Veloviewer map - explorer tiles

[In Reverse]

Hmm, no I've still got my expected 56x56 square.
Hope you get it sorted.

Just casually dropping that in there

[PJG]

Hmm, no I've still got my expected 56x56 square.
Hope you get it sorted.

Just casually dropping that in there

[Blackhound]

Colin - all filters are on 'all' so just me then! The nearest square to me I have lost it looks like I was very close, the road I was on perhaps just missing the square but previously showed me getting it. A few years ago I know Ben updated something to do with gps accuracy and I went from 34x34 to 14x14 or similar. It took 18 months to get those (which I had not done) squares back. More fun ahead.

[whitestone]

Colin - all filters are on 'all' so just me then! The nearest square to me I have lost it looks like I was very close, the road I was on perhaps just missing the square but previously showed me getting it. A few years ago I know Ben updated something to do with gps accuracy and I went from 34x34 to 14x14 or similar. It took 18 months to get those (which I had not done) squares back. More fun ahead.

From memory, the change a few years ago "fixed" a problem whereby his sampling algorithm created a straight line between two points, if those points were some distance apart then the straight line could grab you a square you hadn't actually visited. The sampling is most noticeable on long rides where the sampling rate is lower to reduce the number of points being downloaded.

One possible solution is to click on the ride that previously "ticked" the box and re-import it into VV - this bypasses the sampling process and the new ride uses all the data points. I've done this and lost squares and gained others so it isn't a "give me back my squares" solution but it does give a more accurate result. See this blog post - https://blog.veloviewer.com/explorer-ti ... n-updates/

[belugabob]

.

One possible solution is to click on the ride that previously "ticked" the box and re-import it into VV - this bypasses the sampling process and the new ride uses all the data points.

Where in the UI do you do this?
Cannot see that option on either the activities map or list.
I don't need to do it, right now, but just being curious

[whitestone]

The instructions are in the blog link but it's not obvious in the UI how to do it and perhaps just as importantly, that it's being done.

I do it via the map showing the tiles. Zoom in until you have decent resolution and you can click on the lines of individual activities. Click on the activity that you want and think should have collected you the square. You'll get a tiny balloon popup with the name of the Strava activity. Click on the name and a new window/tab will open showing just that activity on the map along with an elevation profile.

That's it! There's no indication that the site is now drawing the line more accurately but it does.

[Blackhound]

Thanks Whitestone, will take a look at that.

[belugabob]

Thanks Whitestone, will take a look at that.

Ditto

[numplumz]

Anyone here noticed anything odd with there VV explorer score of late? My squares dropped from 50x50 to 33x33 when I looked yesterday on two different devices. Not sure if I have altered a setting or if Ben has updated something like he did a few years ago when a similar drop in my squares happened.
I could email Ben but thought I would trouble you lot first.

Might have a possible answer Kev, as you recently moved. This happened to me I changed an innocuous setting on Strava for the security blackout area around my home: Then suddenly I lost about 15 tiles within my square.
Strava it seems added a modified flag to many of my rides causing Veloviewer to update them, thus applying their new algorithm, and removing some corners cut.

Annoying but nice for it to be accurate. Many of the rides were pre-tile grabbing, so in the interest of true accuracy when I picked up an injury and was housebound for a few weeks I went back through 100's of other rides and got VV to re-check them.

One of the filters on the activities page is for "Tiles calculated" then you can select NO. I then sorted them for distance by clicking the distance header, and opened each ride file in turn to have it rechecked. You might not like what you see I lost a few, but did gain some.

Took me the whole year to go and re-explore some areas, but added a new purpose to some of my closer to home rides.

[belugabob]

Finally dragged my road bike out into the real world, yesterday, and rode one if my planned tile-bagging routes.

Opted for an 11% hill (it felt steeper) rather than rid along a busy A road, and was rewarded with a rather nice swoopy descent.

This took me from 30x30 to 32x32, so was well worth it.

Next planned ride will definitely take me to 33x33, and 34x34 won't be too far behind that.

Just need the weather gods to be cooperative.

[Blackhound]

Might have a possible answer Kev, as you recently moved. This happened to me I changed an innocuous setting on Strava for the security blackout area around my home: Then suddenly I lost about 15 tiles within my square.

Just seen your response Jack, not sure how I missed it. That could be an explanation as to why I was affected and nobody else. It looks like at least 4 squares have been lost and I have got two of them now and back at 41x41. Decided to go and get them anyway. One of them I would have only just got into the corner of but the other was the gps track giving me the square, I had not been in it. The other two are a bit of a mystery as it seems I was nowhere near really but I will go and get them. It requires long rides to increase my squares so going back for these give a purpose to longer rides.

[Blackhound]

On my #bam ride at the weekend I got back to 50x50. The squares I lost I had not been into anyway so going to get them was the right thing to do. No idea how it all occurred.
I ventured into a new area and then picked up one tile along the Grantham canal.
I also improved my cluster to 3002 and total tiles 19003. It would nice to get my total tiles to 20,000. A challenge going forward.

[belugabob]

I've resumed my tile bagging activities, after a very slack winter (for many reasons)

Crept up from 32 x 32, to 33 x 33, but the scene is set for maybe 36 x 36 soon.

I'm getting dangerously close to having to ride in London

[Blackhound]

Their are three VV squares near Wellbck Hall, Worksop, that are on private property which also has a load of camera's around. I have seen a few of them when in the area. Anyway, I have just entered a 10km charity run/walk on May 14th going through the grounds that will certainly get two of the squares and very close to the third - and no chance of being shot! Not sure if of interest to anyone else, and it is an annual event. I grabbed the possible one last year in the early hours so really just need the two anyway.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/10k-fun- ... 9402033657

[redefined_cycles]

After boring/painful training for the past week or so, today I needed to go somewhere new. Why not go fetch a square or 4 whilst the missus and kids are entertained by the in laws.


The culprits. Sadly I never checked what my previous scores at the doors were, but going through the thread my previous number was 18. Now post-ride I'm on 20. So possibly a nice increase of 2... dunno.



The route involved this sections which the mapping app seemed to think wasn't rideable/rideworthy. But I force-routed my way and glad I did so. Possibly a mistake in OS maps as the OpenStreetMap showed no such route in Outdoor Ranger app.


Anyhow, I got there and the start looked like this. Main big gate was locked so I'm not sure how a bridleway-horse was gonna get through that special gate on the right.


Took a pic or few, only cos I like to gate-explore. Plus, this was one type I'd never seen before. Maybe costing less than a pound!


Well, okay. That spring must've cost at least £1.20 from the local car-boot sales. But it was a decent gate as long as you didn't explore the bottom loose sections.


Found myself a little hitchhiker and was on my way. Found the path which had me thinking, it's definitely not a bridleway. Could OS have got it wrong!


Well, obviously yes they had it wrong or there was a good story to it. Maybe it's for arabian horse and running jumps are required.


Perfectly co-ordinated running jumps with strong brakes for the other side!


The theme of special/niche gates (hope I used it right... never did my citizenship test you know!!) continued. This one was either at the end of the path, or, at the end of the end of the path. It was a lifter-upper and to the side. Said 'footpath up above it so obviously there'd been differences of opinion somewhere. Here, there, or before that even!


Another naughty maggot tried to hop aboard here. But a quick 'huff and a puff' and it was gone.


At some point I got signs for St Ives which had me thinking, 'I know this name'. Not sure from where... possibly famous!!


Saw a Whimbrel and took a quick-snap, mid ride. Don't think it was my quick reflexes but the bird just couldn't be bothered to fly away. Bob'll say it's a Curlew, but Whimbrels are more exotic (slightly) and even the experts have hard times 'differencing' (did I say about the citizenship test, terrible citizen me ) them. Oh well...

Oh, and earlier before entering my new squares, I'd heard a sonic bird up above. Flying like a jet fighter and sounding like it was zapping out sonic/sonar bullits. 'Twas' an amazing feeling but happened so fast. Maybe I'd imagine it..


TBC

Right, so went to check if I could find the culprit bird. Best I got was this vid showing a Northern Flicker https://youtube.com/shorts/WDecq2YL1Ms?feature=share I doubt that's what I saw, though the sound was almost identical.


My shiny new (fraying at the edges) square


Managed to catch the new squares and now at 20 x 20 Alhamdulillah.

[Alpinum]

Cheers for digging this up Shaf

Made me want to look back and compare to today.

April, 2021

Last couple of weeks I've been trying to get in at least 7 new tiles per week. So far it's working out well and am enjoying exploring places I wouldn't usually visit or visited but didn't record or have been wanting to visit for ages.
Jumped from a 11 x 11 square to 13 x 13 square.
North and West of home is easy to extend, the Prealps fade into the what we call midlands. South and East is trickier, the Alps are like a wall (Eiger North wall for example) towards the SE.

I do wonder where this will take me and am looking forward to more exploring.[...]

Well, since then I've kept on collecting those >7 new tiles/week (average). Mostly new tiles come in a few on rides in the Alps, but once I head towards the Jura or Seeland, I can collect loads in one long ride, which will have led to a higher average than 7/week.

Currently at 26 x 26 square.

Screenshot_20230619_201911.jpg (118.21 KiB) Viewed 455 times

Some rides I haven't done in the last 7 years, so not displayed on VV would connect some large clusters in Grisons and Valais with my main one. Time to repeat I guess

[redefined_cycles]

you managed to get a bigger square than me and I'm only on top of the Peak District. Hardest thing being (probably) black Hill (cos of the bog).

Message to self, must try harder!! I keep having this imaginary 'think' of getting out thw road bike and riding the perimeter of my whole (20x20) square. But, it'd be rather painful

[PaulB2]

Went out for a 3 hour ride on country lanes last night and filled in the empty square on my 9x9 block while putting in lots of foundations for the 15x15 I'm building towards - just 48 squares to go so hopefully I can get that done this summer.

[redefined_cycles]

That'll be a massive jump that Paul. Well done
Looking back at my previous year, it seems I only went up by 2 x 2 in the whole year. Despite riding around filling in squares at the edgs/corners of my block.

Bloomin hard work (kind of... enjoyable though, especially when you see a different/unique view from inside your new square!).

[redefined_cycles]

Went to grab some tiles, 5 to be exact, up at Ilkley Moor. Made the route which only caught 3 tiles, or so I thought. So would have to do a bit of to and fro-ing to get all 5.

Main problem being that Ilkley Moor is mainly foothpaths and totally limited bridleways! Made the route and went out in hope.


They'd obviously thought this through. Especially for people that couldn't read maps, they'd put it in writing as well as pics.


From various angles, you'd have to be really silly to not realise there was no cycling rules up here.



After having caught two squares already, it'd be daft to let this one to the right go. So I popped down my bike and tried to walk into it. Over the various moorland shrubbery etc.

I walked and walked and walked. Bike laid at the pathside, where there was no cycling on the hardpacked excellent trails But no matter how far I walked, the square just seemed out of reach and my bearings were beginning to fail. As well as the bike being out of view and I saw two walkers coming the opposite way.



Plan b was to ride fuether up and turn right (off route) at the 12 apostles intersection. Lovely riding down it was too and I grabbed the elusive square. Turning and riding back up though, the Ilkley Moor Ranger had obviously spotted me. I quickly got off the bike and made like I was waiting for him to drive past.

We had a little discussion and I tried my bestest not to lie. But he'd kinda figured me out anyway and told me that there was strictly no riding and mentioned the yellow marker posts. Told him I'd carry the bike like this (held it like a baby) and he agreed it looked like hard work and I could just roll it. Ilkley Moor Ranger was a nice chap and I kinda suggested I'd walk it all.


Then I walked back and then down, north, past 12 apostles intersection. It was all massive slabs that wouldn't notice me riding em or not, but I didn't want to be seen as a tricky-player. Grabbed another square and turned back on myself back towards the rocks.


This was probably the highlight of the walky-ride. OpenStreetMap says its called Stanza-Stone Puddle but OS maps seems to call it the Thimble Stone. Maybe I'm confused, dunno... Saw a hare sneak out from the undergrowth as I tried to spot some grouse (or whatever ground nesting birds they were that kept jumping out every so often). Tried to get a pic but it was way too fast!


Now this is where it got interesting. I'd estimated that all the squares would be activated, so there'd be no need to go for another ranger-dodging walky-ride. But when I turned out of the gate (centre of pic/map) I looked up at Keighley Rd. It was marked as Bridleway on the ground. I just needed to ride up it for quart a mile abd both them sqaures would have been mine

Oh well... At least I saw this bridge and waterfall at the next walking-ride section. But off Ilkley Moor and I'd spoken to the farmer already who suggested to stay close to the wall!