Computer geek stuff

Warning! Dull Bike Computer geek stuff to follow in next paragraphs.  Skip if this isn't your thing. I have a Garmin 810 Edge. It includes a feature where I can synch it up with my phone to post real time data as I ride to a web site.  Anyone I invite can view the site to see current progress. I'm disappointed with this feature as I can't seem to get it to "pair" with my phone. It used to work but now just refuses to pair. 

Nevertheless,  I'm including other device detail here to let you see how I use info to figure out how I'm doing over the course of a ride and whether I'm in good shape or in trouble. I think it's pretty neat, but then again I'm the nut who's on a 3400 mile trip.

My bike computer is slowly revealing its secrets to me and now that I'm riding more, have found more uses for its features. I can set up several custom display pages. I can have each page display up to 8 or 9 data elements. My main page shows 9 elements: time elapsed since starting the ride, Cadence (# pedal rotations per minute), Speed, Calories burned, Heart rate (beats per minute), Distance traveled, % of my maximum Heart rate, Temperature, and time of day. It's my default page.  I've also set up some alerts (computer sends out a "chirp") to remind me to keep drinking ever 15 minutes or so and eat every time I burn 300 calories. It really has helped.

At any point along the ride I can swipe the display with my finger to go forward or back a page to get different views of ride data.

I set up other pages with fewer elements e.g. One page has just 4 elements: Current Lap distance (push the lap button at any point and it clocks distance from that point without changing the overall ride odometer),  Last Lap distance, (when lap button pressed, it starts new lap and shows distance of last lap), Total Distance from day's start, and Time of Day. I use this page to help with following the cue sheet directions, to make sure I'm staying on course. 

The cue sheets are 8 1/2 sheets of paper folded into quadrants and clipped to my handlebars. They mark each turn and direction and show total distance and distance to ride before next turn (or hazard, like a cattle guard crossing in the road, or noteworthy start of monster climbs/descents). As I ride I push the lap button at each turn I make. If I get lost I can backtrack using the lap feature.

Another page shows 4 elements: Elevation, % Grade (how steep), Total Ascent (total distance climbed this ride), and Total Descent. Although this is a cool page, my legs and lungs really tell me all I need to know. I rarely bother with it. 

And I configured a screen with just 3 elements: Speed, Distance, and Average Speed this ride. Use this on longer rides to make sure I'm keeping good pace so I can finish early and start resting sooner.  Resting meaning drinking recovery drink immediately after ride to restore glycogen levels,  stretching, snacking, cleaning bike, showering, laundering kit (jersey, bibs, socks, gloves) in sink, rolling up kit in towels jelly roll style, then twisting to wring as much water out as possible, clothes pinning kit to curtains above heater/AC unit to dry, checking weather, setting out next day's kit, more snacking, catching up on email/blog, then go to evening meeting to review day's events and following day's cue sheet. Dinner follows around 6:00 and then return to room finish blog then light out.  I guess it's an "active recovery".