[HAMR] Tarzan (Kurt Searvogel)

[Jonas L]

Yes, my bad.

[Oaky]

I think you and Auntie Helen may be onto something with the HR strap problem theory.  I can't think of any other explanation that fits with the apparent topography (at least according to the Strava elevation profile).

[michaelo]

Didn't he have a problem with his HR strap in the first couple of weeks of the challenge?  It's more likely to be this than anything underhand, I would have thought.  Mine sometimes records odd data, particularly when the contact points dry out.

[Clemo]

I wonder if the battery is on its way out?

[Datameister]

Didn't he have a problem with his HR strap in the first couple of weeks of the challenge?  It's more likely to be this than anything underhand, I would have thought.  Mine sometimes records odd data, particularly when the contact points dry out.

I recall hitting 250bpm on mine up the (Main Street) hill out of Ashbourne. I was a little confused at the time because I was stood still astride the bike........until I realised that the HRM was in synch with the beeping of the Pelican Crossing I was stood next to     A few moments later I recorded zero for a hundred yards or so. Reason unknown, but at least the ticker was still working.

This kit is not infallible.

[Oaky]

My old-skool analogue signal strap/watch would routinely record 200+ when I was in the passenger seat of the car on the way to the gym with mrs_o.

The new BLE / Ant+ strap doesn't pick up that interference.

[Jacamo]

Yesterday was interesting.  It was almost like Steve and Kurt swapped their normal routes.  Steve was flat and fast.  Kurt bumpy and not so fast.  Possibly a useful "calibration" of both that allows a modicum of comparison against recent past rides.

195 miles @19.6mph with 6200 ft of climbing seems pretty fast to me.

[rafletcher]

My old-skool analogue signal strap/watch would routinely record 200+ when I was in the passenger seat of the car on the way to the gym with mrs_o.

The new BLE / Ant+ strap doesn't pick up that interference.

Polar HRM's were (and maybe still are) useless in the electromagnetic field inside cars.

[Datameister]

Polar HRM's were (and maybe still are) useless in the electromagnetic field inside cars.

...and only then until the battery first needed changing. After that, Pfffftt!

[Wowbagger]

My old-skool analogue signal strap/watch would routinely record 200+ when I was in the passenger seat of the car on the way to the gym with mrs_o.

But that would be lurve.

[Mr Larrington]

I had an HRM which used to get mad in the presence of those all-singing all-dancing Polar speedo/cadence/HR jobs.  As one of my main race rivals had one it was a PITA

[Nuncio]

And he's off.  From further west in Mississippi. Homeward bound? 

Looks like they drove past Winona last night, so he missed the chance to be a Winona rider.

[Kim]

I often have interface issues with my Garmin HRM when it underreads or stops reading altogether when the connection to my skin isn't great (being female does not help with HRM positioning anyway) so perhaps this is what happened. If he's not sweating at all and doing a downhill then maybe his skin is too dry to give a good reading.

+1

The ANT+ wireless link seems to be pleasingly robust (far more so than cheapo HRMs I've used in the past), but it's all too easy for something to go wrong with the strap pads.  Obviously they only work if you're sweating (which for me means everything after the first 1km, but I'm sure less sweaty people working at relatively low effort are going to have problems).  Bras get in the way (presumably not an issue for Kurt), and shuffling about in a recumbent seat can cause the strap to migrate.

An intermittent contact very often seems to give a reading of about half my true heartrate for some reason.  38 seems very low for a resting heartrate, so I'm going to say instrumentation failure, rather than sitting in a vehicle.

[La Tortue]

Tarzan's route selections have me totally befuddled.  Since leaving south Florida he has opted to bypass lots of  cycle friendly routes for lesser routes.  The only constant appears to be  tail winds (http://hint.fm/wind/).  I'm guessing today he simply opted to drive through a weather front and put down where ever that happened to end and then started riding south?  Who knows, but you got to give him credit  its a true seat of your pants operation. Go Tarzan!

[Sea of vapours]

Looking at the texture on the area he just drove across, I'd suspect that he's avoiding a 'mighty mountain range', rather than a weather front. Yesterday, his route wended its way amongst crinkly bits (yet still climbed a moderate amount), and today he's leapt the wrinkles and is back on non-textured map.

[Mr Larrington]

Gonna get up in the mornin'
Hit that Highway 49

But only briefly.

My limited experience of Missississississippi is that it is really quite flat, and often under water.

[KieronY]

Tarzan's route selections have me totally befuddled.  Since leaving south Florida he has opted to bypass lots of  cycle friendly routes for lesser routes.  The only constant appears to be  tail winds (http://hint.fm/wind/).  I'm guessing today he simply opted to drive through a weather front and put down where ever that happened to end and then started riding south?  Who knows, but you got to give him credit  its a true seat of your pants operation. Go Tarzan!

Kurt has avoided the Mississippi hill country and is now riding on the flatlands of the Mississippi Delta.

Sensible options for crossing the Mississippi into Arkansas are limited to West Helena or Greenville or he could ride as far south as Natchez to cross into Louisiana before riding north. Given his current route and that Strava gives Kurt's home town as Sheridan AR, my guess is that he will cross the river at Greenville.

[Chris S]

So he's heading away from the heat of Florida, into the pan-handle just in time for Tornado Season. He likes it Full On, doesn't he?

[Karla]

Looks like I might have a trip to North Carolina in August/September.  So maybe I will get the chance to ride with both Teethgrinder and Tarzan this year.

Don't tell Hoppo, I think he's quite proud of being the only person to ride with both of them so far.

[Mr Larrington]

There are at least ten panhandles in USAnia so he's got plenty to choose from.  My preference would be for the Detective Sergeant Panhandle (L):

[Sea of vapours]

<SNIP>Given his current route and that Strava gives Kurt's home town as Sheridan AR, my guess is that he will cross the river at Greenville.

Add in that the Spot tracker is showing about 40 miles so far, and that it's about 150 miles from there to Sheridan, it looks as if he's heading for home tonight.

[bobb]

I've now got Mississippi Blues as recorded by Willie Brown in my head. This is not a bad thing though.

So Kurt's goin' down to the delta.. but I doubt he'll be drinking white lightnin' and gambling....

[Ham]

Yesterday, his route wended its way amongst crinkly bits (yet still climbed a moderate amount), and today he's leapt the wrinkles and is back on non-textured map.

OK, fess up. Who has been feeding him CAIK?

[teethgrinder]

A bit snookered with the SE wind.
A choice between hillier roads or flat, exposed roads.
I went to the edge of the Chiltern and waited for a tailwind to pick up.
Right turns because it made better use of more sheltered roads into the wind.
Treating today as a fun day so mileage will be lower.
The pub I stopped at in Quainton has a very good cafe attached.

[duncan]

So much for keeping this thread on topic... Good luck TG!