A Bicycle for Our Minds

In light of the recent retirement of the legendary Steve Jobs, I share with you an insightful quotation comparing computers to the bicycle:

Danny Macaskill - Industrial Revolutions - Simply Amazing

Nothing I can say will make this video any better than it already is.

MapMyRIDE vs. MapItPronto: a Garmin User's Perspective

For the past several months, I have been using MapMyRIDE for plotting out / finding rides and formatting the track for my Garmin Edge 305 (essentially replaced by the Edge 500). 


MapMyRIDE


The MapMyRIDE (MMR) user interface is Google-maps based, yet lacks the BICYCLING layer available directly from Google maps. I typically have Google maps open, with my bike-path-enhanced track planned out, while manually copying this route into MMR. I can, however, snap to roads and major trails as with Google maps, with additional features such as the ability to more easily draw a loop, lollipop, or an out-and-back track, etc. Climb data is analyzed, and any significant climbs are categorized, similar to the Grand Tours. Since I've ridden several, I should know, right? This data can then be exported into GPS-compatible formats. The Garmin wants *.CRS or *.TCX formats for importing the files, and MMRprovides this option:

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!

"Coming Soon!" has been the answer for MONTHS. Lame. So, I export the file as *.GPX:

Then, I go to Gpsies.com  to convert the file to *.CRS. Recently, I have been mapping longer rides, 75 + miles. By the time MMRmakes a *.GPX file for a century, the file size is 830kb, then coverted to *.CRS by Gpsies to a file size of 6mb. This is larger than the Garmin can handle. Lame. What to do.....

Googled stuff . . . 

MapItPronto

I decided to try out this MapItPronto (MIP), after I read some buzz. As with my experience with MMR, this user interface is Google-maps based (sans bicycle layer, of course). So I plot out a route, and go to convert the file, only to find this:

*.CRS file with no conversion!!!

So far so good. But what about the file size? 140kb. By my math, 140kb<6mb, which the Garmin can handle EASILY. One can also enter a desired average speed. Nice touch. 

Therefore, I no longer use MMR. MIP definitely lacks the social networking-based usership that MMR has fostered, but the functionality of MIP wins for me. I'm even willing to search for existing routes in MMR and replot them in MIP so I can actually use them on my GPS. Happy. 

Next, I'll tell you about the Tour de Tonka century, the track for which I downloaded from MIP . . .