Steve's Mountain Bike Page
Turlock, California

GPS Tracks

I've never been too concerned with how far I ride, nor how fast I ride, only how long I ride. So I never considered getting a GPS. However, as I found out on my Sedona, AZ ride, where we go lost, I need to be more self-sufficient if I'm going to ride in new areas, particularly solo. Once I discovered that MotionBased, Mtbguru and other similar sites have free GPS tracks for virtually every ride, I realized that a GPS unit could be quite a valuable tool. I now own a Garmin Edge 705 GPS unit and I will begin posting GPS information for my rides. I highly recommend you download and install the free Google Earth on which the GPS track can be overlaid. Not only will it show the ride, it will also give you directions to the trailhead, which is a frequent question I am asked. Trail maps for some of these rides are available on my maps page. I also have links to some valuable GPS resources here.

Garmin Edge 705 tips: this is a nice GPS but it is considerably lacking in instructions. As I figure it out I'll try to post what I have learned. Garmin 605/705 manual.

1. if the altitude is way off:

    A. try doing a reset. Hold the mode button down while turning the unit on. It will ask if you really want to erase all data. Don't worry, it will only ask what language to use, the time zone and if you have a HR monitor and/or cadence feature. I believe it deletes your history so be sure to download any files on the unit first.

   B. after power-up let the unit sit for 5- 10 minutes and it will eventually calibrate to the correct altitude. Once properly calibrated it is extremely accurate, even quickly responding to moving it from the ground high over your head. I recommend turning it on when you arrive at the trailhead and leaving it while you get ready to ride. It might be wise to check a topo map before leaving home so you know what the correct altitude should be.
    

2. free topo maps are available for many of the states here. Be sure to read the instructions on how to get them on your unit here.
    
3. free Garmin Map Source available here.
    
4. to display a ride (gpx file) on a topo map on the unit: load your topo map into MapSource and make sure it is selected from the drop-down menu just below the "Edit" menu. Open the gpx file in MapSource and zoom in until the entire route is just visible within the program. Using the "map" tool draw a box around the entire route and then from the "Transfer" menu select "send to device".  To see the route on the GPS unit choose menu, "Where to?", "Saved rides", then the ride, "Map setup", check the "Show on map" box, and then Map". Use the zoom button to see more detail.
    
5. following someone else's ride from a course file (.crs or .tcx): download the file  from MotionBased or mtbguru, open in Garmin Training Center, add waypoints and then send the file to the unit. On your unit select "Training", "Courses", and then the course.

My ride GPS information:

New Melones, California - this is the closest trail system and I generally ride there mid-week or when I need an easy ride. The ride starts at the Lower Trailhead, goes out Frontier Trail and then does three figure eight loops of Angels Creek and Buckbrush, returns via Frontier, up the pavement to the Upper Trailhead, and down the Tower Climb and back via Carson Trail. This was my first time out and I did not let the unit set the correct altitude before proceeding. I'll correct this on my next ride.  MotionBased profile, Mtbguru profile. Here is the route in 3D on Google Earth.

Wilder Ranch, California, July 5, 2008. I was not thinking and I shut off the GPS unit when we returned to the parking lot. However, we added another 1.5 – 2 miles by taking the Bluff Trail out above the ocean. I did not wear the heart monitor on this, my second GPS ride, but I wish I had. Those climbs were long and all the ups and downs really added up to about 4,000 ft of climbing. For more GPS data here are links to MotionBased and mtbguru. 
Here is the ride on Gmap4.

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