Medical Directives for Cycling

Here is a quick summary of my newest software plan. I’m willing to share more specifics, though this message might already be stretching on.

My physician knows I enjoy cycling and has advised me to take bike trips more frequently for better exercise. I spent considerable time figuring out how to create something that would let me schedule a trip and impose some sort of penalty if I back down. After much deliberation and discarding ideas, I settled on GPS as the true answer. I use an Arduino paired with an Adafruit GPS logger and a program running on my laptop. It wasn’t straightforward, but finally, I have code that lets me input a planned route with up to 6 waypoints, along with start and end dates for the trip, plus a final deadline after which I can be freed without completing it. When I secure it, the system encrypts a photo. Once encrypted, the picture unlocks only if I make the journey or wait past that final date. I think I’ve made it hard to cheat.

There are multiple ways this could apply. It’s still new and likely has some bugs since I just got it running properly. Still, I’ve used it a few times already. I set up a trip with a deadline several hours after my expected return time, then locked the system using a photo of a combination lock set to a random number I hadn’t peeked at. I placed the computer in an outbuilding and changed into my cycling gear—clothes that make me feel slightly self-conscious unless I’m actually riding. Then I secured the house, put the keys in a safe holder, and locked it with the combo lock. It became a matter of making the ride or staying put for hours. The trips were more fun without wanting to turn back on tough sections. The system worked well and let me re-enter my home. As I gain confidence, I’ll try being bolder about what happens if I don’t complete the trip—perhaps committing days ahead or locking based on clothing.

I have to admit it wasn’t just worth the effort for the outcome alone; figuring out how to do it and building it was enjoyable in itself. I hope to use it many more times, as it will genuinely help me exercise more.

It might work better as a smartphone app using GPS, though I’m not sure yet how to achieve that.