Aspen Hanger 

earthlink.net/~gps_dr

Geobiking.org

 

GeoBiking.Org 3G

Satellite III

04 In the City

Click above image to play GeoBiking presentation in youtube

Vocals by Linella Miller

 View presentation as Image Slideshow

With 243 GPS tracks & over 2,200 miles of trails available on this site, GeoBiking, like geocaching, takes you to unknown places easily.  Hundreds of other trails are available on the internet (most for free).

            • It's Interesting!
            • You see a lot of places you can't see from the street!
            • Don't have to worry about being lost!
            • You can easily vary routes to keep things interesting
            • Low Impact Fun Exercise
            • You can plan routes that match your fitness level, both length & grade
            • Since you aren't part of a group ride, you don't have to worry about keeping up or falling behind
            • More time off city streets helps you to relax
            • So much easier & better than using paper maps
            • Commute to work and improve your health while saving resources
               

Conventional Map Disadvantages

  • Paper maps are out of date before they are printed
    • Public maps are often years out of date
    • Public maps are very often low quality/detail
    • Many public maps are low resolution scans of paper maps that don't provide enough information to follow a trail.
    • Most printed maps are not waterproof
  •  A pain to use on the trail:
    • You have to stop
    • Get the map out & unfold
    • Figure out where you are on the map
    • Fold, put away
    • Try to keep dry, clean and not torn
  • You must know where you are on the map!
    • This is not always an easy task
    • It doesn't take a big error to get you lost or miss a turn
    • How do you know if you made the correct turn?
  • Maps are usually not at a scale of detail that you need
    • Maps with enough street level detail to be useful are large
    • Maps that cover an entire metro area can't guide you at street level
  • Maps always lie!
    • Map features are offset from actual locations to increase readability
    • A static map can't show actual trail locations
    • Paper maps have a fixed level of detail, a GPS adds detail as you zoom in
  • None of the maps I've seen connect available trails into a network
    • Knowing how to get from one trail to another allows longer, more interesting trips
    • Trails are often poorly marked and often start and stop with no indication of where the trail continues or where other nearby trails start.

GPS Advantages

  • Maps are easily and quickly created
    • GPS trails can be released on line within a few days of being mapped
    • Trails can be easily modified to show extensions, new trail crossings etc
  • Easy to use enroute
    • A GPS can easily be attached to a bicycle handlebar
    • A quick glance at the screen can usually let you know if you are on the course or if a turn is approaching
  • Most GPS receivers are waterproof
  • You know where you are on the map!
  • You can easily change the scale of the display zooming in or out to show your position in relation to any map feature of interest
  • Easily see upcoming turns or that you missed oneGPS recievers can usually place you within 20-50 feet of your location
  • Depending on the GPS, you can view local street detail or elevation profiles
  • With a GPS, nothing is offset, you see where the trails really are
  • My trails include connections to other trails
  • Map Quality is up to you
  • GPS keeps statistics for you
    • Great for exercising
    • How far, how fast, how long did I peddle?
    • Where exactly did I go?
    • How high am I now, how much elevation have I gained or lost?
    • Some units can also record heart rate & cycling cadence