This afternoon I managed to free up some time and thought, briefly, “What shall I do?”

Moments later, I was dressed and excitedly unlocking my bike from my little cave. I decided that I would try out a new route from home to include a short extension to my usual route and set off thinking about where to go.

I crossed the Epsom Downs and headed down to Langley Vale and along Pebble Lane, up Life On Mars and on to Secret Singletrack. I messed up the line there and re-traced my tracks up to Headley Common. Once out the other side, I was marvelling at just how good conditions were. Dry and pretty firm. I was really enjoying it. Having never done Bat Out Of Hell in the day light, I decided that it was calling my name, so cut into the woods and began the traverse over.

Having dropped the steps at the top, I turned hard right and let the bike go. Picking up speed I was amazed at just how smooth the run was compared to the last time us moles rode it. The ‘track’ seems to have opened up loads and it was a real pleasure nipping under the trees into the dark side.

Turning hard right, I dropped down into the tight, steep chute and let the bike go. The breaks screamed and hissed as the trail twisted and turned and I pinned it all the way down to the bottom laughing to myself at just how sweet it had been. I rolled through to the bottom section by the little house there, and turned up to follow the track all the way to the next sharp right leading me down to the Reigate Road and across the railway bridge.

Here comes the fun part. Having negotiated the crazy decent and feeling really good on the bike, I cruised the last few meters down towards the railway grinning like a Cheshire cat and, I admit, silently priding myself on stomping the trail. Free wheeling left and right through the twists and turns I was as happy as a boy could be.

Rounding the final corner and exiting the dim shadowy light that the trees and bushes had cast, I saw the railway bridge ahead. On previous rides I remember the bridge to have a nice little drop off on the other side which you can pop off. Looking ahead to spot my line I was completely oblivious of the sturdy wire fence with barbed wire top that had been erected just at the entrance to the bridge. But then I saw it. I had no time to react. I slammed on the brakes and hoped for the best as I hurtled towards my impending doom.

My front wheel slammed into it and stopped dead sending me over the bars with the bike still under me. I did a forward roll that I know Sam Pilgrim would have been stoked with and crashed into a heap about five meters down from the fence.

I jumped up in that ‘I’m so embarrassed’ way and started checking the vitals. Bike. Ok. My various limbs seemed to still be intact. No particular pain or blood showing. With the exception of my riding jersey being torn in a way not dissimilar to what a fight with Zorro might look like, I was fine.

I then got quite cross as I stood there looking at the fence. It was a bridleway after all. Surely some signage would have been a good idea? Some advance warning? A bit of high viz tape? Anything really. Anything that is apart from a flee bitten bit of A4 stapled to one of the posts saying something about ‘temporary closure’ I can tell you, the strength and viscousness of that 5 foot fence felt anything but temporary!

Still, I was lucky enough to have lived to tell the tale, so I rode on. I’m not sure what the moral of the story is really. Perhaps it’s to expect the unexpected.

I just wanted to let you all know about this particular obstruction before anyone else comes a cropper.

I guess you might call this more of a long term test as I’m referring to the original GoPro HD that I’ve had for a while. Having looked at the spec. of version 2 I can see no reason to update other than the much clearer LCD display. The 720 and 1080 performance is excellent on my original camera and hence I’m sure that version 2 retains that.

So as part of our tips on helmet cameras mini-series here are some of my comments about the GoPro. Read them in conjunction with Steven’s review of the Contour HD video camera to get a comparison.

When I bought the GoPro HD it had 1080 recording that the Contour did not. It also had a very wide angle lens. Having a good knowledge of photography and how lenses work I knew that the wide angle lens would be an excellent choice for using on the bike. It would cut down the effect of shake and movement on the ‘film’ (sensor) and mean I could get away with being less accurate with the camera positioning. I’d also worked my way through about 5 other models in search of a ‘perfect’ result. Luckily the GoPro seems to provide that and I’ve not felt the need to change it.

Go Pro Test from muddymoles on Vimeo.

The benefits of the GoPro are an excellent waterproof housing which has a replaceable optical lens cover for when you scratch it. Various adaptors are available to mount it where you want. This includes a helmet mount but I can’t comment on that as it’s not a position that I find works for me. However, I see lots of them on people helmets so it must be OK.

I like to make full use of the tripod mount. This enables me to make use of any of the huge variety of mounts and clamps available. I can fit it to the frame pointing over the handlebars , on the lower fork leg pointing forward or back, on the seat pin pointing back or virtually anywhere in between. Having a stable part of the bike in shot makes the film seem much more stable and watchable in my opinion. The other popular mount is the chest strap and that’s the mount I’m currently playing with.

The trick with the chest mount is to mount the camera upside down and then tell the camera to film upside down, meaning the footage comes out correct. The reason you have to do this is that the pivot for the camera only allows you to pivot it forward when mount upside down, otherwise you tend to get a great shot of the ground (see below)

Chest mount trial from muddymoles on Vimeo.

Using the camera is extremely straightforward on the trail. I generally have mine preset to film at 720/60fps and then it’s just a case of powering up the camera with the front button, stopping and starting with the top (or bottom if inverted!). For a 2-3 hour ride it can stay in standby all ride.

After the ride I just hook it up to my PC with the USB cable and download the footage, using Adobe Premiere Elements to edit it and then download it to Vimeo. Personally I just like to trim the clips and join them together into a series of events without trying to do anything too fancy. I have tried some picture in picture footage and it’s easy enough to do following the Adobe help file. Upload to Vimeo and wait for it to appear.

Overall I see no reason not to give the GoPro a full recommendation as a bike camera.

Plus points:

• Flexible mounting options
• Excellent video footage
• Waterproof housing
• Good battery life and the ability to change batteries

Niggles:

• LCD difficult to make sense of without the manual – much improved with Version 2

Further reading

• A guide to the buying the best helmet cameras
• Contour HD hands-free helmet camera review

Having finally worked out the best way to bleed Avid Elixir brakes (clue: be patient and logical), I was keen to try out my Orange Five this weekend on to see if my DIY skills were up to scratch. The bike is now (unbelievably) five years old but still looks the part after being sensibly upgraded over the years.

It’s due for some more TLC soon. The drivetrain is showing signs of wear so that most difficult of purchases is looming – replacing the cassette, chain and chainrings. These days it’s an expensive business which alas goes largely unnoticed by fellow riders even if you have the satisfaction of reliable gearchanges. For now I’ll just have to concentrate on how it looks by keeping it clean and shiny, something which prompted several riders today to comment on the bike as if seeing it for the first time. For such a common bike on the Surrey Hills that’s good enough for me.

The ride originally was mooted to be a run over to Peaslake, something I had my doubts over but I was happy to give it a go as I could always bail out early if necessary. Saturday’s rain didn’t seem to put too many people off as I met Big Al, DaveC, DaveS, Dom, Andrew, DannyP, Matt, Elliott, Dandy, PaulM, and Karl at the Bockett’s Farm car park. Not a bad turnout considering Keith, Tony and Gordon were off tramping the tarmac in a fit of over-enthusiasm.

We set off up toward Polesdon at a leisurely pace with some incident at the back causing a brief split of the pack (no idea what as I was chatting to PaulM at the time). With that, a puncture on Yew Trees for one of our riders, plus a Dandy who is visibly struggling with PVFS we made slow progress up to Ranmore.

Eventually we all got onto to Badger Run and then Collarbone, this time slowed up by the greasy surface as the trails seem to have turned soft just as Spring starts to make an appearance. It meant slippery progress on the Ranmore side at least. Even so, the bluebells are starting to shoot and in the woods up near the Reservoir the woodland has turned distinctly green.

Al had a plan to take the Killer Climb down toward Raikes Lane rather than the Abba Zabba complex for a change but as we continued to make slow (but arduous) progress along the North Downs way we started thinking of alternatives. Dandy had already made up his mind, opting for a gentle run along the ridge to Newlands Corner but the rest of us decided to drop down and loop round to meet him there via parts of our classic Newlands route.

We headed off down the Killer Climb, determined to head straight on to the railway rather than turn left for Raikes Lane. It’s a long, long descent, much easier than I anticipated (being less unpredictable to the White Down descent) but with potential for getting things wrong as there’s a couple of places which lull you into carrying too much speed into a tightening turn, or that are obscured by the odd low branch. Good fun to try something different though.

We crossed the railway at Hackhurst Farm and were soon making our way through Abinger, then on to our classic Newlands route at a steady pace through Shere and on to Albury. The sun was out, it was reasonably warm, it was dry, what more could you want?

All too soon the Water Lane climb to Newlands loomed. I was happy to settle into my own pace as Danny disappeared in front of me while I concentrated on the runner thirty yards in front of me. There was no chance I was going to catch her up but the incentive still meant I managed my best times up this climb so she must have helped! I ended up finishing around 25 seconds off Danny’s time which was reasonable for me.

We met Dandy as intended, he already had his refueling operation underway (or at least on order) and the usual chat flowed. While we were there Tony (no, not TonyG) came up and said hello, we haven’t seen him for a while but it sounds like he’s been getting some regular miles in.

After that it was time to head back along a busy North Downs Way which is a long, steady non-technical grind toward Dorking. Along the way we managed to dodge (and greet) a huge group of ramblers who seemed to have decided on safety in numbers. We also managed to get five or six of us into the concrete bowl up on Combe Lane before we all got dizzy but overall the route back is a time to chat as the miles rack up.

The last few miles were a retrace of out slither and slide across Ranmore, all good fun trying to find grip in the greasy clay at relatively low speeds. This continued pretty much all the way back to the Ranmore Road via Trouble in Paradise, Collarbone and Badger Run.

At Ranmore Paul and Dandy headed off toward And Then There Were Three while we headed back into Bookham, riding is synchronised slow motion up the Bridge Climb at Polesdon past more walkers.

The round trip was around 24 miles from the car park and while it was a little disappointing not to make Hombury or Peaslake it was pretty much a great day to be out on the hills. This week is warming up so we might get some more decent riding unless, of course, it rains! I’m looking forward to Spring.

As usual there was a discussion as where to go. Lloyd pitched for a non technical route to minimise the risks of any further shoulder troubles.  So Darren said that he had a route in mind and we headed off.

Riding up to the Admirals trackway and down throught the woody singletrack to Bocketts it was clear that the trails weren’t muddy in a gloopy way but that they were greasy on top. Hence scraping off your speed before corners and laying off the front brake as much as possible were the order of the day. Across Young Street and down to the Mole valley, we crossed over the river and started climbing up Downs Lane as if we were heading past Michel Caine’s house and on to Alastion climb.

However Darren had other ideas and we took the left turn along Downs Lane that sent us up a sharp little climb, eventually bringing us out onto the A24-Reigate Road roundabout. Part way up this route we went past Muddy Mole Colin’s house and he saw us (grumy, anti-social, barstewards I think his text message later that evening said) come past in an apparently impressive blaze of lumens. At this point the ride was turning into a burn up and a quick stop at Colin’s house would have been fine with me!

At the A24 we crossed over onto the Hedley side of the road and immediately turned left onto a track that threads through the trees and before long came across the “pump track” that runs along side the A24 just out of sight in the tress. Having seen and ridden a couple of pump tracks, the track here wasn’t anything like I was expecting. The jumps (mostly doubles) were huge, beautifully built and maintained. A real labour of love. However they were ginnormous and fairly intimidating in the dark. They was no way that we were trying any these and slightly sheepishly were skirted the jumps and crossed over the M25 just south of the A24 bridge.

Once again we headed up, past Exxon-Mobil, with Darren and Danny turning on the after burners. The group soon stretched out again and we stopped at Staine Street to re-group. Staine street can be a mud-pit at times, especially near the RAC club, but the trail was bearing up well. We continued along Staine Street and the fast pace meant that we had time to take a detour to Nower wood and up to Hedley. On the way up to Hedley Lloyd apparently coughed up a lung (please don’t look for it!) and the group rode around the common to the start of secret singletrack.

After riding SS just over a week ago in the frost where grip was fantastic, SS this time was a different beast, fast (too fast in many places!) but with treacherous grip that kept you fully alert. The route back took us to Life on Mars, which was also sketchy, with corners almost devoid of front wheel bite. However Matt on his 29er single speed seemed to be thriving, soon catching MarkyMark who’s lights were fading (well that’s what he told us to explain his spped). From LoM it was straight on to Alsation, which was a chalky greasy mess at the top but fast elsewhere. I overtook MarkyMark (probably put him into my headlight shadow) and caught Matt who was spinning out.

At the bottom of Alsation everyone had made it safely down and the group headed back to Highlands garage.

Riding round Matt was telling me about his super home computer that he’s been building. Apparently x100,000 more powerful than the Moon mission computer (or something). All the latest features except tt doesn’t have a net connection yet – doh –  I guess why we haven’t seen some ride posts from Matt recently. Hopefully he’ll be on line soon!

We had eight riders showing up at Hylands Garage, with a recovering Lloyd having requested earlier in the day for a simpler ride to take account of his recently dislocated shoulder along with Lee, Tony, Big Al, MarkyMark, Darren, DannyP and myself.

Having umm’ed and ahh’ed over route choice Darren stepped forward with some ideas of his own which sounded refreshingly different to our usual options so we all deferred to him.

He headed off at a rate of knots which had us trailing in his wake, up Crabtree Lane and then hard left toward Bockett’s before ducking into some entertaining singletrack through the Hazels. We always seem to overlook this short section on our doorstep but on a night ride it’s fair game.

After a short blast through here we popped out at the bottom of the track down from Bockett’s Farm car park before shooting back into the woods round the corner for the singletrack toward the Farm buildings. I was on DaveC’s Inbred 29er again, still trying it out and getting more dialled to it as the miles progress although I do think it would be an even faster machine with a short travel fork and 2×10 gearing.

Those big wheels with 2.35 Nobby Nics were doing fine on the singletrack which almost unbelievably showed barely any trace of mud from the snowmelt and rain this week.

We crossed the A24 and gradually re-grouped with poor Lloyd wondering what he’d done to upset everyone I should think. Quickly we were zooming down the back of the Leisure Centre before starting up the tarmac climb toward Alsation. Except, for a change we didn’t go there.

Instead, a sharp left took us up toward Clinton Road, reached via a short but intense alley way climb. We couldn’t resist making our way up past Colin’s place, with a short text from him later on letting us know we’d been spotted!

We made our way up to the Beaverbrook roundabout and then Darren led us into the woods which parallel the A24 toward Ashtead. Under the beech woods you’d be forgiven for thinking it ever rained as the surface was just dry copper leaf fall everywhere but pretty soon we noticed the dirt jumps that have developed in these woods.

Blimey! They are massive, in fact I can’t think how you’d ever ride them. Maybe it’s just some crazed guy with a spade having a laugh at us? Really, these things are not roll-able! But whatever their history I’m surprised we’ve never been through here before, someone must have put in a LOT of work on these things.

The singletrack alongside was fast enough and fun enough for me. We were able to ride all the way to the M25 roundabout where we took the footbridge across and then up Ermyn Way, past Esso House where many years ago I first cut my teeth on the internet. How things change but I couldn’t help feeling a touch of nostalgia for the place which is so much of a landmark across the hills without many people actually knowing what it is.

Back onto bridleway, we headed toward Headley, re-crossing the M25 before making our way toward the Tyrells Wood clubhouse or at least the bridleway alongside. It’s short sharp climbs and descents along here but the Inbred felt pretty much in it’s element, rolling easily over the rutted mud which was quite soft in places and keeping a steady pace going.

Heading downhill was equally enjoyable despite an obvious lack of suspension on the front. Dave has a set of Straitline replacement levers fitted to his XT brakes and they really make the braking feel incredibly secure I have to say.

After a bit more work we reached the top of Alsation where we turned uphill again toward Headley prompted by Tony’s suggestion of Secret Singletrack which met with universal agreement. Somehow you just knew it would be worth the effort.

Having hauled our asses round to the broad field in front of Headley car park I had the luxury of a clear run down with Danny in pursuit. I really pushed that Inbred I have to say, recording my best time yet but still failing to beat Dave’s time of a few weeks back. I guess washing the front out and having to scrabble back onto the bike before Danny closed in on the dipping right hander before the road crossing didn’t help did it??

Despite noticing a touch of toe-overlap as I tried to clip back in (the clearance to the front wheel must be really tight) I have to say I enjoyed that run very much indeed and wonder how the bike would feel with those tweaks I mentioned (and possibly, thinking about it, a wider carbon flat bar for a bit of anti-buzz steering feel).

We all had a decent blast and I could hear everyone enthusing by the time we were all back at the road. Ahead of us was the attractive prospect of Life on Mars and we weren’t going to waste that by before that we said goodbye to Darren who was heading back to Dorking via the Gallops. Darren you did us proud on that route tonight!

Danny and Big Al disappeared down LoM but it quickly became apparant that the surface was very greasy indeed, much more in keeping with how you’d expect at this time of year. I homed in on MarkyMark who was struggling for grip on his new hardtail (review soon…) and in truth he was holding me up. Well he was until I realised my stadium level Four4th Lights were putting the trail in front of him into deep shadow. Nightmare, sorry Mark!

Without pausing we continued after LoM to string it together with Alsation, once again the Inbred was flying but I was pretty much spun out on my singlespeed by the time Tony caught and started ringing his damn bell. My roadie cadence helped but I had no more speed to give.

In Leatherhead once more we retraced our steps past Thorncroft Manor, losing Tony and an exhausted (I expect) Lloyd while our diminished group continued on toward Bockett’s.

Our eventual mileage was about 15.5 miles to/from the garage, all at what felt like a pretty decent pace for a night ride. I enjoyed it immensely, not only for the route novelty, which we’ll definitely do again, but also for the company and chat. Thanks to all, especially Darren for leading up.

You wouldn’t expect a little snow and freezing temperatures to stop our regular night rides would you? No, didn’t think you would, which is why four of us managed to brave the snow and ice for a little bit of night time off-roading.

It’s the time of year where the long nights and short days really start to bite; a time for staying in doors under duvets. If you are sufficiently motivated there’s still plenty of fun to be had and the consistency really pays off by the time spring and then summer arrives. Which, believe it or not is not so far away now we have daylight at 5:00pm again…

So, Keith, John, MarkyMark and myself turned up at Hylands; it would have easily been more for sure but Tony was otherwise engaged and JonH found work got in the way. Last week Tony and I got out on Thursday for a blinding ride, taking advantage of the frozen ground which had turned the trails into fast rolling perfection. Somehow this week I was expecting more of the same despite the snowfall which had covered the region at the weekend which I had expected to have disappeared by now. How wrong I was!

We set off up Crabtree Lane and as soon as we hit the bridlepath it was clear there was still a lot of snow around – the surface was hard-packed ice and snow which was a bit disconcerting but I wasn’t too bothered. Into Wiggly Wood, the surface felt fine as we wove between the trees. I found I was slowed quite a bit by an Avid Elixir rear brake which was pulling right back to the handlebars which meant I couldn’t easily balance the bike on the twisty bits and didn’t want to push too hard on the front for fear of an unscheduled dismount. My plan was to keep us rolling comfortably enough to prevent the chill getting to us without going hell for leather.

Just past the wood I showed the guys a cheeky footpath extension which brings you over toward the unmade Crabtree Lane. It’s narrow and twisty, not helped by some very low branches and a set of roots which appears to match the wheelbase of my Five exactly but the payoff is a little used track that snakes enjoyably through the tight trees. At one point I startled an owl sitting at head height on a tree as I got within six feet of it before it reacted and flew off silently which was quite surreal.

Back onto Crabtree we headed for the cottage, the surface being deeply unreliable as most of the track was solid ice but the rutted mud was firm enough to give traction provided you were smooth with the torque being fed through the back wheel. My visions of another effortlessly brisk ride were evaporating as I saw more of the dubious conditions. It wasn’t bad by any means but if you had any sense you made sure that you were riding at 7-8 tenths and no more.

At the cottage we turned right toward Polesdon, up the short climb and then into the woods on more singletrack before settling into a nice steady flow. I continued to be hampered by my Avid Elixir, as I was all night, so it’s time to make use of the Epic Bleed Kit before this weekend’s ride I think.

As we neared the back of the Polesdon estate the snow covering the trail thickened making it hard going. After a soggy start the snow now has a firm crust and then feels powdery underneath making the ride a question of ploughing through rather than skimming over. In no time at all we were starting on the nasty Tanners Climb.

Mark and myself were a little ahead of the other two as we steadily climbed and within seconds the slightly reduced pace had my glasses steaming up badly. I hate that. Really, really hate it. With no idea how far back people were I put my head down and tried to keep moving forward, nearly blind and with just a narrow tyre track from a few cars to negotiate. Either side of that was more of that dragging snow which I was keen to avoid.

So it was hard work, made worse from a few sections with minimal traction resulting in the back of the bike slipping which had me pinging from side of side trying to keep a straight line. Behind me I could hear Mark was keeping me honest. By the top I had been overtaken by Mark and was knackered, with John and Keith closing in. In daylight we would have had a totally different experience but darkness, snowy ruts and fogged glasses conspired to create a miserable slog.

Looking at my Garmin stats later I found I’d had a HR above 170 for nearly eight minutes with four minutes at an amazing 179 giving a weird flat line to the peak of my HR curve so no wonder I was knackered. I’m in no rush to do that again despite seeing my HR drop to 116 within two minutes of stopping at the top where we briefly debated where to go next. It was clear the much thicker snow was both slow going and potentially dangerous which meant my original plan toward White Down and a descent to the valley via Abba Zabba didn’t make a lot of sense. When conditions change, change your plans and all that…

Instead, we decided to go for a short Effingham run which still meant negotiating Badger Run and Collarbone. Collarbone was great, so nice to ride through there with no cloying mud to hold you back but by the time we had reached Trouble in Paradise the thicker snow had returned in style. As we headed for the White Down road we found ourselves blazing a trail through expanses of virgin snow and as we entered the car park we found sheet ice and compacted snow everywhere. Lots of low gear spinning followed.

The trails up near the reservoir were deeply covered but we pressed on, keeping the spin rate high and carefully picking our lines. Despite this we were often bogged down at which point I finally conceded that tonight’s ride was not going not be anything like the week before and settled for getting through without dabbing! At one point my HR hit 191 but only very briefly. We thrashed our way on and I have to say I was really enjoying myself.

Finally onto the Drover’s Road we turned right and made good steady progress on an icy but reliable surface before reaching the Ranmore Road. Shortly before we stopped to have our picture taken at which point I realised how well we were doing as the surface was very slippery. It’s amazing how well the tyres were coping as the bikes felt very stable so long as you keep within your limits. I wouldn’t have wanted to put too much energy into the steering and brakes that’s for sure.

Our descent off Ranmore was via the long run to the A246 which brings you out opposite Dirtham Lane. Normally a claggy drain on the legs in winter, giving way to a bumpy but fast sumer run, tonight it was deeply frozen ruts and many, many trees down which impeded our progress, necessitating a stop and carry over the windfall each time. Goodness knows when all those trees came down as I can’t remember it being particularly windy since the start of January.

At the A246 John decided enough was enough and turned for home along the road while Mark, Keith and I headed back to Bookham via Effingham and the notoriously bumpy field. In contrast to the top of Ranmore the atmosphere felt much warmer (a whole degree! – just 0° centigrade!) and the ground in places showed the hints of a daytime thaw. Even so it remained basically hard-frozen so I felt pleased to have the benefit of full suspension to take the edge off the worst of the ruts.

By the time we reached Bookham my GPS was showing 17 miles in a little over two hours of actual riding. We’d managed to have a good laugh and stay warm with no incidents which makes it a success in my book!

With the weather being so good I have been tempted to try one arm/hand cycling. The only thing preventing me is the certain knowledge that I would quickly progress to busting the other shoulder if I did. This enforced layoff away from the bike while I recover has led me to try the darkest side of all – walking.

Not wanting my fitness to regress completely I have been heading out on the trails… to walk – more specifically Nordic walking. My wife is a recent convert having been sold on the reputed benefits that you use 80% of your muscles and as you tend to stride out more it gives a better workout.

However the real reason she is a devotee is that she suffers from back and pelvis pain and has done for many years but since she has been Nordic walking she has been pretty much pain free (the movement must be stretching her in a good way). I was more sceptical thinking the whole pole thing just looked a bit too ‘keen’.

Anyway I got out my ski pole (!) and initially headed out with a sling and one pole. The one pole provided a lot of stability and more than compensated for the loss of balance from having only one good arm.

In the last few weeks I have been out with both poles as my shoulder recovers, doing the full Nordic thing and I’ve been really surprised by how much of different experience Nordic Walking is. The shoulder and arms get a good workout taking about 20% of the load but also the abdomen as you swing the poles; you also walk at a faster pace to keep the rhythm and so you walk further.

The other big difference is that it is like having four wheel drive as there are always 2 contact points with the ground so there is much more stability and again this allows you to stride out faster.

But the best thing is that by walking on the trails I normally ride I get a completely different perspective and see things that you will just never notice on the bike, mostly because I am normally head down sucking oxygen most of the time.

Sadly for the kit junkies among us you don’t need much gear – ski poles work fine and even decent specialist Nordic poles can be had for less than £50.

If you are recuperating away from the bike then give it a go. It is no substitute for being out on the bike but you see and appreciate old trails in a new light, notice things you don’t when you cycling and still get a decent workout.

Yes walkers probably do think you look a bit of a tool but on the plus side they still dislike me less than when I’m on the bike.

Well it was forecast for a long time and for once it was accurate. The snow came on Saturday night, ready for us on Sunday’s ride although there was a definite thawing feeling about the morning as well.

At Bocketts Farm I met Matt, Tim, JohnR, Keith, Tony, JonH and a special appearance by Dandy. MarkMark also put in an appearance after meeting us at the back of the Leatherhead Leisure Centre having been delayed riding over from Epsom.

Conditions were best described as interesting and changeable. Riding up to the meeting point on the roads taught me early on that the virgin snow provided more traction but with much more resistance, whereas the tyre tracks were easier going but much less reliable.

Passing through Leatherhead it all felt a bit disappointing as the snow was much wetter and more slippery than it appeared; just ask Tony, our first rider of the day to slide gently to the ground as we headed down past Thorncorft vinyard. There really was nowhere to put the power down with confidence as either the front or back (or both!) ends of the bike could snap away from you abruptly.

It was a day for climbing though as at least you weren’t going too fast when you came off. The slog up Alsation was more interesting than normal and much harder work, especially where the snow had drifted a bit in some of the exposed spots. Grip wasn’t exactly lacking – no worse than a typical muddy ride – but with the snow covering getting deeper as we gained height you were either lucky or your weren’t. At least you could leave your bike upright given the right depth.

Life on Mars was particularly interesting and I set off after Keith who seemed keen to trail blaze in the virgin snow. He seemed to have little problem with grip as I slid all over the place trying to keep up. Could have been tyres, could more easily have been tyre pressure.

We said “Goodbye” to Matt who needed to get back early and slid on toward Headley. I was certainly feeling that our rate of progress was making Reigate look optimistic and with no sign of Ali’s Cafe in the main car park we felt that Box Hill was a much safer option.

I had another off as I followed Keith and may well have been responsible to Tony downing his bike beside mine but it was all another laugh! At the end of this section we paused and Dandy produced a hip flask containing a subtle blend of the finest brandy and whiskey. It put hairs on your chest I can tell ya! Tony also failed dismally as a “chain-spotter” after announcing JR had a certain type of KMC bling chain, only to find out it was close to the cheapest 10sp one JR could find.

So we headed off again with me leading through the trees to find our way out of Headley via the two dip run. Coming up on the first slope JonH commented to me how were weren’t picking up speed while going down but it gradually took us. Dandy very near took us both as he charged between the two of us in a typical “A&E or bust” display of cycling prowess backed up only by a unique fashion sense. No bones broken but a few shaken up and a few sideways moments.

We were grateful to find Box Hill open and cakes plentiful although it was the first time I’ve been there since the extensive redevelopment and increased seating. Most of it was snow covered but we got the idea over a warm cup of hot chocolate into which I dipped my flap jack (try it!).

We took a variety of ways down and one too many offs for me led to a very bruised knee and a need to take the flatter route home while some of the remaining Moles headed back up to Norbury park.

An excellent experience, with some great photos of the North Downs in the snow on Flickr.

Moles in the snow from muddymoles on Vimeo.

Last week we covered the basics of helmet cams (or outdoor camcorders if you will), with a how-to guide of what you need to take high def video action. This week sees a review of one of the market leaders at the moment, the ContourHD hands-free video camera.

I have been interested in getting a hands-free camera for some time and it was a hard choice between the GoPro and Contour ranges. I did a lot of research and both are clearly excellent pieces of kit but each had strong and weak points, there was no clear winner; both could quite easily claim to be the poodle’s pendulums, but ultimately it depends on your specific use.

In the run-up to Christmas I noticed that the ContourHD prices started to fall… dramatically (they have since risen again) and so Santa filled my sack with an incredible bargain from Amazon marketplace.

The ContourHD can best be described as a lightweight wearable camcorder that on-the-go is incredibly easy to use with the minimum of fuss, but there is much more to it than that.

What is in the box ?

• Camera
• Battery
• Goggle mount and flat surface mount with spare flat surface mount sticker
• Two fixing tags (they attach the cam to the mount so in the unlikely event that it gets knocked out of the mount you do not lose it)
• 2GB microSD card with standard SD adapter
• USB cable (for charging and file transfer)
• Quick start guide

Note; Santa also gave me a 16GB class 6 microSD card.

The first thing that strikes you about the ContourHD is its size and weight. It is tiny, will fit into a 4”x2”x1” box and weighs only 4ozs.

To change the default settings requires Contour Storyteller which you download from the Contour website. Contour Storyteller allows you to setup the camera (I think I am still using the default except for the film quality switch), download your videos to your PC and upload them to the Contour user community site for viewing. I only use Contour Storyteller to change the camera settings.

Ease of Use

Out on the trail the ContourHD could not be easier to use as there are only three user controls.

One control is under the rubber cover; this slides up and down to let you select between low and high quality, this is set in Contour Storyteller and currently I have opted for WVGA and HD:720P/60fps. The other controls are external and are used when the cam is mounted; one is to switch the cam on/off (it will also switch itself off after 15 mins of inactivity), and the other is a larger sliding control on top that enables you to start and stop recording.

Both the external ones can be used easily on the trail, while riding, even on a cold frosty morning when wearing two pairs of gloves. Very nice.

Another neat touch are red lasers! The cam has a rotating lens, you can mount it at any angle, and every time you switch it on two red lasers light up for a short period enabling you to check that the lens is horizontal, unless taking videos with trees at 45 degrees is your thing.

Mounting the Contour HD camera

The included mounts are a flat surface mount and a goggle mount. The flat surface mount may suffice for – say – fixing the cam to the dashboard of your car or the side of a wardrobe(?) but the goggle mount will be the main one that I use.

At first I thought; WTF ! is this all you get? but then I realised just how adaptive and flexible the goggle mount could be. By using cable ties, velcro strap or similar you open up numerous places to fix the cam. It is currently on my helmet but there are other locations on the frame where I can use this method to give a different perspective, the most obvious is forward facing on the steerer tube.

It’s not essential, but I also used pieces of old inner tube to keep the cam tight in the mount and to cushion and raise the mount on the helmet.

Contour HD video quality

The ContourHD uses the .mov format so if you are editing on a Mac then you are going to get better quality than via Windows and products like Windows Live Movie Maker due to conversion. Also bear in mind you always lose some quality when uploading as the bitrate gets reduced by hosting sites, more so with YouTube than with others.

The videos I have posted on YouTube so far are in WVGA and I think they look okay, but the playback on my PC with one at 720P/60fpsHD is superb.

Tips for using the ContourHD

The most important thing is getting the angle of the camera right, especially when it is mounted on your helmet. You will probably need to aim the camera above the horizontal to allow for the fact that even though you look forwards, you may well be leaning forward as well. E.g. in my deer video the cam is too low and I corrected it before the Swinley ride.

Be aware that the camera needs a short time to adjust when you go into the woods or move in or out of direct sunlight. The settings such as brightness and contrast can only be changed on a PC, so plan accordingly if these may need changing while away from your base.

General tips on recording with a helmet cam

• Cam shake is your enemy, so ensure that your cam is fixed tightly in the mount and the mount is fixed tight on your helmet or bike.
• Try to have an idea or theme or song in your mind first before recording as it will help you frame your shots.
• Mix short sections of film together, maybe with the same spot filmed from different angles or a mix of on and off-bike action. Try wide shots followed by close shots; above all, experiment!
• Try not to move your head around too much when filming (I am still learning this).
• Remember you are filming; staring too long at Dolly or Daisy will be noticeable on playback!
• If you are going to be editing before publishing keep footage short, it makes editing a lot easier to be working with smaller video files and does not affect final quality. Joining separate segments together is child’s play, because I can do it.

What next? Well, I’m still learning; when Spring gets here and with it hopefully dry trails, I intend to try 1080P, different mounts and filming in low light, plus get my head round working out what makes a great video.

Contour HD accessories

There are many after-sales accessories available; e.g. waterproof cases, different mounts etc. but be aware that some of them are expensive, so look for alternative options such as Velcro straps and cable ties; want an extra battery? – it is the same one as used in some Nokia phones for example.

Contour HD review summary

The ContourHD is a fantastic camera that has potential beyond just being a helmet cam. The main pros are; size, weight, ease of use and the rotating lens, but the payback is an inability to change settings like brightness without a PC.

Also note that the ContourHD would probably not be the best choice if a chest mount is a ‘must have’.

• A guide to the buying the best helmet cameras
• GoPro Hero HD review – a wearable video camera for sport

Apparently the 2.1 is a little thicker than version 2.0 and that version is a little bit refined from the version that Matt first reviewed.

Basically it fits the same way, 5 velcro straps securing it to the stanchions and fork arch, and once fitted doesn’t seem to move. As you can see it’s seen some mud over the last few months and it does it’s job of stopping the mud flying forward and up, only to land on your face a second later. One major added benefit that not all mud guards provide is that it keeps most of the mud away from the suspension stanchions.

I run mine with a  conventional Crud Catcher and seem to come away nearly as clean as with the Shockblade.

So, in summary, it’s light, cheap and it works. Grab one!

I’ve also noticed on Mucky Nutz Facebook wall that they are developing a rear, seat mounted version. This looks really interesting for the full suspension riding, short legged rider with a dropper post, who can’t mount any other sort of rear mudguard… i.e. me!