MBlog

Tour of California Recap

If you've never witnessed a multi-day cycling race, it is a spectacle you must experience first hand.  In California we have a magnificent opportunity to experience bicycling at it best.  The Amgen Tour of California finished up in Long Beach on Sunday, 25 February 2007.  Levi Leipheimer was the victor.  Not only did Levi win this year's Tour, he led from start to finish never relinquishing the Yellow Jersey to any of his competitors. 

With Garmin being one of the sponsors this year, we were able to see the event up close and personal.  Some staff members were treated to ride-alongs in team cars.  We got to meet our new favorite pro, Saul Raisin (please don't forget about his amazing story and how you can help).  And to top it all off, our local cycling hero from Santa Rosa, Levi, won the whole thing.  The week was an event that we will all remember fondly.

To see more of the Tour, check out Saul Raisin's Digest at saulraisin.motionbased.com.  You can check out the final day in Long Beach at Saul's Digest: Stage 7 - Tour of California.

Raisin Hope with Saul

Yesterday we gave you a little teaser when we shared Saul Raisin's Tour of California rides.  Today you're going to get the full scoop on Saul Raisin.  We met Saul on the very first day of the Tour de California when he was brought into our booth and we put an Edge 305 on his bike and set him up with an account at MotionBased.  Being the runner of the group here at MotionBased, I had no idea who Saul was when one of the guys from Discovery asked "Is that Saul Raisin?," with a lilt of wonder in his voice.  Of course upon realizing the tall lanky young man in green was in fact this Saul Raisin, Discovery-man quickly brushed by me.  And I quickly followed in close pursuit. 

The first thing I learned was that Saul is a pro rider on the team Credit Agricole.  The next thing I learned was that last April Saul was in a major collision during a race in France that left him in a coma and near death (he had to have emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain).  Despite the accident and the long recovery, Saul has got to be the nicest pro cyclist ever (OK, I'm pretty sure he's the only pro I've ever met . . . but I've got cash if anyone's willing to put a wager on it).  As part of his recovery & training, Saul wil be riding almost every stage of the Tour de California.  He leaves about 2 hours before the race starts each day and has been tracking it for MotionBased.

The video above was done for VeloNews.  While he was unable to make the trek to San Luis Obispo (shout out to my home town! - what up SLO folks!) for Stage 4 by way of bicycle due to the rain, he was still out enjoying the day with his friends and fans.   

Saul is truly an inspiring human who has turned his tragedy into a beacon of hope for others.  He has founded his own charity, Raisin Hope, which aids those who have suffered from head trauma.      

How can I support Saul and his foundation?

• Buy a "Raisin Hell - Ride ON!" bracelet
• Join the Saul Raisin Charity Ride, March 31 in Dalton, GA
• Support the Charity Ride as a volunteer, email raisinvolunteers@hotmail.com

RIDE ON SAUL!!!
MBlog post brought to you by MB's Kathryn Krieger ("kk"), pictured with Saul Raisin and MB's own Mike Maxson.

Amgen Tour of California, from the road

More Photos

As the Amgen Tour of California blew through Northern California it bought out all types, including our new friend Saul Raisin.  A true inspiration, Saul is riding about 2 hours ahead of the race every day.  We'll have more on Saul on Friday, (don't you just love it when we tease!), but you can see all his rides via the links below.

The Tour of California has been absolutely thrilling for many reasons.  If you've never been to cycling race, we highly encourage it.  It's a spectacle of some of the fittest, most competitive people on the planet.  It's also one of the best places to mix and mingle and make new firends.

The Tour started with a Prologue in our own back yard - San Francisco.  The race then made it's way from our front yard of Sausalito up to Santa Rosa.  That's where hometown hero Levi Leipheimer held on to the Yellow Jersey in his home town.  The Tour then made it's way to the state capital, and then moved on to San Jose.  The MotionBased Team then passed the batton to our Olathe, KS teammates for the southern half of the event. 

As you can see from the photos, this event drew out some interesting people and critters!  The racing was spectacular.  We hope our photos show the color and spirit of the event.

Stage 2 - Santa Rosa to Sacramento

Stage 1 - San Francisco to Santa Rosa

Amgen Tour of California

In just 2 days the Amgen Tour of California will take off!  Beginning with the Prologue in San Francisco, this Tour will traverse 700 miles of California, finishing in Long Beach.  Why are we at MotionBased so excited?  Because Garmin is one of the sponsors.  Garmin has given each and every rider an Edge 305.  We're hoping that some of the pros will be tracking their Tour.  Look for future MBlog posts to see if your favorite rider uploaded to MotionBased.  And, if you're out on the course try and stop by the Garmin booth at the Finish Line Expo of each stage and meet the MotionBased and Garmin Team.

Best Upload Practices

Last week we told you a little bit about the Upload Status Codes.  This week we want to share the best upload practices so your Upload Status page won't be littered with error messages, and you'll be free to enjoy the outdoors even more.

1. Upload directly from your device.  Make sure the activity you are trying to upload is an outdoor activity with a good satellite signal.  Uploading from the device through the Agent is much faster that trying to upload file via the Internet browser.

2. Keep your device set to Smart Recording.  Even if your activity is under 5,000 trackpoints, having it set to Every Second Recording will still slow your upload and put it toward the end of the upload queue.

3. If you are trying to complete a Manual Upload, make sure the file meets the requirements.  The most common files for Manual Uploads are GPX files and Garmin Training Center files.  Make sure your GPX file have active trackpoints and do not contain and Infinite Timestamps (INF).  Make sure you've installed the most recent version of the Training Center for those uploads.

4. If you are using the Mac Agent be sure to delete your device history from time to time.  The Mac Web Agent will upload all of the activities on your device each time you make an upload.  Deleting items from the device history will speed up the process since less data will be available to read.

Follow these tips and you should see the Successful Uploads notice more frequently!

Understanding Upload Errors

We've all lived the scenario.  You've just come in form THE ride or run or hike, etc., and you're beyond excited to see it all laid out on MotionBased.  You hook up your device, Synchronize, get the message that your data's been sent to MotionBased.  "Yes!," you think, "now I get to relive my most epic adventure to date! WOO HOO!"  You quickly go to your Inbox to find . . . nothing.  "But the Agent said that MB had received my data?," you say aloud in bewilderment. 

Fear Not! 

Before writing to Customer Support and waiting for an answer, the answer is right at your fingertips.  While the Agent refers to MB as having received the data, it doesn't necessarily mean that the data was good.  This is why if you've never checked out the Upload Status Page (the tab right behind the Inbox tab) you'll want to give it a click soon.  It will list everything, from the uploads that made it to your Inbox to the dreaded Red Squared System Error.  By clicking on the link to the error, it gives you the rundown of the Upload Status Codes you've received, and that means you'll know exactly what happened before you write to Customer Support. 

Above is just a taste of what you may see on the Upload Status Page.  Be sure to check out the Page.  If you have any questions feel free to contact Customer Support.

Garmin Power to You All!

In case you've not heard, Garmin will be running a 30-second spot during the second quarter of this year's Super Bowl.  We'll finally get to see the prequel to the YouTube video that's become so popular.

To put you in the Garmin state of mind, here's some video once again.  This time, you'll get to know Maposaurus, the villain of personal navigation, a little better:

And, if you're craving more from lead singer Steve Grimmett, Garmin Man or Maposaurus, they've given up their valuable time for interviews leading up to the big Super Bowl airing.  You can find them at the Garmin Blog.