Author: richard

  • On Meetup and Strava Cycling Events

    On Meetup and Strava Cycling Events

    Reading Time: 3 minutesMeetup and Strava are two sites filling specific niches. Meetup is a dinosaur of the web. It dates back to 2005 when the web was still looking for a way to be sustainable, and thus, more fun. Meetup was good for people in big US cities, London and other metropolitain cities. If…

  • Playing With Strava Premium for a Free Month

    Playing With Strava Premium for a Free Month

    Reading Time: 2 minutesYears ago, when Strava was newer, and more appealing I eventually decided to pay for Strava because I wanted to support the project. I wanted to help make them sustainable. The same is true with Zwift. When both of them got VC funding I ended my subscriptions rather than renewing for another…

  • On the Irony of Expensive Cars

    On the Irony of Expensive Cars

    Reading Time: 3 minutesA few weeks ago two individuals in a car yelled abuse at a group of us who were cycling. They were mad that a cyclist did not pull in for them to pass easily. At this point I thought "Despair is not sat on a bench as in the proverb, he is…

  • The Desire to Challenge Myself With a Different Group

    The Desire to Challenge Myself With a Different Group

    Reading Time: 3 minutesYesterday I arrived to the cycling meeting place by 08:07 and the Peak group were still there, getting read to set off. It was understood that I had planned to ride with the group and I was tempted to try. The issue is that I already rode quite hard with the Wednesday…

  • Ignoring the 80/20 rule with Group Rides

    Ignoring the 80/20 rule with Group Rides

    Reading Time: 2 minutesYesterday I rode with Group 2 rather than Group 1 with TDC. I believe I could keep up for a second time. I also believe that when you’re cycling hard three times a week it takes a lot of energy.My experience last Saturday showed that I was pushing myself too hard by…

  • Public and Private on Strava, Komoot, Garmin and Suunto

    Public and Private on Strava, Komoot, Garmin and Suunto

    Reading Time: 2 minutesFor years I have used Sportstracker, and then Strava and Komoot and others. Whether I use one platform or another isn’t much of a concern. I can send my data everywhere. The question is whether I make that data public, private, or a hybrid compromise. With Suunto and Sportracker I usually keep…

  • That Pumped Feeling

    That Pumped Feeling

    Reading Time: 3 minutesToday on two segments, specifically I rode fast. I rode fast because I know them well so it is easy for me to assess effort without feeling drained, or at least not too drained, and then I slowed down to the speed of the group. The rest of the time I was…

  • The Curious Habit of Dressing to Be Cold

    The Curious Habit of Dressing to Be Cold

    Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the strangest things, in my observation of other people, is that they dress as if it was warm when it was cold. They dress in shorts and t-shirts to walk in the mountains in spring. That’s quite absurd, given how the mountains, in April tend to be cold. Others dress…

  • Apple Watches and Planned obsolescence

    Apple Watches and Planned obsolescence

    Reading Time: 3 minutesYesterday I came across something interesting and frustrating. Apple watches don’t need to be obsolete, themselves, to be unusable. If you try to pair an iphone 8 plus with an Apple Watch it will refuse because the OS is two generations too old. I tried to sync with the Iphone SE from…

  • Cycling and Suspected Heat Exhaustion

    Cycling and Suspected Heat Exhaustion

    Reading Time: 3 minutesOver the last week I have cycled, and climbed over 3000m. Yesterday I climbed 1664 meters over an 89 kilometre ride. It was divided into the first climb, from the Léman towards La Cure, then a flat bit, ridden fast, before getting to the climb to Marchairuz and that is when I…