photo tracking in the rain

Last week I manged to borrow a GPS photo tracker from my mate Sue who runs the North Sheffield CLC (hope you enjoyed Glastonbury Sue!).

Didn't find the time to try it until Sunday when I found I had a spare hour between swimming with the family and the visit of in laws in the afternoon. So installed the software, got the GPS to find its location, synched it to my digital camera and set off toward Rivelin in the sunshine.

Going down by the allotments first near disaster, the tracker detached itself from the supplied lanyard and lodged in someone’s rhubarb. Retrieved and relocated it to cycling top pockets. Stopped to take various shots on the way, opted to wade through the ford rather than cycle it when I saw it was almost over the dog walkers wellington tops.

Just got to Coppice Lane when the weather comes in of the peaks. Driving rain now but opted to carry on up to Stannington just to keep warm. By now office camera was getting a bit upset at the weather so hasty trip down the valley side and back up through the woods. Almost dropped the camera in the river at one point which would have taken some explaining today at work.

Saw a newly cleared bridleway so headed down it for some shelter from the rain , only to realise it was rapidly taking me all the way back down to Rivelin Valley road. I didn’t want to have to come back up Hagg hill so I opted to head off the trail into the woods.

Now technically I wasn’t lost, I mean i had 3 GPS units with me (Garmin, Nokia N95 and the Photo Tracker) and i could hear Rivelin valley traffic but I did end up dragging the bike up a rocky outcrop and through a particularly sharp hedge to get back to Hagg Lane.

Reunited with the route I set of back home and had my one near disaster, my handlebar got caught on that new metal gateway which i supposed to keep motorbike off the trails. This pitched me sideways and I had that dreadful fraction of a second when the pedal decided it would be load mire fun to hang onto the shoe cleat.

Home safely, dried off, and then came the fun bit trying to get the supplied software to tag the pictures. I was getting nowhere till I twigged that the GPS was still using GMT not GMT +1 (British summer time...allegedly)

Uploaded the results onto Google earth where they worked perfectly. Then went ahead and added them to my Flickr map.

Here's the results, a rather damp but beautifully located set of photos



This is the little GPS unit.

http://flickr.com/photos/walkleyian/map/

Definitly need a new rear tyre on my cross bike as doesn't grip ot all in wet mud now.

7 hills blog on twitter

Just linked the 7hills blog through to @ianloasby on twitter. Post to check all is working

Catching up and Coppice Lane

Not blogged a few recent rides so heres a quick catch up...

Last Sunday, Jon's 5 valleys. Now I could only do the first part since i was down to take the kids to see Indiana Jones. Opened curtains at 8pm, grey Sunday. By 10pm it was heavy rain and I had no mudguards on, yeuch. Jon and I decided to press on as the only riders who had turned up, as we had to meet Charlotte at Loxley Common. Actually the rain stopped at that point and after a pleasant ride over the common I was a little sad to be heading home early from the cafe in Bradfield. Jon's come up with a classic route, so I hope more turn up to try it next time

Tuesday ride was a fast thrash out to Hathersage, I met the others up at Ringingow. Simon headed for the open air pool but the rest of us had a detour round Stannage in lovely evening sunshine before we all met up at the Little John. I headed home early, good to have a thrash back up the hill to Surprise View.

Thursday night , the western circular ride, well attended and we headed up to one of my favourite spots in Sheffield, Fulwood Head road. The rest pressed on to Dore on, but I had to head back to town early to pick up the Eee Pc to show to the IT imbibing mob at the Rising Sun.

Throw in a few short bridleway runs over the weekend, then tonight we had a run along Rivelin Valaley lanes (Sheffield forgotten gem ) and up Coppice Lane to Stannington. Now I've never done Coppice Lane before and its a challenge, steep, straight up, and with tarmac that has long since turned into rubble in places . Loved it. We then headed back to Damflask and up the steep West Lane to Loxley Common and a swift Ruddles in the Rose and Crown.

Think that's just about caught up with the last week rides, its bike week next week.

Oh and big Thumbs down to the the useless white van driver who tried to overtake me on Howard hill where it was far too narrow and forced me off the road . I see there still giving out driving licences in cornflake packets...