McAllister Park Map Added

I added a map for McAllister Park tonight. Check it out here. Like all of my mountain bike maps, it doesn't have the usual turn-by-turn directions. It's just one long segment for the ride. Turn directions don't work well for a mountain bike ride, since there's no way to describe how to know when to turn. Use the map as an indicator of the scope of the trails, and then go explore them.

Enjoy!

McAllister Park Corpse

I read today about the kid they found dead in McAllister Park. That's really sad. It's also kind of creepy because they found him right next to some trails I ride all the time. I was there Monday afternoon and Thursday night. Apparently they found him Wednesday sometime. I wonder if he was there on Monday when we rode? The family reported him missing on Monday, and the killer said he shot him in the park. It makes me think he was there when we rode by Monday afternoon. It's strange that that doesn't affect me feeling safe when I ride in McAllister Park. I've ridden there so many hundreds of times over the year that I feel completely at ease there.

Updated Site and Facebook Page

Two quick items. First, I've created a Facebook fan page for the site. I had a Facebook group before, but that didn't do all the things I wanted. The address is http://www.facebook.com/pages/SABikeRidescom/124371492796. Become a fan!

Second, I've updated the site. The front page now has a link to the Facebook fan page, and I've got a new badge showing the blog feed. I really like how they've turned out. I also updated the Tour de Gruene tour map with a re-route, and I've added some more information on a few of the local bike shops.

Enjoy!

Charles A. James Co.

I'm in the process of visiting all the local bike shops. It's been an interesting experience so far. I didn't know there were that many shops in the area.

Today I went by and checked out Charles A. James bicycles. Their shop is right in the middle of downtown, on the corner of Main and Pecan. As well as selling and servicing bikes, they rent hybrid and mountain bikes. It sounds like they get a lot of convention and tourist traffic. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and check them out!

Saris Racks Rock!

I need to give a shout-out to Saris. I have a Thelma hitch-mount bike rack that I bought a year or two ago. It's been a great rack, but lately it started having problems with the front wheel mounts. I called them up today to see if I could buy some new ones. I quickly explained the problem to the guy on the phone. He only had one question for me: "What's your address and phone number?" They're sending me new wheel mounts for free, under warranty, no hassle, no fuss. That's what I call awesome customer service! I'm definitely buying Saris the next time I need a rack, and I'm going to recommend them to anyone who asks.

Site News

I stopped in and talked to Andy Zinn up at the Canyon Lake Bicycle Shop. It's a neat little shop located on FM 306 across from the entrance to the Madrone Trail. They rent all sorts of bikes as well as providing the normal sales and service thing. They also sell boomerangs, of all things! Andy's a really nice guy who transplanted here from Crested Butte, CO (the mecca of mountain biking in the US). Stop in, say hi, and spend some money when you're near there.

I've posted some new photo sets in the last couple of weeks. I did some pictures of McAllister Park and a ride I did from Gruene to Wimberley that I'm thinking of doing a map for.

I discovered a San Antonio club I didn't know about. San Antonio's Ride Like A Girl sounds like an interesting group. Check them out!

More Maps Coming Soon

I've been doing a lot of riding and scouting over the past several weeks. I've got a bunch of maps ready to be entered over the next couple of weeks. Here's a list of what to expect:

• McAllister Park (MTB)


• Government Canyon (MTB)


• Gruene - Bear Creek


• Bullis County Park (4 options)


• Bulverde - Spring Branch (4 options)


• Bulverde - Kendalia (2 options)


• Fredericksburg - Doss (4+ options)


• Doss

No More USGS Elevation

I've been playing around with my elevation data. I collect data from my GPS unit on each ride, and I also download the elevation data that the US Geological Survey (USGS) provides. I've been experimenting with both datasets to decide which one I like better. As far as I can tell, the GPS data is more accurate. When I compare the profiles side by side from each dataset, the GPS data looks better.

I had originally used the USGS data in the elevation analysis because I assumed it was better data. Now that I've played around and decided that my GPS data is better, I've changed the site over to use it. I just uploaded all new profiles.

Enjoy!

I'm Famous!

Well, famous may be overstating things a bit. But, Colin McDonald mentions the site in his latest Green Living blog entry: Why ride in the Hill County?. Thanks Colin!

Elevation and Printing

I just pushed a new version of the site out. It has better elevation and printing.

For elevation I've added bigger, better profiles and some basic math. The profiles have always been too small to really be useful. Now you can click on one of the small profiles and a large one will appear in a separate window. The profile also has shading under it to show where the steep portions of the ride are. The math adds up the steepness of all the parts of the ride and shows you how much climbing and descending there is and what the biggest climbs are.

I like the elevation updates, but I don't feel like I'm done with it yet. I think the shading could be better, and I'd like to assign some sort of difficulty rating to the rides and segments. I've been working on this for a while, but I haven't come up with anything I really like. I'm putting it to bed for the moment and doing some mental background processing on it until I can come up with the final solution. Stay tuned on that.

The new printing options let you size the map to the paper size and orientation you're printing on. It also lets you choose what things to include in your printout, so you can customize it to exactly what you need.

Now that I've finished these changes (which took me way, way too long), I have a bunch of maps queued up. Expect to see a lot of new rides in the coming weeks as I clear out my backlog.

Enjoy!

Someone Noticed!

I got a mention on the San Antonio Sustainable Living blog. Thanks guys!

San Antonio Bicycling Club Links: San Antonio may not be bike friendly but here's a list of groups that help you bike with friends

New Photos

I've added some photos from the past couple weeks. They're for some maps I'm working on in the Bulverde and Fredericksburg areas. The maps should be up in the next week or two, so keep an eye out for them.

Fredericksburg - Doss
Kendalia and Holt Ranch
Rebecca's Mirror

Enjoy!