Route Profiles

big_h · Oct 12, 2002

Hi Guys With all the newfangled heart rate monitors and especially the Polar S710 can we not start a library that shows route profiles. It would be of great benefit for us intrepid cyclists. We would be able to compare routes and determine some sort of difficultness. Keep em spinning Big H

Vo2 · Oct 12, 2002

Big_H, you mean route profiles downloaded from a HRM like the S710 or just images like this?

big_h · Oct 13, 2002

VO 2 Any profile will do. The one shown above was most likely created by using a S710. There are just too many bumps on the M2 that does not suit the geometry of a freeway. It will be quite a task generating a longsection like this form a 1:50 000 or similar. Even with a GIS it will be difficult. Most of the big races provide a route profile but the smaller ones like the Rooiwal, Bronkies, Queens, Wonderpark etc and other have nothing. When you have a good day it is difficult to determine whether you were a star or the route was good for you. Keep em spinning!!! Big H

rek · Oct 13, 2002

The only problem with using an S710 for a profile graph is that the PPP software graphs altitude over time, and not altitude over distance. You'd need to do a bit of extra fudging of the raw altitude/speed/time data in Excel or something to come up with a true profile curve.

big_h · Oct 13, 2002

Yes that makes it a bit more complex. I will have to butter up my GIS contacts and find out what can be done. Any other suggestions out there. Somebody with a GPS perhaps????? Keep em spinning Big H

rek · Oct 19, 2002

big_h, it takes a little bit of effort, but it's definitely not difficult to convert altitude/time to altitude/distance when you have the speed information (as speed = distance over time).. it just requires a little bit of spreadsheet trickery, that's all. If I have a slow point at work next week I might have a play around in Excel and see what I can come up with ;D

2LAP · Oct 20, 2002

I'd like a copy of that!

rek · Oct 20, 2002

hmm, it's MUCH easier than I thought ;D Here's the profile of my ride to work:

and the original altitude/time graph from the Polar software:

I like the profile graph more, it makes the hills look bigger!

rek · Oct 20, 2002

Oh yeah .. how to do it:

open your exercise chart in Polar Precision Performance and select the raw data listing view
select 'copy' from the Edit menu.
open Excel to a blank workbook and paste. you should have a heap of columns with your time/HR/speed/cadence/altitude
start a new column "Distance" or some such. the FIRST entry on this should be =<first speed data cell>/720
the second entry should be =<first distance data cell>+(<second speed data cell>/720)
use the fill-down tool to fill up the rest of the column's cells to the end of the data. the very last distance data item should match up with what the Polar software reports the cycling distance as being.
select the graph toolbar thingy and set up a smoothed X-Y scatter graph. The distance column should be your X axis, and the altitude column the Y axis.
mess about with the appearance to your liking and enjoy

Here is the XLS spreadsheet I used to make the quick graph above: http://yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au/~tilmanis/temp/profile.xls BTW the '720' is assuming you are using the 5-second sample rate (the significance of the number is that 1 sample per 5 seconds is 720 samples per hour; what the calculation is doing is changing "kilometres per hour" to "kilometres per sample time".)

Old Timer · Oct 20, 2002

Rek Fascinating, well done. ;D Now how do I save the exercise profile chart in Polar Precision Performance to a file that I can send to someone to display in the way that you have done? ???

big_h · Oct 20, 2002

Rek What you did is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the email, one thing though.... we need to employ the help of VO2 or Steve oe somebody to create a space where these charts can be stored. Wonder if that is possible. Another thing, the scales (hor and Vert) will have to be constantly the same to enable one to compare apples with apples. Wonder if that is possible. Keep em spinning Big H

admin · Oct 20, 2002

[quote author=big_h link=board=6;threadid=2516;start=0#21748 date=1035142432] Rek What you did is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the email, one thing though.... we need to employ the help of VO2 or Steve oe somebody to create a space where these charts can be stored. Wonder if that is possible. Another thing, the scales (hor and Vert) will have to be constantly the same to enable one to compare apples with apples. Wonder if that is possible. Keep em spinning Big H [/quote] You can just use the attach feature when you posting a message (it works now) cheers!

rek · Oct 20, 2002

[quote author=Old Timer link=board=6;threadid=2516;start=0#21747 date=1035133512] Rek Fascinating, well done. ;D Now how do I save the exercise profile chart in Polar Precision Performance to a file that I can send to someone to display in the way that you have done? ??? [/quote] Instead of pasting the raw data into Excel, paste into a text file in Notepad or something -- and send that off. It'll be a tab-delimited text file, which Excel can import quite easily.

Old Timer · Oct 20, 2002

Rek Sorry. I meant I wanted to save and send the actual Polar profile chart.

rek · Oct 20, 2002

Oh .. to do the above pic I just took a screenshot, cropped out the windows taskbar etc., and resized the graphic to make it a sensible size for web viewing. You can also make a PDF file (higher quality output) by printing, if you have the full Adobe Acrobat software package ... however there is a bit of a problem with doing that, as the scales of the graph don't show up on the right hand side.

I must remember to ask Polar about that.

big_h · Oct 21, 2002

Steve If there is enough interest can we create another topic in the forums where we can "store" these graphs? It can have subdivisions for Aussie and RSA with regions then subdivided in that. I think this whole feature can become a great drawcard for the forum. We just need to set a standard so the scales can be constant. Let the gurus reply!!!! Keep em spinning Big H

admin · Oct 21, 2002

[quote author=big_h link=board=6;threadid=2516;start=15#21774 date=1035198651] Steve If there is enough interest can we create another topic in the forums where we can "store" these graphs? It can have subdivisions for Aussie and RSA with regions then subdivided in that. I think this whole feature can become a great drawcard for the forum. We just need to set a standard so the scales can be constant. Let the gurus reply!!!! Keep em spinning Big H [/quote] If you want it, we can do it......simple as that

As a rule, if you wanna start another section you just need to do the following;

send me a Name and description
be prepared to be a moderator for that forum

The only thing i wont do is start regional forums as everyone will end up being isolated from everyone else. The way it is now no-one has any choice but to mix with everyone else regardless of where they're from

cheers!

Vo2 · Oct 21, 2002

Nice work, Rek.

I like it!

big_h · Nov 4, 2002

Steve I sent you an email previously regarding the route profiles. What does the job of administrator entail??? How much time do I have to spend doing this??? The only reason why I want the profiles to be sorted by region is that I am not really interested in the profile of a route in Perth or Sydney, neither are you interested in the profile of the Rooiwal or Klipdri froute. There would be just more order if it can be split. Keep those wheels spinning Big H

rek · Nov 16, 2002

Some news re route profiles. I read from the Polar Aust. forum that there's a Dutch company that will make altitude profile graphs for you for free: http://www.senso-unico.nl/polarprofielframe.html

Route Profiles

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