So I caved to modern technology and bought a tablet. This you must understand was no small thing for a person who swears by paper maps and knowledge of how to read them. So you may ask why the sudden change of heart.. well given the huge distance I am travelling and my not unreasomable fear of getting hopelessly lost (which would add to the mileage) carrying maps with enough detail would greatly add to the weight I have to carry.
So I bought a tablet with gps, the idea being that I could use technology to track my ride, pin poimt my exact location and direct me the correct way to go.
A week into test use and I have discovered a few pitfalls.
1. Battery life.- The battery will not lastlong enough to track my ride for 10-12 hours of cycling
2. Wi-fi is not reliable enough to guarrantee a signal, especially in the desert!
So I bought a tablet with gps, the idea being that I could use technology to track my ride, pin poimt my exact location and direct me the correct way to go.
A week into test use and I have discovered a few pitfalls.
1. Battery life.- The battery will not lastlong enough to track my ride for 10-12 hours of cycling
2. Wi-fi is not reliable enough to guarrantee a signal, especially in the desert!
So I invested in an off line mapping system which has maps of the world that you can download when you have a signal. The problem being that the free version doesn't include a search facility and this makes finding the area of the world that you are in difficult.
So given all this my plan?
I need to try a long ride (100) with the tracking to check the battery life and also perhaps try out the gps on the offline mapping system before investing in the paid upgrade.
Any suggestions, drop in to my facebook page, www.facebook.com/Route66LHSCycle and drop me a line!
Keep an eye out for updates on the tablet cycling saga!
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