Hello all,
This is my first post here and will be among other biking areas. I have been biking for about a year now and just recently purchased a Garmin Edge 205. So far it has been a really great little device and I am extremely happy I put out the money for it as it has caused me to push myself more than I did before. Why? Well because the GPS like other cycle computers displays the speed, distance, etc. I love the speed so naturally I try my hardest to keep it in the double digits.
So, to quickly introduce myself and why I am making this post. I am a security engineer (networking, IT work, development, etc) and since I have gotten my GPS I have been using a site (www.gpsies.com) to take my exported Garmin GPX file and display it on Google Maps. This website has been great as its free and offers several options. After taking a look at the Google Maps API I was surprised to see how easy it was to plot my files. As of now I have a basic website, login with sessions passed around and the ability to upload files. Apart from that I found a XSL (stylesheet to transform XML -- the format of the GPX file) that is able to take my GPX file in and produce a Google Map friendly file.
So why am I explaining all this? Well I think it would be interesting to have a website similar to gpsies.com, but also promotes the inner competition within other bikers. I am sure a lot of you including myself enjoy a good race and a friendly competition. With that said, what about a site like this. Users can create an account, log in and upload their GPS files that then get plotted on Google Maps. All this is currently present on gpsies.com, but heres the extra feature. Bikers can look at a users course and initiate a "challenge" (assuming they live in the same area). From here they can download the file and upload it to their GPS. Once they race the person's course they can post their file online and claim the victory. The idea is a little rough, but maybe top riders can earn points or just the glory of taking the top speed.
Each user would have their own biking profile and in return would be categorized by the said profile. For example, it wouldn't really be fair if you had a 30lb cross comfort bike going against a 7 lb road bike. Everything would be organized giving each person an equal shot. At first it would be slow, but as more people uploaded their courses, the more racing would begin. Not only would this bring together other bikers and give motivation, but it would be powered for the users and by the users.
I would like to know what everyone thought. Questions, comments or concerns. I am new to the arena of web programming, but Google seems to make it a breeze. It would be great if there were some fellow biker programmers out there that would be willing to support the project or idea. If something is to be completed, I promise it will be free to the community. Open source and no monthly/annual charges.
Spread this around, if you like the idea please PM me or post back.
This is my first post here and will be among other biking areas. I have been biking for about a year now and just recently purchased a Garmin Edge 205. So far it has been a really great little device and I am extremely happy I put out the money for it as it has caused me to push myself more than I did before. Why? Well because the GPS like other cycle computers displays the speed, distance, etc. I love the speed so naturally I try my hardest to keep it in the double digits.
So, to quickly introduce myself and why I am making this post. I am a security engineer (networking, IT work, development, etc) and since I have gotten my GPS I have been using a site (www.gpsies.com) to take my exported Garmin GPX file and display it on Google Maps. This website has been great as its free and offers several options. After taking a look at the Google Maps API I was surprised to see how easy it was to plot my files. As of now I have a basic website, login with sessions passed around and the ability to upload files. Apart from that I found a XSL (stylesheet to transform XML -- the format of the GPX file) that is able to take my GPX file in and produce a Google Map friendly file.
So why am I explaining all this? Well I think it would be interesting to have a website similar to gpsies.com, but also promotes the inner competition within other bikers. I am sure a lot of you including myself enjoy a good race and a friendly competition. With that said, what about a site like this. Users can create an account, log in and upload their GPS files that then get plotted on Google Maps. All this is currently present on gpsies.com, but heres the extra feature. Bikers can look at a users course and initiate a "challenge" (assuming they live in the same area). From here they can download the file and upload it to their GPS. Once they race the person's course they can post their file online and claim the victory. The idea is a little rough, but maybe top riders can earn points or just the glory of taking the top speed.
Each user would have their own biking profile and in return would be categorized by the said profile. For example, it wouldn't really be fair if you had a 30lb cross comfort bike going against a 7 lb road bike. Everything would be organized giving each person an equal shot. At first it would be slow, but as more people uploaded their courses, the more racing would begin. Not only would this bring together other bikers and give motivation, but it would be powered for the users and by the users.
I would like to know what everyone thought. Questions, comments or concerns. I am new to the arena of web programming, but Google seems to make it a breeze. It would be great if there were some fellow biker programmers out there that would be willing to support the project or idea. If something is to be completed, I promise it will be free to the community. Open source and no monthly/annual charges.
Spread this around, if you like the idea please PM me or post back.
