Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where...

9
1 Olympic Peninsula Cycling.com Users Guide This guide is provided to assist all registered users on Olympic Peninsula Cycling.com and want to share information on routes, events, or services. I. Logging In To log in: 1) Go to the website Homepage and scroll to the bottom for “User Dashboard” login on the right. 2) Enter your username and password. 2) Click on “Sign In.” The site will load again and if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll find options for adding a listing or changing ones you’ve already submitted. Adding a Listing To add a listing, just click on the “Add Listing” button, which opens a menu for adding a route, an event (a ride), or a service. Select one and a form will appear for that particular kind of listing. Complete the form, making sure you’ve filled in all manadatory fields. Don’t worry, you’ll be prompted if you haven’t.

Transcript of Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where...

Page 1: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

1

OlympicPeninsulaCycling.comUsersGuide

ThisguideisprovidedtoassistallregisteredusersonOlympicPeninsulaCycling.comandwanttoshareinformationonroutes,events,orservices.I.LoggingInTologin:1) GotothewebsiteHomepageandscrolltothebottomfor“UserDashboard”

loginontheright.

2)Enteryourusernameandpassword.2) Clickon“SignIn.”Thesitewillloadagainandifyouscrolltothebottomofthepage,you’llfindoptionsforaddingalistingorchangingonesyou’vealreadysubmitted.

AddingaListingToaddalisting,justclickonthe“AddListing”button,whichopensamenuforaddingaroute,anevent(aride),oraservice.Selectoneandaformwillappearforthatparticularkindoflisting.Completetheform,makingsureyou’vefilledinallmanadatoryfields.Don’tworry,you’llbepromptedifyouhaven’t.

Page 2: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

2

Onceyou’vefinishedtheform,clickonthe“Publish”buttonontheright:

ThatwillsendyourlistingtoanOPBAadministratorforreview,andthisiswhatyou’llsee.

OnceanOPBAadministratorhasreviewedyourinformation,itwilleitherbepublishedortheadministratorwillcontactyouifadditionalinformationiswantedorsomethingneedstobeclarifiedormodified.

Page 3: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

3

AddingaRouteListing:**Beforeyoustarttheprocess:Ifyoudonothaveagpxfileoftheroute,wewon’tbeabletolistit.Havingagpxfileoftherouteavailablefordownloadtootherusersisanessentialfeatureofallroutelistingsonoursite.Pleasesendyourgpxfileviaemailtoinfo@olympicpeninsulacycling.com.Aneditororadministratorwillincorporateitinyourlistingaspartofthereviewprocess.**Choose“Route”forthelistingtypeyouwanttoadd,andthisformwillappear:

Unlessyouwanttopaytoadvertiseyourlisting(unlikely,right?),youcanignorethe“SelectPackage”section.Formostroutes,therewon’tbeanysocialmediainformationtoimporteither,soyoucanpassbythataswell.Foryourroutelisting,thefirstthingsyouneedtoenterwillbea“RouteTitle”anda“RouteDescription.”Theseareprettyself-explanatory,buttheroutedescriptionisabriefnarrativemeanttoconveyessentialinformationabouttheroute:whattypeofrouteitis(e.g.,

Page 4: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

4

road,mountainbike,mixedsurface),whereitis,whereitstartsandends,thelength,difficulty,terrain,andsoon.Youcanalsoaddinformationonyourexperienceridingit—weather,roadortrailconditionsataparticulartimeofyear,etc.Thenarrativedoesn’thavetobelong,buttrytomakeitmorethanoneortwosentences.Ideally,itshouldbe200-300wordsinlength.Here’sanexampleofagoodroutedescription:

Nowyoucometoasectionoftheformwhereyou’remostlycheckingboxesorchoosingfromamenuorfillinginshortfields.

Someofthismayseemduplicative,butdifferentpurposesareserved.

• SelectingaCategoryatthestartofthelisting,categorizesitforthesiteoverall.

• The“IconDisplay”selectionsaretoselectspecificcustomiconsrepresentingtheroutesurface,difficulty,andstyleortype—point-to-pointorloop.

• SelectingtheSurfaceType,Difficulty,andRouteStyle,actuallyidentifiesyourlistingaccordingly.

Description

Fairholme-Sappho is a great route loop ride (out-and-back) for 50 miles on a gorgeous section of the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT).

Start is at the Fairholme campground at the west end of Lake Crescent. If you begin at the lower parking lot, follow Camp David Jr. Road east to pick up the ODT. The eastern mile or so of Camp David Jr road is hard-packed dirt, with some potholes and bumps, but a skinny-tire road bike can handle it easily. The route is designated mixed surface because of this part, but it is mostly on paved surface. The route follows a relatively newly completed segment of the ODT and paved Forest Service roads west to Sappho, with a couple of return route options.

From the campground parking lot, pick up the ODT and head west for a brief, steady climb on wonderfully smooth, wide pavement through cedar forest. A nice winding descent brings you to the trail's intersection with US 101. The ODT continues on the other side of 101, paralleling the highway for several miles before continuing on National Forest Development Road 2929, a rougher, chipped sealed, but fairly level stretch through hemlock timberlands.

The route crosses over the Sol Duc River and continues west until it connects with Cooper Ranch Road. Follow Cooper Ranch to Mary Clark Road and head west to the junction with US 101. From there, turn east on 101 for Sappho and a reward--ice cream, pie, a milkshake, etc.--at the Hungry Bear Cafe.

At this point, you can turn back west on 101 and re-trace the route, or head east on 101 for about 10 miles to pickup Cooper Ranch Road and the ODT again. The shoulders on 101 are comfortably wide, but be careful crossing the bridges--they have no shoulders! Once back on the ODT, just follow it east, cross over 101, and head back to Fairholme.

Page 5: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

5

• ChooseSelectCategoryandclickontheappropriatetype:“Road,”“MountainBike,”or“MixedSurface.”

• ChooseRegionandclickonwhichregiontherouteislocatedwithin.• Clickontheappropriate“IconDisplay”buttons.Thisselectstheiconsthat

willbeusedinyourlisting.Nowchoose“SurfaceType.”Yes,you’vealreadydonethisbefore,butremember:thatservedadifferentpurpose.Selectthelevelofdifficulty.Pleasenotethatthisisnotapersonal,subjectivejudgment.Here’sashortdescriptionofeachleveltohelpyouassesstherouteyou’resubmitting:

• Easy(agreencircle)isaroutethatabeginnercyclistcanridewithlittletonoproblemorchallenge.Itisovermostlyflatoronlyslightlyrollingterrainwithshortorverygradualclimbsanddescents,andlittleoverallelevationgainorloss.Onmountainbikeormixedsurfaceroutes,itmeanstherearenoobstacles,jumps,sharpturns,orroughterraintonavigate.Distancesoneasyroutescanvaryconsiderablybutdon’tgenerallyexceed25miles.

• Intermediate(abluesquare)isaroutethatacyclistwithsomeexperience,andgoodbikehandlingskillscanridesafelyandconfidently.Itcanhave

Page 6: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

6

moderatehills(climbsgenerallylessthanahalfmileindistanceandlessthan6%averagegrade)orcanbeoverhillyterrain--climbsof½to1mile,5-6%averagegrade,withsomegradesof7-8%.Onmountainbikeroutes,acyclistwillrideonsingle-tracktrails,withsomesmallrocksorroutes,andsandormud.Distancescanvary,butgenerallywon’texceed40miles,dependingonterrain;aflatrouteover25mileswillstillberatedintermediate.

• Advanced(blackdiamond)isaroutethatacyclistwithextensiveexperienceandgoodbikehandlingskillscanridesafelyandcomfortably.Moderatetohillyterrainwillbeasignificantelementoftheroute.Foramountainbikeroute,acyclistwillencountertight,twistysingle-track,steepclimbsordescents,rockysegmentsandothermajorobstacles.Distancesvary,butgenerallywon’texceed50milesdependingonterrain;anextremelyhillyrouteof30mileswouldperhapsberatedadvanced.

• Expert(doubleblackdiamond)isarouterequiringacyclisttohaveexceptionalbike-handlingskillsandextensiveexperienceridingsafelyandconfidentlyoverawidevarietyofterrainanddistance.Longdistancesand/orsignificantsegmentsofmoderateorhillyterrainarecharacteristic.Formountainbikeroutes,combinationsorextremeexamplesofobstacles,ascentanddescentareinvolved.Generallyspeaking,aflatrouteofmorethan60mileswillberatedexpert.

Choosetheroutestyle—looporpoint-to-point.Weconsideranout-and-backonthesamepathasapoint-to-point;aloopinvolvestakingadifferentpathbacktothestart,evenifpartofthatretracesthepathyoutookonthewayout.Enterthegpxfilenameforyourroute.Eithercopyandpasteortypethefilenameintothisspace.

Entertheaddress—forthestartpointoftheroute.Thisshouldbeapubliclyaccessibleplace,withparkingavailable.Ifyoudon’tmindpeopleshowinguponyourpropertytorideyourroute,youcanenteryouraddress,butwedon’trecommendit.

• Inmostcases,usingGooglemapswillenableyoutoidentifyaspecificaddressforthestartpointofyourroute—oratleastnearby.

Enterthenearestcityortown.

GPXFiles

Agpxfileisthedigitalfileofwhatyourgpsdeviceorapp(Garmin,Strava,MapMyRide,RidewithGPS,etc.)recordedasyourode.Downloadthatfiletoyourcomputer,thensaveittoyourdesktop,andrenameitwithashort,descriptivenamethathasnospaces.Examplesare:

• Kalaloch_Pacific_Shores_Road_Bike_Route.gpx• Mountain_Bike_Quilcene_Penny_Creek.gpx

Page 7: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

7

Thelatitudeandlongitudefieldswillbefilledinautomaticallywhenyouenteraddressandcityinformation.Youcanselectadifferentmapview,butwerecommendleavingiton“Default.”Although“Notice”isnotarequired,field,itisnicetoletfolksknowwhetheryourrouteinvolvesanyfees(i.e.,aForestServiceorNationalParkentrancefee).Next,you’reaskedtouploadthegpxfileofyourroute.

• ThisisthegpxfileyougotfromyourGarminorotherdevice/app,renamed,andsavedonyourcomputer.

Nextyouaddimages,ifyouhaveany,andwelovetoseeimagesoftherouteyou’relisting,sothisiswhereyoucaneitherdraganddropyourimagefilesorhittheselectbuttonandchoosethemfromwhereeverthey’restoredonyourcomputer.

• Pleaseuseonlyjpgorjpegfileformats,andbeforeuploading,settheresolutionto72dpi/ppi,anddimensionsat400x300pixels.

• Asnotedontheform,youcanrearrangetheorderofthepicturesaswell,oncethey’reloaded.

Finally:Pleasechecktheboxacceptingourtermsandconditionsandclickon“ReviewYourListing.”Thiswillthenbringupapreviewofyourlistingbelowthefollowing:

Here’swhere,asyoucansee,youhavetheoptiontogobackandedit,cancel,orpublish.

Page 8: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

8

Asyoureviewyourfile,you’llnoticethefollowingattheverytop,tellingyouthere’sa“WPGPXMapsError…”thatthegpxfilewiththeroutenameyou’vegivenitis“notfound.”Nottoworry.That’sbecauseyouhaven’tuploadedit,andthat’sbecauseonlyaneditororadministratorcandothat.Thisiswhy,eventhoughit’sabitofahassle,wehavetohaveyousendthegpxfileitselfviaemailtoinfo@olympicpeninsulacycling.com.Aneditor/adminstratorwillthenuploadthefileaspartofthereviewprocessanditwillshowupinyourlistingthewayit’ssupposedto.

Onceyouhit“Publish,”asnotedabove,you’llgetthefollowingmessage:

Congratulations,you’vesuccessfullylistedyourroute!Ifasiteeditororadministratorhasanyquestions,heorshewillcontactyoutoclarifyorobtainadditionalinformation.Otherwise,yourlistingshouldbepostedwithinacoupledays.AddinganEventorServiceListing:

Page 9: Olympic Peninsula Cycling · 2017-12-08 · road, mountain bike, mixed surface), where it is, where it starts and ends, the length, difficulty, terrain, and so on. You can also add

9

Chooseeither“Event”or“Service”forthelistingtypeyouwanttoadd,andtheappropriateformwillappear—verysimilarinappearanceandcontentfieldstotheformfora“Route”listing.Inthecaseofaneventorservicelisting,theformsareprettyself-explanatory,butifyouhaveanyquestions,[email protected],review,checktheboxacceptingtermsandconditions,andhit“Publish.”Aswitharoutelistingsubmission,OPBAstaffwillreview,contactyouifneedbe,andthenpublishyourlistingonthesite.WehopethisUserGuidehelps,butwewelcomeanysuggestionsforimprovement!