La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival Celebrates Cycling in the Driftless Region Labor Day Weekend

Head down to La Crosse, WI this Labor Day Weekend for some of the best road cycling in the Midwest.  This is the weekend of the La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival which celebrates cycling in the scenic deep river valleys and bluffs of the Driftless Region of Southeastern Minnesota and West Central Wisconsin.  It will be a weekend of great cycling and fun family activities.  The festival begins Thursday, August 29th lasting through the weekend and wrapping up on Monday, September 2nd.

Image Credit:  www.bicyclelacrosse.com

The weekend kicks off on Thursday night with a Registration Packet Pick-Up Party at Pearl Street Brewery in La Crosse.  All weekend long a variety of rides with different routes and distances depart from Cameron Park in Downtown La Crosse.  Rides include:

Self-Guided Rides

• 30-100 Mile Featured Road Rides
• Sculpture Tour
• Mountain Biking
• Trail Rides
• 200K Randonnée
• Tandem & Recumbent Rides
• Gravel Ride

Guided Rides

• Heritage & Architectural Tours
• Birding Ride
• Coffee & Muffin Rides
• Homemade Ice Cream Rides
• Single Speed Ride

For a complete list, visit the Bicycle La Crosse website or download the Printable Schedule of Events.

The La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival coincides with the Downtown Sound  Music Festival which takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 to 10:00 pm.  The music festival will feature live entertainment on a bicycle powered stage!  For more information, visit the Downtown Sound Music Festival Facebook page.





Some great door prizes will be up for grabs on Sunday night for all registered Bicycle Festival participants who completed at least one ride and are 16 years of age or older.  The Grand Prize is a new Wyatt Bicycle and Bicycle Festival Jersey.

Online registration for the La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival is now available, click here.  If you are in need of lodging for the weekend, Bicycle La Crosse has set up a page of bicycle-friendly hotels in the area as well as links to more lodging and dining opportunities.
 

Bicycle Festival Poster

The La Crosse Area Bicycle Festival is sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health Systems.

App Review: Runtastic Road Bike Pro

I have spent a lot of time testing out all of the features of many cycling apps available for the Android platform and none of them have the functionality and ease of use that the Runtastic Road Bike Pro has.  This app is jam-packed with everything a cyclist needs to track his or her performance and aid in navigation.  It has an easy to read display and all ride data is synced up with the user's online Runtastic account.  What more could you ask for?  This is why it has become my go-to app for all of my rides.

There is a free version of Runtastic Road Bike Pro, but it has limited functionality compared to the Pro version.  I highly recommend shelling out the $4.99 to unlock all of its useful features to get the best experience.  The Pro features that I use most often include Offline Maps, photo Geo-Tagging, Auto Pause and Voice Feedback.  For those with compatible smartphones, hardware integration is also available in the Pro version.  There is a Bluetooth speed & cadence sensor and heart rate monitor available for purchase on Amazon.

Features

Session

Starting and recording a session is easy, choose an activity and the type of workout that you will be doing and select "Start Workout".  The dashboard is configurable to display the values (duration, elevation, speed, etc.) you choose to view.  Note:  Make sure gps is enabled before using the app.

Ride Statistics

Once you have completed your ride and pressed stop on the dashboard, a session summary will display allowing input of how you were feeling, the ride surface, weather and any notes you would like to add.  In "Note", I usually add the precise actual statistics from my bike computer such as duration, distance, max speed and average speed for comparison.  Select "Done" to save your workout which can then be uploaded to your Runtastic account or shared via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or email.

Now you can view all of the ride statistics from the session.  

• The Main summary includes the details of your ride and the additional info input at the end of your session.

• The Split Table displays the Fastest Section & Slowest Section, duration, speed and elevation for the distance (0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10 miles) selected.

• Graphs displays the elevation, speed, pace and heart rate (w/ compatible hardware) of the session.

• Grade shows the time and distance spent uphill, flat and downhill in pie charts and also includes the average and max grades for uphill and downhill.  

• Map will show your track with mileage markers, distance, duration and average speed of the session.  Colored traces can be chosen by default, pace, speed, elevation and grade to display on the map.

•  Replay your session in 3D with Google Earth.

Maps

There are five map layers to choose from.  They include Google's Satellite & default maps, Terrain, Open Cycle Map and Open Street Map.  I prefer using the Open Cycle Map layer because it is designed for cyclists showing cycle routes and infrastructure.  I will sometimes switch to the Satellite map to locate structures or buildings along the way.

Default

Satellite

Terrain

Open Street

Open Cycle

 

Maps can be downloaded for offline use which is one of my favorite features.  I can select the size of the map location I am going to ride, download it and turn off my data to significantly save on battery.  Simply pinch and zoom to get the map area you want, select Download and your map will be ready for offline use.  This feature comes in handy when riding in remote areas with limited data coverage.




Routes

Routes can be created, searched or flagged on the Runtastic website after logging into your account.  Created and flagged routes will sync to your smartphone for later use.  I have created numerous routes to stay on course when using this app and I haven't missed a turn yet.  It's a great tool for navigation.

Once you have created, flagged or found a route using the search feature and would like to navigate using that route, select "Use This Route" and you are ready to begin your ride.  The course is laid out on the map with a bold red line to follow and a blue arrow and line to show your location and track.

When searching for routes within the app, you can display the results by Sport Type, Distance and Elevation Gain in a Results List or Map View.  Select the route for more details.

Voice Feedback

Voice feedback can be enabled in the settings for spoken in-ride statistics.  This feature can be set to be triggered by time and/or distance.  Interval statistics can include Sound at Kilometer/Mile, Distance, Duration, Pace, Speed, Calories and Heart Rate (w/ compatible hardware).  For the end of a session, Summary, Heart Rate Zones (w/ compatible hardware) and System Events can be selected for voice feedback.   

Photo Geo-Tagging

The ability to geo-tag* my photos on a map during a ride is a feature I really like.  It is very easy to do and can be done within the app.  In the settings menu there are options to pause your ride and enter notes to the photo during geo-tagging.  To take a picture during a session, tap the menu in the upper right corner and select "Take a picture".  This will open your default camera for the photo.  Once the photo has been taken, select the check mark if you are satisfied or select the back arrow if you are not and would like to take another.  *GPS must be enable on your phone.

At the end of your session when it is uploaded to the Runtastic website, all of your photos will be uploaded also.  Log into your Runtasitic account to view them on a map by scrolling your cursor over them or clicking them for a larger view. 

Conclusion

I have had quite a while to test Runtastic Road Bike Pro and play around with all of the features.  This is the best cycling app I have used in terms of functionality, accuracy, performance and ease of use.  Time and time again it has met or exceeded my expectations.  I can see why it is so highly rated in both Google Play and the iTunes app stores.  The $4.99 price tag is small in comparison to those expensive gps units that can do a lot of the same things.  I would recommend Runtastic Road Bike Pro for any cyclist that would like to use technology to aid in navigation and keep track of their ride performance.   

Runtastic Road Bike Pro is available for the Android and iPhone platforms.  For instructional videos on how to use all of the features for both iPhone and Android smartphones, click here.

Disclosure:  Runtastic provided the Runtastic Road Bike Pro app for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.

*Note:  All app screenshots in this post are from the Android app.

2013 Minnesota State Bicycle Map Now Available

I saw this the other day on Twitter from Meet Minneapolis verifying that the long awaited 2013 Minnesota State Bicycle Map is finally available.  This is the first new statewide bicycle map produced by the Minnesota Department of Transportation since 2001.

Look what we just got, #hotoffthepress, it's the new @PedalMN #Minnesota bike map! pic.twitter.com/h3U3hKtSvM
— Meet Minneapolis (@MeetMinneapolis) August 1, 2013

Last year MN/DOT requested feedback from cyclists who ride in Minnesota and more than 2000 responded stating what is most important to display on the new map.  MN/DOT's goal for the Statewide Bicycle Planning Study was to facilitate "the development of a new state bicycle map which provides a statewide picture of bicycle accommodations in Minnesota to make it easier for people to plan longer distance bicycle trips in the state".   

The print version is now available for free and can be ordered from the Explore Minnesota website.  This new map includes Minnesota's bicycle-friendly roads but does not contain paved trails.  For maps of paved trails, visit any of the four Maps Links pages (Twin Cities Area, Southern MN, Central MN and Northern MN) on MN Bike Trail Navigator or the Bicycling in Minnesota Maps page on the MN/DOT website.  An electronic and printable version of the new statewide map should be available soon.

Visit the Explore Minnesota website to get your free copy of the 2013 Minnesota State Bicycle Map.  Simply check the box illustrated in the screen capture image above, fill out the mailing information form and one will be sent to you.  While you are there, order some of the other free State Publications or Regional Publications  to assist you with planning bike rides around the state.

Product Review: Banjo Brothers Bar-Top Phone Pack

With all of the cycling apps available for gps enabled smartphones, navigating and tracking your rides has never been easier.  But who wants to fumble around trying to get that phone out of a pocket every time you need to access a map or check your progress?  With the Banjo Brothers Bar-Top Phone Pack you no longer have to, it is right in view and at your fingertips.  Now you can take a quick glance to see your location on a map, check your mileage or see if you are on course using your favorite cycling app.

The Bar-Top Phone Pack is mounted quickly and securely to your stem and handlebars using hook and loop fasteners.  With a touch screen compatible window, it will accommodate the iPhone and most Android phones. It will even fit the larger screen models like the Samsung Galaxy S3 & S4.  A lot of handlebar mount phone packs on the market are not sized to fit these large screen phones, so if you do own  one the Banjo Brothers model will work for you.

An added bonus feature of this pack is the convenient cubby located underneath the phone compartment boasting 27 cubic inches of storage space.  This is enough room to store a wallet and keys or a digital camera.  Dimensions:  6.5"L x 3.25"W x 1.5"D

I like that it has a double zipper for use with headphones/headset and because I have an Android phone I can leave a small space unzipped to access my phone's power button on top (iPhone users have the Home button that is easily accessed through the touch screen).

There were only three minor negatives that I came across when using the Bar-Top Phone Pack.

• The phone compartment was a little to small for some of the larger Android phones that may be equipped with bulky phone cases (ex. Otterbox Defender Series).  This is easily overcome by removing the phone from the case and sliding it into the phone compartment of the pack. 

• Access to the power button on some phones to wake them from sleep may be a little tricky to get at.  If your power button is anywhere other than the top side or front face of your phone, removal from the pack to access it will be necessary unless you leave the screen on indefinitely during your ride (which will eat up battery quickly on most devices).  

• Finally, if using headphones or a headset, be sure to set your volume levels before putting it into the pack unless volume adjustment can be done on screen.  Volume buttons located other than the left side or top of the phone (leave a small space unzipped to access) will not be able to be adjusted from outside the pack.

My overall impressions of the Banjo Brothers Bar-Top Phone Pack are it is a well constructed case with secure mounting straps at a reasonable price ($14.99).  For those of us with smartphones, this pack makes it easy to view cycling navigation and ride tracking apps providing the functionality of one of those expensive gps units.  The additional space underneath the phone compartment is very convenient for taking small personal items along for the ride.

Banjo Brothers Bar-Top Phone Pack is available for purchase on their website and at many local bike shops.

Disclosure:  Banjo Brothers provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.

Product Review: Finish Line Gear Floss Microfiber Ropes

Gear Floss Microfiber Ropes from Finish Line are a simple but very effective product that makes cleaning those hardest to reach places on your bike a breeze.  If you use a wet lube, ride a lot of gravel, dusty singletrack or just like to keep your bike clean and detailed, this is a must have product.  No more getting out the brush, degreaser and rags to clean your cassette, derailleurs and chain rings.  Using these will keep the mess to a minimum where brushes can splatter and scatter grease and grime all over the place.  They're like dental floss for your bike.

Each package of Gear Floss contains 20 microfiber ropes 20 inches in length with star-shaped grooves that attract and remove dirt, grease and grime.  I put them to the test without using any type of degreaser or cleaner to see how they would perform based on the manufacturers claims.  I was pleasantly surprised at how effective they were.

I started with my cassette which had a little bit of grime, but mostly dirt and gravel dust that gets into all of those little nooks and crannies.  Like its name implies, it's as easy as flossing in and around the sprocket spaces and teeth.  Thread the floss in and slide it back and forth to pick up and remove all that clings to your cassette.

I found Gear Floss extremely effective for getting into the space between the sprockets and cleaning the surface of each tooth on the cassette.  As the Gear Floss carries away more grease and grime they get dirty and become less effective, but luckily I have 19 more to use to get the job done.  How many you end up using to complete a cleaning will depend on how dirty or neglected things have become.  For me, it took four of them to completely clean the rear cassette, deraileurs & cogs, the chain ring and some of the hard to reach places on and around the frame.

When cleaning the rounded sides of the idler and jockey wheels, the Gear Floss was a little less effective at getting all of the stubborn grime off.  A quick scrub of the brush on these loosened it enough where a second pass with the Gear Floss picked it up and removed it.  It was however effective at cleaning all of the surfaces of the derailleur's cage plate.

After a short time of cleaning with Gear Floss my cassette was as shiny as the day it was installed and my chain rings were were looking clean again.  The ends of Gear Floss are just like the ends of a shoelace making them easy to thread into tight fitting areas.  Not only can they be used to clean the above mentioned but also brake cables and calipers, around cable stops, hubs or any other hard to reach areas on your bike.  Finish Line states they are highly tear-resistant and I found this to be true.  They are washable, but reasonably priced so I just threw the dirty ones away. 

In conclusion, I am glad I found this product because I hate cleaning my cassette, derailleurs and chain rings but now that I have used Gear Floss I won't be as reluctant to keep a clean drivetrain.

Disclosure:  Finish Line did not supply the package of Gear Floss Microfiber Ropes for this review, I purchased them on my own and will continue to do so again.