The Internet of Bikes: Strava Cycling application

Frame and Wheel discovered the Strava Cycling Android application and gave it a test run. It seems to work well.  It captures key data and presents it neatly and clearly. One of the main problems with Google My Tracks is that it requires a lot of work to post a ride. Sometimes it is not worth the effort if the ride is a featureless ride around the neighborhood. However, Google My Tracks has plenty of space for comments and images. Readers inform Frame and Wheel that the detail of the Internet of Bikes posts is very entertaining. Strava Cycling has a short comment box and not much room for elaboration. Perhaps Frame and Wheel will use Google My Tracks for races and Strava for rides.
The key difference is that the Strava application has a social network element to it such that users can follow the exploits of other riders.  Frame and Wheel likes the way the application can be integrated into the blog and will try that so that the blog stays fresh. This application may be the way forward for the Internet of Bikes column.

The Internet of Bikes: 2011 Maine State Time Trial Championships (Maine State Time Trial Series #12)

View Maine State Time Trial Championship in a larger map

The Maine State Time Trial Championships is the twelfth and final race of the Maine State Time Trial Series. This year the race was 12.6 mile out and back held in Vassalboro, Maine. The course features long straight roads, a tough climb at mile two and false flats. Conditions were dry and breezy with temperatures in the mid seventies. Forty-seven riders turned up to race. Frame and Wheel intended to track the event with an Android smartphone but discovered ten minutes before the start that the Google My Tracks application was not on the phone (this could qualify as an iTronski, if the consequences were more dire). Frame and Wheel realizes that there are many drawbacks to the Internet of Bikes and forgetting to upload an application is one of them. Frame and Wheel posts a basic map from Google Maps, which has labels and terrain, but no data from the ride.

Frame and Wheel gets up to speed and arrives at the mile-two hill with plenty of momentum. A big effort is required to get over the last section of this hill. Frame and Wheel gets out of the saddle and pushes a big gear, which is hard work, but recovers a bit on the gradual downhill that follows. Frame and Wheel arrives at the golf course and spots two golf carts coming up the road in the right lane. The marshal waves one of them to a halt and Frame and Wheel gets through safely (add golf cart to list of things encountered in time trial: duck, dog, cat, father pushing infant in stroller, pick up truck). 

Frame and Wheel arrives at the turnaround and manages to avoid some deep sand. The bikes slides around a bit, but Frame and Wheel is conservative in this turnaround. Frame and Wheel recovers speed on the following downhill and begins the perpetual false flat that characterizes most of the inbound section of the course. Frame and Wheel is feeling the effort by the golf course and must work hard to get over the highest point of the course by the driving range. The following downhill allows for some recovery. Frame and Wheel crosses the finish line with a time of 22:27 which is fast enough to win the day, but had the course been longer or included more hills, Frame and Wheel would have been further down in the rankings. OA Cyclemania team mate Ron Bourgoin is 15 seconds back with a time of 22:42 

Frame and Wheel congratulates all the riders on their efforts and thanks the Central Maine Bicycle Club for organizing the race. Frame and Wheel  also congratulates all the riders who participated in the series and thanks the Maine Bicycle Coalition for organizing it. The series is a unique event and an excellent venue for improving time trial and cycling skills. Frame and Wheel is very pleased with the day's result and the series result, but is very aware of the many levels of cycling excellence that exist above Frame and Wheel's level. Thus, Frame and Wheel's goal in each of these races is to try to ride faster than the previous year. Frame and Wheel encourages all riders to do the same.

The top five finishers in the 2011 Maine Time Trial Series take to the podium: Herb Coolige (5th place), Ron Bourgoin (4th place, not pictured), Seth Brooker (3rd place), Andy Haskell (2nd place), Frame and Wheel (1st place).