Biking has been slow since the move, and the cold weather isn’t helping. I’ve been trying to use the trainer, but it is quite boring. Anyway, I was bored, so I took the Gunnar and M2 apart for some winter maintenance. Neither bike had anything wrong, just routine disassembly, cleaning, lube and reassembly. The M2 got a new pair of tires, some Michelin XC AT 2.0s. The old rear Michelin XL S was getting a little tired, and had duct tape holding some rips in the sidewall. The old front tire was a Specialized Roll X Pro that has held up well, but was worn out.

I also swapped the 36t small chainring back on the Gunnar. I bet you were on the edge of your seat to hear that one…

The Gunnar, rebuilt and clean. Hopefully the snow will melt soon.

After the I finished cleaning and reassymbling the M2, and before the ice and snow, I took it out to a nearby trail. The Schaeffer Farms Trail system proved interesting, and I was able to get in about 45 minutes of riding, only the last half in the snow. A few inches of snow and ice are forcasted for tonight and tomorrow, so I guess its back to the trainer…

After a week of driving around lost, I bought a GPS. I did some research and decided on the tomtom One. This GPS is an entry-level model with basic features and a relatively low price. I chose the tomtom because it is small, got positive reviews, and was inexpensive (about $400). After two weeks of almost daily use I have some observations:

Positive:

• The user interface and menu system is excellent. In my opinion it is superior to the Garmin systems I have used (Nuvi & StreetPilot).
• The maps are acceptable. I am waiting for a set of updated maps on DVD from tomtom. The maps were free*, except for $6 shipping. Future updates are about $50.
• The unit is small and very thin. It easily fits in your pocket.
• The suction cup mount works well. I initially had it mounted on the windscreen, but I though it was a little too conspicuous. I moved it to the center console, using the suction cup mount on the premium Honda wood grain painted plastic. It renders the storage bin unusable, so I may change the mounting position at some point.

Negative:

• The USB data connection transfer speed is painfully slow
• The included software for OS X does not work. It hangs consistently and is useless.
• The included software for Windows is pretty awful as well. While the Windows version actually runs, it is slow and has a poor user interface that violates just about every standard for a Windows application.
• The USB charger must be connected separately from the in-car dock. A minor inconvenience that is one of the trade-offs on this entry-level model
• While giving turn-by-turn voice instructions the tomtom One does not convert street names to speech, another feature only found on the more expensive models.

Summary:
The tomtom One is an acceptable in-car GPS. It compares favorably to other similarly priced units, but lacks some useful features. I would not hesitate to recommend this GPS, but only after disclosing the lack of a powered dock and absence of text-to-speech functionality.

Well, we moved. We left Missouri on the morning of the first of January. Here is some of what we saw along the way…

Illinois in windy. As you can see, the Accord was fairly heavily loaded, plus there were three bikes on the carrier. It averaged 23-24 mpg, which isn’t all that bad when the payload and bikes are taken into consideration. The normal fuel economy (per tank) is usually between 19 and 28 mpg.

Dogs in Illinois have three legs.

Since there were no other photos on my phone of any other states, it is safe to assume that there was nothing else of interest during our trip. The first night in Maryland we stayed here, a hotel room with three (of five) bikes and a dog:

The house is still full of boxes (about 150), but at least the dog is mostly happy.

Happy dog. She is probably just happy to be out of her car kennel.

The dog’s new yard; she doesn’t seem to mind the lack of grass.

The view from the backyard. The trail is easily accessible and has a few short loops.

More work to do…