What is your solution for riding in a spot with low reception?
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With that said, I usually keep mine in airplane mode or low battery mode. If I know I won’t have service for a long time and doubt I’ll use the camera, it’s turned off to conserve battery power.
Last edited by indyfabz; 08-02-20 at 07:05 PM.
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#28
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I just ride my bike...
It's usually off any & in my bag, how.. here Verizon covers more area Spectrum/Charter just sublets existing towers rather than pay to build redundant ones..
& i'm stopped using free Wi Fi in town anyhow..
& i'm stopped using free Wi Fi in town anyhow..
Last edited by fietsbob; 08-18-20 at 08:37 PM.
#29
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While I also survived the pre cell phone days I was in some near death situations back then that now, a few decades older, I just might not make it through. I carry a satellite communicator (garmin inreach se+) for when I'm in really remote places (miles from cell service and roads). Situations like this could be avoided with a satellite communicator: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...pic-peninsula/
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how else are you supposed to notify that strava app hook-up of your arrival?
"Hey, im here, look for the person waxin there chain, down over by the bushes.
"Hey, im here, look for the person waxin there chain, down over by the bushes.
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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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You need this helmet.
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Who cares! No big deal, phone is in saddle bag, wouldn’t even know if had cell reception.
Tim
Tim
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#41
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My second thought was, "You used to ride all over hell with no phone. Get going."
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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.
There's a place on one of my routes where the owner let roses grow wild all over his fence and up into the trees. In April they're all blooming. I call it The Wall Of Roses, and if I didn't take a picture, my wife would never see it.
But apart from that, the phone spends most rides in my back jersey pocket untouched till I get home. The few times I have gotten calls while riding, I didn't hear or feel it ringing, so I only knew about it after. That's how it's supposed to be, right? If I'm riding, I'm unreachable.
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What is your solution for riding in a spot with low reception?
Easy. To ride, I pedal. Never noticed reception made any difference at all. My cell phone lives in one of those cloth, folding wallets with velcro so it will never bounce out of my pocket and should survive crashes. Now if I do crash and don't have cell coverage, maybe I have to strap on a pair and do what has to be done. Maybe I am out of luck and this is it.
#45
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My wife and I do a lot of self contained bike touring. We have toured before cell phones, before smart phones, and in many situations where our smart phones where not usable. There have been situations where we had cell service, but did not speak the language. This made being self reliant important. It is like being without cell service for weeks at a time. There is always 112, Europe's 911, for emergencies, but what do you do if you destroy a tire or have a serious mechanical issue? Hitch hiking is out, the cars are too small to haul bikes and extra people. I'm not going to split up with my wife, or leave our bikes and gear out in the boonies while we look for a bike shop. Even if I had a bike shop's number and knew where they are located, the phone still would have been pretty useless. The odds of being able to communicate with the people at the shop were not good.
Smart phones are very useful and we each carry one. On one trip we had only one cell phone, and got separated while riding through a pretty large city. My wife was riding in front of me and I stopped to take a picture. She did not see me stop, and made a turn. We were playing it by ear and did not have a planned route through town, so I did not have any idea which street she turn onto. The problem was that we only had one phone set up to use in that country. Luckily, we had a plan for that kind of situation; go back to the last place you actually saw the other person. It was a scary, and after that we both carried a working phone, and stayed closer together. At that time a cheap cell phone with the right sim card only costs about $30.
My point is not having usable cell service should not be deal breaker on a ride. Just being prepared for lack of cell service, or a malfunctioning or lost phone; and enjoy the ride. We use ours for navigation, weather information, reserving camping spots or hotels, and for communicating with each other if we get separated. However we could manage without it.
Smart phones are very useful and we each carry one. On one trip we had only one cell phone, and got separated while riding through a pretty large city. My wife was riding in front of me and I stopped to take a picture. She did not see me stop, and made a turn. We were playing it by ear and did not have a planned route through town, so I did not have any idea which street she turn onto. The problem was that we only had one phone set up to use in that country. Luckily, we had a plan for that kind of situation; go back to the last place you actually saw the other person. It was a scary, and after that we both carried a working phone, and stayed closer together. At that time a cheap cell phone with the right sim card only costs about $30.
My point is not having usable cell service should not be deal breaker on a ride. Just being prepared for lack of cell service, or a malfunctioning or lost phone; and enjoy the ride. We use ours for navigation, weather information, reserving camping spots or hotels, and for communicating with each other if we get separated. However we could manage without it.
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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.
#47
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That is a concern for some bikepackers where there is no cell service. The solution is to send a text via satellite. Someone in an earlier post suggested the Garmin InReach, along with a monthly subscription you are set. The subscription allows for several text and I believe the unit has an SOS type feature. $350 for the unit and $15 a month for the subscription. Is that price worth your peace of mind?
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There is no need to carry a phone when everyone else in the world has one.
The only time I carry a phone on a bike is long distance multi day tours. I do that to primarily to access the internet for things like finding food, places of interest, hotels and occasionally navigation. Keep in mind areas of poor cell coverage drain a phone battery when it constantly tries to connect so I typically keep the phone turned off when actually riding. I carry a separate camera for better quality pictures and a long zoom.
The only time I carry a phone on a bike is long distance multi day tours. I do that to primarily to access the internet for things like finding food, places of interest, hotels and occasionally navigation. Keep in mind areas of poor cell coverage drain a phone battery when it constantly tries to connect so I typically keep the phone turned off when actually riding. I carry a separate camera for better quality pictures and a long zoom.
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@DreamRider85, Congratulations!!! 49 responses so far. Way to go!