This one’s been around but worth watching again. The editor deserves a medal…
Just don’t eat it…
March 7th, 2010 § 0
Looking remarkably like an energy gel, Fenwick’s Cleaner and Degreaser would give you a very nasty surprise if you pulled it from your back jersey pocket during a ride. You might even be tempted by the tangy Citrus notes, if it weren’t for the large DO NOT SWALLOW lettering on the back of the wrapper.
Thankfully, it was put to its proper purpose today, with an in-situ chain and cluster clean. As directed by the instructions, I emptied the contents into a bucket and added some water to dilute the solution. Using a stiff brush, I spent some time cleaning the chain and cassette cluster and was more than satisfied with the results. At this time of year, it only takes a couple of rides for the back end to become soiled with small particles of grit and dirt – so this more than suffices to get things back into a decent working order. Things looked a lot cleaner after a working over with the soapy Fenwick’s and dare I say it – a bit brighter as well.
This product won’t be as good as removing the chain – but for an interim wash, I was quite happy with the results. It comes in a larger bottle, which probably makes more economic sense but the little packet shown here, would be more than useful to take on a trip away from home. Often, on mountain bike races at least, the practice lap is done on Saturday with the race typically falling on Sunday. So a quick scrub with the Fenwick’s on a pre-race night, should keep things nice and smooth.
Review – Garmin Edge 305
February 22nd, 2010 § 0
Here is my review of the Garmin Edge 305 GPS-enabled cycling computer. This one of Garmin’s earlier models and has probably been superseded somewhat by the more expensive Edge 705 or the even newer and lighter Edge 500. Any issues or problems that I have highlighted may have been fixed in these later models – so this is a “said as seen” review of the 305 only.
Hardware
The unit is a fully-sealed compact 44mm x 94mm x 23mm and is very neat and smaller than I thought it would be. It is made of a plastic alloy with a rubber middle section, which houses the majority of the operational buttons. The display is small compared to recent trends in handheld’s and phones. That said, it is readable enough, although there is probably a limit to the number of items that you can see on screen at one time. The Start/Stop and Lap buttons on the upward face are of a decent “finger-tip” size and work fine below gloves as well. Everything seems tight and sturdy and so far has kept out quit a lot of bad weather. My one gripe is the small rubber plug that keeps the mini-USB port covered on the back of the unit. This has to be peeled back when connecting up the USB cable and I am a bit worried about its longevity. It needs to be treated with care, otherwise it might be pulled or ripped off by accident and I have a feeling that it might become loose over time.
However, according to Garmin, the Edge is waterproof to IEC Standard 60529 IPX7, so I can only hope that this immersion resistance covers the USB port as well. Not that I am looking to land in any large puddles any time soon, but I have actually landed in a stream whilst mountain biking. This submersion standard might not be a bad thing after all.
Installation
The bike mount was easily fixed onto my stem with a couple of cable ties, handily provided. In the box were two bike mounts – one for the stem and the other for an alternative handlebar mount. Thankfully, Garmin have had the foresight to build a mount that can be threaded with cable ties in either direction. This way, you can have two bikes – each fitted as a stem mount, if that is your desire. I have heard that handlebar mounts can move when hitting bumps, but I haven’t tried this configuration to verify.
There is a reassuring click when the unit is slid onto the bike mount. It also easily releasable. I used the additional rubber fitting when connecting the bike mount to the stem. This rubber fixing is wedged so you need to make sure that you have orientated it correctly for your stem, so that the Edge faces you at the best angle. I have heard reports of vibrations causing problems with the internal battery connections but so far – this has not occurred on my Edge.
In the stem position, the unit is right below my nose. I have the unit configured to show about 5 items of data (this is configurable) and the smaller ones can just about be seen with a quick glance. Descending rapidly however and it is quite hard to glance at the unit and see all your data. I guess that is something you might not want to do anyway when all of your concentration is being applied to the road ahead! In this situation, best to keep eyes front and have a look at the data afterward.
I use the Edge with the GSC10 speed and cadence monitor (supplied) and a heart-rate monitor from a previously owned Forerunner device. The heart-rate monitor is a standard Garmin device and works with the Edge too. The Edge can receive and record data from all of these at once. The speed/cadence monitor was fairly easily to install on the chain stay – you just have to make sure that everything is aligned properly before pulling the cable ties taught. Two small magnets are fitted – one to the pedal crank (cadence) and the other to a rear wheel spoke (speed). On each rotation, these will “clock” the sensor. Off the bike, you can actually here a very small but audible sensor “tick” when the speed magnet passes by the sensor. This is not audible outside or on the bike but is reassuring when fitting to know that the position of the components are correct.
The only small gripe I have with the sensors – is that the Edge does not tell you when it has paired up with the speed/cadence sensor or the HR monitor. The only notification you get is the small icons at the top of the display stop flashing when the unit has paired with its devices. The Forerunner watch I used previously gives a nice beep and “device paired” message. With the speed/cadence icon, it is particularly hard to fathom a correct pairing – maybe it is just my older eyesight having problems with minuscule pixels.
Going on a training run and recording the data
This could not be simpler – you turn on the unit and after the “splash” screen – the Edge show a nice little diagram of satellite acquisition. It can take anywhere between 30 seconds and 1 minute for this to happen – so best to turn on the Edge when your making final adjustments to your gloves/helmet etc, rather than waiting for this screen to disappear when your seated on the bike and raring to go. The acquisition screen, while pretty, serves no useful purpose and to my mind is redundant. Obviously, the designers wanted something a bit more jazzy than revolving dots! You can skip this screen and go straight to the main display – but I have heard of some glitches in recording data if the satellites are still being sought and you start recording data. It’s there and we have to live with it.
When the main data display does comes up, your ready – you hit the Start button and off you go. Tracking data is easy enough on the screen – although it is best to remember where you have placed each data item as the small explanatory lettering can be hard to read on the move (See Screenshot 1).
You can see from this screen shot – the type of data that can be displayed. Although everything here is pretty clear on this expanded view, it can be difficult to check the smaller items when you are on the move with traffic speeding by your side. I would not recommend adding any more than 5 displayed data elements.
Once you have been out on a training run – the information can be saved into Garmin Training Centre for analysis. The data can be optionally used to create a “Course”. More on this later.
The Start/Stop buttons can be used whilst out on the bike to record static time – comfort break, cafe stop etc. This means that the data for time on the bike won’t be skewed by rest stops, so all well and good. The Edge also features a lap button to mark a specific position on your ride. This can actually be configured in the settings for an Auto-Lap function, which triggers the lap counter at the GPS location where the Start button was pressed. Useful if you are doing road circuits and want the Edge to handle the Lap function. You can also get the Edge to trigger the Lap function at a previously input GPS location – if known.
In use, I have found the Edge to be pretty damn accurate as far as recording GPS location. When you view the created route afterward in Google Earth for example – the location data shows when I stopped at a Bus Stop, crossed the road, went around a roundabout. Scary!
Using Course’s
Once you have recorded some training runs – you can save these as a Course. Very useful if you are going to repeat a given training run. The beauty of using a course is that you can race against your previous time using the “Virtual Partner” function. See Screen shot 2. The black dot is the “live” position and previous training run is the lighter dot. This particular screen also shows an elevation graphic at the same time. The first time I used this function – I couldn’t remember which dot was me so wasn’t sure if I was behind or ahead. Anyway, once you figure this out – it is pretty nifty.
Navigation
By plotting a course at home – either using mapping software or a web based course plotter such as Marengo, you can define a route that you haven’t done before and then download this to the Edge and follow the directions out on the road. The navigation screen itself is pretty basic – it shows the planned route as a black line, the waypoints that you programmed along your route and an arrow that points North. There is no map on this device, for that you’ll have to fork out for the bigger brother 705.
The waypoints are the key to getting your navigation right. Basically, I plotted a waypoint at each key turn (road junction, roundabout, etc) and you give this a 3 or 4 letter code – something like:
STR = Straight Through Roundabout
RT = Right Turn
LT = Left Turn
BL = Bear Left
You get the idea! The Edge gives you a 5 second warning when the waypoint is coming up and a nice audible beep. I found out that if you didn’t plot your waypoints accurately then, sometimes the waypoint alert could be missed. It pays to spend some extra time at home making sure that these are accurate and using the zoom function of your route planner of choice. It worked best when making the waypoint just shy of the road junction that your coming up to.
Anyway, I navigated myself around a busy and complicated urban area that I had not cycled before and I didn’t get lost. My one gripe is that whilst in Navigation mode – your have to press the Mode button a few times to see your other ride data (speed,time,cadence etc) – so that can be a bit off-putting whilst trying to cope with a busy road. However, the Edge still beeps at you and shows your waypoint markers when they come up, regardless of what screen you happen to be looking at the time.
For those interested, I created my route using the Marengo site and downloaded this to the Edge in GPX format using GPSBabel software.
Other Stuff
There is a lot more that the Edge can do that I haven’t covered here, such as Workouts, but in the spirit of getting some sort of Blog out there before this review gets far too long, this is as far as I have got after 6 weeks use. Look out for more info in the coming months as I discover more functions and some of the software I have used along the way.
Bad Points
On occasion, especially during long stops – the Edge loses contact with the Cadence/Speed sensor. When you resume your ride, it does not resume the “pair” with the sensor. This is a major pain and so far, I have not worked out a solution. Whilst I was trying to get to the bottom of this – I could not get the Edge to sync with the GSC10 sensor at all – even after inserting a new battery. I replaced the speed sensor with a spare one I had and it is fine. The other one will be on its way to Garmin. This is the only major problem I have had and it isn’t good.
Outcome
I suspect that what kind of cyclist you are will determine the use of this device. I mainly used the HR monitor in workout mode for static turbo training sessions. This gives you a structured training session, which takes some of the boredom out of the Turbo – otherwise it’s a dreadful hour trying to keep focused. Anything that encourages you onto the Turbo Trainer has got to be a good thing in my book and the little Edge has an annoyingly insistent beep if your HR is not in the right zone.
I am simply not dedicated enough to know whether this device will make me a fitter cyclist but there is a kind of tacit encouragement in knowing that your times on a repeated course are decreasing as the months progress and the interval training no longer kicks you in the chest like it used too. There is also a pleasure to be gained in knowing how far you have cycled in a given year – if only to remind you of those thigh-breaking hard won ascents and the spectacular scenery that you passed by on the way – the Edge happily recording every pedal stroke or nuance of pain. It is right there in black and white pixels.
If you are interested in any of the Edge devices, it is worth taking a look at this superb extensive review of the 305 by Mike Barrett.
Also, check out The Washing Machine Post’s 705 review.
As a first timer to Edge hardware, I found Frank Kinlan’s site very useful.
Surreal Bike Moment No 1
February 14th, 2010 § 0
I guess trying to clock up a metric ton, this early in the season is not going to be without its consequences.
Take Saturday for instance – A ride across the Western Ferry at Gourock takes you into the beautiful and quiet roads of the Argyle Forest Park. I decided after Dunoon, to take the B836 past Clachaig and through to the head of Loch Striven. There is a real nasty kicker of a 12% hill after this, which has to be done out of the saddle and pushing hard. My heart rate pushed to 184BPM, which is exactly 4 beats over my age-calculated theoretical maximum.
I wish I could say I made it but had to pull the pin about 25 metres short of the top. It took a while to recover from this effort – all the way to Glendaruel and the spirited 20 Km climb to Strachur did not leave much gas in the tank. This is when I wish I had gone anti-clockwise! At least, I had my music player for company – the whole collection set on Shuffle has the added surprise that you never know what is going to come next in the headphones.
Of course, as I headed south to close this grand loop, riding along the banks of Loch Eck, my ears were filled with the surreal choice of We All Live in a Yellow Submarine by The Beatles. Maybe it was the legs made tired by distance and Lactic Acid or the added tomfoolery of 1300 metres total ascent - but I fully expected that submarine to raise itself out of the black and fringe frozen loch.
I made it back to the ferry though and what a wonderful feeling to sit in the warm passenger lounge for the 20 minute crossing. Thawing out the tired, cold limbs and munching on some cake for the final stretch home.
Altogether now:
“We all live in a Yellow Submarine, a Yellow Submarine, a Yellow Submarine.“
Your a bike rider!
February 7th, 2010 § 0
My wife chirps a “be safe” and walks out the door, taking the dog for a walk. I am just beginning to get ready for my bike ride.
40 minutes later, she arrives back at the house just as I am putting one leg over the bike. “Your still here!”, comes the surprised shout. I knew this was going to happen – especially in winter. Maybe it is the cold days that fog the brain and make limbs slower; maybe it is the extra layers that have to be pulled on to prevent freezing – but it seems to take ages for me to get out the door. The Winter Tights don’t help, not one for tight-wearing at the best of times – there is nothing for it but to pull on these constricting loops of black Lycra. However, the extra thick material is like toast and cannot be avoided.
Then comes all the extra paraphernalia of winter riding. An extra inner layer, the gloves, the skull cap, two pairs of socks and must not forget the overshoes (where you discover much too late that you have put the left overshoe on the right foot). Bumbling around in all these extra layers makes one feel slow and lethargic.
The little cul-de-sac where we live is cold and quiet – no one seems to be stirring. My breath fogs in the cold air and I cannot wait to get moving, just to stay warm. The wheels make that swishing sound on damp tarmac as I turn the first rotation of pedals and clip in. Ten minutes later and I am wishing that I had worn a scarf or buff as my face is freezing.
It is not long before I encounter some other sole out on the opposite side of the road and we nod or wave as we pass. Probably in silent contemplation of knowing that we are not alone in our craziness. As a car driver, I used to be jealous of those motorbike riders who nodded to each other – like a brotherhood or some coming together of deed and thought. Now the same thing happens to me out on the bicycle. It should be mandatory.
On the way home, I am passed by some skinny snake who doesn’t even look like he is trying. All I see, is the flash of some cycling club jersey, a quick hello and he is off the front. The jersey looks thinner than gauze and his only deference to winter is a pair of 3/4 leggings. Could I see overshoes? Not sure, he is already 100m in front. I give a little chase since the road is descending and the truck driver I hear behind me, must think that we are crazy. I hit 50 Km/h and then back off – my lightly clad nemesis dissipates into the gloom ahead.
Why do I put myself though these unfeasibly cold mornings? Risking life and limb amongst the unforgiving traffic. Freezing my ass off as a biting wind shears my face. The 40 minute preparation time, the stripping of layers in a tepid hallway. The hunger pangs – because breakfast was a quick bowl of cereal. The cold feet despite my best attempts at layering. Numb fingers on the drops. Water droplets forming an annoying layer on the cycling specs.
I laugh as I remember. Your a bike rider!
Gradient
January 30th, 2010 § 2
Living on the North Ayrshire coast of Scotland, you would think that cycling life might be relatively flat. However, the land mass in these parts sweeps steeply down to the sea. In effect, this means that whilst the A78 main coastal road hugs the coastline, any move inland will likely result in some sort of climbing.
A case in point is the “Haylie Brae”, a snappy road which climbs out of Largs into the upper moorland above the seaside town. With its double hairpin, it seemed like an ideal candidate for experimentation with the Gradient function of a brand new Garmin Edge 305.
From 6m above sea level, the climb starts on the Irvine Road, just before you hit the traffic lights that take you left onto the A760. If you time your run correct, you can hit the lights at Green, which will prevent stopping at the top of the ascent that takes you up to the lights. Once you have turned left, you are onto the “brae” proper. The road wastes no time in ramping up to 13%, passing a cemetry on your left but there is no time to contemplate the sleepers by your side – although you might wish to join them. Around a hairpin and things turn a little dark and damp, with the moss coloured walls and trees leaning over – to make the road seem like a tunnel in feel, if not in look.
A quick glance at the Edge, shows the gradient easing off just a little to a less hurtful 8% but the heart rate is still climbing into the heavier side of the 160’s. Another right hand hairpin awaits ahead and the shady outlook opens up a little. It could almost be alpine if it weren’t for the freezing cold and dankness of the trees. The high branches above lean over like great spidery arms, cutting out the light.
Here the road takes another lift and the gradient pops up to 15%. My heart has gone into the 170’s and I am spinning 39/25 with no gears left in the chamber. This is the hanging on time – just grinding it out, knowing that it will ease off at some point.The legs keep spinning but are beginning to complain – the teeth grimace but somehow you deal with the effort that calls on your body. Lungs heave up and down – there is only road – no lay-by or sidewalk or pavement – so no escape route.
After a few hundred meters, the road relents a little to 8-9% and thankfully, a few BPM’s are dropped as well. As you climb into the upper moorland, another gradient drop to 5-6%, and this remains the average for the next kilometer. The road straightens out, the trees thin and the vast open sky lifts your final efforts. The road finally tops out at 240m – with a little satisfaction and relief coming with the flatness ahead.
Stats:
Roughly 240m height gain in an unrelenting 5 Km.
Peaking at 15% Gradient
I like my helmet…
January 22nd, 2010 § 2
Apparently, there was a near tragic helmet-less incident last week when German pro-cyclist Matthias Kessler swerved to miss a cat (of all things) and crashed head-first into a wall. This happened during a training run in Majorca. I suspect that when he does where a helmet – it will not be a Catlike…
Joking aside, this crash could have easily ended in tragedy and as it is, the cyclist’s condition has been downgraded from critical to serious. However, doctor’s are confident that he will recover and I suspect that every cyclist out there will wish the man, a speedy and full recovery. And yet, it is another reminder of the continuing debate of whether to wear or not to wear a helmet, since it is not yet compulsory to do so.
In the mountain bike world, it is an easy decision. There are far too many trees and rocks next to the trail for this ever to be a difficult decision. Couple that with the propensity for crashing into the wilderness at any given moment – although that might be just me and my limited skill-set. In any case, I have hardly, if ever, seen a mountain biker out on the trail without some sort of lid.
Despite this, CTC, the UK’s National Cyclists’ Organisation are against mandatory laws for the wearing of helmets. It is their belief that fewer people would ride their bikes if this was the case. Instead, they have an alternative “Safety in Numbers” campaign, which explains that the more people cycle, the safer it is for each individual cyclist. I follow the logic but personally I don’t agree with it.
One single, tragic accident that is caused by not wearing a helmet is one too many.
Let’s face it, the problem is that for many years, helmets have suffered from poor design and criminal colour schemes. Maybe we should urge helmet manufacturers to do more. With modern design and technology now added to the mix, there are some great looking lids out there – although why is it that the best looking ones are always the most expensive? I wish for the day when the trickle-down effect of good design will touch all of the market spaces in terms of affordability and gone will be the day when the upturned Dayglo half-eggshell is seen as de rigueur.
Helmets are a fashion statement – but usually for all the wrong reasons. Forgive the pun, but isn’t it time we turned this on its head?
My review last year of the Catlike Whisper.
The Time-Crunched Cyclist
January 18th, 2010 § 0
As a relative newcomer to the world of “serious” training, it seems pretty relevant for me to find a training regime that suits someone with modest ability and loads of time constraints. Of these, there are many: pressures of work, balancing home life with cycling excursions, northern hemisphere weather patterns, darkness throughout the winter months and many other little things that pick away at the threads of bike training. So much so, that the whole “new training structure” that we promised ourselves in January can unravel pretty quickly.
I was therefore surprised to find such a publication already out there on the market – to note: The Time-Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael (he of Lance Armstrong training fame) and Jim Rutberg. If you believe the blurb on the jacket, the aim of this book is to get you Fit, Fast and Powerful in 6 Hours a Week. Not a bad thing you might say as the one thing that is most precious to us amateur/recreational cyclists – apart from our bikes – is time. How though is such a thing achieved?
The Time-Crunched Training Program (TCTP) is a new approach to training that takes a different path to endurance fitness. It works around busy schedules by systematically applying greater intensities to achieve bigger gains with fewer and shorter rides. But that doesn’t mean it’s a shortcut to fitness; there’s no such thing. The workouts are strenuous and the workload is high.
By now a light should be going on inside your head – since it sounds like there is a big trade-off here. Although you will be training less – you will be training a lot harder. As the book explains, “in the absence of time, intensity is the key to performance”. In other words, there will be a lot of efforts at below Lactate Threshold, some right on it and a lot at maximum intensity. Also, the training is geared towards more specific events and shorter races rather than a full season of racing. However, this should cover the yearly smattering of recreational racing or events that a high number of us will face.
The authors have no qualms in pointing out the limitations of the book. It definitely will not work for everyone and will take a very disciplined approach to the plan. There is not a lot of “give” in a six or eight-hour weekly plan – so missed training efforts will result in a misfiring outcome. Also, a Heart-Rate monitor is pretty essential – ideally a Power-Meter for the recession-proofed rider.
However, if you are a time-constrained rider and are targeting specific goals, such as a short summer season or short-track mountain bike racing, this might be the way to go. Bare in mind – this is a book from -some might say – a controversial American author, which might put some people off.
If this sounds of interest then go ahead and take a look at Velopress.
http://www.velopress.com/cycling.php?id=284
Article Caveat
Please note that this is not a book review since I have only read the introductory pages. As I am looking to tackle some major 100+ mile endurance monsters this year – this book is probably not for me but I could have done with something like this last year!
2010 racing season shapes up
January 13th, 2010 § 0
As the snow keeps me from any proper training (and hopefully everyone else for that matter), it is a good time to scour the cycling sites and start planning this years events. It is amazing how brave you feel when cossetted indoors. So here’s how things are shaping up…
May – Etape Caledonia
Decided to do this after “tack-gate” last year and the addition of a road bike to the collection. 80-odd miles on closed roads around Pitlochry and the magnificent Perthshire countryside. Given the dubious weather of late, it means not a huge amount of time left to get up to the required training distances – but should be achievable. As long as the snow disappears soon!
April – September SXC Mountain Bike Series
The usual round of 7 challenging races in different venues around Scotland. This year, some of the favourite’s remain such as Fort William and Drumlanrig but new rounds for me this year include Contin and Perth. Some of these races clash with a couple of road sportive’s I have my eyes on, so will just have to see how this pan’s out. SXC racing is very technical and very fast so maybe I am becoming a soft roady!
September – Montane Kielder 100
As the site says: One Lap, One Rider, One Adventure, One Hundred Miles. I saw this last year but just wasn’t up for the distance involved so I plumped for the Merida Marathon instead at a more sedate 55Km. This time there is no whimping out. 100 miles off-road is a huge challenge: 10 hours of cycling and no roads. Pass the industrial Chamois Cream?
September – Ullapool Mor
There might be time to recover from the Montane 100 to do this 13o mile road monster amongst some of the best scenery in Scotland. In fact, I managed my first metric ton in the same area last year – just need to double that HA HA!
Some serious training to to be done!
Grosset escapes prosecution
January 8th, 2010 § 0
You may have heard that charges against Alexander Grosset have been dropped with no explanation from the Crown Office. Grosset was the man charged in connection with the scattering of thousands of tacks during the Etape Caledonia event in Scotland last May. There are no plans to charge anyone else, which begs the question of why it took so long for the charges to be dropped.
As Mr Grosset continues to protest his innocence, it leaves the majority of cyclists who took part, very much in the dark. Does it mean that the true perpetrator has got off Scot Free?
We are also left to wonder why this decision by the Crown will stay behind closed doors when the best justice for those involved would be a transparent and open statement by the authorities. I smell something bad in Perth.
Anyway, I have entered this year as a direct response to the disruption of last year. If I catch someone spreading tacks – they will be wearing my racing wheel as a new type of collar…
http://road.cc/content/news/12589-charges-dropped-etape-caledonia-sabotage-case