STRAVA Art

 Drawing While Exercising
   Strava is an app that combines the internet and satellites to track your routes while exercising. Although I had forgotten when I started using it, Strata just sent me an email congratulating me for being with them since July 2021. I am using the free version and it provides me with all the data I need and more. I am just an ordinary octogenarian who starts up Strata when I go for a bike ride and find it interesting that I have gone X miles averaging X mph and have done so X times. Others subscribe for even more features and share and socialize with Strava users around the world. Occasionally, I get an email from them reminding me to connect with one of my sons in Vancouver if I want to compete or boast about my activities. 
  Recently I read about a woman out in that area who creates art while riding. Apparently others have been as well and you likely have seen examples, so I will keep this short for the few other people who didn't know about it.
   

  That is an example of one of my recent simple routes. The next one is slightly more complicated. If you are creative, you likely recognize that you could choose a route that might result in a picture. I can't draw, so this could be an option for me if I wasn't so tired from exercising -- and if I was more creative. 

Ms Janine Strong, out on Vancouver Island, is more creative and here is one example.

 She has also "cycled out giant bananas and long-haired women in New York, Santas in Victoria, penguins in Campbell River, strawberries in San Francisco..."  More examples can be found on her website under "GPS ART."
  Since you probably were aware of this new artistic development I will supply a few sources which may yield something you didn't know. For example, it didn't take long for people to realize that naughty pictures could also be created if one could figure out an anatomical route.

Sources:
   For the article about Ms. Strong, whose website is recommended, see: "Road is a Canvas for two-wheeled artist; Vancouver Island Athlete Merges Creative Flair with Fitness, Drawing Large Scale Images with GPS," J.J. Adams, Vancouver Province, June 17, 2025.
   For the naughty bits, if you must: ‘The Giant Penis Took Shape Easily, as I Passed Through a Village called 'Three Cocks’: Meet the Artist Athletes Drawing with GPS: From the phallus on a Welsh hillside, to a huge portrait of Chappell Roan, these Strava runners, riders and skaters have been busy …" Chris Broughton, The Guardian, May 25, 2025.
  For an early piece: "Runners and Cyclists Use GPS Mapping to Make Art: Fitness apps and the power of live satellite tracking have allowed runners, cyclists and others to draw hearts, animals, birthday wishes — and even homages to Vermeer — across their local landscapes," Claire Fahy, NYT, Sept. 24, 2022.
  Strava appears to be doing okay, if you want to sign up: "Popular Fitness App Strava Clinches Valuation of More Than $2 Billion:  Strava, whose valuation includes debt, says it acquired cycling app Breakaway," Ben Glickman, Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2025.

A London Scavenger Hunt

    I have been away for a while and lazy for much longer, but now the weather is bad and I don't  have an excuse to keep from you the valuable information I typically supply. What follows is admittedly shallow and related to London, but it allows me to limber up before attempting something more arduous. It also presents a bit of a challenge and if any local readers stumble upon it, they can take advantage of some dining and shopping experiences of which they may not have been aware. If they can figure out where these places are.
   They were discovered yesterday on my bike ride which was only a bit off the beaten path. I noticed first a rather posh-looking place, posh-looking enough that I did a u-turn. This is from the website of that establishment.

   If you also need shoes, this store is close by and you will likely agree with their advice that, "Life is short, buy the shoes!"

  You will not need to travel far to dine at a place that features items such as those pictured below. 

  You will by now have guessed that such places are not likely to be found in the downtown core or east of Adelaide.

  It is unlikely that even my wife will read this so I will note that I will take her out for  a Pimm's Cup and some gnosh if she discovers it and figures out where these places are.

Post Script:
   Since very little has been offered here, I will provide a picture which indicates that such stores used to be located in the core. You will be able to guess what store it was.

   
   Also, I can take the opportunity to allay the anxiety of those of you who are worried about the convenience of making alcohol available in convenience stores. It's just a return to the good old days. Here is a description of London, c1837:
“Besides the seven taverns there is a number of little grocery stores which are, in fact, drinking houses. And though a law exists, which forbids the sale of spiritous liquors in small quantities by any but licensed publicans, they easily contrive to elude the law; as thus:- a customer enters the shop, and asks for two or three penny-worth of nuts, or cakes, and he receives a few nuts, and a large glass of whiskey. The whiskey, you observe, is given, not sold, and no one can swear to the contrary.” 
 That is from this post in MM which presents another mystery for you to solve - i.e. what the title is about: “Dorfläden.

Biking About (No.3)

 

   On May 1, 2023 in a post labelled, "Biking About" there is a picture of the odometer on my bike and the number displayed is 4575.  In it, i indicated I would provide a tally in the fall and it is pictured above. I stopped riding around Nov.15, so during that six month period I rode about 1435K or around 890 miles. Serious cyclists will make fun of that total, but, as is the case with most things, I am not too serious about cycling. In my defence I will note that I rode mainly on nice, sunny, warm days of which there are not many in southern Ontario. There will be even fewer in the next six months and I will not be joining those riding on fat tires through the falling snow in the darkness. 

The Bonus:
   While looking for my earlier post, I found that I had done another one with the title, "Biking About," which illustrates my lack of creativity. But in it I did offer some observations about how cycling may affect sexual activity. 

Post Script:
   You have learned little from this post, but at least I have provided for myself some record of one of my activities. If I had wanted to impress you I could have offered my drinking statistics, but fortunately I didn't keep track of them. For persevering I will now provide a picture of "Octo Man" who is associated with MM. It is the only known photo of him taken during this century and it was done by accident. In attempting to take a picture of the Thames River along which the cyclist often rode, he didn't realize the phone was pointing in the wrong direction. Here is that first and last 'selfie', which, one hopes, only a few loyal readers of MM will notice. 

Biking About

 

   It is still the Victoria Day weekend and still cold, but I may go out for a bike ride. But, I may not. That is because, while sitting around inside doing nothing, I noticed the book jacket pictured above. I think you will admit, it is a rather good one, illustrating well the subjects covered. 

   How I happened upon this good cover, I don't recall. Honest! I do now have an e-bike and ride more than I used to, but I can't say I have noticed any issue with the seat. If there is any issue with the other issue, I would not know, given my advanced age. 

    I also do not know Mr. Bekman and this is not a plug for his book. I did see that it is available for a modest price and if you are having any seating problems it is readily available. Given the intellectual level of this blog, and that I offer only bespoke suggestions and references, here is one from an Ivy league source which I also just happened to happen upon. The title is: "Biking and Sex - Avoid the Vicious Cycle" and it is from the Harvard Medical School. You can read the entire report, but here are the "simple solutions" offered:

Don’t use a racing seat with a long narrow nose. Pick a wide seat, ideally with plenty of padding. Special gel-filled and shock-absorbing seats are even available.

Don’t tilt your seat upward, a position that increases pressure on the perineum.

Be sure your seat is at the correct height, so your legs aren’t completely extended at the bottom of your pedal stroke.

For extra protection, consider wearing padded biking pants.

Raise the handlebars so you are sitting more upright.

Shift your position and take breaks during long rides.

   Now that it is a bit warmer and I have offered a bit of useful advice, as well as mentioned the word "SEX", which will assist me in attracting more readers, I will go for a ride.