Nothing slows you down more than a guy with a map
On Sunday I was taking my usual loop through the East Bay town of Walnut Creek. I like to cross Ygnacio Valley Road at San Carlos and cruise through the neighborhoods. I'm pretty slow and the streets are wide and traffic very light, typical suburban area built in the 1950's. I know that because the swim club, Rancho San Miguel is celebrating their founding in 1959. A group of three riders passed me but then I soon caught up to them standing in the road looking at a map, they seemed to be deciding to turn left. I asked where they are going and got the reply "Diablo". My reply "you're going the wrong way". So I continued on, I could see the locally famous mountain straight ahead. After getting through the neighborhoods I came out on Walnut Ave and turned right heading up. Looking back to the left I could see those three riders. They came by and I said "told you so". I hope they had a nice ride but they could have done better and learned something by just looking around them and following the obvious route. I'm a fan of keeping the map in my pocket and figuring it out on my own, it's way more fun. Even worse is slavishly following some computerized route.
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best to know where you are going and equally important is how to get home.
What aids you may need are rider dependent, and really unimportant. |
I wonder what it was that compelled you to inform them of their "error." I routinely ride to my wife's workplace for a lunch date-- the shortest route is just over 26 miles. But I might take 30, 40, or even 70 to get there.
How would you have responded if a complete stranger told you, out of nowhere, that you're "going the wrong way." |
What's a map?
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"You're going the wrong way" wasn't helpful. Good thing they were smart enough to have and consult a map. According to your description they were going the wrong way. Imagine if they didn't have a map.
When touring in unfamiliar territory I still prepare paper cue sheets. I call them my PGS: Paper Guidance System. The unit never needs charging. |
Originally Posted by bruce19
(Post 21051738)
What's a map?
Even funnier is people who expect directional signs to be posted in the Wilderness. "Where's your map?" Always a Ranger's 1st question. OK, back to cycling. |
I like maps...and charts...land or sea dependent.
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I can see things off in the distance right now, but I'm not sure I could determine a more efficient route to get to them by just continuing to navigate by line of sight as opposed to a map or guidance system of some sort. I'm no spring chicken but I do much better with my Garmin than anything.
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Originally Posted by literal trope
(Post 21052161)
My guess would be envy.
The OP is trapped in the flatlands and inhabits the MUPs. He is unable to actually ride Diablo (a frisky climb that tops out at 3849’) and the bitterness associated with his limitations colored his response. |
Living in the suburbs of a large metropolitan city I occasionally have to venture downtown somewhere, usually to pick up something I found in the classifieds, I try to plot out a route that avoids major arterial roads, and this always means there are dozens of turns into secondary and tertiary roads. As much as I can I try to commit the route to memory, but I, too, have a PGS, @indyfabz, that I have to consult from time to time to make sure I've made the right turns. It's not unusual that I might have made a wrong turn somewhere and have to stop to look at my directions.
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Similar situation in my locale. Madison is on a narrow isthmus between lakes, so the roads are not neatly laid out in a grid. And I just can't remember the geography for ****. Out of town, there are lots of winding roads due to rivers and hills, sometimes poorly marked. A couple weeks ago I took a wrong turn at roughly mile 35 with my daughter, roughly 90 degrees F in the shade. I wanted to be darn sure we knew where we were going, someone waiting for us at our destination. The cell phone came out. Upon arriving back home, there was my map, on the dinner table. Oops.
For longer rides, I usually print out a crude map that's good enough to recover from getting lost. I also find a compass to be helpful -- I consult it after every turn to confirm my bearings. It's a combination bell and compass that's typically found on kids bikes. |
Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
(Post 21051628)
Even worse is slavishly following some computerized route.
Like this ride from last Saturday. |
Hey I still have a front handlebar bag with a map case. I take it on multi day tours so you know the map doesn't get wet if it rains.
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I know exactly where you are talking about and I’ll bet they were deciding because the “bike route” signs tell you to turn left when you can in fact go straight and still reach Walnut Ave. Not too dumb of them if they’re not familiar with the roads.
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Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
(Post 21051628)
I'm a fan of keeping the map in my pocket and figuring it out on my own, it's way more fun.
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Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
(Post 21051628)
I hope they had a nice ride but they could have done better and learned something by just looking around them and following the obvious route. I'm a fan of keeping the map in my pocket and figuring it out on my own, it's way more fun. Even worse is slavishly following some computerized route.
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Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
(Post 21051628)
I'm a fan of keeping the map in my pocket and figuring it out on my own, it's way more fun.
-Matt |
Originally Posted by terrymorse
(Post 21052426)
I don't know about that, I like spending quality time with ridewithgps designing a cool route. Then while on the bike, a voice from the phone in my pocket tells me where to turn, leaving me to enjoy the ride.
Like this ride from last Saturday. If I see riders from out of town looking lost I’m inclined to stop and chat and direct them on the best route. The most direct route through a city is seldom optimal for cyclists. |
Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
(Post 21051628)
I'm a fan of keeping the map in my pocket and figuring it out on my own, it's way more fun. Even worse is slavishly following some computerized route.
You plan a route on ridewithgps.com selecting the most pleasant looking streets for riding, split it into 60 mile chunks so Garmin's bad software doesn't crash, download it to your GPS, and follow the turn directions when it beeps at you. That avoids unpleasant surprises like a road that's smooth in Monterey county becoming a bone shaking lunar landscape crossing the San Benito county line. Often the most obvious route is not the best. |
Originally Posted by Drew Eckhardt
(Post 21053755)
Often the most obvious route is not the best.
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"I told you so" really wasn't necessary.
Its one thing to offer help and another to rub it in someone's face. -Tim- |
Originally Posted by here hold my ha
(Post 21052118)
This is exactly what popped in my head when I read the OP |
This post made me laugh thanks!
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Originally Posted by Joe Bikerider
(Post 21051628)
On Sunday I was taking my usual loop through the East Bay town of Walnut Creek. I like to cross Ygnacio Valley Road at San Carlos and cruise through the neighborhoods. I'm pretty slow and the streets are wide and traffic very light, typical suburban area built in the 1950's. I know that because the swim club, Rancho San Miguel is celebrating their founding in 1959. A group of three riders passed me but then I soon caught up to them standing in the road looking at a map, they seemed to be deciding to turn left. I asked where they are going and got the reply "Diablo". My reply "you're going the wrong way". So I continued on, I could see the locally famous mountain straight ahead. After getting through the neighborhoods I came out on Walnut Ave and turned right heading up. Looking back to the left I could see those three riders. They came by and I said "told you so". I hope they had a nice ride but they could have done better and learned something by just looking around them and following the obvious route. I'm a fan of keeping the map in my pocket and figuring it out on my own, it's way more fun. Even worse is slavishly following some computerized route.
Maybe change the thread title to: Being an ******* to other riders will slow you down. |
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