I have replaced my Garmin Edge 200 with a XOSS G Cycling Computer. My trusty Garmin is over 7 years old and its battery¹ no longer lasts more than a few hours. Time for a replacement. Here’s my review of the XOSS G GPS cycle computer.

Pros

• Great value for money
• Syncs direct with Strava via XOSS app
• Long-lasting battery
• Easy to use

Cons

• None for me

→ Buy It on Amazon UK

I spent a few days researching replacements and the choice for me came down to either a more expensive Garmin Edge 130 or a cheaper non-Garmin computer. I chose the cheaper option, partly to save money and also to try something different.

I didn’t know anything about the XOSS G before but it received positive comments and reviews along with its more fully featured G+ model, which will work with different sensors like HR straps. I didn’t want the sensor connection ability of the G+ and the G model was my choice.

Cycling with the XOSS G

I’ve used the XOSS G on several rides now and I’m very happy with it.

It’s easy to use with two multi-function buttons below the screen. At the start of a cycle ride, press one button to power up the unit, then press the other button to get a GPS signal. Wait for GPS satellite connection, which takes less than a minute normally, and then ride!

• The XOSS comes with a handlebar mount which is closely similar to a Garmin mount; I’ve used the XOSS with Garmin mount on all my rides.

Whilst cycling, I use the main screen (speed, ride time and distance) on the XOSS G but it’s also possible to switch between two other screens of data with a button press. The three screens are not customisable but, in practice, this isn’t an issue for me. Each screen has a different set of metrics, including e.g average speed, altitude, maximum speed, and current clock.

• I’ve set-up my XOSS G to auto pause and this means the unit stops when I stop and restarts when I do. That stopping and starting is signalled by a beep and it’s very quick.

My old Garmin Edge 200 has a more readable display, even though the screen size of the XOSS G is the same, but the difference is negligible. Certainly not worth another £100 or more.

The XOSS G connects very quickly with GPS satellites and, with one exception, is accurate on rides. The exception was an instance where GPS connection was lost on an early ride and my route wasn’t correct until the signal was picked up again. This hasn’t happened since.

XOSS App

My XOSS G connects with a XOSS smartphone app and this is essential if you want to upload or save cycle rides. Connecting the XOSS via USB to a laptop will charge the battery but it’s not possible to transfer rides this way. I downloaded the XOSS app and it was simple and quick to connect with my XOSS G.

After every ride, I connect the app to the XOSS G and synchronise the two. My most recent ride will upload to the app. That process is not especially quick but that’s not been a problem thus far.

The app can be connected with Strava or Training Peaks accounts so that each new ride is automatically uploaded to those platforms. When I first used the XOSS app, this wasn’t working² and there were plenty of reviews about the Strava connection failure. That has now been fixed by the developers and my cycle rides now appear on Strava within a few minutes.

The app is relatively simple but it does what I need. And, after the initial Strava problem, it has been working nicely.

In Summary

The XOSS G is a great value, easy to use and fully featured GPS cycling computer. I’m happy with my purchase and I’ll be using it on all my rides.

Update: July 2022: I have been using the XOSS G for over a year now and it has been working brilliantly for me.

→ Buy It on Amazon UK

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I’ve been away for a cycling weekend with friends to King’s Lynn in Norfolk. We cycled about 150 miles over a Friday and Saturday.

We stayed in the Duke’s Head Hotel in the middle of King’s Lynn and cycled a circular route each day. The routes were mostly country lanes and, apart from a couple of busy stretches, we saw hardly any cars.

• Day 1: We cycled a route that was south and east of King’s Lynn to Hingham and returned via Swaffham – 83 miles.
• Day 2: Our route went north east to Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham and we returned via Burnham Market and Sandringham estate – 75 miles.

We started cycling each day at ~8.30am and finished at 5.00pm. We stopped for an hour for lunch each day and had several other shorter stops for punctures and water or snacks.

I cycled the routes on my flat bar Trek hybrid bike which was excellent. Road bikes would also have been OK apart from one short bumpy bridleway section near Wells-next-the-Sea.

Two people from our group cycled a different route along the Peddars Way with their mountain bikes on the second day. Overall though, our group used hybrid bikes.

Trip Highlights

• The magnificent park estate of Holkham Hall near Wells-next-the-Sea.
• The country lanes that are part of National Cycle Network Route 1.
• Sweeping countryside views on the Day 2 route.

Lowlights

Cycling against the wind on the first day. I reckon that took an extra 25% effort.

Overall

I found the days physically demanding because I’ve not done as much long distance cycling this year. As a result, just sitting on a bike for 6-7 hours was tough enough. However, we didn’t have many breaks on either day. And both days were very windy and cycling was much more difficult because of that.

I have been cycling in Norfolk before and the routes this time overlapped very slightly with that earlier trip. However, it was great to to get away and explore a new part of Norfolk on this trip.

The post A Cycling Trip to King’s Lynn appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

In late 2016, I changed my workplace from home office to a coworking space in the centre of Horsham. I live about two miles from the new office so it was an easy decision to start cycle commuting every day.

Here are my thoughts about cycling to work for much of the last three years.

I don’t cycle every single day but I cycle into Horsham and home during rush hour (8 – 9am and 5 – 6pm) on 3-4 days each week. The other days, sometimes I walk, sometimes get the train (only one stop but it means I get to work dry when it’s raining), and sometimes I drive. Yes, I do drive and I’m contributing to the traffic in Horsham on some days but mostly I cycle commute.

Routes

Initially, I imagined that the most direct route into Horsham would be best. For me that’s Rusper Road – King’s Road – North Street. However, this has busy traffic at Rusper Road and King’s Road roundabouts and cycling over the bridge near Horsham Station feels dangerous with narrow lanes and cars often queued up behind. Forget that.

The second route I have used is Coltsfoot Drive – North Heath Lane – Wimblehurst Road – North Parade where I soon discovered that turning left at Richmond Road was preferable to the Wimblehurst Road traffic. Turning right from Richmond into Hurst Road was sometimes a problem but still preferable to Wimblehurst. North Heath Lane is also very busy and backs up every day.

However, now, my preferred route choice is Coltsfoot Drive – Heath Way – Pondtail Road – North Parade, which, although longer than the others, has less traffic overall until the Pondtail – North Parade junction. That junction can be busy but seems less of a problem than other routes. And often the traffic lights at Wimblehurst Road and Hurst Road junctions are synchronised so that I can cycle through two junctions at once.

On my way home, I use the second route which has an easier, traffic light-controlled right turn into Wimblehurst Road; it’s easier than the turn into Pondtail Road. Wimblehurst is narrow and busy but it’s normally less busy than the mornings.

• All my routes are about ten times less busy during school holidays.

Is cycle commuting dangerous?

Well, I’ve had a couple of near miss incidents. I avoided one accident by slowing and stopping at a mini roundabout where I had priority but a car driver thought otherwise. And there was another incident where a car pulled out of a junction in front of me. And a lot of close passing overtakes. I’m definitely more wary when cycling now.

Overall, my cycle commutes haven’t been dangerous but they aren’t always an easy or pleasant means of transport either.

Cycling on the pavements

I’ve seen a lot of cyclists avoiding traffic jams (and cars in general) by cycling on pavements. And my preferred route (above) has a short footpath cut-through that gets me from one road to another.

Perhaps I should cycle on the pavements more often? It would be safer for me, avoids cars, and is quicker than cycling on roads? Yet, it doesn’t feel right for me.

I just don’t have a habit of doing this, so I rarely think to do it.

• Yes, I know it’s an offence to cycle on the pavement. See Highway Code for Cyclists.

Cycle lanes

Cycling into the centre of Horsham mostly means taking your chance with cars. There’s very little cycling infrastructure, e.g cycle lanes, shared use paths, and what there is, isn’t always a very high standard.

For example, I can cycle a longer, rather circuitous route to get to an underpass under North Street to enter Horsham Park, where cycling is permitted on some paths. If doing that significantly improved my commute, I would do it. That’s not the case. It’s a No from me.

There have been some limited improvements to cycling infrastructure (e.g Kings Road going north) and I hope these continue.

• Horsham District Cycling Forum is a group that campaigns for better cycling facilities and infrastructure in Horsham. They work hard in a tough environment to make cycling safer and easier.

Cycle parking

There’s lots of cycle parking in Horsham. Bigger cycle stands for 1O or more bikes at various locations and many groups of 2, 3 or 4 Sheffield stands. These are more convenient for my office and that’s what I use.

I would guess that Sheffield stands are easier and cheaper to install and maintain so my suggestion for cheap cycling infrastructure improvements would be more of these.

Walking

Some days, walking seems a lot more preferable than cycling. Walking means I have time for my own thoughts. A nice Spring day’s walk into Horsham is most pleasant. On the other hand, it takes about an hour out of the day whereas cycling is 20 – 24 minutes.

Overall

I’m lucky that I have the choice to walk, drive or cycle into Horsham for my commute. Cycling is my preferred method of travel. However, it’s not always easy, routes are tricky, it can be cold and wet, and it is sometimes stressful – but it’s healthy and cheap – and I like how it feels on a good day.

I plan to continue.

The post Cycling to work in Horsham, West Sussex appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

Summary: We cycled a circular route from Faringdon (between Oxford and Swindon) on a very wet and cold day in October. It was wet. It was cold. Here are a few lessons I learned from the trip

We had booked a hotel in Faringdon for a short weekend and a day’s cycling. The Friday was a sunny Autumn day. Sunday was glorious weather. However, we were cycling on the Saturday which was a horrible day, weather-wise. I’m a fair-weather cyclist, lol. This was going to be a challenge!

The Route

We had planned a couple of different routes and, on the day, this was the route I cycled. It’s 65 miles on roads between Oxford and Swindon. It’s mostly country lanes but with some short busy road sections as well.

Lessons Learned from the Ride

I’ve not cycled in wet and cold weather very often. These lessons may be obvious but I’ll know better next time.

1. More shorter stops for coffee

We started at 9.30am (finishing at 3.30pm) and cycled the route without many stops; we did this to get the ride completed as quickly as possible. Our longest stop was 40 minutes where we grabbed a coffee and a sandwich at a petrol station. In hindsight, this was a bit too long because we cooled down (if that was even possible) and restarting afterwards was very, very cold and difficult.

Another time, I might have stopped for more coffee/warmth breaks but made them shorter.

2. Better protection for hands and feet

I forgot my longer gloves and had to wear fingerless gloves on the ride. As a result, it was very difficult to change gear from halfway through the ride because my left hand was cold and numb. Longer and waterproof gloves would offer more protection.

Waterproof socks, I don’t know if these exist but I didn’t have any. After a couple of hours on the bike, at the petrol station stop, I walked on feet like ice blocks from my bike to the shop to buy coffee. It was a rather unusual sensation but not one I want to repeat!

• Tip: A mate told me that he wears plastic bags on his feet to protect them on wet rides. I think he wears them over socks and inside shoes. I’ll try  that next time.

3. Waterproof cycling tops are only partly effective

My top half was reasonably dry during the ride but water dripping off my jacket meant that my lower body was not! I would probably wear baggy cycling trousers next time.

Overall

Clearly, my lessons are mostly about better preparedness. In the main, it was waterproofing where I was lacking. Riding a bike for five or six hours means that you generate body heat and with more waterproof cycling kit I would have been able to keep that warmth for longer.

I’m pleased that I finished the ride because it was definitely a different type of challenge.

The post The coldest and wettest I’ve ever been on a bike appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

Here’s my description of a weekend cycling trip to Sandwich in Kent. We cycled the Kent Coast north to Whitstable via Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Margate, and Herne Bay. We returned along country lanes in a loop round the outskirts of Canterbury.

The is a follow-up to my other posts about Cycling in Kent and More Cycling In Kent. The latter post covers some of the same route but in a clockwise direction. For this latest trip, we cycled anti-clockwise from Sandwich.

• Distance: 69 miles
• Staying in Sandwich
• Start and finish: 8.45 am, ride completed at 4:45 pm
• Terrain: Coast roads, paths, sea promenade and the Viking Trail. Country lanes near Canterbury

Where We Stayed

The New Inn in the centre of Sandwich. It’s a friendly pub with lively evening crowd. An ideal location as a base for cycling the Kent Coast.

We ate evening meals at the Fleur De Lis pub/hotel just up the road. It’s also very friendly, with nice bar areas, and a good choice of food.

The Route

Here it is on Google Maps.

Here it is on Strava:

Wind Tunnel Cycling

The first half of the day’s ride was into a very strong wind. I don’t know if we were unlucky with the prevailing wind direction but it was very tough to cycle into it. We averaged a slow 8-9 miles per hour over the first four hours. At one point, when cycling along the sea wall promenade, I did wonder how much stronger it would need to be to blow me off my bicycle!

But we all made it! And cycling away from Herne Bay was easier. By the time we cycled through the country lanes west and south of Canterbury it was very much easier.

Country Lanes and Glorious Kent

After the wind and the rather harsh scenery of some parts of the north Kent coast, the countryside near Canterbury and back to Sandwich was Kent at its best. Picturesque villages with lovely houses and quiet roads.

• Quiet roads in the main, yes. But one of our group nearly had a very nasty accident when a car pulled out in front of him. With no time to stop fully, he collided with the side of the car but was able to mitigate the impact by turning his bike slightly. Bruises only but this could have been a lot worse. The driver was completely at fault and didn’t see my cycling mate in his high visibility bright yellow jacket.

We made good time on the final two hours into Sandwich and arrived back at 4.45 pm. Plenty of time that evening for a beer or three.

Overall

Sandwich is a good location for cycling the Kent Coast. Cycle north like we did this time or head south towards Dover perhaps.

The north coast section is alongside the sea wall in many places and riding with waves crashing a few feet away is a unique experience if you are used to country lanes and road cycling.

A tough day’s cycling because of the prevailing wind but the route is mostly flat and it was a great ride.

The post Cycling the Kent Coast: Sandwich to Whitstable and return via Canterbury appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

I’ve made it. 100 parkruns completed. The Saturday morning run in a local park (mostly Horsham in my case) has changed my weekend habits completely. For the better.

I’d never heard of parkrun before it came to Horsham. Yet, after my first one in September 2014, I was hooked! It’s such a great way to start the weekend. Run, walk or jog round 5 km (3.1 miles) of Horsham Park with a few hundred other folks, and grab a coffee afterwards, it sets me up perfectly for the rest of the weekend. I think it’s the friendly and supportive community, fresh air and a healthy dose of adrenaline that does that!

I used to start jogging or running in Spring and give up a few months later. But, Horsham parkrun has motivated me to continue running for the rest of the year (and join a local running/jogging club).

My parkrun journey has included some freezing winter mornings where cycling to the start of parkrun froze my fingers and toes completely. And some days where the course was incredibly muddy and just getting round was an achievement. Although, I’ve not yet had my shoes sucked off by the mud (which, apparently, is a sign of ‘real’ mud, so I’ve been told).

And, there have been some fantastic Spring and Summer runs where the weather was sunny and Horsham Park was at its very best. I didn’t make much use of Horsham Park before parkrun but I know it a lot better now. It’s fab!

Overall, it’s been a great experience and I’ve learnt a lot about myself, running, and made a few friends along the way. Thank you parkrun and everyone I’ve met on a Saturday morning at 9am.

I’ve made it to 100 parkruns now. Here’s to the next 100!

The post What parkrun means to me appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

Finding a place to stay for a group of six guys isn’t always easy but this time we used our ‘old friends network’ and stayed in Rose Bank House in the village.

Rose Bank Guest House is a high quality B & B positioned on the high street of the pretty Exmoor village of Porlock.

It’s a great place to stay!

Old friends network?

Well, my friends Chris and Sue bought the B and B in summer 2016. Rather a career change for them and it’s hard work but they seem to be enjoying it and have big plans for the place.

It is a great place to stay though. Not only do you get a fab welcome from Chris and Sue but the B and B has some great pubs and restaurants on its doorstep in Porlock village. For example, the B & B is just a few yards from The Ship Inn and from Piggy in the Middle restaurant (great pies).

And there’s Exmoor, of course. A few miles up the road and you are right in the National Park.

So, if you need somewhere to stay in Exmoor, Porlock is a great location. I’m biased of course but you will get a great welcome at Rose Bank.

The post A Bed and Breakfast for Cycling in Somerset from Porlock appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

I went on a weekend cycling trip to Bournemouth with some friends recently. We spent two days in the area and cycled a couple of circular routes in Dorset, including the Isle of Purbeck.

• We’re a group of 50-something guys.
• We like to cover a few miles on our trips but we aren’t club cyclists.
• We have hybrid/town/commuting bikes (like this one) not road bikes. This, and our ages, means that we’re not the fastest (but we get there in the end).

Where We Stayed

We stayed at The Wessex Hotel (on Trip Advisor), which is a large hotel on the western side of Bournemouth. It has a big car park and is easy to find from the main A338. The hotel was welcoming and the staff helpful with storing our bikes in rooms inside the hotel. The buffet breakfast, especially the choice of cereals, fruit, yoghurt and pastries, was great. Just what you need before a long day’s cycling in the Dorset countryside!

The hotel was comfortable with large bedrooms although the decor was slightly dated. Nothing that would stop me staying there again though.

The Cycling Routes

Isle of Purbeck and Blandford Forum

Here’s a map of the first day’s cycling:

• This is the Dorset route from Great British Bike Rides: 40 Classic Routes for Road Cyclists.

The route goes west from Bournemouth and into Sandbanks. We took the Sandbanks chain ferry across Poole Harbour. The ferry runs every 20 minutes and costs £1 for cyclists.

After the crossing, we cycled picturesque countryside on the Isle of Purbeck, past Corfe Castle, and through the Purbeck Hills before heading north to Blandford Forum. Just before BF, we stopped for lunch (at the Hambro Arms pub) in the delightful village of Milton Abbas. I’ve been through that area before on my Blandford Forum cycling trip but Milton Abbas was just as lovely as I remembered it. There’s a tough little climb out of the village that I had almost forgotten though!

The only drawback to this route was the busy road into Poole near the end of the trip. There are cycle paths through Poole but be prepared to stop and check signage regularly.

We originally planned to finish the day by cycling back to the hotel via the promenade into Bournemouth but this isn’t permitted between 10 am and 6 pm during summer months. Check timings before you do this! We were stopped by a ‘promenade ranger’.

No problem. The promenade would have been nicer but we took a busier road back to the hotel.

Overall, for the first day.

• 89.90 miles
• 3,911 ft elevation gain
• 11.8 mph average speed

North of Bournemouth and east of the New Forest

Here’s a map of the route:

On day 2, we cycled a shorter and flatter route (thanks for devising the route, Brian), along the promenade (a gentle start to the day) to Christchurch, heading north, and skirting Ringwood and the eastern edge of the New Forest. After that, the route went west as far as Witchampton before we turned south back to Bournemouth.

The route is mostly country lanes but we also cycled an off-road cycleway after a lunch stop (a cafe in the town square) in Wimborne Minster. Some of the group stopped at a pub in Gussage All Saints (great name!) for their lunch.

The second day was just what we needed to ‘recover’ after the much hillier first day. We all arrived back at the hotel in late afternoon, ready for the evening’s traditional end-of-trip curry!

• 60.37 miles
• 1,603 ft elevation gain
• 11.6 mph average speed

Overall

Great trip. Great routes. Lovely and varied countryside, especially the first day. Some tough climbs through the Purbeck Hills (oh, really?!) and the first half of that day. Much less ‘elevation’ on our second day’s route though.

Yes, I’d love to go back to the area again.

Further Reading

• There are some great routes, including the Dorset ride from the first day of our trip, in Great British Bike Rides: 40 Classic Routes for Road Cyclists.

The post A Cycling Trip to Bournemouth, Dorset appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

I’ve been running more and more over the last two years and it’s really helped my cycling fitness. At least on the shorter rides. And on climbs. I feel a lot fitter and stronger on my bike. I’m not out of breath and the hills that I used to find a struggle are not so bad.

Running is good for cycling! That’s a bit surprising to me because I always assumed that the two exercises use different muscles and are different in other ways. How can one help the other?

Why has running helped my cycling?

Clearly, my improved cardiovascular fitness and the fact that I’m not carrying  20 – 30 lbs of extra body weight have really helped.

I can think of a few other reasons why running has improved my cycling:

• Leg movements will have made my legs stronger overall.
• Trail running (bridleways) has given me better balance skills and reaction times.
• Better posture. Running is a standing exercise and I think it’s good compensation for sitting down all day. Cycling is, um,  sitting down and it’s not as much of a change in posture.
• Regular exercise must be a good thing (it’s easy to take a break and go for a run).

I don’t have a planned schedule for running and how it fits into my cycling activities. I just do one or the other depending on how I feel. I’m currently running three times a week (approx. 15 miles in total) and cycling twice a week (approx. 40 miles).

I’ve felt most of the benefits of running on shorter cycle rides so I still need to go out for some longer 3 to 4-hour rides before my planned cycling trips with friends later this summer.

Get out and run!

Overall, I feel like I have benefited a lot from running and it’s improved my cycling fitness.

Why not try a parkrun every Saturday? It’s great and the regularity has kept me motivated for running. Give it a go!

The post Running is good for cycling fitness appeared first on Clive Goes Cycling.

For me, the route is not so far to need time to recover but I still feel that I’ve cycled a ‘decent’ distance. This route is similar to this one, south of Horsham to Partridge Green (PG), but with added sections on Hamper’s lane and from PG to Henfield.

Highlights of the route

• South from Horsham on Sedgwick Lane and on to Copsale is normally very quiet. This section avoids a more strenuous climb up Hard’s Hill at the south end of Kerves Lane.
• Downs Link south from Copsale to Henfield is great! Off-road but easy to cycle. Lovely countryside views over fields.
• Return via country lanes from Partridge Green, via Littleworth, and back to Copsale.
• Near the end of the ride, cycle down the aforementioned Hard’s Hill and Kerves Lane to Horsham. It’s easy to accelerate and reach 40mph on the downhill but take it easy and look ahead as far as possible because it’s quite steep.

I like this route and I cycle it quite often. Here’s a typical view on the return journey! Why not cycle the route yourself?!

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