A bicycle helmet is meant to perform one primary, and very essential, task: protect your head in the event of a crash. Design, aesthetics and other features are secondary to this task, at least in the traditional sense of the bicycle helmet. With this in mind, a quick glance at the market of sport and commuting-oriented cycling helmets in 2021 will show that there is no shortage of helmets on the market that perform this task very well. The differentiating factors are often in aesthetics, comfort and, in the case of the helmet we have on hand for the purpose of this review, smart features.

Lumos is a maker of innovative cycling helmets with a number of features you wouldn’t expect to see on your typical bike helmet. The driving force behind Lumos’ innovation seems the recognition of the vulnerability of cyclists in urban environments, or as they say on their website that they “…always felt like [they] were putting [their] lives onto someone else’s hands every time [they] went on the road”.

What is it?

The Lumos Ultra is one of five models in Lumos’ range of helmets, with a set of features designed to make cycling a safer experience on busy urban roads. The signature feature of the Ultra, and that of the entire Lumos range, is the set of LED lights integrated in the front and rear of the helmet shell.

In the front there is a single centrally-positioned white LED, while the rear sports two red LED lights on either side of the helmet. The rear lights act as turn signals which can be activated using an included bar-mounted remote or an Apple Watch. The Ultra has Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and is even compatible with Strava! Back to the helmet’s primary function: head protection. The Lumos Ultra has the following certifications: CPSC, EN1078, AS2063, F1447 and is offered in a MIPS version to boot (which is the version I received). Before we look at any other features, at least we know this helmet has proof that it offers very good protection.

In the box

The packaging the Lumos Ultra came in is worth commenting on at least briefly. It is a simple brown cardboard box with subtle Lumos branding. No unnecessary plastic or excessive filler material. Just enough to protect the helmet and accessories during transit. Besides the helmet, the box included the USB-C charge cable, handlebar turn signal remote and various sizes of mounting O-rings and additional helmet padding. There was also a little envelope with product manual and a mysterious scratch card with “One more thing” written on it (we’ll come back to this one in a minute).

Design

Admittedly, prior to using the Lumos Ultra I thought the concept of a “smart” helmet with integrated lights to be superfluous and gimmicky. When it comes to smart features and connectivity, I have a really good bike computer with Strava integration and phone connectivity. I own several sets of fantastic front and rear bike lights. I want my helmet to 1) protect my head and 2) look good on my head (as good as a goofy chunk of plastic and foam can look, anyway!).

I have to say, when I took the Ultra out of the box I was pleasantly surprised. The helmet has a clean and streamlined shape akin to many aero road helmets on the market, including some of the ones I personally own. The lights are well integrated into the shell, and there is a large button located between the two rear lights which is used to turn the lights on/off and cycle through the flashing modes.

Weight compared to traditional helmets

If you are used to ultralight road or XC racing helmets, one thing you notice with the Ultra is a bit of additional weight, but for what Lumos designed the Ultra to do, this little bit of extra mass doesn’t matter. It certainly didn’t weigh any more than my mountain bike helmet (which doesn’t have lights or Bluetooth!). The Ultra is offered in five colorways.

Fit & comfort

I have an oval head that sits on the cusp of medium and large in most brands. One thing I hate with many helmets that looked really good on a store shelf or in online pictures is the “mushroom head” look they gave me once I put them on. Once out of the box, I adjusted the (generously long) straps on the Ultra to size, put it on and found the nearest mirror in my house, dreading the “Toad from Super Mario” look many helmets seem to have. Not with the Ultra. The design language is that of a classic road helmet DNA, yet with modern sleek lines. I was an instant fan of the look, even if I still felt a little self-conscious when I was about to go on my first ride with lights flashing at the front and read on my head. The weight is evenly distributed and you don’t feel any hotspots. There is ample room for a cycling cap underneath.

Lumos App, connected features & “Boost Mode”

Lumos has an Android/IOS app (I used the Android version) to which the Ultra painlessly paired to, offering up a number of cool connected features. You can change the light modes and flashing patterns for the front and rear LED modules. The app is intuitive to use and performs what it is designed to do very well. Once you have this initial setup done, you’d have no reason to use it again beyond switching up flashing patterns.

Remember this scratch card that came in the box? It has a code that activates “Boost Mode”, which is essentially a very bright mode for the integrated lights. That scratch card has a password that you enter in the app to activate that mode. Personally, I found this extra-bright mode very useful considering the busy roads I ride on, even though battery life is decreased with this mode activated, I don’t mid more frequent charging.

On the road with the Lumos Ultra

My first ride with the Ultra was picking my son up from daycare in my bike trailer. The trailer I own has a fabric back without a secure mounting location for a rear light. The trailer also partially blocks the lights mounted on the rear of my bike, especially with the cover rolled up on warm summer days. In this scenario, Ultra was an instant winner in boosting my visibility to drivers and subsequently enhancing my safety, and that of my 3-year-old son in the trailer. With the lights being high on my head, I am certainly more visible to drivers (especially with Boost Mode activated!). Remember: the lights on the Ultra are for being seen, not to see with. The handlebar-mounted turn signal remote was an added bonus, which I found myself using often.

Conclusion

I never thought I’d like what I always dismissed as gimmicky: a helmet with smart features and integrated lights. The Lumos Ultra is a well-designed, comfortable helmet that offers good head protection and increases rider safety with the integrated lights and a number of useful connected features. I am a fan of what Lumos has done with the Ultra, excited to try some of the other models in their range and to see what else they are going to come up with in the future.

With the many options available on the market, cyclists are spoilt for choice when it comes to ride-tracking head units with a range of capabilities. From simple speed/distance/cadence metrics to comprehensive mapping and navigation and advanced training features, connectivity options, device form factors and screen sizes.

There are some dominant names in this space of course. Garmin is a household name when it comes to cycling computers, with Edge series which has been refined over several generations. Other prominent brands include Wahoo, Polar and Bryton. Many companies that offer such devices also make a range of accessories like speed and cadence sensors, heart rate monitors and various bike mount options.

Being a newcomer to the market, this is a brand name you probably haven’t heard before: Shanren. Headquartered in the bustling metropolis of Shenzen, China, Shanren is an up-and-coming brand with big ambitions in the sports electronics market. Shanren maintains a “logistics branch in Hong Kong and design center in Silicon Valley”.

A quick look at Shanren’s product line reveals an impressive range of more than ten products, one of the latest of which is the product we are currently testing: their new Miles GPS bike computer.

The Miles is a simple, no-frills GPS computer. That doesn’t mean it is short on features. At its attractive price point, it offers a very decent feature list, including:

• Bluetooth and ANT+ compatibility
• Wireless data transfer (via ShanrenSport app)
• High-precision GPS chipset
• Claimed 25 hours of battery life in GPS mode
• Strava integration

Form factor, size and weight:

The first thing that I thought when I took the Miles out of the box was that this size of bike computer is ideal for mountain biking. Expensive and feature-rich bike computers are great, but their often-large size for the sake of offering a bigger display and more features make them more prone to damage in the event of a crash. Smaller GPS computers are more suitable for off-road riding due to their lower profile, making them less susceptible to damage.

The dimensions are approximately 73x52x20mm, and it weighs approximately 65g. This makes the Miles slightly larger and slightly heavier than its most direct competitor we have used, the Garmin Edge 130. The display on the Miles is slightly larger than the Edge 130 (2.1in vs 1.8in).

Here is one thing the Miles has as an advantage over the Edge 130: it is IP67 rated, which means that it is fully water and dustproof. IP67-rated devices can also be submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1-meter. In comparison, the Garmin Edge 130 is only IPX7 rated, which means that the manufacturer has not tested it against resistance to dust. In off-road use, especially in dry climates, dust protection is critical.

Initial setup:

Out of the box the Miles was very intuitive to set-up for the first ride. The ShanrenSport app is available in IOS and Android versions (we’ve only used the Android one). The Miles pairs to your phone within the app, and from there it appears in your Shanren device list. Selecting it brings up a menu that includes settings from everything from satellite mode (there is GPS, GPS+Glonass and GPS+ BeiDou, which is a Chinese satellite navigation system) backlight intensity (which you can see change in real-time on the device by using a slider control on the app) to Strava account authorization. It took all of 5 minutes to pair the Miles with my phone and enter basic settings and for what it is intended the offer, the app works well enough. Don’t expect all the bells and whistles similar to things like Garmin Connect or Polar Flow, but Shanren isn’t trying to compete in this league…yet.

On the bike:

The Shanren Miles is compatible with Garmin-style quarter-turn mounts and it came with a simple round quarter-turn mount included. Shanren also makes another – surprisingly high quality – out front style mount that is reversible for mounting on either side of the stem. I say the mount surprised me because at the price point of the nicer mount (about half of what larger brands charge for their similar offerings), I didn’t expect to see such a solid, well-made mount that I’d be confident in using on rough terrain included in the box. Kudos to Shanren on this one!

The user interface of the Miles unit is fairly easy to get acquainted with. There are three physical buttons on the bottom side of the device: a power button in the center, start/stop button on the left and light/settings button on the right. No touchscreen here, but at this price point we certainly cannot expect one.

The display is simple yet easy to read at a glance on the bike. You can customize the metrics on the unit itself or using the ShanrenSport app (which some big brands still won’t make available, I am looking at you Garmin!). The backlight brightness can be customized and maximum brightness is more than adequate in low light settings. You can also let the unit handle backlight intensity by setting it to “auto”.

GPS tracking accuracy:

I took the Miles on a 40km ride on mixed terrain mounted on the handlebar along with my Garmin Edge 830 and my Polar Grit X, all in GPS+Glonass mode. I had a look at the GPS files after the ride and the Shanren tracked surprisingly close to the Garmin. No crazy GPS errors. The GPS signal remained locked on satellites for the duration of the ride. For a unit that costs less than a quarter of the price of the other two devices I had running simultaneously with it.

Now, a sample size of one ride is certainly not adequate grounds to make conclusive claims about anything, but by the evidence the Miles presented so far, things look very promising.

Wireless sync and Strava upload:

This was also a fairly straightforward experience. After I was done with my ride, I opened the ShanrenSport app (to which I had authorized my Strava account previously), opened the ride log and selected “upload to Strava”. Within seconds, the ride log was synced to my Strava account. This works well enough, but it would be great if Shanren would add an auto-sync feature that wouldn’t require opening the app after every ride, but that’s only a minor inconvenience. Edit July 14th 2021: Shanren actually justr eleased Strava auto update in the latest release of the Shanren Sport app. You can also manually download the FIT file if you wish to upload to other apps or software.

Other stuff:

• One of Shanren’s selling points with the Miles is that it does “power estimation” based on preset metrics without being connected to a power meter. We have not tested that yet but it seems like a potentially useful metric. We will run the unit alongside a calibrated power meter and update this review.
• Shanren makes some colorful silicone protective cases for the Miles. We opted for the blue one and it’s worth it for additional protection.
• One thing we wish the Miles had for extra security is a lanyard mount. The unit doesn’t have an easy way to fix a lanyard to prevent the device from getting bounced far off the bike in the (rare) event of it coming off its mount. That being said, the connection between the Miles and the included mount seemed very positive and secure.
• Shanren makes a number of sensors, including their speed and cadence sensors (pictured). The sensors are BLE/ANT+ compatible and we tested them not only with the Miles, but also with units from other brands. They work as well as the ones you get from big-name manufacturers.
• Shanren also makes some very innovative bike lights which the Miles can be used to control. You can see one of those lights, the Raz Pro, mounted to my handlebar in the picture above. We have a couple of units under testing and will update this review with more information at a later date.

Summary:

Shanren touts the Miles as “Your first GPS bike computer”, and that’s actually a great way to describe this unit. The Miles offers many features that make it attractive to beginner cyclists, but especially mountain bikers, including:

• Well-built button-based interface with IP67 waterproof/dustproof rating
• Lightweight and low-profile footprint
• Easy to read monochrome display
• Universal and cross-compatible quarter-turn mounts
• A host of high quality and affordable accessories, like speed and cadence sensors, protective cases and handlebar mounts.
• Accurate GPS chipset and good GPS tracking

If you are on the hunt for a simple yet reliable GPS unit, we can’t really find much fault with the Shanren Miles. It offers a high-quality construction, simple interface and a solid set of features to get you started in the world of GPS ride tracking. If you don’t need navigation or advanced training features, we suggest you strongly consider the Miles on your cycling GPS computer shortlist.

Coach Lynda, we would like to thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by MTB Egypt about training for endurance mountain bike training. Before we get into questions about training, can we start with you telling us a little bit about your own racing and background? When did you start racing mountain bikes and how did your riding evolve over the years? How and when did you start coaching?

I did my first MTB race when I was 19 years old in 1989! I quickly moved up into the pro ranks and started coaching other racers in 1994 just before I represented my country by racing on the National team at the World Cross-Country mountain bike championships. I have been coaching mountain bike racers for 25 years now and love every minute of it. It is my dream job.

As mentioned, this year MTB Egypt community members are getting more and more into long-distance and endurance off-road riding. For most riders, this will be their first foray into this type of riding. If you can give 5 very simple tips for people just starting to get into endurance off-road riding, what would they be?

1. Practice fuelling and hydrating on long rides.
2. Start the race with a fuel plan and follow it!
3. Complete a training ride of at least 75% of the distance before race day
4. Pace the first hour of the race conservatively
5. Go as fast as you can in the last hour of the race

The type of terrain we have in Egypt can best be described as technical XC. It is a hilly desert terrain with a lot of short but often rather steep and loose climbs and descents with many natural technical features. Our “100km Challenge” is 4 laps of 25km, two-thirds of which is on limestone technical winding singletrack littered with switchbacks, sharp corners and steep climbs and descents. Total ascent close to 2000m by the end of the four laps. The lap feels longer than it actually is due to the technical aspect of riding.

The question here is: How can we best tailor our training to the kind of terrain we have here? How do we find the balance between building base aerobic fitness and sharpening trail riding skills necessary to ride this type of terrain with good handling control over long distances (Again: We don’t need to get into the nitty-gritty of endurance training, as the basics will do for our purposes).

Do most of your long rides on terrain like the race course. Training on the race course is the most specific training you can do to be ready for what the race throws at you.

What is your view on running (road or trail) as the dominant form of cross-training? (many of our community members are keen runners).

A short run once per week is ok but MTB racers will get a bigger advantage from yoga and strength training in addition to bike training.

This is a follow-up question on cross-training from question 4: In your experience as a seasoned racer and coach, in what type of cross training would non-riding training time be best invested?

Strength training for the core and upper body.

Given the limited time most of us have for training, should we be focusing on volume vs intensity? The goal here is to finish a series of long distances rides after 6-8 weeks of training.

To be a successful endurance racer train with a mix of intensity and endurance.

Again, given a busy lifestyle and assuming 6 to 8 hours/week training schedule for the aspiring amateur endurance rider: how best would you recommend those 6-8 hours/week be used (to train for a 100km event in 6 to 8 weeks).

Assuming a 5-6 hour finish time for the 100km race, start with your longest ride in week 1 at 2.5 hours. Build your longest ride of the week up to 5 hours in week 6. Use the balance of the ride hours that remain in your weekly budget to train MTB skills, high intensity and threshold.

What are some simple race day strategies for a 100km ride on challenging terrain? Nutrition, pacing, etc.

Fuel and hydrate consistently on a plan. Pace conservatively in the first half of the race and push harder in the second half.

What are some simple recovery tips for endurance riding beginners?

Some good tips can be found here:https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/the-best-recovery-practices-for-endurance-athletes/

Many riders who have been mountain bikers for a few years (so not exactly new to the sport) are still hesitant to give endurance riding and racing a try. What suggestions would you give riders who would like to get into but are intimidated by long distance mountain biking?

Focus on building up long-ride endurance, and distance in training to gain confidence.

Can you tell us a bit about your coaching business and the type of programs you offer that would potentially interest new/amateur endurance riders?

We have ready-made training plans available for the 100km distance for racers focused on finishing and for racers ready to set a personal record and race for the podium. View our available training plans here https://lwcoaching.com/mtb-training-plans/category/endurance/

Name: Ehab Zaki

Age: 41

???Where are you from?
Giza, Egypt

What do you do for a living?
I am planning & development for money transfer company.

When and why did you start cycling?
The first time I was on a “two-wheeler” bike I was four. After one trip down the street I came home and ask my big brother to remove the training wheels, then I rode up and down the street all day nonstop
My real off-road have started October, 2010 since that day I never stop exploring the trails.
?Road, off-road, or both?
Off-road

Tell us about your bike(s)!:
My beloved bike “Berg trail 10” (hard tail, 27.5r, fork 100m

Favorite ride(s) (road or off-road):
Any off-road ride! I enjoy them all.

??Do you practice other sports?
Tennis, trail running, any outdoor activities on the trails.

???Tell us about your cycling-related injuries/accidents:
I haven’t had any major injuries/accidents but it could be soon ?

Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
I love to :
Explore/ Building new trails
MTB maintenance skills
Bikebacking
Survival skills
Climbing to the mountain summits with my bike (Carrying a bike via a backpack)

After a four-year hiatus, the MTB Egypt racing series is back! Join us for the MTB Egypt XC Race in March 2015. Get information about the race and register as a racer or volunteer here http://www.mtbegypt.com/race

Name: Ismail Hamdy

Age:3 7

Where are you from?: Cairo

What do you do for a living? I am a communication specialist.

When and why did you start cycling? When I was a child I had a racing bike which I used as a daily means of transportation to the club, until I had a horrible accident that left my bike destroyed. In 2010 I was back to my old means of transportation, biking to work with an intention to be more environment friendly. Then I joined MTB Egypt group for mountain biking.

Road, off-road, or both? Mainly off-road

Tell us about your bike(s)!: I started with a cheap Chinese-made bike, then I bought a Bianchi AFX 9500 and right now I am riding a Bianchi JAB 7300.

Favorite ride(s) (road or off-road): Definitely off-road. I love downhill and always seeking for adrenaline rush

Do you practice other sports?: I sometimes play Squash.

Tell us about your cycling-related injuries/accidents: When I was a kid I had  lots of accidents but the one that destroyed my bike was collision with a car. My biggest injuries mountain biking was on the North Ridge of the Wadi, it was my second or third time mountain biking and I was scared from ridges especially when my bike fell down from a hill. I got lots of scratches but in the end I survived

Anything else you want to tell us about yourself? Whenever I am stressed, my only relief is mountain biking. I have never loved any sports as I love mountain biking.

I really hope that one day I can see Cairo like Port Said in the past where everybody is riding bikes

Name: Morsi Shehata

Age: 64

Where are you from?: Cairo

What do you do for a living? In the travel business.

When and why did you start cycling? I started cycling regularly 8 years ago. The bike is and environment friendly, simple and quiet machine. It takes you to places you can not easily go on foot, in a car or riding a motorbike. More importantly, it helps you meet great like-minded people. All cyclists (especially mountain bikers!) whom I’ve had the pleasure to meet are exceptional individuals in one way or another.

Road, off-road, or both? Both.

Tell us about your bike(s)!: I have a Santa Cruz Superlight 29er. Great do-it-all bike.

Favorite ride(s) (road or off-road): I like a combination of both on and off road riding. My favorite road loops go around the New Cairo are. Wadi Degla trails offer amazing off-road riding.

Do you practice other sports?: Long-distance running, swimming and fishing.

Tell us about your cycling-related injuries/accidents: I had a couple of falls in Degla that were rather rough, but thankfully I only suffered with minor leg and back injuries thanks to wearing full protection gear, which I consider a must for riding off-road.

My most serious injury so far (which I am currently recovering from): On Saturday April 19 2014 (link to the ride’s Strava page), I had already finished my ride off road and was feeling pleased to finally reach the asphalt road after almost a 40 KM ride. I was going about 35 km/hr when I suddenly hit drainage steel lid which was approximately 30 cm lower than the street level. Crashed in a split second. It was all a blur, but I imagine the helmet protected my head from a fatal injuries after I saw the crack and the scratches on it. I rode approximately 3.5 km home with little pain but once the endorphins effect was gone, I felt intolerable pain in my left shoulder, which – after I was x-rayed – was due to a broken collarbone. Now in a sling and a compression bandage patiently awaiting recovery to get back on the bike.

Anything else you want to tell us about yourself? I feel I should tell all young people to practice sports regularly till it becomes a habit. Never say I am too old to run or ride a bike. If we say reading enables you to live another life , sports enable you to live a third one. Even if we live shorter life, make it a healthy and enjoyable one. It is not only about physical condition but our mental health as well. If in doubt, read this. My God may bless you all.

Name: Sherif Taymour

Age: 41

Where are you from?: Cairo, Egypt

What do you do for a living? Owner/ Manager Floors& More

When and why did you start cycling? I started cycling in October 2011. I’ve always had a passion for outdoor sports. A friend of mine introduced me to mountain biking in Wadi Degla and since then I became addicted to the sport. It truely gives me a sense of freedom. I feel like a superman when riding. It also helps a lot in clearing your mind during stressful times.

Road, off-road, or both? Mainly off road except when I don’t have the time to go to Degla; I cycle around the area where I live

Tell us about your bike(s)!: I started off with a Gitan bike that I bought from a local bike shop. Three months later I bought a Cannondale Z120 3×9. A year later I bought a Kona Abra Cadabra full suspension 3×10. 2 years later I bought a Santa Cruz Bronson 2013. 27.5 (650b) wheel size and a 1×11 cassette. Bike comes with a reverb seat and a 120-150 front adjustable kashima Fox fork CTD. To be honest I believe American bikes are the best!

Favorite ride(s) (road or off-road): Off road. My best ride ever was in Chatel, France with my fellow friends from MTBEgypt in July 2011; wish we could organize another one soon.

Do you practice other sports?: I try to maintain a good physique by doing crossfit.

Tell us about your cycling-related injuries/accidents: My worst ever accident was on road around the area where I live. I had my running shoes tied around the handlebar!!! I hit a road bump and the shoes got stuck between the front wheel and the fork… you can imagine what happened next. Seriously I don’t even remember how I got back home that day. I must say the helmet saved my life. Rule of thumb…NEVER RIDE WITHOUT A HELMET..

Anything else you want to tell us about yourself? I just wanted to say that I truly have a passion for mountain biking and would like to see this sport spread in Egypt. We have an amazing team (MTBEgypt) many of which I consider as family. It is through this team, our love and passion that we can grow this sport in Egypt and place our country on the map of MTBing.