Devon TRF Group Forum

gaschef · Devon's Best

Run Leaders 2

RichT4 · Champion

Did they have a route marked out?
...............and if so were they advised where to ride or were they just "winging it"?

Nige · Expert

I passed them in Ottery today as I was heading the other way.
Incidentally with a map myself, to go and find some more lanes after your good advice posted yesterday gaschef. I'm working on it!

Shaggy · Clubman B

Well said, in my OPINION, Gaschef!! ;o)

peckers · Clubman B

You could make a competition off it. members could do a treasure hunt as so to speak and other members from other areas could go and find them using only maps and compass the hidden items could be listed only giving grid references etc. it would make it fun and interesting. you could do it in small groups at different times.
Could be fun and interesting. and it could help your map reading skills and if nothing else it will get you riding in other areas!
I for one would be interested!!!!

delvey91 · Devon's Best

Peckers thats sounds like a decent idea tbh! I would deffo be up for something like that.

I always use paper maps as i find it much easier navigating with them, I have just marked them up using the overlays as a guide and i rarely go wrong. Its not as if the batterys can go flat etc and suddenly you havent got a clue where you are.

Shaggy · Clubman B

Will there be little chocolate eggs, hidden under/near stones?? biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin

gaschef · Devon's Best

RichT4 wrote:
Did they have a route marked out?
...............and if so were they advised where to ride or were they just "winging it"?

Yep they had the lanes marked, and knew exactly where they had been and where they were going. Damm good planning

Plus "winging it" is a bit derogatory, riding lanes is supposed to be for enjoyment not planned like a bombastic military exercise. They were certainly enjoying it

gaschef · Devon's Best

Shaggy wrote:
Will there be little chocolate eggs, hidden under/near stones??

That would all depend if Pearcy and Gruff are taking part, both I have been told can sniff out a choccy at a mile distance

Shaggy · Clubman B

gaschef wrote:
Shaggy wrote:
Will there be little chocolate eggs, hidden under/near stones??
That would all depend if Pearcy and Gruff are taking part, both I have been told can sniff out a choccy at a mile distance

biggrin biggrin ME TOO!!!

Brockstar71 · Clubman B

Shaggy wrote:
Will there be little chocolate eggs, hidden under/near stones??

biggrin biggrin Stick me down if there is some choccy involved!!

Chris.

Pete · Devon's Best

There was such an event planned, and rained off if I remember rightly.
Several groups of riders were scheduled to be competing with a list of clues to discover

Sadly the riders were swayed by a pessimistic weather forcast, it rained 8am to 9am and the sun shone all day on delightfully wet freshly washed lanes, I spent the day chasing rainbows and was surprised to see they had called it off when they woke to heavy rain

Nige · Expert

Dare I say it Letterboxing on trailbikes.

I'll get my cagool biggrin

gaschef · Devon's Best

Pete wrote:
There was such an event planned, and rained off if I remember rightly.
Several groups of riders were scheduled to be competing with a list of clues to discover

Sadly the riders were swayed by a pessimistic weather forcast, it rained 8am to 9am and the sun shone all day on delightfully wet freshly washed lanes, I spent the day chasing rainbows and was surprised to see they had called it off when they woke to heavy rain

Probably best to do it in this order

a) Find out who can read a map

b) some form of training session in map reading

c) simple practice

Or we will be looking for riders all over the county

Oh and anyone who wimps out because of weather, having to go shopping, has broken a finger nail etc. buys all the drinks at the next 6 group meetings.

kevinred · Clubman A

I love map reading, in fact I did rather a lot of it in the army and quite a lot more since becoming a member of the TRF.

I do prefer sat nav though as its easier to know exactly where you are. Sometimes when Im sorting a new route I miss a turning and Im then not sure exactly where I am. Ok I can work it out with a little bit of work but Devon banks can look very similar in some places if you know what I mean biggrin

I think map reading treasure hunts or orienteering would be fun. biggrin

gaschef · Devon's Best

Nige wrote:
Dare I say it Letterboxing on trailbikes.

I'll get my cagool

At least you will stay dry

Brockstar71 · Clubman B

Nige wrote:
cagool

Ah!!..................I remember when they only seemed came in orange or blue, and folded up into the pocket on the front. Humm! 1970's family camping trips in the rain!!

Chris.

Hoops · Elite

Pete wrote:
There was such an event planned, and rained off if I remember rightly.
Several groups of riders were scheduled to be competing with a list of clues to discover

Sadly the riders were swayed by a pessimistic weather forcast, it rained 8am to 9am and the sun shone all day on delightfully wet freshly washed lanes, I spent the day chasing rainbows and was surprised to see they had called it off when they woke to heavy rain

Yep, I turned up for that as did several others. Had a great day's ride instead. As with all things like this the idea's great until you want someone to organise it (don't forget Devon is a big place).

gaschef · Devon's Best

Hoops wrote:
Pete wrote:
There was such an event planned, and rained off if I remember rightly.
Several groups of riders were scheduled to be competing with a list of clues to discover

Sadly the riders were swayed by a pessimistic weather forcast, it rained 8am to 9am and the sun shone all day on delightfully wet freshly washed lanes, I spent the day chasing rainbows and was surprised to see they had called it off when they woke to heavy rain

Yep, I turned up for that as did several others. Had a great day's ride instead. As with all things like this the idea's great until you want someone to organise it (don't forget Devon is a big place).

Cant agree more, Hamsters description of Herding Cats, is much the same as having an armful of ball bearings.

hampsterracing · Devon's Best

It was more than just an hours rain that morning ! I think 11 out of 15 riders turned out and we decieded to postpone the event rather than waste the hard work and went for a ride instead.

RichT4 · Champion

gaschef wrote:
Yep they had the lanes marked, and knew exactly where they had been and where they were going. Damm good planning
Plus "winging it" is a bit derogatory, riding lanes is supposed to be for enjoyment not planned like a bombastic military exercise. They were certainly enjoying it

"Winging it" wasn't meant as a derogatory comment, I'm not sure why your taking offence to it really. Just trying to establish if they had a route planned (as we do with sat navs) or whether they were just looking at the map, picking a few lanes, riding them and then stopping to reassess where to go next.

Also I was wondering if they knew which the legal lanes were as you can't always trust the OS map, plus you could also miss some that don't look like good green lanes on the maps - as you've pointed out they had an overlay as a guide.

This seems to me like the exact seem process you go through with a sat nav.

Look at the map of overlays, draw a route, follow it - the only difference being that by following a paper map on the day you probably have to stop more often to study it which would give the ride a more leisurely pace.

So maybe the issue is not sat nav v paper map but is about ride peace and lots of breaks?

The best of all combinations must be sat nav & paper map if you are exploring.

-- Edited by RichT4 on Monday 18th of April 2011 09:17:58 AM

Harty · Devon's Best

Personally if you need to use a compass on the Devon lanes, you must be a bit of a muppet. There's more than enough landmarks and road signs to work out where you are, with map or GPS.

I think the 'Treasure Hunt' idea would be fun and educational for some, I know Rob Drake organised one a while back. I don't mind organising one as I have done some previously biggrin

RichT4 · Champion

I've got a mate who does Geocaching on his bike (DR350) around the Wantage area.
Maybe we could do something like that - that wouldn't necessarily need to have as much organising, and could be done whenever you felt like it - that is unless you choose hide some cream teas. biggrin

-- Edited by RichT4 on Monday 18th of April 2011 10:05:56 AM

gaschef · Devon's Best

RichT4 wrote:
Look at the map of overlays, draw a route, follow it - the only difference being that by following a paper map on the day you probably have to stop more often to study it which would give the ride a more leisurely pace.
Gaschef wrote
Best bit with a map however is it gives you an instant overview of where you are, should you get lost, need to get help or need to find an alternative route quickly
Plus there are no electrics to go wrong
Just for information, did you know that all merchant and military shipping is still required to carry paper charts, sextants, compass and chronometer for when the electronics break down
Even better they are still required to carry oil navigation lights for when the electrics go out, and they do
When you are drifting at night without power or lights on a brand new ship into Iranian waters, it gives you a different insight into those who put their trust in technology, its all right until it bites you in the arse!!!!

RichT4 · Champion

I absolutely agree..

I was reading the other day how easy it is to jam the GPS signal locally, and the government are also starting to view this a threat to all infrastructure as well as to shipping and are not sure how to tackle it.

There is no substitute for a run leader who knows the area like the back of his hand as they can change the route mid run to suit the conditions or rider abilities. If no such leader is available you just have the make the best of what you've got.

I think if one day sat nav disappeared I'd have to make up an enduro style route roller, or carry a map holder on the bars but I know I'd be hideous as a leader with that system - I'd just muddle through but would not want to have 5 riders behind waiting for me to decide where to go next.

FBF · Clubman A

With the huge solar flares that are predicted to hit us in the fast approching 2013 then relying on GPS tech solely would be bad, although quite how they expect airline pilots to us a map, compass and a sextant escapes me.

Maps are great and should always be carried on the trails unless you are very familiar with your surroundings.

GPS is best though, helps you find lane entrances far easier, and confirms you are on the right route once you are on the trail, quick to update and download and has lots of extra info that can help you out in a jam.

The downside is when it does not function as expected.

gaschef · Devon's Best

FBF wrote:
With the huge solar flares that are predicted to hit us in the fast approching 2013 then relying on GPS tech solely would be bad, although quite how they expect airline pilots to us a map, compass and a sextant escapes me.

Same way as they used them to navigate in WW2 Bubble sextant and set of sight reduction tables easy, its just the speed over ground that makes life interesting

Bubble sextant was used by the Long Range Desert Group prior to SAS to navigate in the desert when you cannot see the true sea level horizon.

peckers · Clubman B

gaschef wrote:
FBF wrote:
With the huge solar flares that are predicted to hit us in the fast approching 2013 then relying on GPS tech solely would be bad, although quite how they expect airline pilots to us a map, compass and a sextant escapes me.
Same way as they used them to navigate in WW2 Bubble sextant and set of sight reduction tables easy, its just the speed over ground that makes life interesting
Bubble sextant was used by the Long Range Desert Group prior to SAS to navigate in the desert when you cannot see the true sea level horizon.

Well if i get lost on a trail then i hope its with you, sounds like you could find your way home biggrin