Soggy Bottom returns for it’s final round this weekend. Expect more of the same: steep uphills, twitchy downhills, muddy bits and maybe a river crossing.  Looks like the weather will provide better conditions this time!

A muddy Garrett on way to victory

Good luck to Garrett from Team UK-Biking.net, who after winning the two previous round in the Grand Vets category, will be looking to put in another stellar performance to take the series title.

For those in the south east the nice chaps at West Drayton are back with another Black Park XC race.  This is a flat and twisty course, which encourages you to go faster every lap or the 3 mile course!

This was one of the favourite events last year for Team UK-Biking.net and we will be back again for this one.

Online entry for both is available on XC-Racer

We will also be publishing race reports for both events.

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Round 2 of the Gorrick Spring Series was at the original Gorrick track of Crowthorne.  The journey up was cold, but at least the sun was shining and no forecast of snow like round 1.  At this point everyone seems to be getting used to racing again, and there is a mixture of testing the heart rate and keeping an eye on competitiors.  Basically still trying to get the racing legs back.

UK Biking had a good turn out today, with riders in the Vets, Super Vets, Masters and Super Masters.  By the way, the only thing ’super’ about the super events was the fact that it involves an extra lap!  Not so ’super’ some would say…

Once again the turnout on the day was good at 600 plus overall.  The weather, although a bit on the fresh side for those in the feed zone (thanks Claire!) was bright and sunny.  The course conditions were icy, but dry and very fast all the way round.  This was definitely reflected in the lap times.

The fast uphill start at Crowthorne is always a bit of a shock, followed by the downhill fireroad section to really get the speed up and separate some riders.  The course overall is always great to ride, dipping in and out of tidy singletrack sections as well as the infamous Quarry and Corkscrew.  Definitely one of those courses where you have to keep an eye on your lines.

The fun of Gorrick on this day was the staggered start Super Masters, Super Vets, Masters and Vets all at intervals, the first three, 1 minute apart.  On this day Shep managed to get the better of me catching up on the second lap.  Both Shep and Rich (as many others) even managed to go off piste for some of the first lap.  Probably locals trying to mess things up again!  Luckily with laps published on timelaps, it’s easy to see what the times may have been.

Shep overall seemed to have a good first race of the season, not far off the front and finishing in 2nd place by the end.

Rich put in consistent laps for a solid performance landing high up the field, especially if we consider some adjusted lap times. On this particular day his little brother didn’t attend, but I’m sure he would have put in even quicker lap times.

In the Vets Mike Radders had one hell of a day, and even with some light mechanical problems managed to get a top 10 finish in very respectable times.  Mark Fry wasn’t actually that far behind in the Vets race.

Overall some solid performances, with still more to come,  You can’t help finishing these races thinking you need another 30 seconds per lap!!  On to the nationals or round 3 for the next step into another season.

Results on the day were:

Darren Shepherd – 2nd Super Vets

Rich Lang – 15th Masters

Simon Lesser – 13th Super Masters (closing Shep?..)

Mike Radburn – 9th Veterans

Mark Fry 32nd – Veterans

Pics to follow..

Full Results – Photos

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The Garmin Edge Series are an impressive range of GPS cycle computers, suitable for everyone from weekend warriors to top athletes, triathletes to mountain bikers.

In this Garmin Edge product review we attempt to wade through the vast number of functions to give a clear overview of what these impressive  Edge GPS units can offer. Note, this is an overview, and more in depth model specific reviews and comparison are on the way..

This Garmin GPS review is mainly based on an overview of the following models;

Garmin Edge 305

Garmin Edge 500

Garmin Edge 605

Garmin Edge 705

The Garmin Edge 705 computer

Overview

There are 2 main elements to the Garmin Edge cycle computers – the GPS element and the Cycle Computer element. In combination the Edge provides a fantastic navigation computer and training tool in one.

The GPS element allows the user to connect direct to satellite which has a number of benefits;

• It allows you to record current route information and save for a later date, share with others or race against yourself.
• Routes can be downloaded to the Garmin device to ensure you find your way easily on new rides.
• It eradicates the use of fiddly sensors and magnets as it works direct from satellite.
• On return home, the route can be downloaded straight to a PC and viewed immediately with the likes of Google Maps and Google Earth.

The Cycle Computer Element which gives you all feedback of a top quality cycle computer;

• Speed, Average Speed, Distance, Laps, Autolap etc
• All the heart rate functions including average, max, graphs, lap heart rate etc
• Specific cycle data like Cadence can be obtained with a sensor
• Power data can be obtained through a third party device as Garmin Edge is usually compatible

Garmin Edge Functions

The following functions are commonly found on Garmin Edge models but it is worth checking each model separately if you are looking to buy one.

Alerts

Alerts can be set for a certain distance, time, calorie consumption, cadence, power or heart rate zone. These can all be handy features.

Ant + Sensors

The Garmin Edge is programmed to automatically configure to your own cadence, speed and heart rate sensor. Once this has been done once, the relevant sensors are always found when in range, as well as not getting interference from other Garmin users.

Autolap

The ‘lap’ function can be used manually to provide split times over a ride. The Garmin edge can also automatically provide a lap time at a predetermined point, each time you pass through a lap point, at the start point or any combination.

Autopause

When the bike is stationary Autopause will stop the clock and hence recording data. This can also be set to a custom speed autopause as opposed to complete standstill.

Bike Setup

It is possible to change the set up for a number of bikes using the same unit.

Cadence

When attached to a speed/cadence sensor, cadence can be monitored, particularly helpful on the road.

Charging and battery usage

Charging your Garmin Edge is typically from a USB cable or direct from the mains. Charging is fast and typical battery life is 12-18 depending on model and usage. Perfect if you forget to charge your device, unless you are going out putting some serious miles in the charge will last over multiple rides!

Courses

When you save a ride, Garmin will save all your workouts and courses, which can then be used on a map card if the model permits, uploaded to a PC, shared with your mates or reloaded later.

The other side of this is you can download courses from the PC and stick them into the Garmin Edge. It is also possible with some programs to create your own course from scratch, which again can be sent across to the Garmin for riding later.

The course layout options change depending on model but all all clear and easy to use. When a course has been opened on the Garmin, the display will show how far and in which direction the start of the course is. Once you are riding the course, it can also show Virtual Partner (last time you saved this course) and where they are in relation to the current ride (pretty good fun as well as useful!). You can also see your current estimated finish time, perfect when it’s cold and you’re miles from home or on an unfamiliar ride.

The Garmin Edge 500 cycle computer & GPS

Display

The display on all Garmin Edge models is clear and easy to use. Really this is one of the major things that changes through all the models, so it may be bigger, smaller, in colour or black and white. There is a quality backlight that can be programmed to come on for a period of time or left on and brightness adjusted.

Importantly the data displayed can be manipulated to exactly how you need to see it. This is a really lovely feature that is great to play with Different screens can be set up for different bikes (ie on and off road), or different screens can display separate groups of stats (ie heart rate, power, climbing). The hardest part is deciding which way you want it!

History

Previous rides and stat, but most importantly courses are stored automatically in the Edge, which can of course be opened back up for virtual partner workouts or for navigation.

Heart Rate Monitoring

As a training tool, the Edge series can be phenomenal. Either on screen or in post ride data you can see.

• Heart rate (bpm, HRR or as % of Max)
• Average heart rate ((bpm, HRR or as % of Max)
• Heart rate for current lap
• Heart rate zone (can be set up to personal zones)
• Heart rate graph

Maps

This really depends on the model, and improves as you move through the range. The maps feature obviously works off GPS and is very simple and easy to use. In the 605 and 705 models the detail and usability is excellent – you will certainly never need an ordinance survey map again!

Power

The Edge Series are compatible with other brands of power device (worth checking first). Power is considered the best indicator of work output and therefore essential for high performance training.

Speed

The Garmin Edge Speed sensor also includes a speed sensor for assessing speed when training indoors.

Getting home – all those statistic

Garmin Edge Series will store the data as a file which can be uploaded to a laptop. This can be done in Garmin Connect or other fitness software such as Training Peaks or SportsTracks. The scope for analysis here is spectacular and would take hours to read up on. The key thing to note is that it can be done and in very good detail, particular when heart rate, power or both are used.

Warning: If you are a numbers and data geek you may actually never leave the house again or may indeed spend more time looking at graphs and data than physical riding!

UK Biking – our favourite Garmin Edge moments

Having read a guide in a mountain bike magazine, you can download the GPS co-ordinates straight into a Garmin Edge. The Unit can be used to navigate to the start position (which can sometimes be very tricky). Then the Garmin Edge will navigate the whole ride, tell you when you’re off course and even how long it will take to complete. No more getting lost!

Mountain Bike racing data! By setting a point on the course, each of the laps can be split for superb analysis once you get home. The display can also be set during the race for number of laps, current lap, current lap HR..whatever you desire.

Occasionally we are guided around a local, but unfamiliar ride by other riders. This ride can end up being top class but impossible to remember. The course can be saved into the Garmin Edge and revisited any time perfectly!

Attaching to the laptop. Depending how nerdy you are feeling, the data that can be obtained after a ride is pretty special. In fact, it would be easy to spend more time editing courses, analysing data and sharing than actual riding!

Click on the relevant model to view more model specific details as well as our competitive prices;

Garmin Edge 305

Garmin Edge 500

Garmin Edge 605

Garmin Edge 705

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This weekend Team UK-Biking.net returned to Newnham Park, Plymouth for Soggy Bottom Round 3.

The course had been altered since the previous round, removing one of the killer hills and going the opposite way up another hill. A couple of river crossings had also been included this time!

It had been raining in the days leading up to the race, which had left the course extremely muddy and the rivers where very high with quite strong currents, but at this point was all ride-able (for the determined).

Veterans start grid

First up was Garrett in the Grand Veterans race, looking to carry on his good form from his win in the previous round.

A long race was anticipated. So off the start he tucked in behind the first 3 racers, to allow him to figure out the form of the competition. However, upon reaching the first river crossing the two riders in the lead tangled and fell, leaving just one rider in front of Garrett.

At this point the desire was to stick to the plan, so he continued to shadow the leader. However, after completing the second muddy section Garrett felt the rider in first place was struggling, giving him some confidence. Coming on to the downhill that followed Garrett decided it was time to take the initiative and went in first to gain the lead.

Garrett rides the river crossing

Finding good grip with the Nobby Nic tyre on the front, he pushed his advantage on the slippery roots that followed, to gain valuable space over the rest of the field. Upon meeting the main hill on the course he found he had good traction and climbed at a good pace to the top, further extending the gap.

On the second lap it was more of the same, but feeling he may have eased up a bit allowing the followers to reel him in a bit, he put his foot down again on the third lap to increase the gap again and give him some breathing room.

Soggy Bottoms all round!

Things weren’t being made easy by the mud and by this time it was starting to get very ‘claggy’, making progress much slower but with a skinny tyre on the back he was still able to pedal through it. However, the mud was starting to affect the gears, and by the second half of the third lap, Garrett was left with only the top 3 cogs on his cassette. This forced him to resort to changing gear on the front chain rings more.

He was also starting to suffer with a bit of pain in the knee and some leg cramping. So upon reaching the main climb again, which was now starting to get very greasy, he got the bike in the lowest gear combination possible and spun it up, just about reaching the top.

Holding his line well on the last downhill, Garrett went on to take his second victory in a row, finishing one minute in front of second place Steve Whitehouse.

Another over-the-top celebration

I (Rich) arrived just in time to see Garrett take his win as our Master race was on much later in the day.

The day before I went on a mission to take some weight of my hardtail, sticking on some Ritchey Flat Bars, awesome silicone ESI Racers Edge Grips and wishfully thinking, some Rocket Ron summer tyres. However, after speaking to Garrett after his race, I was glad of my boy scout attitude and stuck on the spare Nobby Nic tubeless tyres I had brought along on my other wheels!  This was also the first outing for my new Garmin Edge 500 super computer

After a quick cup of pre-race tea (I’m a bit addicted at the moment!) I went for a quick warm up lap with Mike, who was racing in the Veterans category in race 3.

Bike wash

The sun had decided to come out and this wasn’t helping with the mud, which was now like glue, requiring massive effort to maintain any sort of speed and some parts were now even impossible to ride. Half way round the lap I decided to immerse my bike in the river to get all the mud off again and take a short cut back to the start. It was going to be a long race…

Pete and I headed for the masters start line and Mike joined the other old chaps ready for the Vets race. I was still feeling the effects of the Labyrinthitis virus that I had been suffering for the past 4 week. as a result my plan was really to finish the race more than anything. The conditions were getting worse by the minute and I knew that what was to follow would be more about being consistent and determined, rather than my position going into the first corner.

Masters start line

The race started and the pack flew down the first straight towards the first river crossing. The ground on this part of the course was basically one big thick muddy puddle. So following twenty riders though it was a messy affair and I reached the river hardly able to see though the mud in my eyes.

The river caused a bit of a bottle neck and most people had to jump of their bikes and slowly wade though. This thankfully removed a bit of mud. A couple of bright sparks took the normally slower bridge alternative and gained around 10 places. I jumped back on the bike and pedaled hard through the following small streams to try and keep a good position.

Upon reaching the lane leading to the barn, we were met with a sticky mud corridor of doom. Tried to ride it but it was impossible and had to jump off the bike and run the next 300 metres to the field. This was causing my heart rate to fly up. I’m not built for running!

Possibly the leasy muddy section

At the end of the top field we turned right onto a small drop down onto slippery rooty singletrack, which would us round to the start of the main climb. I managed to pedal up most of the hill but was getting barged around by people running beside me (I may have shouted at one chap that I had priority as I was still on my bike! lol). At this point I realised I had got sucked along at quite a fast pace and remembering my plan I let my heart rate drop a couple of beats. So I dismounted and took the rest of the hill on foot.

As the hill started to level out I jumped back on the bike again to ride to the top. To make my way to the second river crossing, which I managed to cycle though, with a fair bit of effort. Following this was a slippery single track climb up to a very slippry downhill bend that caused me no end of problems in the previous race. So I decided to try a different approach, stuck my foot out and took it like a downhiller. Worked nicely!

From there it was a matter of a fast downhill back to the start, where I collected a fresh bottle of Matt and may have used a few swear words to try and explain how hard the course was as I passed. Thanks to my Sister Sarah who told me I had a long way to go yet. Just what I needed to hear!

Pete on second river crossing

On the second lap conditions seemed to have got worse and I found myself pushing the bike quite a lot. The mud was very very energy sapping and I was having to stick my fingers between the top of my front wheel and the forks every hundred metres otherwise the mud would cause wheel to totally jam. This was a bit dodgy at higher speeds!

I was now starting to settle into a pace I could just about live with for another 3 laps, but at the end of lap two I had so much mud in my eyes, I had to stop at the bottle change and squirt water in my eyes, so that I could see again. A few people that I had previously overtaken flew past me as I was doing this, which was a bit disappointing. However, the stop had also allowed me to get my breath back a bit and I set back off at a good pace to try and gain my place back.

As I started the fourth lap I saw I was gaining on a a group of riders in the distance, but I just didn’t have the legs on me to catch them by the end of the race, where I finished in 24th. Although it was probably one of the hardest races I have done I feel that it was definitely one in the bag for my fitness and should get a few nice national ranking points too. Pete finished in a respectable 38th position.

Hard work!

In the Veterans race, Mike was having an equally hard time with the mud. To make matters worse he had to deal with a broken saddle clamp, causing the seat to be unusable and was also struggling to change gear due to lack of grip on his grip shift. He finished in an excellent 19th position.

That just leaves me to say Well done again to Garrett on his second win and thanks to the support crew on the day: Sarah, Tracy and Matt & Sarah (who in addition to doing my bottles, kindly drove me to the race and back!)

Team UK-Biking.net Results:

Garrett Hill – 1st Grand Veterans
Richard Lang – 24th Masters
Peter Hall – 38th Masters
Mike Radburn – 19th Veterans

Full Results – Photos

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We have added Garmin cycling products to our catalog, including the our current favourite product, the Edge 500 bike computer. Great prices and Reward Points avaliable on all!

Garmin Edge 500 cycle computer

We have been using the Garmin Edge 705 for the past year and are now also using the lighter Garmin Edge 500 for racing. Expect some reviews to follow…

Garmin Edge 705 Heart Rate Monitor

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The infamous Newnham Park, Plymouth sees the third installment of the Soggy Bottom series this Sunday.

More steep hills and twisty descents expected, along with a couple of muddy patches if it rains beforehand again!

Team UK-Biking.net will be represented again, including Garrett Hill, who put in an awesome performance to win the Grand Vets category in the previous round!

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At the risk of upsetting the other halves on Valentines Day the car park at Tunnel Hill was packed with riders for round 1 of Gorrick’s Spring Series.  This is a strange time of year, after weeks of winter training and snow, quite interesting to see where everyone’s at and if any of those sessions in -5 degrees centigrade have been worth it.

A nice early departure from home for a 10am start seemed to be an even worse idea when the snow came falling down at 9am.  Sat in the car with the heating on full bore, donning every layer the snow thankfully  subsided and we headed off for a ‘reccy’ lap.

Gorrick Tunnel Hill Masters Start

Gorrick were accurate with their midweek update of Tunnel Hill, the course rode very well with very few puddles and no serious mud.  This course had plenty to offer in the way of singletrack, absolutely tons of it combined with some cheeky climbs.  Overall a neatly laid out course and well organised thanks to the  Gorrick crew.

The turnout for the day was particularly high and at a decent standard, with  a decent representation from UK-Biking in the Masters and Super Masters along with one in the Vets Category.  Lined up in the very crowded grid for the start it was good to see the usual faces, some with new teams and bikes.

Peter Hall racing for Team UK-Biking

At speed the course rode even better and the variety made it feel like the laps flew by.  The usual mix of  excitement, pain, hating it, loving it and really not knowing what happened followed, a bit of a shock to the system.

Personally I had an off day, fighting a stomach bug and lower back pain, but the experience is always worth it and definitely character building.   That’s what we call it anyway.  A decent result for Stephen in the Masters with consistent laps and Gary had the upper hand on this occasion in the Hall brothers ongoing battle (although Pete had to borrow a bike – fair excuse!).  Many thanks as always to the support team and I apologize again for the extreme gurning during and probably after the race.

Well, we will look forward to Round 2 at Crowthorne…

Photos coming soon. Results on the day were;

Stephen Corbyn – 28th Masters

Gary Hall – 43rd Masters

Pete Hall – 50th Masters

Simon Lesser – 17th Super Masters

Mark Fry – DNF Veterans (hard luck mate – where were you !)

Full Results – Photos

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Jay and Maddie Horton are bringing back summer cross country mountain bike racing to the South West in 2010 with the Fully Sussed XC Series.

The Fully Sussed series consists of four events, which are British Cycling sanctioned events. So national ranking points will be available for race license holders. The third event will also serve as the South West Championships

11th April – Idless Woods, nr Truro
16th May – Woodbury Common, nr Exeter
13th June – Newnham Park, Plymouth (including South West Champs)
15th August – Abbeyford Woods, nr Okehampton

In addition to this there will also be a Fully Sussed evening series, which will provide around an hours worth of grass roots racing fun, as part of the British Cycling Go MTB scheme.

15th April – Haldon Woods, nr Exeter
13th May – Newnham Park, Plymouth
17th June – Haldon Woods
15th July – Newnham Park
19th August – Haldon Woods

Online entry is available for both series on the events page of the Fully Sussed website.

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The range of Exposure Lights is very nice indeed, but which is the best choice?  In the world of decent lighting systems you have to spend some decent money, so this needs to be a wise decision.

Exposure lights – On or off road

Initially, the simple decision of where you think you will need the light for.  Will it be midweek road rides? Commuting to and from work? 24 hour off road enduro events?  Or maybe a combination?  Allow for as many options as possible.  This chart from Exposure gives you an idea of their range of models, the light output (LED), the battery output (MAH) burn time in hours and weight.

Look at weights

From looking at the Exposure Light specifications we can see a big difference in the weights.  This is essentially determined by the technology used and mainly on the size of the battery.  The Exposure Joystick and the Diablo are the front lights that weight significantly less and can be used as a great helmet light as well as on the handlebars.

With higher performance comes more weight and more cost.  The Exposure Maxx D and the Exposure Toro which our UK-Biking team use are clearly the best lights available if you can stretch the extra pennies.

Exposure Maxx-D Light

Look at battery life and lumens

Excluding the Exposure Spark which runs from a replaceable battery and the Diablo which is super powerful for lower burn time, the table above shows that all the front lights run at similar burn times.  The spec of the battery will obviously kick out more lumens or give you longer burn time, or normally a bit of both.

Each Exposure lights spread their light slightly differently and it is worth looking at the graph below or individual descriptions for more info.

Look to the future

As Exposure piggyback batteries, rear lights and other accessories can all be mixed and matched look at all the options here.  The ultimate combination would be a hefty handlebar light and helmet light as a back up.  These lights could be then used as needed or used in combination for serious off road riding.

For use on the road, Exposure have built a specific Strada light with dual lens allowing the user to use dip and full beam, the same way those pesky motorists do.

The graph below is from Exposure and shows very clearly the power and light spread of their range of front lights.  This may help give you a better idea requirements.

Exposure Lights Beam Pattern

In addition to using this guide, we also add some advice to the product descriptions in the shop.  This can also be helpful in helping you determine which model to buy.  Please feel free to contact us with any other questions..

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Schwalbe have announced some updates to their outstandingly versatile Nobby Nic mountain bike tire.

By monkeying around with the nobbly block positions into “profile clusters”, they claim they have improved both the the grip and durability of the cycle tyre.

They have also made the lugs themselves more sturdy and highly pronounced, to further improve grip, durability and also give more stability when cornering.

The previous Schwalbe Nobby Nic did occasionally suffer from side wall tears (as do all lightweight race tires). So Schwalbe have rubberized the sidewals to help prevent damage when it starts to get rough.

They have also trimmed the construction of the tyre to bring the weight of a 2.25 Nobby Nic Evolution down over 5% from 570g to 540g, which is a 30g  saving. That’s 60g back and front combined, which in the world of mountain bike racing is not to be sniffed at!

In years gone by you could poke fun at your mates when you noticed that they had put their tires on the wrong way round, when they didn’t realise that the front and rear tyres are mounted in opposite rolling directions. However, Schwalbe have seen fit to remove this source of embarrasement by introducing an unidirectional arrangement of the centre blocks, allowing both front and rear tires to be fitted facing in the same direction of travel.

You can just about see the difference in the 2009 (left) and 2010 (right) versions

The tires will continue to use their Triple Nano rubber compound, as used on other Schwalbe mountain bike tires, in Evolution, Double Defense, SnakeSkin and Tubeless versions. Available in multiple sizes and colours in the coming weeks.

On their website, Shwalbe announce the Nobby Nic on their website as “the European market’s most successful MTB tire of recent times” and we can believe them. A previously excellent tire looks like it will become supreme in 2010!

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