What is your solution for riding in a spot with low reception?
08-03-20, 05:09 PM
#102
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08-03-20, 05:13 PM
#103
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Seriously, if somebody is so paranoid that they won't go out for a bike ride unless they're " connected "...I think it's time for them to find another hobby, find something that doesn't require leaving your house.
08-03-20, 06:57 PM
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The only good reason to carry a phone while cycling is for emergencies, I really don't see any other good reasons why a cyclists would carry a phone. If they carry a phone for entertainment then it means that their ride is very dull and boring or they have a serious addiction to social media.
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08-03-20, 07:29 PM
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Umm, has it occurred to you that cell phones often don't work in "isolated areas"?
And while I have seen plenty of older people who can't seem to put down their cellphones, I (and perhaps others) am referring to young people who seem to regard them as necessities rather than luxuries...Which is understandable (if regrettable), given that they can't remember a world without such devices. (And yes, I am presuming that the OP is a younger person.)
And while I have seen plenty of older people who can't seem to put down their cellphones, I (and perhaps others) am referring to young people who seem to regard them as necessities rather than luxuries...Which is understandable (if regrettable), given that they can't remember a world without such devices. (And yes, I am presuming that the OP is a younger person.)
Last edited by Atlas Shrugged; 08-03-20 at 07:34 PM.
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08-03-20, 07:37 PM
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08-03-20, 07:39 PM
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Again spoken from the perspective of an armchair warrior, get out for a week alone and see how it goes for you.
Last edited by Atlas Shrugged; 08-03-20 at 09:12 PM.
08-03-20, 07:39 PM
#109
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08-03-20, 07:48 PM
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Umm, I was talking about using a satellite tracker which does not rely on cell service. My product of choice is SPOT which works great. Typical of most forums but especially with BF lots of broadcasters but few receivers. First of all to each her/his own. However I took the foolish step to post a comment supporting the idea of using a tracker and emergency beacon when going to back country hiking solo and when on extended bike adventures. I regularly do both. If someone wants to be connected all the power to them and their families which I am sure appreciate it. If these internet warriors want to cross Patagonia with nothing but a map and compass great do your thing, however given the ignorant responses I doubt that to be the case. Being involved in our local search and rescue system immense amount of time and resources are spent finding people when they don’t show up which could be reduced.
It reminds me of a guy I once came across in a remote dry canyon in Southern Utah. He and his wife couldn't get their fancy water pump filtration thingy to work while filling their bottles from a scuzzy, bug-filled little water hole, and they were considering turning back - on their first day of the trip. They looked pretty disgusted when I used my bandanna to filter the water, dropped in a couple purification tablets, and took off down the canyon.
08-04-20, 08:12 AM
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. He and his wife couldn't get their fancy water pump filtration thingy to work while filling their bottles from a scuzzy, bug-filled little water hole, and they were considering turning back - on their first day of the trip. They looked pretty disgusted when I used my bandanna to filter the water, dropped in a couple purification tablets, and took off down the canyon.
08-04-20, 09:07 AM
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This thread and the CO2 inflater thread make an interesting juxtaposition. One of the times I've made the Call Of Shame was when the limited practice I'd done with my CO2 inflater months before turned out to be inadequate on the road, and I was left with a still-flat tire and two empty cartridges. Now I ALWAYS carry a pump.
On long rides I bring a spare folding tire in case there's a small piece of embedded debris I can't find which produces two punctures in a row.
08-04-20, 09:13 AM
#115
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Thought I'd reply since so few have had the courtesy of responding to the initial question 
I carry my phone even though I often have no reception so it's kind of for emergencies but, in practice, there's a good chance I'd have no connection anyway so, there is that.
I do download off-line maps as I am often on rural roads, often rural gravel roads and I don't always know where I am. I use the phone (Maps.Me) to figure out my current location if I'm not sure. Otherwise, it stays in my jersey pocket.
I usually tell my wife generally where I'm riding, which if I thought about it at all, telling her the general geographic area I'll be riding is kind of useless. I do try to tell her where I expect to park the van at my starting point. That way, if no-one can find my body, at least she can get the van back as she has a spare key.
I tried using the 'share my location' feature on Maps.Me once ... was in rural Vermont gravel roads. I shared at four or five locations. Of course, there was no reception. When I finally got back to my starting point (Greenfield Massachusetts), there was reception and my wife noticed those location shares coming in all at the same time - right when I was loading the bike back into the van.
The one time I had a catastrophic mechanical failure, I was within a few miles of my van so I could coast a few spots and walk the rest. Having said that, at least a couple of guys pulled over to see if I needed help or wanted a ride. Sometimes, when things go wrong, something positive comes from it, i.e. the kindness of strangers. So, sometimes, even if you don't have a plan, or the plan doesn't work out, something unexpected, but positive, happens.
I carry my phone even though I often have no reception so it's kind of for emergencies but, in practice, there's a good chance I'd have no connection anyway so, there is that.
I do download off-line maps as I am often on rural roads, often rural gravel roads and I don't always know where I am. I use the phone (Maps.Me) to figure out my current location if I'm not sure. Otherwise, it stays in my jersey pocket.
I usually tell my wife generally where I'm riding, which if I thought about it at all, telling her the general geographic area I'll be riding is kind of useless. I do try to tell her where I expect to park the van at my starting point. That way, if no-one can find my body, at least she can get the van back as she has a spare key.
I tried using the 'share my location' feature on Maps.Me once ... was in rural Vermont gravel roads. I shared at four or five locations. Of course, there was no reception. When I finally got back to my starting point (Greenfield Massachusetts), there was reception and my wife noticed those location shares coming in all at the same time - right when I was loading the bike back into the van.
The one time I had a catastrophic mechanical failure, I was within a few miles of my van so I could coast a few spots and walk the rest. Having said that, at least a couple of guys pulled over to see if I needed help or wanted a ride. Sometimes, when things go wrong, something positive comes from it, i.e. the kindness of strangers. So, sometimes, even if you don't have a plan, or the plan doesn't work out, something unexpected, but positive, happens.
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08-04-20, 10:00 AM
#116
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I would hardly use the word “fancy“ to describe something that costs a few dollars and takes up as much space as a Chapstick.
could’ve boiled the water over my “fancy” backpacking stove, but with no risk of Giardia I didn’t wanna even bother with that.
could’ve boiled the water over my “fancy” backpacking stove, but with no risk of Giardia I didn’t wanna even bother with that.
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08-04-20, 10:45 AM
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And your point is?
The lack of service does not make it useless, the camera functions fine without service. I carry it in a small handlbar bag so it is protected. It is there IF I NEED IT for emergencies. If there is no service, I would not know unless I needed it and had no service, just like in the land-line era. If there is service, fine. I am not addicted to connectivity, chit-chat, social media, texting, music or videos. Those things are not NEEDS for me while riding.
Bicycles and bicycling are over 100 years old, worked then sans phones, work now sans phones.
The lack of service does not make it useless, the camera functions fine without service. I carry it in a small handlbar bag so it is protected. It is there IF I NEED IT for emergencies. If there is no service, I would not know unless I needed it and had no service, just like in the land-line era. If there is service, fine. I am not addicted to connectivity, chit-chat, social media, texting, music or videos. Those things are not NEEDS for me while riding.
Bicycles and bicycling are over 100 years old, worked then sans phones, work now sans phones.
08-04-20, 11:01 AM
#121
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And your point is?
The lack of service does not make it useless, the camera functions fine without service. I carry it in a small handlbar bag so it is protected. It is there IF I NEED IT for emergencies. If there is no service, I would not know unless I needed it and had no service, just like in the land-line era. If there is service, fine. I am not addicted to connectivity, chit-chat, social media, texting, music or videos. Those things are not NEEDS for me while riding.
Bicycles and bicycling are over 100 years old, worked then sans phones, work now sans phones.
The lack of service does not make it useless, the camera functions fine without service. I carry it in a small handlbar bag so it is protected. It is there IF I NEED IT for emergencies. If there is no service, I would not know unless I needed it and had no service, just like in the land-line era. If there is service, fine. I am not addicted to connectivity, chit-chat, social media, texting, music or videos. Those things are not NEEDS for me while riding.
Bicycles and bicycling are over 100 years old, worked then sans phones, work now sans phones.
08-04-20, 12:03 PM
#122
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I believe that technology has taken a lot of the adventure out of cycle touring. During the last 10 years my wife and I spent a total of 2 years riding our bikes self supported through 11 countries, including riding across the U.S. and across most of Canada. This amounts to about 25,000 miles. Using the internet took many of the unknowns out of these rides; and many times the unknown enhanced the sense of adventure, and increased serendipity. We had a lot of adventures on our bikes prior to cell phones, but as we got older we have redefined our definition of adventure.
We use our cell phones a lot but sometimes I still feel that I don't need to know: every turn of a route, the elevation profile, exactly where I'm going to sleep that night, the exact route more that 2 days ahead of time, and what the direction and strength of the wind is going to be in the afternoon. The list could go on.
Also, as folks gain confidence the reliance on electronics will become less important. I would not want to go back to to the mode of touring we did 30 years ago. But then again, camping behind a cemetery because we could not any other place to camp provides a little sense of adventure.
We use our cell phones a lot but sometimes I still feel that I don't need to know: every turn of a route, the elevation profile, exactly where I'm going to sleep that night, the exact route more that 2 days ahead of time, and what the direction and strength of the wind is going to be in the afternoon. The list could go on.
Also, as folks gain confidence the reliance on electronics will become less important. I would not want to go back to to the mode of touring we did 30 years ago. But then again, camping behind a cemetery because we could not any other place to camp provides a little sense of adventure.
08-05-20, 01:13 AM
#124
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Google Fi offers more flexibility for coverage so you're less likely to be without phone use for long. Phone selection is a bit limited but worth considering if you travel a lot or ride through areas with spotty coverage.
An old trick that used to work with some phones and networks would be to go to the phone settings and switch between LTE, 3G and 2G until you got a connection. I've had to do that in some dead spots while traveling. Sometimes it worked just well enough to get a call or text through even when data was inaccessible or sluggish.
An old trick that used to work with some phones and networks would be to go to the phone settings and switch between LTE, 3G and 2G until you got a connection. I've had to do that in some dead spots while traveling. Sometimes it worked just well enough to get a call or text through even when data was inaccessible or sluggish.
08-05-20, 05:01 AM
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