Matt's Bike Blog

Police 'Close Pass' Campaign goes UK wide

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 19:43:00 +0000

I was really pleased to read that a West Midlands Police road safety initiative designed to protect cyclists from car drivers passing them too close is being rolled out across the country.

As someone who's been knocked off my bike a couple of times by drivers and experiences poor driving pretty much every week as a cyclist, I think it's a great idea.

And interestingly the campaign was given some teeth, with 130 drivers pulled over for not leaving enough space when overtaking cyclists.

West Midlands Police also released a video of 'close passes':

It doesn't seem anything out of the ordinary to me, but I'm probably used to it...

3 Reasons Cyclists Shouldn't Pay Road Tax

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 19:58:00 +0000

If you're anything like me, you probably have an aggressive driver shout 'Get off my road, you don't pay Road Tax' at you on a regular basis.

Cycling shop Leisure Lakes Bikes have pulled together 3 reasons why cyclists shouldn't pay Road Tax and I've turned it into an infographic...

Gear Review Update: Sunwise Hastings Sunglasses/Eyewear

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 20:25:00 +0000

I just wanted to do a quick update to a review I did back in 2015 for a pair of Sunwise Hastings Sunglasses/Eyewear.

Basically the one glasses use a super-tough one piece lens which is panoramic, anti-fog, anti-glare and photochromic (light reacting), which means that they work in all conditions, from full sun to heavy shade.

My original review gave the glasses 9/10 and I wanted to revisit the review now that I've had the glasses for nearly 18 months.

I've put them through their paces on hundreds of rides in all conditions and I have to say I completely stand by my original review. The glasses have proved tough, they don't fog up and they work in any lighting conditions you could ask them to.

What more could you ask for...?!

They're available for £95.

2016 Tour de France Returns to Mont Ventoux

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:36:00 +0000

It's great to hear that the Tour de France will be returning to the iconic Mont Ventoux for next year's route. Not only that, but it will be on Bastille Day, July 14th!

The Tour has ascended the 'Giant of Provence' 15 times since 1951 and was last raced in 2013, when Chris Froome won the stage (and went on to win the Tour itself).

It's a brutal climb, arguably the toughest in the Tour, up to 1909m over 21km (from Bedoin) at an average gradient of over 7%.

I've ridden the climb twice, the first time was in 2006 after cycling the length of France. It's a brutal climb, much of it in full sun on the bare slopes of the mountain.

I'll definitely be watching!

Gear Review: Why Did No-one Tell Me About Cree Lights?!

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 21:11:00 +0000

It's that time of year again when the night's draw in and it gets harder and harder to cycle in daylight. It's time to get the bike lights on!

Up till now my trusty Lezyne Micro Drive Lights (which I reviewed a couple of years ago) have been perfect. They're great for letting other road users know you're there on city streets, but when it comes to actually seeing where you're going when the street lights run out, they're not really up to the job.

Since I've moved out to the edge of the countryside and my regular cycling route is now down unlit pothole-strewn lanes, the Lezyne's maximum of 200 lumens is not enough to spot upcoming bear traps, plus their limited battery light when on full beam means you need to recharge every day!

So I faced a quandary and the only solution was to do some research (one of favourite leisure activities!). After several wasted hours, from what I can see the choices boil down to two options:

Option 1: Exposure Equinox Mk2
If you're a Premiership footballer and have £200+ spare you can go for something like the Exposure Equinox Mk2, which are fantastically well made, high tech pieces of kit which offer loads of features and up to 2,000 lumens of light.

It's a thing of undeniable beauty...

Option 2: Nestling Cree Lights
If you're anyone else, you can buy a Cree Light - I chose a Nestling Cree XML T6, but there were loads of others to choose from.

It's nowhere near as beautifully-made as the Exposure Equinox Mk2 and it comes with an ungainly separate battery pack, but the light output is also claimed to be 2,000 lumens. It even comes with fittings to transform it into a headlamp, plus there's a rear light thrown in!

Oh, and the price? £14.99....yes, seriously!

Guess which one I bought...

I will update with a full review later, but after using the Nestling Cree Light a couple of times I would say it's fantastic for the job in hand. It provides an astonishing amount of light, which made me feel far safer on the road and also made riding less tiring as I wasn't having to strain to see ahead.

Other road users were clearly very well aware of me and, while bright, the central beam was easy to direct low enough not to dazzle people.

Yes the light is obviously not up to the build standards of the Exposure Equinox Mk2. It's ugly and flimsy and the battery pack is a bit of a faff and the wire connecting it is too long and rather awkward.

But then you think - it costs £14.99!!!

Why did no-one tell me about Cree Lights before...?

Gear Review: Sunwise Hastings Sunglasses/Eyewear

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 20:35:00 +0000

Many of us are happy to spend £100 on a pair of stylish branded sunglasses, which basically just reduce glare, while looking trendy.

But many keen cyclists, including me, would normally find the idea of spending that amount on cycling sunglasses (or 'eyewear' as I should call it) hard to justify. My last pair of Bloc sunglasses cost about £20...

And yet cycling eyewear has to do so much more than mere sunglasses. It needs to not only protect us from the sun, but also shield our eyes from mud, branches, bugs and whatever the road throws at us. It needs to be be strong, it needs to be light, it needs to work in the full sun and also in near dark.

I've never been drawn to the glasses worn by pro cyclists from the likes of Oakley. They're not only pricey - some are over £200! - but the styling is not to my taste. 'Snazzy', my mum would have called it...

But I think I've found a solution, it's a new range of sports eyewear called Hastings, made by award-winning British company Sunwise.

The Science Bit

The glasses promise a great deal: they're Photochromic (light reactive) meaning they should work in bright sunlight as well as shade; they're frameless and panoramic, meaning that they offer an uninterrupted view; they're tough and they're anti-fogging.

They're also use UK-designed, hand-crafted Class 1 optical quality lenses which offer complete protection from UVA and UVB radiation which can injure the eyes.

Sunwise are an innovative and award-winning Oxford-based company who have become a global sports sports eyewear success since they were established in 1996.

Their Hastings glasses are not actually cycling-specific, but they seem to do almost anything you could possibly ask of cycling glasses.

* * *

I've now tested the glasses in a range of conditions over a number of rides and I have to say I'm seriously impressed.

Fit and feel

The glasses look and feel well made and they fit beautifully. The comfortable nose pad and light weight mean that you hardly feel you're wearing eyewear, while the frameless panoramic lens gives an almost uninterrupted view.

Photochromic

Hastings boast 'Chromafusion' lenses, which are light reactive. Sunwise claim that they react to sunlight 'within seconds'. However, while using them I've never been aware of any lag, meaning that they appear to adapt, almost instantly, from full sun to deep shade.

The glasses also have a platinum coating which protects against glare. The lenses block UVA and UVB rays too. As well as preventing eye strain this, alongside the optical quality of the lenses, also - from my experience - appears to aid vision in almost all light conditions, meaning that you can see obstructions such as drain covers and potholes more easily, adding to safety.

The biggest advantage, to my eyes, is that the glasses work in all light conditions, meaning that you only need one pair of cycling glasses. Much of my cycling is done on weekday evenings, when the contrast between low sun and deep shade is at it's worst. I've struggled with standard sunglasses for years, particularly when I've had to remove my glasses in darker lanes and found myself with mud or midges in my eyes!

One option is switchable lenses, which I've found are fiddly, ugly and prone to get damaged. But these glasses are a far simpler solution and have worked 100% effectively and without compromise in all conditions I've thrown at them.

Anti-fog

Another issue experienced by anyone cycling on a hot day, or while panting uphill, is fogging of the lenses. In fact I've frequently taken off my glasses while climbing hills in the past because I, literally, couldn't see where I was going.

The Sunwise Hastings glasses boast a 'unique anti-fog property'. I don't understand the science, but all I know is that they don't fog up, which is a huge bonus and a testament to their design and manufacture.

Look

I have to be honest, these glasses are not going to appeal to traditionalists or the shy and retiring - the panoramic lens, combined with the 'petrol' effect look, is striking.

They've certainly divided opinion among people I've shown the glasses too. However, having worn these glasses for a few weeks now, I have to come down strongly in their favour. I think they look great and tough luck if anyone disagrees.

Price

The Sunwise Hastings retail for £94.99 which, having extensively tested them, I would say is good value given the technology involved and considering how expensive alternatives from competitors such as Oakley can be.

Rating

Overall I give the Sunwise Hastings cycling glasses 9/10.

Gear Review: The Coolest Kids Cycle Helmet Ever! - Kiddimoto Goggles Helmet

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Tue, 05 May 2015 19:28:00 +0000

We've just bought our bike mad 5-year-old bike a new helmet and it's the coolest helmet ever!

It's made by Kiddimoto, a family-owned British company based in Somerset, who specialise in wooden balance bikes.

Our son's old Specialized cycling helmet has long been outgrown and has been perching uselessly on our son's head for a while. But he thinks wearing a helmet to cycle and ride his scooter is 'cool' (long may that continue!), so we wanted to get him something really stylish - just bigger.

It's a BMX-style helmet with air vents in (very visible) bright red. But the clincher is the design, with painted on goggles, which look absolutely fantastic!

Having measured his head, he was right at the top of the 'small', so we bought a 'medium', which currently looks huge, but there's lots of room to grow (the helmet fits my wife too!).

The best price we found was £21.99 from Chain Reaction Cycles.

The helmet is very solidly made and there's loads of padding and adjustment. Our son gets lots of smiles from people when he wears it.

And if it encourages kids to wear a helmet, who can argue...?

Volvo's Life Paint - Part of the Cycling Safety Solution?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 20:30:00 +0000

What an amazing idea Volvo's Life Paint is.

If you've missed it, here's a lovely explanatory video:

The product is not yet on sale, but has limited availability at a small number of bike shops in the south east of the UK. The Swedish car manufacturer claims that the reflective safety spray can be applied to any fabric, making it glow brightly in car headlights, but is invisible in daylight. It even washes off.

What's not to like? I'd certainly love to get my hands on a can to test it!

But there's been criticism from some cycling safety campaigners, including the CTC and London Cycling Campaign, saying that cyclists should not have have to make themselves visible and that drivers should show more awareness.

Mikael Colville-Anderson from Copenhagenize Design Co has called the spray 'victim blaming' and started a petition against it.

As someone who cycled in central London most days for 5 years and regularly rides on dark country lanes, I have to say - boringly - that it's not either/or.

Cyclists need to wear and use whatever we can to make ourselves visible - we should contribute to our own safety. And I see too many cyclists riding in dark clothing and often with no lights on, who are almost impossible to see.

But drivers must also pay much better attention to cyclists and laws must be enforced.

If a smart idea like Volvo's Life Paint can be part of the solution, that's fine by me.

Look like a Peleton Pro for a tenner with Pegatin bike name stickers

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 22:19:00 +0000

It's pretty sad, but we cyclists do like to emulate the pros.

Just look at the number of overweight middle-aged men squeezed into lycra team jerseys riding £5k+ carbon bikes.

But here's a great way to get the ultimate pro peloton look for you bike for as little as a tenner!

British company Pegatin provide the name tags that go on pro bikes and now you can buy them for yourself, complete with country flag!

Now that's a much cheaper upgrade than a new set of aero wheels!

Gear Review: Shimano Ultegra 6810 Aero Brakes

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 20:31:00 +0000

I wrote recently about Trek upgrading my 2007 Trek Madone 5.2 frame for a 2013 5.9 replacement after finding a crack in the carbon. An amazing piece of customer service!

My only tiny caveat with the bike - and this is, quite literally, looking a gift horse in the mouth - was the Bontrager integrated brakes that came with the frame.

On the plus side, they're aero, which I presume means they have some teeny drag advantage. More importantly, they look cool, particularly the rear brake, which is hidden away behind the bottom bracket, rather than on the seat stays.

The main disadvantage is that the brakes don't work very well - in fact, descending Clee Hill in Shropshire was fairly terrifying and I thought I might have to bale out into a hedge at one point!

But there is now an answer: Shimano Ultegra 6810 aero brakes, which are available for £66 for the pair.

Here they are:

The main advantages, as well as that they look great (and match my 2007 Shimano crank arms too!), the price (the Shimano Dura-Ace 9010 are around £200 for the pair!) and fit snugly into the frame.

But the key plus point is that they work! My definition of a good brake is that if you yank it hard, your wheel skids - it can't grip harder than that - and that it doesn't leave your hands exhausted. So success on both counts.

It's a no-brainer upgrade for the Trek Madone and one that seems to be very common.

Cycling Safety Infographic

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 20:41:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for infographics - and a fan of cycle safety - so I was pleased to be sent this by 50cycles blog. As well as interesting stats and results from their own research, there are some useful safety tips.

50cycles is the UK blog of leading German electric bicycle maker Kalkhoff, but the results are equally illuminating for us mere human-powered cyclists.

Some stats that really stood out for me:

Over 700,000 adults in the UK cycle to work (25% of commuters in Cambridge!)
More than 19,000 accidents involving cyclists were reported in 2012
There were 118 cycling fatalities on UK roads in 2012

Has Danny Macaskill finally bitten off more than he can chew?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 13:23:00 +0000

Over the years, trials rider Danny Macaskill has performed some amazing feats on his bike and made some incredible films. But his latest, filmed on his native Skye, really takes the biscuit.

In #TheRidge, Macaskill takes a genuinely death-defying ride along the notorious Cullin Ridge.

I have to admit, I watched much of this through my fingers, it's certainly not for the faint-hearted!

Trek - Incredible customer service!

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:52:00 +0000

I just wanted to update my earlier blog post about the crack in my 2007 Trek Madone carbon frame.

Just to re-cap: I discovered a tiny crack in the seat stay of my frame, remember that Trek offered a lifetime warranty on frames, contacted the shop I bought the bike from - Mike Vaughan Cycles, took the frame in, dug out the original receipt and was waiting on Trek's response.

That was just over a fortnight ago. Well, here's their response:

That's right, Trek have replaced my 2007 Trek Madone 5.2 frame with an unused 2013 Trek Madone 5.9 frame, worth £1,800!!!

That is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most amazing customer service I have ever experienced and, from what I've read, this is pretty standard practise for Trek. I have nothing but praise for the way that Trek and Mike Vaughan Cycles, in particular Ray, have dealt with this. Added to that, Mike Vaughan only charged me £24 to completely disassemble and reassemble the bike, which is incredible value.

So I just wanted to share a story about excellent service as people usually seem happier to moan about bad service.

It's an absolutely beautiful bike. I just need to make a few tweaks to the riding position, make sure everything's tightened and adjusted correctly and take it out for a test!

Update (August 31st, 2014):
Not that I've had the chance to go for a proper ride - 60 miles including Clee Hill in Shropshire - I'm happy to report that the bike is incredible. It's comfortable and yet it also feels far more stiff than the original frame in terms of getting power to the wheels. My only tiny caveat is that I think I will change the integrated brakes for Shimano's own aero 6810 versions, which I've read give a lot more confidence!

Trek Madone carbon frame crack...

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 18:49:00 +0000

I've had my Trek Madone since 2008 (although it's a 2007 model, I bought it in the end of season sale). It's a bike that, once it was properly set up, has been an old friend and has done many thousands of miles, without complaint.

Even if my head might be turned occasionally by younger models, this is a bike I want to keep for years to come.

But when I was cleaning the bike thoroughly before taking it on holiday to Wales last week, I noticed a tiny crack in the carbon frame on the drive side.

My first reaction was a despairing sigh...

My Madone dates from a time when the carbon stays were joined to aluminium dropouts, which does seem to offer problems as the two materials are likely to expand and contract at different rates.

Anyway, I took the bike away and had some fantastic rides around where we were staying, near to Aberdovey.

But I was getting worried that if I didn't do something about the frame it might fail spectacularly. Carbon frames can be fixed, but it's not cheap and the results aren't pretty.

But then a hazy memory surfaced: I seemed to remember one of the appeals of the bike when I bought it was that it came with a frame warranty. Sure enough, I went on the Trek web site and the it's true - Trek offer a lifetime warranty for the frame to the original owner!

Having returned from holiday, I've been in touch with the bike shop I bought it from Mike Vaughan Cycles in Kenilworth and they confirmed that the warranty would apply, subject to Trek signing off the frame and me proving that I was the original owner.

That's where I may have a problem. The bike shop don't have a record of the sale from 2008 and I've just moved house and all these kinds of vital paperwork are filed away in a huge pile of boxes. So it looks like I've got some searching to do...

Update (August 12th, 2014):

I've now found the original receipt and the bike frame has been taken in to Mike Vaughan Cycles, so fingers crossed!

Cycling the First World War Western Front

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 19:30:00 +0000

Back in 2010, my brother James and I cycled the 550 miles from the French coast to Zurich in Switzerland in a week, roughly following the First World War western front, through Belgium, northern France and Switzerland.

We did the ride to raise money for Leukaemia Research in memory of our mum, Shirley, who died in 2009.

With the centenary of the start of the First World War, and as a number of people have contacted me for details of the route, I thought I would re-post the original route, diary and video entries.

I've done a number of longer rides, including Lands' End to John o'Groats, through Germany and the Czech Republic and from Birmingham to Montpelier in France and this definitely ranks among my favourite.

Matthew and James leaving Dunkerque
Here's the route:

Bike route 322271 - powered by Bikemap

And here's a video I put together of the ride:

Here are the daily routes and diaries:

Day 1 - Dunkerque to Arras
Route details
Diary and video

Day 2 - Arras to Soissons
Route details
Diary and video

Day 3 - Soissons to Sainte-Menehould
Route details
Diary and video

Day 4 - Sainte-Menehould to Nancy
Route details
Diary and video

Day 5 - Nancy to Le Thillot
Route details
Diary and video

Day 6 - Le Thillot to Basel
Route details
Diary and video

Day 7 - Basel to Grafstal (Zurich)
Route details
Diary and video

Terrifying head cam footage of cyclist's head-on crash with car!

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 21:38:00 +0000

A cyclist from Essex has uploaded an astonishing video taken on his helmet cam of his head on crash with a car. He then flies through the air and, incredibly, lands on his feet!

The cyclist, who doesn't give his real name, but goes by the username 'cyclejack' on YouTube, says on the video details:

"The second time I rode into London in an effort to gain some fitness, rather than take the train, ended like this.

"I was traveling around 22mph through Romford. Drizzly conditions so I was being cautious around bends and roundabouts. I didn't expect this!

"I broke (it can just be seen on the frame before impact) but I had no chance of stopping.

"I'm not quite sure how I wasn't seen. I'm over 6ft and was wearing a bright blue jacket. If I was seen then it's a very bad judgement in my speed.

"After a very uncomfortable trip to the hospital in a neck brace and spinal board and various x-rays I escaped with just bruising. So I consider myself lucky. At the time the driver was apologetic and was informed by the police that I was recording my ride and seemed to admit fault. But when it came to my insurance claim against her she disputed it. Safe to say the video has saved me a lot of hassle and 3 weeks later the cheque has already arrived from the insurance company.

"My 4 week old Giant bike was written off but thanks to the guys at Cycle Store they put me one of the two they had left aside and I'm looking forward to getting back out there.

"I will say the condition of the cycle lanes are a disgrace along that road, along with many I come across. With the usual obstacles of parked cars, drivers edging out of junctions, pot holes, glass, drains - why would you cycle in a cycle lane?"

Just to stress, the cyclist is doing absolutely nothing wrong in this crash.

It's also interesting to see the original footage, compared to what the Daily Mail uploaded. Firstly, you can hear him swearing as they crash (which I can definitely vouch for when I've had far less spectacular crashes!), but it does show how awful the cycling provision is and how poor others' driving is...

Bicycle: The Film

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:20:00 +0000

A new feature-lemngth documentary, 'Bicycle', is set to tell the "story of cycling in the land that invented the modern bicycle, it's birth, decline and re-birth from Victorian origins to today".

The film is directed by BAFTA winner Michael Clifford (who I got to know on a film-maing course he ran at MAC in Birmingham) and award-winning producer Pip Piper and features interviews with the likes of Sir Dave Brailsford, Gary Fisher, Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting and Sir Chris Hoy.

Appropriately, the film is receiving it's world premiere in Bradford tomorrow to coincide with the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Yorkshire. It's then getting a limited release around the UK, details here.

I've not seen it yet, but having spoken to Michael and Pip about it and going by the trailer, it should be fantastic! I'm looking forward to seeing it in Birmingham.

Gear Review: Polar RC3 GPS Training Computer

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 20:46:00 +0000

For anyone who doesn't own a GPS cycle computer I have one piece of advice: buy one immediately!

If you're someone, like I was, used to an old-fashioned 'cycle computer', running by cable or wirelessly from your front wheel, it may be time to wake up and smell the 21st Century cappuccino...

But which to buy? Today I'm looking at one of the latest examples - the Polar RC3 GPS - which promises 'unprecedented training accuracy and insight'. I've also asked my brother-in-law, Huw - a committed and extremely capable triathlete - to test the RC3 and add in his thoughts.

The three colourways available are shown above, but I've been lucky enough to get my hands on the eye-catching limited edition Tour de France 100th anniversary special edition. Lucky me!

Polar invented the wireless heart rate monitor back in the 80s, but this nifty little package combines monitoring your heart rate with a GPS to track your route, speed (current, maximum and average), distance (total, training and lap) and altitude, as well as a detailed breakdown of your level of effort. Once uploaded to Polar's own site or third party sites, such as Strava, it opens up a whole new level of monitoring.

And on top of that, it also promises the services of an expert trainer...

What's in the box?

What you get, in a very nice package, is the RC3 'watch', plus a bike mount, a heart rate monitor and strap, plus a cadence sensor to attach to your frame and pedal crank. You can also buy a speed sensor for £35, which is apparently even more accurate than the GPS element and offers additional vital functions (see below for more). Plus there's a comprehensive manual, which is also available online.

Score: 8/10 (would be 10/10 if the speed sensor, allowing auto start/stop, was included)

Mounting
The RC3 can either go on your wrist or be attached to your bike's handlebars on the provided mount, which attaches quickly and easily. Personally, I prefer to have the watch on the handlebar mount.

The heart rate monitor chest strap is very comfortable and easy to adjust (and washable), plus the cadence sensor is easy to attach.

The peripherals are easy to pair with the RC3 and I found that the GPS acquired its targets quicker than my existing Garmin 500.

Score: 8/10 (easy to fit, but not as easy as the simple twist on/off of a Garmin 500)

Display
I've seen some critics say that the RC3's display is 'redolent of the 1980s', but I love its look and it's very clear. The screen is legible while riding, either on your wrist or on the handlebars, in light conditions - plus there's a light if you're out in the dark.

There are a number of choices of layout for which details - time, speed, altitude, heart rate, etc - are shown on the screen. While there are plenty of alternatives, I would have preferred to be able to create a bespoke display of the information available to me. And while using the RC3 I did miss some of the additional information fields I have available on my Garmin 500.

Having said that, the RC3's focus on heart rate and training zones is interesting - I do have a slightly obsessive interest in details and it's easy to get distracted by speed, average speed and time while riding, when heart rate is a far better measure of effort and fitness. That's what the Polar RC3 is all about.

In addition, there are huge amounts of data fields 'under the hood' which are fully revealed once the RC3 is synced with Polar's site or Strava. And that is really the time to be looking at that extra data and compare notes.

Triathlon Huw's thoughts: "It looks good, with large numbers, yet is small enough to wear as a watch. Different pre-set screen options also cover most information presentation most users could think of and a few more."

Score: 7/10

Looks and Build Quality
I have to admit that I absolutely love the design of the Polar RC3. So much so that I've been wearing it regularly as a watch off the bike. The great thing is that Polar have managed to squeeze a huge amount into a remarkably slim package that looks like a chunky (in a good way) sports watch.

The build quality is also beautiful. The watch is solid, the plastics good quality and the tooling on the metal switches is absolutely exquisite.

Triathlon Huw's thoughts: "It looks good enough to wear when not exercising, in particular in the ‘look at me’ Tour de France 100th bright yellow version."

Score: 9/10

Battery Life and Charging
The battery life on the Polar RC3 is excellent, especially in such a small package. Polar quote 12 hours on continuous GPS or 1700 hours without GPS (that's 70 days - or over 2 months - without charging). I'd say that matches my experience so far, similar to my Garmin 500 and should last pretty much any day in the saddle (do you seriously plan to ride for more than 12 hours in a day? I've only done it once in tens of thousands of miles of cycling).

It's simplicity itself to charge the RC3 and there's a really elegant magnetic mini-USB port at the back of the watch with a water-repelling seal. Using a mini-USB adapter means that the charger can be shared with other electrical items, such as iPhones, which is handy when you want to keep gear (and weight) to a minimum.

Triathlon Huw's thoughts: "The battery charging cover and system was simple and effective. As with many GPS watches, battery life is limited."

Score: 9/10 (couldn't really be better given it's size and an elegant solution for charging)

Operation
This is where I have to come to what, for me, is a significant issue with the way the Polar RC3 operates, which is that there is no auto start/stop option, something I've become really used to on my Garmin 500. An auto start-stop basically means that you don't need to manually pause the device when you stop at traffic lights, or hop off the bike to buy a chocolate bar or have a pee.

To me this is something of an oversight by Polar, meaning that you have to remember to start and stop the timer at those crucial moments, which can be a challenge. Having said that, I would think it's something that could be easily addressed with a software update. It can also be resolved by buying the optional speed sensor, which mounts to the front fork and wheel, allowing an autostart/stop function.

I would also say that the interface on the Polar RC3 does take some getting used to. For example, there's one button to start and another ('Back') to stop - wouldn't it be simpler (and more intuitive) to have one 'Start/Stop' button? Having said that, any navigation system becomes easier to use with practise and familiarity.

Triathlon Huw's thoughts: "The heart rate monitor connection worked quickly and simply, but the ‘stop’ button isn't obvious. When running with a group, I couldn’t work out how to stop the watch, when we were re-grouping, so run time was captured as total elapsed time and made the run seem very slow!"

Score: 7/10 (some issues here for both of us, some fixable by buying a speed sensor, some from possible software updates, but more serious work may be needed)

Training
This is one of the areas where the Polar RC3 gets the chance to show its true colours and really shine. As a training partner, this product is absolutely amazing!

As a starting point, the RC3 allows you to establish your VO2 Max. This is a measure of how much oxygen your body is able to get around your bloodstream and is basically a measure of your fitness level.

It's normally something you need to do in a lab, hooked up to thousands of pounds'-worth of equipment. But, using the Polar RC3, it's a process that involves inputting some basic information about your age, height, weight, gender, etc and lying down for 5 minutes to measure your resting heart rate. Even an ex-pro was impressed with the accuracy of the results.

You can upload your training data to www.polarpersonaltrainer.com which can not only track your progress, but even plan out a training routine for you.

It can feel slightly unnerving, at first, to see your heart rate mapped out like this - especially with the zones marked out in colour - but it can be incredibly informative.

As well as mapping progress, this also allows you to work out where you need to improve. On the bike it can give you not only an incredibly precise measure of how much effort you are putting in, but also what is sustainable for you.

That can be incredibly useful whether you are interested in improving your performance or if you're looking for a way to monitor your peak sustainable pace in a race.

Score: 9/10 (this is the best online training I've seen)

Uploading Details
It's simplicity itself to upload the data from the RC3 to www.polarpersonaltrainer.com - just download the relevant software onto your computer, plug the watch in and press 'Sync'. The Polar site is lovely, but if you want to send the data to a site such as Strava, you can export it as a GPX file.

Score: 8/10 (Polar's site is great, but exporting GPX can be awkward and risks losing some data fields)

Uses - cycling/running/Triathlon
The Polar RC3 is suitable for both running and cycling, and it switches easily between those roles, but there is another issue which will particularly affect triathletes. It's rated as waterproof to IPX7 standards, which means it can sustain moisture at 1 metre deep for up to 30 minutes. That means it will be absolutely perfect to cope with rain showers or puddles, but the watch is not really a serious option for a triathlete as, while most would hope to complete (roughly) a mile in half an hour, it doesn't leave them much leeway.

Score: 7/10

Price
The Polar RC3, including it's heart rate monitor and cadence sensor has an RRP of £270, although you can pick it up cheaper (especially in the other colourways). An equivalent Garmin 500 has an RRP of around £230.

Overall
Overall the Polar RC3 is a lovely device to use. If you've not used a heart rate monitor before it will be a revelation. And I think the Tour de France 100th edition is absolutely beautiful, so much so that I've been wearing it as my regular watch!

The RC3 would probably best suit a runner who wanted to use it for cycling too, it's certainly very easy to switch from one activity to the other. For dedicated cyclists, such as myself, the Polar RC3 is definitely an option - and a very attractive one - as long as we're prepared to accept some compromises, such as the fact that there's no auto start/stop without the optional speed sensor and that the display isn't completely adaptable.

Triathlon Huw's verdict: "The Polar RC3 is a really nice piece of kit. It looks great, but I found the functions confusing. The charging is simple, but I found the battery life a little disappointing."

Overall Score: 8/10

Health Facts About Cycling - Infographic

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 19:50:00 +0000

We all know that cycling is a great way to enjoy yourself and get from A to B, but I was really pleased to find this infographic highlighting just how healthy cycling is...

The stats come from an infographic created by Action Medical Research, a British medical research charity who run an extensive range of cycling events to help fund research into rare diseases affecting children. Find out more here.

Incredible Bike Video

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 22:51:00 +0000

This video, shot on a helmet-mounted Go-Pro, of a downhill ride - including a backflip over a 72-foot canyon - is absolutely incredible.

Partly because it's beautifully shot, but also because the route is absolutely mental...!

Gear Review: Abus Granit 53 'London' D-Lock with Cobra Cable

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Bike locks are one of those things - like drains or computer backups - that you only really appreciate when they don't work.

I speak as someone with painful personal experience.

The Cannondale Bad Boy I rode from Land's End to John O'Groats in 2003 was nicked from outside a Sainsbury's in Islington, 10 feet from a security guard...

To be fair, it was locked up with a flimsy (and light) lock. So the anger and confusion I felt as I walked home was mixed with a sense of guilt that I'd let the bike down!

I'm not alone, according to Stolen Bike Statistics over 115,000 bikes were reported stolen in the UK last year. And with only 1 in 5 bike thefts being reported to the police, the actual figure is likely to be nearer 600,000 - more than 1,600 every day! And a depressing 93% of thefts are never resolved.

I learned my lesson and bought a Kryptonite New York D-Lock, drawn by the bullet-proof construction and the guarantee that I'd get £1,200 if my next bike (a Cannondale F800 Lefty) was stolen.

Fast forward a decade and I have the chance to try out a rival to the Kryptonite's crown.

The ABUS Granit 53 'London' D-Lock also comes with a cable to loop through your wheels - absolutely essential if you've ever seen the number of bikes securely-locked with D-Locks, but minus their wheels...

So how do the locks compare?

Security
Both the Kryptonite and the ABUS have Sold Secure Gold Ratings. Sold Secure is an independent organisation administered by the Master Locksmiths Association who claim to be 'the premier testing and certification house for security products'.

ABUS 53 Granit - 9/10

Kryptonite New York - 9/10

I've read stories about lock being easy to pick using things as simple as Bic pens, but I believe that's based on earlier locks, so not something to worry about with these. Obviously a determined criminal with an angle-grinder could probably break these locks eventually, but that's not worth worrying about in everyday use. Road.cc tried to break a Kryptonite lock.

Some people may find Kryptonite's £1,200 anti-theft guarantee reassuring, although it's only free for a year and there have been complaints that it's hard to claim (they require the broken lock to be returned to them, which may not be possible if the thief has taken it with the bike).

Durability
Both locks are solid and secure - made of hardened steel (13mm in the case of the ABUS, 16mm for the Kryptonite). I've had the Kryptonite for 10 years and, aside from some cosmetic marks, it's as good as new.

ABUS 53 Granit - 10/10

Kryptonite New York - 10/10

Weight
The Kryptonite New York is a substantial piece of kit, it feels like a brick on your frame or in your bag. I can't find an official weight, but the lock itself weighs 1.7kg on my scales, plus the bracket. For reference, a brick weighs 2.75kg, so not that much more...

The ABUS Granit 53 comes in at a substantially more svelte 1.3kg, plus cable and bracket.

So, if weight is an issue, the ABUS has a clear advantage.

ABUS 53 Granit - 7/10

Kryptonite New York - 6/10

However, there's no such thing as a light and secure lock, so please bear that in mind...

Both locks are built like this...

Price

The Kryptonite New York 3000 sells for £89.99 - although that's for the lock on its own (plus bracket), not including a cable.

The ABUS 53 Granit 'London' plus a Cobra Cable sells for £69.99

That's £20 less and it also includes the cable, so that's another clear win for the ABUS.

It's regarded as a rule of thumb that it's worth spending 10-15% of the value of your bike on a good lock. So, on that basis, if you have a bike worth £500 or more, the ABUS or Kryptonite are a worthwhile investment.

ABUS 53 Granit - 8/10

Kryptonite New York - 7/10

Size

The internal area of the lock can make a significant difference to what you can lock to and how much space you have to play with.

The ABUS's internal space is 230mm x 108mm, while the Kryptonite's is 203mm x 102mm. So the ABUS is larger is both dimensions, nearly 20cm in length, which could make it easier to attach your bike to some objects.

The ABUS's Cobra cable is 1240mm long, meaning you can loop through the front wheel to stop an opportunist thief stealing that.

ABUS 53 Granit - 9/10

Kryptonite New York - 8/10

Summary
In summary these are both great locks. Both are strong, secure and durable. The Kryptonite even comes with an anti-theft guarantee.

However, for me, the ABUS pips it on it's cheaper price, inclusion of the cable, lightness and slightly larger internal dimensions

ABUS 53 Granit - 8.5/10

Kryptonite New York - 8/10

Both lock are available widely. Evans sells the ABUS Granit 53 'London' with Cobra Cable for £69.99 and the Kryptonite New York 3000 for £89.99 *

And here's a good guide from Kryptonite on how to lock up your bike securely.

* Full disclosure: the ABUS lock was provided to me for review by Evans Cycles. But I'm very happy to link to them, partly because I've been very happy with their service and they have plenty of branches, but also because they offer a price promise meaning that if you find items for sale cheaper elsewhere, they will match the price.

An Electric Bicycle That Can Reach 50 MPH!

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 21:40:00 +0000

Apologies for two posts on electric bikes in as many weeks, but I saw this video and couldn't resist!

This amazing chap/eccentric inventor has come up with a way to make an electric bike that will do up to 50mph!

All you need is a pretty standard mountain mike, two hub-motors and a backpack full of lithium-ion batteries. Oh, and $5,000 to buy one....

But he's keeping pace with motorbike up a mountain - what's not to love?!

'Rubbee' Makes Any Bike Electric...

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:13:00 +0000

I'm not a fan of electric bikes. They're heavy, ugly and - if you want to ride a bike - you can bloody well make the effort to pedal it!

But I'm really charmed by this new detachable electric drive which has been looking for funding on Kickstarter (they've now hit their £63,000 target!).

The Rubbee Electric Drive for Bicycles

It's beautiful, simple and really clever. It weighs 14 lb (6.5 kg), ihas a range of around 15 miles and can get the bike up to a top speed of 15 mph. It's also easily removable and re-chargeable and will fit on most bikes. What's not to like?!

Even Sir Richard Branson is impressed...

Good luck, chaps!

Cycling Video: 'Experiments in Speed'

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:14:00 +0000

This is such a wonderfully bonkers (and beautifully shot) short film of frame builder Tom Donhou's quest to get his bike to go as fast as possible - in his case by drag racing behind a modified Ford Zephyr...

"A lot of people think about it but it's whether you actually go through with it," Tom says. "It started out as just an idea, to simply build a bike and see how fast we could go..."

To reach his target speed, he gets component-makers Royce to build a 104-tooth chain ring (for the non-cyclists amongst you, the biggest a road bike's chainring usually gets is 43-teeth)!

Tom is a Rapha Continental frame builder and rider.

Another Mont Ventoux Ride for the Record Books

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew Robinson) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Mont Venoux is an icon in the history of the Tour de France and Chris Froome's incredible ride yesterday adds another tale to that legend.

Chris Froome conquers Mont Ventoux

Having ridden Ventoux twice myself, I have very personal reasons to appreciate something of what the riders have gone through. Despite first appearing as recently as 1951 the 'Géant de Provence' is one of the classic mountains and it's regarded as the most gruelling climb, in what is a pretty tough field. There are higher mountains, there are steeper mountains, but Ventoux has something special.

Roland Barthes, the French philosopher and cycle racing fan, sums up Ventoux's almost supernatural quality: "The Ventoux is a god of Evil, to which sacrifices must be made. It never forgives weakness and extracts an unfair tribute of suffering."
With an average gradient of 7.6%, the 21.4km climb frequently rises at over 10% - in itself that's pretty brutal, but the barren landscape of the upper slopes of the 'bald mountain', the result of huge deforestation, give it an even more alien air.

A view of the barren last miles of the climb to the summit...

The mountain has been the site of some historic Tour scenes, including British champion Tom Simpson's death in 1967 (46 years yesterday), Eddy Merckx's need for oxygen after his win in 1970 (just as Froome needed oxygen yesterday) and Armstrong's battle with Pantani in 2000.

At the summit in 2006 on my trusty mountain bike!

My first experience of Mont Ventoux was in 2006, having just cycled nearly 1,000 miles from Birmingham in England to Montpelier in France. The second time was in 2008 with my brother James (with whom I've also cycled through Germany, the Czech republic and Switzerland as well as along the WWI Western Front).

But my knowledge of the mountain was limited to what I'd seen of it on the Tour's TV coverage and read in William Fotheringham's biography of Tom Simpson. I was to have an education.

In both cases I started early, driving to Bedoin at the base of the climb, using my mountain bike in 2006 and a hired road bike in 2008. On a lovely summer morning it's a beguiling start, with a gentle slope through vineyards with the weather station at the mountain's tip visible in the distance.

The approach from Bedoin is the most famous, and arguably the hardest, of three routes up Mont Ventoux. This is the route most often taken by the Tour, although they climbed via Malaucene this year. It's 21km, a climb of just over 1,600 metres, which the pros do in around an hour (the record is currently 55' 51", set by Iban Mayo in 2004) with trained amateurs taking around double that.

Mont Ventoux Profile from climbbybike.com

About 6km into the ride, at the St Estève bend, the climb really kicks in and you disappear into the trees, not to return until close to the summit - and the shade is a real blessing!

It's vital to have enough supplies with you to reach the top, because there are literally no facilities, apart from a cafe and a tap by the side of the road at Chateau Renard 15 km in. Also remember that you're going to need to cycle back down the mountain, which is a pretty hair-raising experience in itself, so best to leave something in the tank.

One of the secrets of climbing mountains is pretty straightforward (aside from hard training and power-to-weight ratios!) and similar to the advice I've heard given to first-time marathon runners - find a pace that you can maintain and stick to it. There's no point racing away at an unsustainable pace, because you simply won't be able to keep it up - if you saw the riders being dropped in the Tour today, wobbling along in first gear, you'll see what I mean. This is what made Froome's two bursts near the top, to surge away from Contador and later Quintana, such an incredible achievement.

But, for us mere mortals, staying in the saddle spinning a low gear is essential. It's fine to get out of the saddle once in a while to give you a change, but it's less efficient, so can't be done for long.

On the day in 2006 when I rode there was a local race taking place, so the route was lined with French families sat by their cars eating what looked like delicious picnics and offering words of encouragement to the suffering riders passing them, but there are always plenty of riders out on the road.

The heat can be stifling at times. In 2008 I had to stop for a minute or two in the shade as I was getting so hot that my body couldn't cool itself down, risking heat exhaustion. One crumb of comfort is that, as you climb it gets cooler - because of something called the 'adiabatic lapse rate' the temperature drops by approximately 1C for every 100 metres of altitude gained.

On the down side, when the trees stop it's a very bleak place as you near the top and, if you're unlucky, the wind can be brutal (the Mistral reaches up to 300 kph and the wind blows at over 90 kph on the mountain for more than half the year). But from this point on the peak, with it's weather station, are pretty much constantly in view, which provides a motivation, even if there are always more corners to go than you think.

A mile from the summit is the memorial to Tom Simpson, who died here on July 13th, 1967 while taking part in the Tour de France. Simpson began weaving across the road and collapsed. It was claimed that his final words were "Put me back on my bike!", but this is disputed by those who were actually there.

Simpson was an amazing and inspirational rider - the first Brit to wear the Yellow Jersey and to become World Champion. He was killed by a combination of amphetamines, which were endemic in cycling at the time, alcohol, heat and exhaustion.

Riders and visitors still leave tokens - especially bidons - at the memorial. There's a really interesting documentary about Simpson on YouTube. Here's the last part, dealing with his death:

But on the plus side, it has to be said that getting to the top is a great feeling, if only because it means there's no more climbing to be done...!

At the summit with my brother James in 2008

There's also a chance to take in the amazing view - Ventoux towers over the surrounding countryside for miles in every direction. It's a good time to get something to eat and drink before you head back down too.

The view from the top

As I said, the temperature drops as you climb, so it will be approximately 16C cooler at the top of Ventoux than at the bottom. It's actually pretty cold at the top. This is one of the reasons that cyclists put on their jackets when they get to the top (or, wonderfully, they used to stuff a newspaper up their jersey in the old days) in preparation for the decent. The other reasons are that you're going a lot faster so there's more wind on you, plus your muscles are doing very little on the descent, so they're not warming you up.

However hard cycling Mont Ventoux may be, the other thing I like to bear in mind is that the professionals are tackling Ventoux at the end of a long day's cycling and they're already a fortnight into the race, with another week to go!

Chapeaux!