GPS websites & maps

Face it, juggling paper maps can be frustrating, aggravating, and a pain.  Add in inaccuracies and omissions, and it can turn into a nightmare when you are trying to navigate unfamiliar territory.  Most of us have at least TRIED some type of GPS navigation at this point.  I have been seriously thinking about replacing my less-than-satisfactory Sprint navigation on my cell phone with a real GPS.

For most of us in the USA, there are three big names: Garmin, Tomtom, and Magellan.  I know people who have bought all three, and I also know people who love or hate all three brands.  I suspect that even the worst model compares well to using my cell phone as a GPS device, so I had no preference between brands.  I am highly concerned about cost however, and that includes more than the initial cost, but the cost of upgrading maps too.  Since I haven’t bought one yet, I am also concerned about the hassles of navigation on the website.  If I can’t successfully price maps without aggravation on their website, am I really going to be happy with the software and navigation system on their device?

Tomtom’s website scored a zero.  I couldn’t get a price after choosing two different models unless I had a serial number for my device, so it could inform me whether my device had enough memory.  This was not a good sign, since I chose a model from an advertisement I had received from TigerDirect in my email this morning.  The fine print from TigerDirect also informed me that refurbished models could not get a free update from Tomtom, but new models could get a 30 day map.  Add a mysterious price to that, and Tomtom was not looking like a likely candidate at all.

Next came Garmin, which is probably the industry leader.  Their website qualified as average for navigation and finding what I wanted, and more people I know are using Garmin.  This familiarity is an attractive feature, however, upon pricing maps from Garmin, I was horrified to realize I would quickly invest several hundred dollars in maps, should I opt to use their models.  Most of the maps started at $79.99, and multiple maps would quickly be needed if a long trip was planned.  This wasn’t looking like a cost effective choice for me either.

Magellan is probably the least common of the big three, and I’d been told by the geeky sort that they were the “best buy” in the GPS market because of high quality and high customer satisfaction ratings, along with good feature sets and moderate price.  Their website is fairly decent to navigate, although I was a bit uncertain about which maps were usable on which devices.  Maps aren’t cheap, however, they seem to include more, with the USA topo map including ALL of the USA, rather than regions, and listed at $149.99.  Prices on their devices via their outlet on the website were also very consumer-friendly, with full featured devices that would both fit my budget AND my initial qualifications for a GPS device.  It doesn’t hurt that it offers a AAA discount, or that it uses AAA ratings for a number of amenities along the way either.  It may even be compatible with AAA’s trip routing.   (Yes, I confess, I’m a die hard AAA member who has been towed, had my car unlocked, been jump started, and even had a key made using AAA’s services.)

I’m not done with my research, I would really like a device that I can use in the van, and then when I launch the Swamp Thing (a beast of an aluminum boat for fishing) into one of the numerous rivers, I would like it to prevent me from getting lost in the multiple tributaries, channels and tall marsh grass, unable to find my way back to the boat launch.  Assuming my shoulder recovers, I may be concerned about using my device while hiking too.  I’m not sure that this can be done by your average GPS, and I’m also  not sure I want to deal with multiple devices all needing updated periodically.

So far though, I have to admit…Magellan is looking like a likely choice.

Bike shopping and a reality check

I visited traditional brick & mortar stores yesterday on the quest for a new bike.  In the meantime, I had a number of reality checks.

Reality check #1-Overweight middle aged women with gray hair are not a high priority in at least the one real cycle shop I did actually visit.  Zero for customer service at Eastbank Cyclery, and I won’t be visiting them again, and even if I could afford the bike that I fell in love with there, I’d not buy it there.  (Trek’s Navigator 2.0 WSD-it fit PERFECT!)  It was quite obvious that had I been 30 years younger, I’d have received a lot of attention, or if I was a lean male with an eye on racing bikes.  There are still a few other bike shops in the Greater New Orleans area, and also in the Gulfport-Biloxi area (I liked Long Beach’s bike shop’s website-it just SOUNDED friendly & helpful!) GNO Cyclery’s website is “under construction” and the other shops on the east bank don’t have websites at all.  So…maybe I’ll visit them at some point.

Stores such as Walmart, Academy Sports and Sports Authority also do not score high on customer service.  But, with lower prices, you somewhat expect zero in that category, so there is a difference in expectation.  The cycle shop’s staff was a total surprise-they would do anything to avoid eye contact, resulting in a visit to the store of about 10 minutes, and a vow to never return.  I’ll shop online and wait for delivery first.  Since Trek bikes are not sold online (weird, huh?) I’ll drive to Long Beach first–it’s only an hour or two down the interstate.  Barring a lottery win, I’m not anticipating being able to purchase the bike I liked so much any time soon.

Reality check #2 was the serious need for at least 2 tires on the van.  This is a serious issue, because it has to come out of the so-called “discretionary” portion of the budget.  There may not be a bicycle at all in the foreseeable future, depending on what that ends up costing.  They have to be bought in pairs, and since this is the first tires to be bought in the three years I have owned the van, it is a huge unknown as to what its going to cost.  So, once Greg gets the tire size off of the current (and worn out) tires, I need to start pricing them online before I head to brick & mortar stores for replacing them.  To NOT replace them is foolish-they are worn out and a potential danger, and we cannot afford an accident as a result of tire malfunction.  We had a near miss last year with a rear tire blowing out (not once, but twice in a 2 week period) and they were replaced with used tires (probably resulting in the second blow out.)  It caused substantial damage in the area around the tire & the gas tank intake gizmo on the first blow out, when I also discovered the spare had dry rot 2 miles down the interstate where it went flat as well (where you put gas into the tank.)  Cosmetic damage but it was still damage.  I am not buying used tires to replace the worn out front tires-the van is a front wheel drive, and they are critical for steering as well.  Just the thought of the potential cost is making my stomach knot-I really REALLY wanted to buy a bike!

Sometimes, it really sucks to be a grown up!

Well, he came in with the tire size, and it’s not as bad as I was afraid it was going to be.  We can get Cooper tires for it from Tire Kingdom for $69.99 plus an unknown fee for road hazard warranty, tire disposal, etc. and the tires are a 60,000 mile tire–not great ones, but not the cheapest on the market.  Hopefully, they aren’t being made in China from used condoms or something…another gripe I have.  We are still fighting the whole Chinese dry wall problem with post-Katrina rebuilds here on the Gulf Coast.  The last thing I want is to discover that I’ve bought tires from China with who-knows-what-recall down the road for me.  The problem with those recalls is that they only happen after a tragedy has occurred.  Sam’s Club has a BF Goodrich tire (Made in the USA) for $72.66, but I can’t tell from the website if it includes installation/balancing.  It looks like they package a road hazard warranty with a “premium installation” package at $15 per tire–higher than Walmart’s tire warranty, and they also have a much better tire selection in my tire size.  For the few extra dollars, I am inclining towards Sam’s Club-there are more Sam’s Clubs across the nation than there are “Tire Kingdoms” (I think?) so if there is ever an issue with the tires…

I still say, being a grown up really sucks! I’m depressed because now the bicycle budget has to go to tires instead.  Grrrrr

At least its simplifying things-I’m much more likely to just buy an $88 special and be happy with the fact I have two wheels now.  I keep telling myself that it is critical to emergency preparedness to have decent tires on our sole motor vehicle at all times, and right now, they are NOT decent tires, especially on the front.  Greg has expressed serious concerns over relatively short drives to Mississippi right now on these tires, and stated firmly they need replaced now, not in a few months.  I can’t argue, I know better–they really DO need it.  So, either tomorrow or Tuesday, Nellie goes off to get new shoes on her front end.

I’m going to talk myself into being happy with the cheapest bike I can find now–the other alternative is no bike at all, and I really DO want to start riding.  I truly expect to be able to ride for a year on a cheap bike, even though I know its highly likely I will have to buy a 24″ bike because low end bikes are designed for Amazonian women.  I think they are simply moving how they place the cross bars from the front fork to the rear & seat post and slapping on a “women’s” label from the male design, not taking into consideration that women are much smaller & proportioned differently.  In reality, spending under $100 for a temporary fix, changing the seat to a gel seat, and getting into the groove of riding is smarter than spending $200 for a bike, still having to change the seat out, and not being any happier with it than I would have been with the under $100 version because it still uses low-end components.  No one in town has a Lamborghini bike in stock, so I was going to end up buying it without ever trying to see if it really did fit, which is also a nightmarish decision with such a huge unknown.  The Trek bike I loved had a 13.5″ frame…the Lamborghini has a 17″ frame…was it also going to fit and it was nothing more than a difference in measurement?  I don’t know.  There was no way I could afford the $400 bike now, which meant that even with a $200 one, it was a second best to the one I really wanted…

Decisions!  I am also obviously going through the sour grapes routine, trying to talk myself out of wanting the Lamborghini bike and into an $88 Walmart special, or else into realizing that I’m going to be just as unhappy with a more expensive second best as I am with a cheap third best.  My reality check might be a very good thing, I can still manage to get a cheap bike, start riding the local trails, and take it along on camping trips.  I will learn what I am comfortable with, and what changes I would like in a better bike.  Then, when we can afford it, I will not feel guilty at all at donating the cheap bike and riding off happily into the sunset with my new “real” bike.  It’s a long ways from that heavy Huffy I rode a million years ago on that day the dog came after me and ended up sending me to the ER to have a hand x-rayed before I went home to doctor a million “boo boos” from road rash. (that was when I gave up frequent bike riding-it became an infrequent thing, and my last one like that, I rode my daughter’s bike occasionally to the bank/post office/etc.)  I’m hoping that the dog situation has improved, and that I don’t have some peculiar phobia about potential dogs chasing me on a bike from that long ago nasty fall.  I honestly don’t know-it’s been that long since I’ve ridden. My daughter was in kindergarten when I took the fall, now she’s far closer to 30 than 20,  and expecting my first grandchild!

In another sense, perhaps this reality check situation has relieved some of the stress in the bike shopping.  I no longer feel obligated to visit cycling shops and study forums for information.  Now I’m going to be content with my cheap bike and willing to explore my world on 2 wheels, which is going to go a lot further towards physical fitness & trail riding than researching was, and is much less stressful than trying to make a decision!

Oh I did find a large sized “delivery” basket for a front wheel mount that looks like it will be big enough for Sissy to ride in, as well as heavy duty enough to carry her 25# behind.  Obviously, we’ll have to put a stiff bottom in for her, and teach her to ride without her usual fidgeting, but I think she will do quite well as she rides with her “daddy.”  Red, because of her immense size in the ride-along category, will have to ride in a trailer.  Her age means that running alongside is not feasible for rides longer than a mile or two, so I need a way to carry her in between running sessions if she is to accompany us as well.  When camping, leaving them behind is not an option, as that is not allowed at most campsites and doesn’t make any sense anywhere.  Red is too much of an escape artist with some serious separation anxiety issues about being left behind–I couldn’t even think about leaving her behind longer than just to go to the bathroom.  I rarely leave her anywhere but at home without a babysitter.  Sissy just barks so damned much that she would annoy anyone with that “woo woo…woo…woo woo woo…woo” over and over.  I’m wondering if she’s going to do the “woo woo…woo” and cujo routine when she’s riding with Greg.  We will definitely have to strap her in securely using a harness to prevent mishaps.

Oversized front bike basket (largest I have found) from Amazon.

Inexpensive bike rack for van from Amazon.

Bike rack, once again from Amazon.

Bike trailer–from our familiar & easy to use Amazon once again. This is a cargo trailer-I really liked the price & style on this one for a general purpose trailer.  At just under $100, it’s a great price!

Dog trailer-this one is designed specifically for a large dog.  Its weight rating is high enough it is really depressing that Red and Sissy cannot be anywhere together!  This is more expensive than the cargo trailer, with a more limited use.  It might be wiser to get 2 cargo trailers, and then fasten a dog crate to the trailer (if possible)  A custom cover for rain would be easy enough to make, and shading a crate isn’t hard either.  Some people may find my desire to protect the dogs from rain as foolish-but keep in mind, that Red sleeps in the tent with us, on our bed with us.  If she’s coming into a tent completely drenched, she can be carrying over a gallon of water in that coat of hers.  Nobody will be very comfortable then!  At home, if she is drenched, we’ll easily saturate three full sized bath towels getting her dried off, and that is not an attractive prospect when camping.  It would be mildly annoying when we have access to washers & dryers, but downright dangerous if the temperatures are rapidly dropping into the cold zone in winter, not just for Red, but for all of us.  Sissy, with her single coat, can actually be dried entirely with a thick hand towel.  Her position riding in the basket with Greg would mean she’d need warm coats (warmer than her fleece one now) and a rain coat, just like he would wear.  We would also consider devising some sort of weather protection, including shade, for her in the basket, but that will be a DIY job.  First, we’d have to teach both dogs about riding and about running alongside (on leash) the bikes.

Just imagine if we were taking the cats along too!

If you are going to go shopping, check out the gear at the Get Ready GO! General Store (powered by Amazon, so its totally safe too!)