

NOW€46.99   out of stock until 17/10/xxxx

Wow. A shop that allows you to categorize on rechargable lights:

http://www.merlincycles.com/rechargeable-lights-44303/

http://www.merlincycles.com/front-and-rear-lightsets-44306/

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/12/15/review-lezynes-micro-drive-usb-frontrear-lights/

http://road.cc/content/review/47211-moon-mask-5-led-front-light

http://road.cc/content/review/71583-moon-meteor-front-light

http://road.cc/content/review/72538-moon-comet-front-light

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/accessories/lights/back/product/review-moon-comet-12-46822/

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/transport/bikes/bikes-and-cycling/bike-lights-review/page/what-to-buy.aspx   moon mask wins there

COMPARE:

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/transport/bikes/bikes-and-cycling/bike-lights-review/page/compare-results.aspx?result=true&products=product_1,product_8,product_9,product_15

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/transport/bikes/bikes-and-cycling/bike-lights-review/page/compare-results.aspx?result=true&products=product_3,product_5,product_10,product_12,product_46

http://dublinbikeblog.com/how-to/mount-the-moon-comet-rear-light-on-a-pannier-rack/

CONCLUSION:

all good! But moon meteor/comet front rear prob good for me    ?or mask(better and on sale :-P)+comet?

Knog red front & rear blinder for Kate

also looks good: moon shield rear

http://www.merlincycles.com/moon-shield-60-rear-led-light-55406.html

http://road.cc/content/review/49061-moon-shield-rechargeable-tail-light   powerful!

http://handsonbike.blogspot.ie/2013/12/moon-comet-rear-light-review.html

	Knog Blinder 1 Rechargeable LED Front Bike Light - RedKBL111RED	UpdateRemove	25,14	25,14
	Moon Mask 5 Front LED LightLAA630	UpdateRemove	25,40	25,40
	Moon Comet Rear LED Light WhiteLAA673W	UpdateRemove	26,66	26,66
	Knog Blinder 1 Rechargeable LED Rear Bike Light - RedKBL112RED	UpdateRemove	25,14	25,14
	Lezyne Micro Drive Front & Rear LED Light Set - BlackL-1-LED-2P-V104	UpdateRemove	63,50	63,50
	Moon Comet Front & Rear LED Light Set - BlackLAA674K	UpdateRemove	50,75	50,75
	Moon Meteor/Comet Front & Rear LED Light SetLAA675	UpdateRemove	69,80

http://www.expertcycles.ie/Lights_&_Visibility

rathfarnham

###########################################################

Fun/prezzies:    POV.    KITS      BIKEPOV for ME?Kate?Daire?  LilyPad for Kate?  And For Maeve?    

http://www.instructables.com/id/RGBike-POV-Open-project/?lang=en

There are some cool POVs commercially available.

- SpokePOV from adafruit industries (and its i'ble)

- Monkeylectric's m132s

- Monkeylectric's recentely announced m464q

https://learn.adafruit.com/spokepov/   http://www.ladyada.net/make/spokepov/

https://learn.adafruit.com/minipov3/overview

http://www.adafruit.com/products/5     SpokePOV Kit - v1.1 $37.50  + DONGLE NEEDED 

https://www.adafruit.com/products/46   USBtinyISP AVR Programmer Kit (USB SpokePOV Dongle) - v2.0 $22.00

http://www.adafruit.com/product/535   V1.1 blue mini usbtiny dongle + magnet needed 

MiniPOV 3 Kit - V 3.0 PRODUCT ID: 20 $17.50

http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/accessories/lights-reflectors/fuze-wheel-writer

2 images

http://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/lights/

http://makezine.com/2008/05/19/monkeylectric-led-bike-wh/   monkey lectric POV

###############################################

wearables

http://web.media.mit.edu/~leah/grad_work/diy/diy_tank.html

LilyPad Arduino instead. It's much easier to sew and to program! See my LilyPad Arduino tutorial 

http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyword-lilypad/

LilyPad Wrist Band POV by quasiben

http://www.instructables.com/id/LilyPad-Wrist-Band-POV/

http://www.instructables.com/id/LilyPad-Wrist-Band-POV/step3/Sewing-LEDs/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Persistence-of-Vision-Wand/

colouring book

http://www.adafruit.com/products/1000

http://www.makershed.com/collections/lights-and-wearables

kits and stuff: http://www.makershed.com/collections/electronics

http://www.makershed.com/products/el-wire-starter-packs-10ft

http://makezine.com/projects/Tron-Bag-with-EL-Wire/

Adventures while doing lead bike for Marlay parkrun #6

I had quite a fun time volunteering as lead bike. Was made a little more exciting than needed by me going the wrong way right near the start! Eejit! Thank goodness 300 runners did not follow! Recovered from that and rest of the run/cycle was ahead of lead runners acting as a flourescent-yellow friendly early-warning signal.

Up at 8:30 with Fionnuala. Grabbed breakfast with coffee, borrowed bell from Fionn's bike. Pumped her front wheel. Leave Maeve and Kate with granny getting breakfast, Daire in bed. (My mum came up on train on Fri visiting us and my sister driving up later coming to see us and also last night of the play Dancing at Lughnasa (by Glencullen Musical and Dramatic Soc. (for whom I do PR and other things))). 

I wear a helmet - unusual for me though being lead/safety bike I had better.

No gloves on hands for cycle today. The cold temperatures finally broke this week. Despite the breeze we have had such chilly air this winter the last couple of days feel positively balmy. Wind with us most of way to Marlay. Our usual route - Sandyford village, double-back after Sandyford bridge to get on green route (would be nice if we could bungee or mountain-bike/scramble down from Sandyford bridge to cycle path) across to Marlay park. 

I jog over to volunteer group and say hello. Martin is running the group this week. At first I might help with timing after lead bike gets to finish but then Liam comes and he asks me to go around again after I get to finish, catch tail runners and leave marshalls on route know where the end is and when they can return to base. At 9:10/9:15 runners start a warmup. A few more volunteers arrive. At 9:30ish race briefing is given by Martin on megaphone. 

Then runners take position at the start. I goto bike start position on path. About 300 runners I think and I guess they will spread out over 10 mins on the course. (Fast runners under 20min, me about 26min, most people from 2? to under 35min -ish, then a few more - great parkrun has a wide range of runners - I found the first runs faster than I expected, quite a fit crowd a bit intimidating but with beginners in there enough that novices can fit in comfortably (thankfully!)).

The route for Marlay starts on grass, the bike starts where the runners hit path. The runners and bike first do lap of field in front of Marlay house (anti-clockwise direction W(grass)SENW). Then enter trees and follow path S(trees), E(trees), SE(trees and fairy tree), E(field), S(hill up), E(inside S side of park), N-W(inside E side of park) back to field (NWS clockwise direction) to FINISH. The bike skips last lap of field.

I had looked up parkrun the night before on what a lead bike does. Very simple:

http://support.parkrun.com/entries/22043186-What-does-Lead-Bike-do-

Lead Bike cycles on ahead of the front runners to show them the way and to give other park users a friendly warning that hordes of runners are heading their way

I had also seen Liam's post the week before.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=166372116851390&id=146693202152615

"I was lead bike and was surprised at just how fast I had to go to avoid being caught by the lead runners, these guys and girls obviously operate in a parallel running universe to the one that I occupy."

Yikes. :-) Good to know. 

Hello to marshalls at the  first corner. Brief anticipation. Brrrrt! Then there are 300 runners heading for us. Eep. Here they come (see photo on facebook), Okay I'd better go. 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.172629376225664.1073741831.146693202152615&type=1

A few pedestrians are on the path around the field including one group with 2 dogs on leads and 5 people. "Hello. Please watch out, there are about 300 runners heading this way." Tricky to balance the need to be friendly and give information and keep ahead of the runners! I cycle fast when not near people then slow down and give my "Hello." or "Sorry, excuse me" then "Marlay parkrun" "300 runners heading this way" "about 10 minutes". 

I go off-route at the end of the field. After greeting several groups I just go straight ahead and follow path into woods. I'm speeding along when and gone a good way towards fairy tree when ... OH! ... ******. This is the wrong way! I turn around and go fast back to corner of field. I can see big group of runners streaming past. OK. ARGH! I zoom up on path inside woods. Thankfully only two pedestrians (Sorry people!). And come out ahead of runners. Brief hello to marshalls but runners are right there. On I fo. From then I'm okay again. On the right path and ahead. I get a comfortable distance ahead and start the friendly warning system again.   

I found it hard not to surprise some people. Cycling normally not allowed in Marlay park so while finding it quite novel I was trying hard to give all people (and dogs) loads of space and go quite slow past people. Also try not to get too far ahead of front runners so people can see what I'm talking about. Not much time to greet people, warn them about runners coming and then stop and say it again. Greeting some people causes them to slow and move into middle of path puzzeldly but they look back and I think it might be working as a warning. One dog on lead moves right across path when I give warning but there is lots of space at that point to move well around the group. Also now a lot of people know already about the run. 

The front runner is in yellow and when I see him catching up I move on quickly. After the fairy tree and field before golf course the runners are quite close as I have just warned some groups pedestrians spread out right across path. The runners are as fast on the hill as I am! Yikes. Thank goodness for last couple of months of training. I'm tired at top of hill but still ahead. Then it is easy all the way.

Back at starting field I skip last lap of field and then go follow the route again chasing tail runners. I have not caught anybody likely by fairy tree so I tell the marshall near there that's it. Soon after that though (still below 2km mark I think) I catch two people. I dismount and jog/push bike and stay with them a little but don't want to make them feel uncomfortable so move on after a bit. Jog/pushing bike up the hill is hard work! Oh. I catch up with a lady and a 7yr old boy at S side of park. He has a stitch but having a lovely jog spinning around the odd pole or detouring over tree-stumps or other interesting path-side items. He really likes seeing the 3k sign. We get to East gate and tell marshall there there are 2 ladies behind. Walk with her to field. Marshall there knows another lady runner who is last of all. Fair play! All pass and go around for the last lap. Then we head over to clap them at finish. 

That's mostly it. The funnel is packed up. We think someone else has gone to collect signs. Fionn has had good run. We are both warm. The marshalls and time-keepers are all quite chilled. Lots of standing around working with hands. Brr. We head for coffee.

On the way home wind is against us. I try to go ahead of fionn a bit and act as wind breaker. 

RESULTS:

http://www.parkrun.ie/marlay/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=6

http://www.parkrun.ie/

What is parkrun? Still new enough to me and Ireland that most people don't know what it is. Parkrun is a free run in parks worldwide run by local volunteers. Simple idea of having the run on the same route and at the same time each week makes it easy for local runners and travellers to just take an hour and drop into any run. For me the starting up or Marly parkrun co-incided with Fionnuala registering us for a little Duathlon at Helfire for her birthday this year (Mar 23). We turned up a week early somewhat by accident and joined in with the volunteer meeting. Then Fionn marshalled for Marlay parkrun #1 and I ran. And we ran the next week with Daire. 

Marlay parkrun: http://www.parkrun.ie/marlay/

Marlay parkrun - Weekly Free 5km Timed Run

What is Marlay parkrun?

It is a 5km run - it's you against the clock.

When is it?

Every Saturday at 9:30am.

Where is it?

It's run in Marlay Park, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin, Co. Dublin. See Course page for more details.

What does it cost to join in?

Nothing - it's free! but please register before your first run. Only ever register with parkrun once. Don't forget to bring a printed copy of your barcode (request a reminder).

How fast do I have to be?

We all run for our own enjoyment. Please come along and join in whatever your pace!

Marlay parkrun needs you!

It is entirely organised by volunteers - emailmarlayhelpers@parkrun.com to help.

We're friendly!

Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in Marlay Park Café - please come and join us!

The rest of the weekend. Well as usual there were a few things on!

Fri afternoon my Mum came up on train. I got home from work 5:45ish. Hello Mum! Kids. Fionn. Food (yum Fionn cooked milky potato bake and chrrizo/chick-pea/tomato stew). Shave. Shirt. Tie. Shoes. Pants.

Then I headed down to help at front of house for the play. Dancing at Lughnasa by GMDS in The Mill Theatre in Dundrum. Cycled down. Foof. Should have cycled slower but it was great fun zooming down hill with wind behind me. There early. First time I saw the finished set - I was last there finishing kites and spinning top just before dress rehearsal on Mon night. Met the lads. Got programmes. Headed to front of house and people started arriving quite early so started greeting and helping with questions. Good crowd in 187 (max 210). Therese front of house chief arrives and gives us raffle tickets for interval and she had the sweets for handing out. I took some photos but Bren's camera schnicks when taking each photo and it was too loud. Saw first act. Nice job!
At interval Marcus & I start in auditorium and start selling raffle tickets and then move on to bar. Various people we know are there and very much liking the play. Great cast, set, acting, antics. Act 2 starts, we do raffle then I run to hold ladder (for Bren(Michael Evans) climbing sycamore tree). Second act seems over quite quick. I have a pint and meet lots of people after and then cycle home. No gloves. Not chilly.

Sat morning - Marlay parkrun lead bike.

Daire cooks pasta and has some before heading to GAA.

I cook celeriac + other veg ~thick curry soup and a variant of it with tomato sauce goes with pasta. Deemed yummy by girls and Mum and Fionn. 

I bring Kate to gym and get paper.
Get video and normal camera and gloves ready for play.
Mary arrives in afternoon. Fionnuala goes shopping after collecting Kate.
Shopping in. More  food (Fionn makes betroot + orange salad with ?).

We go down early to play at 7 so I can get video setup. Fionn drives. I go down get tripod, plug in camera. Barry gets mat for lead. Bren fixes camera to tripod properly. I join my family outside in bar. Bren intros Garrett to camera. On/off/demomode and move/zoom. In we go. Smaller crowd tonight (114ish) Fantastic play. I take photos and try to be discrete about it. After play the crowd clears out quickly. Not like previous night. Then flurry of chatting to people. Family head home and I help dismantle set and carry out and load into two vans. Then party. 1.5 guinness + pizza + talk + 1 song then lift home with Colm.

On Sunday alarm 8:30. Up 8:45. Soccer cancelled. Pitch unplayable. Foof. Okay. Breakfast time. Coffee. Relaxing morning with family and newspaper mixed with hanging up clothes. Daire cooks me & girls eggs for a snack at 11ish. I cook tortilla for lunch. (Turmeric + sambar powder with potato and onion first then chorizo and eggs from Cobh). With beetroot and orange salad again. Clodagh has some too. Then Fionn brings Maeve and Clodagh over to Orla's party. 

At 3pm Kate comes with me and we meet Peter and bring vans with set of play to scout den. Garrett joins us and we unload set into corner of Den and Ruth's antique mowing machine + bench + other items into scout van. It is windy. Then back up home, collect kites and bag with cameras and home we go,


Kate. Up tree Sunday. Of course we had to try and fly the Dancing at Lughnasa kites. And of course we had to fly kite into tree once it was flying! The kite is from Dancing at Lughnasa and made quite crudely though with reasonably sound kite-making principles. Quite heavy bamboo for such a small kite matched by quite a strong wind today. We got a longer kite line with some more of our kites. Kate's friend came and we flew the little kite. Then make the bigger kite fly. Stan came out, put a vertical then horizontal bridle on and it flew better. Then Kate and friend flew stunter in the stong wind by the stand far apart and crash alot (and Dad puts kite back together and re-launches method).

Phew.

Then I started writing about doing lead bike in Marlay park run. At 10pm! Now it's coming up on 1am! Jeeez! Weekend is overrrr. Monday is here. time for SLEEEP is here right now.

Good night.

snow cycling commute Dublin. 5 trips and 2 slips

I've been cycling since Tue. 5 trips and 2 slips. Oops. No damage to self or bike.

Ken’s tip very true: When the tyres go quiet watch out it's slippy you’re going top fall.

This morning: don't try cycling on those ridges of slush in the cycle lane that looks like slush but is actually frozen!

I'm commuting from Sandyford to Park West, about 15km.

It has snowed a bit in Dublin and temperatures are below 0 for a week so far which we’re not used to in Ireland.

Roads cleared less actively than last year I think.

Snow during day Wed meant loads of cars left early to get home, got stuck in traffic and also the gritters/salters couldn’t treat the roads as they were stuck in traffic.

We need snow plows – cheap snow plows on cars, trucks would probably be good.

Monday: Our housing estate has packed snow on paths and roads.

Roads a little bit better as they were gritted and driven on.

Our footpath was a bit clear as we swept it.

Motorbiked. Motorbike battery charger had fallen off. Bike wouldn’t start so I jumped it with the car.

Bigger roads mostly clear, motorway clear but could see nasty sheen, bigger roads clear (some isolated bad patches) then Park West industrial estate roads bad.

 Cars leaving from early afternoon.

But slippy ice on small incline made them stuck for hours.

When I left 18:00ish that queue was just clearing.

 Park west security people directing cars up the in-lane (which was clear from cars driving on it in morning).

 Actually Mororbike would not start. The Bus jump started me! THANKS Bus driver!

Tue: Cycled to and from work.

 Main roads pretty clear. Avoid nasty ice and stuff in cycle lane but could use half cycle lane mostly when it existed.

 Snow and ice on off-road cycle lanes so didn’t go near them.

 On footpath a couple of times when passing queues of traffic.

 Going home was pretty okay – things had thawed a bit – some places better but others worse.

 T-shirt only under coat so not overheated.

 Buff for ears. Light ski gloves. Cat boots working quite nicely.

Wed:

Bit more of an adventure today. Snow hadn't cleared out much but roads were clear ish and salting of main roads made cycling okay in morning.

Snow during day caused fun. Cars started trying to go home from morning but small incline on road slippy, one car stuck which caused everyobne to be stuck. People should use bumpers and push :) Also further over when going to lunch and from reports of everyone checking up on each other all park west roads jammed solid. People left 2 or 3 and gave up after an hour or more.

I slipped near Rathfarnham church going home . Slippy slippy ice. Bike and I slid along a bit. No damage, front mudguard moved a bit. Better on footpath. That was the worst set of ice I had seen. Park west road and hill in iopposite dir to me and also ice around roads by Rathfarnham shopping centre was quite bad (and worse for cars as the ice was on hills). On the icy hills some cars were doing a very bad job. Revving alot and wheels slipping and really polishing up the ice.

Phew! Starved. Pasta + red cabbage (braised, lots) + lamb burger +other scraps.

Earlier for lunch ham + cheese + coleslaw baguette, 1 apple, 2 bananas, loads of coffee.

Usual porredge + rasins + museli + milk for breakfast.

The rabbits seem to be having lots of fun.

They don't rush in when door is opened (as they were doing a bit when it was aboput 0 degrees).

They run and jump in the snow.

And still seem to sit just about anywhere.

Replacing water at least 2wice a day for them.

Thur: 

Our estate roads still covered. More main roads have plenty of snow - but it is broken a bit from salt/grit and light traffic. I cycle where there is grip. No cycle paths free this morning.

I slipped this morn near Sandyford. Nipped into frozen ridge of slush on bike lane. It looks just like soft unfrozen slush. Crunch. Frozen slush absorbs impact okay. This morning on all roads there was plenty of snow. Also with ice in ridges underneath and softer snow above. Different layering of snow on duifferent roads. Very few places with even a bit of road clear to the road surface. Cycling on flat surfaces best. Road mostly.

Cycle on footpath a few times. Packed snow but with crunch on top, grip is fine.

Passed Brian Murphy walking in from Rathfarnham.

Some tips and techniques:

http://www.nuttycyclist.co.uk/cycling/commuting.htm

 http://www.nuttycyclist.co.uk/cycling/making-progress.htm

 http://www.nuttycyclist.co.uk/cycling/filtering-1.htm

I agree with Nutty cyclist, don't soften your bike tyres! And use Mountainbike tyres.

I have a mountainbike tyre on back and normal road tyre on front hybrid bike.

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Recreation/wintercycling.htm

   http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/jan/06/tips-cycling-in-snow

http://www.icebike.org/Articles/techniques.htm

http://www.icebike.org/Articles/commuting.htm

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/skills-qa-how-to-ride-in-the-snow-24521

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1659

incidentally I need to do this sometime:

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/HowTo/ChangeAChain.htm

http://met.ie/forecasts/

 checking Tonight, IR map, snow radar.

More snow predicted tonight (thur 7/1/2010) and looks like that will be on top of what is not shifting from roads now. Hmmmm.

Gordon’s weather station:

 http://homepage.eircom.net/~osprey/weekly.html

 Newbridge, Co Kildare.  Down to -6 to -8 from 00:00 to 10:00 Thur 7/1/2010. Up to -3 now!