Trail Conditions - Please Read this Thread

[Norm]

For a few years now we have kicked around the idea of making a dynamic trail conditions "dashboard" if you will. There are always the specific threads for trail conditions, but they are disparate and often times require more effort than people have the time for. It's pretty rare that someone will chime in and say "good" or "bad".

Well now this is about to change. With the help of @soundz and some beta testers, we have come up with a full Trail Conditions widget that has been added to the page. Witness this professional drawing directing you to that link:

When you click that link, you get this:

Ok but what is this? This is a real-time average of user data that has been reported on the parks. Notes:

• List is ranked from best to worst
• The (#) is the total number of ratings being used
• The rating is based on the last 7 days of user data
• The data comes from you, us, everyone

So this is what we need from you. Yes you! Anyone can enter their data by clicking the "rate" link at the top of the conditions page. This will bring you to the data input area. Enter data, then you can navigate back to the conditions page to see your data influence that overall ranking real-time.

Notes on this:

• Your username/id should be recorded and it will record the data as you
• It only contains "destination" parks. I'm sure I missed some, ask me to add it
• Your rating will not be shared, so you have no need to worry about people yelling at you
• If you ride somewhere, or are near a park and know what it's like, please enter info for the park
• If you are a local to the park, and know the conditions will be good/bad, please keep adding data
• You won't be able to overload the data - you only get 1 entry per park per day. You can rate every park once per day, but you can't put more than 1 entry in per park.

That's about it. Please use it, please share it, please encourage others to use it. At the end of the day this is not meant to help the people who live 15 minutes from Chimney Rock to figure out hwo that park is. It is intended to help the people who live an hour away. Each of us is likely close to a park we know well. Add data so that people don't drive an hour only to find the trail is bad but they ride it anyway since they drove all that way.

Thanks for helping!

 

[pooriggy]

How is allaire right now, do you think it will be dry in 10 minutes?

 

[GSTim]

Norm,

Nice, I like it! How about adding a 1 line description at the top for each rating, something like 1 = you will be beaten unmercifully if you ride, 2=you may be beaten unmercifully if you ride, etc..?

Tim

 

[rlb]

This is the bull's nipples, thanks! 2 quick usability things: put the "Parks rated on a 1-4 scale." up top, and make the part that says "trail conditions" link to the input form. If it's easy. If not, then screw me!

 

[gtluke]

@bonefishjake doesn't understand how to use it.

 

[gtluke]

Can the name of each park link to it's corresponding wiki page?

 

[Mountain Bike Mike]

I hope you understand how significant this is.... The growth opportunities are world wide... Market this as a product / service and it will be a game changer for MTBNJ

 

[Norm]

@rlb - added to my list

@gtluke - there's some discussion on add to wiki, to that park's trail conditions, or to latest in trail conditions

@Mountain Bike Mike - it has struck me that this is really simple & could be ultra effective anywhere. Honestly if this works for us I would be more than happy to give it away to anyone who wants to use it.

 

[Patrick]

Nice work @Norm!

 

[clarkenstein]

rock n roll.

 

[jnos]

Nice and simple! Will this track historical data for the whole year? I may be able to use that data for a future project.

 

[Norm]

Ok I've updated it because I'm on a roll:

1. The whole app is contained in the popup window. Click the "rate" link at the top.
2. Rating line moved to top
3. The ratings page will allow you to enter data then go back to the conditions page - all in the popup window
4. Don't use the direct link anymore, it will look crappy as it's white on white.

@jnos - yes, it will save the data if you want it. It's not exposed but it saves it.

 

[bonefishjake]

The whole app is contained in the popup window. Click the "rate" link at the top.

@Norm, i was actually going to text you and ask about that. well played.

 

[huffster]

I continue to be amazed at how quickly you guys go from idea to implement. I'm not sure who ALL to credit, but i could tell @Norm and @soundz were clearly the major contributors.

Nice work!

Now, if I can just get a ride in and become a contributor.

 

[Kirt]

This is so awesome!!! Really well done.

Any way to add the latest rating date? One may not be sure of how recent the update is and the date would help reinforce the rating.

 

[Norm]

I have some ideas on that Kirt. Something I'll think about next week. Possibly a 2 day average as well, then a comparison to give a trending rating.

 

[Kirt]

Sounds like you guys got It under control. Good stuff!

 

[wonderturtle]

add huber/ hartshorne, clayton, wharton

 

[Norm]

Hartshorne & Wharton are there, no ratings yet.

Huber is part of Hartshorne. Clayton isn't a destination park IMO.

 

[wonderturtle]

Hartshorne & Wharton are there, no ratings yet.

Huber is part of Hartshorne. Clayton isn't a destination park IMO.

ok see hartshorne on the drop down. I'll ride by Huber this afternoon and put in a rating. thanks for doing this.