Pro-GreenMTB Bikewash and After-Shine101

I have a cleaning regime for my bikes. I need one with commuting as I found the hard way that it is much easier to keep bikes clean on a per ride or weekly basis than let them get really dirty and then spend hours trying to get rid of all the baked on filth. With this in mind I was very interested in the Pro-Green Bikewash. Particularly as it claims … “No brush or sponge required by allowing Pro-Green to soak and penetrate dirt and grime for upto 15 minutes before rinsing off“.

Sounds excellent so far. There is an issue though. The product assumes you are happy firing a pressure washer at your mountainbike.

“Remove excess soilage from your bike first using a pressure washer”

“Allow 15-20 minutes soak time before rinsing off with your pressure washer“.

I used to ride a Yamaha WR450 Enduro bike. I trail rode and entered the WOR Off Road Races. A days racing or trail riding in North Wales saw the bike return wearing a new coat of mud and dirt. I used Putoline cleaners which were much the same as this. You *had* to use a pressure washer as a hosepipe would not clean the mud off the bike. It was ONLY used reluctantly on areas where it would not damage the bike as it was easy to blow decals off the bike or strip grease from bearings. So, there is no chance I’d put a pressure washer lance anywhere near a delicate mountainbike.

I decided to crack on with testing the Pro-Green, but using a strong hosepipe which has proved more than adequate for cleaning my mountainbikes, roadbikes and cars where I don’t trust the power of a pressure washer.

I decided to try the Pro-Green out on my Mondraker Dune (I’d just ridden a wet Roman Lakes route) and my Fondriest winter road/hack bike (which had just done 75 miles commuting in mainly wet conditions over three days).

Before:

I left the Pro-Green for a full 15 minutes. This was annoying as I’d probably have cleaned the bloody bike by now if I’d just got on with my normal wash routine. Still, Keep with the instructions. I then spent a fair time cleaning the bike off with the hosepipe.

After: 

All looks ok, but on close inspection the bike isn’t nearly as clean as it needs to be. I resisted the urge to wash the bike as I normally do, and instead got degreaser our for the chain and block as I wasn’t prepared to leave them dirty. I sprayed the bike with Pro-Green After-Shine101 whilst the frame was wet (as directed) and left the bike to dry. Once dried I had a close look at the Mondraker. It looked dirty. On the plus side the After-Shine had worked well on the frame and that did have a glossy look to it.

You will notice no ‘After’ pictures of the Fondriest. Thats because I had to wash that ‘my way’. The Pro-Green Bikewash didn’t get near the roadgrime. 20 mins later the bike was washed and degreased and looked like this:

Conclusion

The Pro-GreenMTB Bikewash isn’t a replacement for washing and degreasing your mountainbike. At best it’s a rather pointless prewash. You need to use a lot of it per wash too. This is how much was used just to clean off the Mondraker …

So, one bottle will probably give three or four (at the most) washes. I personally don’t see the point. Unlike cars (where you can pre-wash with snowfoam) there just isn’t the need for this with mountainbikes. The Bikewash won’t do anything with road grime/oil, so despite it’s green credentials you still need to reach for the trusty degreaser to reach the parts that Pro-GreenMTB bikewash just won’t touch.

One positive was that the Aftershine-101 did what it said on the tin and left the frame looking glossy. But, I prefer to dry the frame, chain, discs off to get rid of excess water so prefer to not leave the bike wet to dry off (as is required for the Aftershine to work).

So, it’s a no from me. I definitely don’t want to pressure wash my bike(s), the Pro-GreenMTB Bikewash leaves the bike dirty, delays you by upto 15 minutes waiting for it to work and the end result leaves you washing the bike again anyway.

 

 

Mondraker Dune RR

Mondraker Dune RR

Over the last year I’ve been using my roadbike and fell running. I started to get an itch to introduce some mountainbiking so dusted off my Intense Tracer. In it’s day the Intense was a peerless bike, but it’s day was several years ago. By coincidence Jamie at High Peak Cycles had a Mondraker Dune RR in the shop. He had intended to ride it himself, but just never found the time. The Dune RR is ‘Enduro’ spec which is perfect for riding in the Peaks.  I took the Mondraker on an ‘extended demo ride’, telling Jamie (as I always do) that I wasn’t really wanting to buy a new bike, it was a bit too expensive, I’d be wasting his time, maybe in a few months …

So, I bought the bike. Yes, I’m weak.

Initial observations on the Mondraker.

Quickly setting the bike up I was impressed with the spec. I couldn’t see anything I would need to add to the bike. That should be the case with the RRP of this bike just under four grand, but even so it’s comforting to know that there will be no need to feel the need for ‘upgrades’ as it’s all there right down to comfy lock on grips. Spec gives front and rear Fox, dropper seatpost and decent brakes and drivetrain.  Quality set of Easton 27.5” (650b) wheels and Mavic tyres. I was sceptical about the 800mm wide Raceface bars and the ‘forward geometry’ frame (there is literally no stem) but looked forward to seeing how it performed.

Seat post set and everything else felt ok. Jamie had set the bike up for him and as I’m a similar build (and mountainbikes don’t need the same precision as roadbikes) I decided to see how we went. Only thing we did was quickly alter the suspension settings to suit me as I sat on the bike.

First rides

I did a couple of Peaks rides I know well. Good local rides with a nice mix of terrain and some challenging climbs. This would give me a good idea on whether I would get on with the Mondraker.

On anything flat ‘ish’ the Mondraker is a very plush, comfortable bike to ride. For me it comes into it’s own when climbing. I’m sure the 27.5” (650b) wheels play a part in that (compared to the 26” wheels I was used to on the Intense) and the fox suspension, but a major factor has to be the ‘forward geometry’ frame set up which ensures your weight is over the front wheel. It keeps traction with the front, but also means input from the wide 800mm bars is immediate. This translates to being able to keep weight on the back wheel (for traction) without having to move around the bike much. In turn, climbing is easier as the Mondraker rides over ruts, rocks and obstacles with no fuss and without the need for any out of the saddle heroics. Less effort = Not as knackered, which is always a good thing.

 

Riding downhill the Mondraker is far quicker than me. I run out of talent a long time before the bike runs out of speed! That said, quick press of the button to drop the seatpost  (is the dropper post the best inventionever or what?!) and we are away. The comedy 800mm wide bars show they are practical as they come into their own on fast twisting singletrack and ruts where you are changing direction quickly. Watch out for narrow bridges though as I’ve found a couple that must literally be 795mm wide leading to comedy moments trying to ride across! The ride downhill is still plush. Brakes feel good and a quick squeeze will lock the rear as and when you want. No fade or pump on the rides I’ve done since (more Peaks rides and a couple in North Wales).

Each ride I’ve gone done I’ve got quicker as I’ve gelled more with the bike. I’m trying to get out on it once a week. To give you an idea of how much fun the Mondraker is to ride – I normally go out for a drink with my brother on a Thursday night. I’m ducking that so I’m fresh for a ride on Friday afternoon. Yep. Bike before beer. Unheard of!

Problems

There have been some, so worth mentioning.

The Mondraker is supplied with SRAM. On the first ride the rear mech locked out. I was able to sort it and ride home, but High Peak Cycles ordered a new mech and replaced it to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. Hats off to them for the no messing about approach.

The rear Easton wheel developed some loose spokes after the third ride. High Peak spoke to the supplier who said they have no record of issues with this wheel set. It’s a good quality set retailing at around £600 so after rebuilding the wheel I was told to keep an eye on it and report back. I’ve not had a problem since and now include checking spokes as part of my post ride clean and fettle.

The bike has developed a reluctance to switch from the big to small ring on the front. If there is *any* load when you press the shifter then it won’t drop onto the smaller ring. Jamie has fettled it and all appears perfect on the stand, but the issue persists out on the trail. I’m putting it down to the SRAM OE system on the understanding that SRAM is … well … a bit shit. I’ll get my head around it so it’s not an issue but maybe consider a single front ring conversion before the good weather arrives in 2016.

Conclusion

I’m impressed with the Mondraker. Very good spec so I don’t need to throw money at it. You can just get on the bike and ride it. A lot. It has a plush ride with good feedback, makes me look fast downhill and comes into its own climbing. And I like climbing! (Good job living in the Peaks). The teething issues were not/ are not significant and two were sorted straight away by High Peak Cycles at no cost which was great. The only thing I’ve changed is the rear Mavic tyre. I appreciate tyres are a personal thing, but I didn’t like it in the wet mud, so I’ve switched it for a Maxxis High roller II which I rate highly. (I’ve reviewed that separately).

Canondale Synapse Carbon 105

Canondale Synapse Carbon 105

After commuting and riding on my ageing Fondriest roadbike last August (2014) I popped into High Peak and chatted to Jamie about maybe, possibly, nothing firm, can’t really afford it buying a new roadbike. Within a month I had the latest (2015) Canondale Synapse Carbon 105. I did deliberate between the SuperSix Evo and the Synapse. I’ve a couple of mates who have the Supersix and they are a fantastic piece of kit, but I decided to go for the Synapse. I like the looks of it more and preferred the slightly less race orientated geometry. I wanted a bike I could ride fast – with my mates on the Supersix, but that I could also spend time in the saddle and not get that god awful lower back pain that creeps up on you!

I’ve now had the bike for 14 months. It went through last years very mild winter and has done a full season up until a couple of months ago when my Fondriest winter hack came back into service as the weather turned nasty.

Initial impressions after buying the bike

I’d read the reviews so knew the Synapse had to be good. It had won bike of the year and every incarnation is greeted with high marks in tests. I was sceptical about carbon as I’m not a big fan preferring a frame material that will dint and bend to one that will splinter and snap. I put those archaic thoughts to one side and embraced the wonder of carbon. I went to High Peak to collect the bike on 24^th September 2014. Jamie made sure it was ready. I bought a pair of new road shoes to suit road cleats and some lights and much to Jamies amazement went straight out on my first ride with my mate Dave straight from the shop.

First thoughts were how much smoother (compared with alloy) the bike rode. The carbon forks and frame do a great job of absorbing feedback from the road surfaces. Being well specced it was also very noticeable how much quicker the Canondale rolled. It felt like I could cover ground quicker with less effort. The compact gearing with 105 shifters was nice and positive and pushing on it felt very stable, inspiring confidence. It does make climbing easier as Winnats Pass is a ball ache on the Fondriest, but quite tame by comparison on the Synapse. That’s down to the gearing. Despite this being a shakedown ride to tweak bike settings I felt (and stats backed up) I was moving as quick as I would on the alloy Fondriest I was used to. I was very pleased. After some adjustments (getting seat height set precisely and dropping the front by three shims) I found I gelled more with the bike.

Over the year I tried new tyres. The bike came with Schwalbe Lugano 23’s. I swapped these for Continental GP4000 II 25’s. They added a little more comfort to the ride due to the wider profile, but otherwise didn’t offer any more or less confidence than the Luganos which I’d had no trouble at all with.

I’ve ridden 2,900 miles on the Canondale since buying the bike. I’ve alternated with the Fondriest as that’s gone out whenever it’s been wet otherwise the Canondale would have racked up more mileage. In that time it’s just had new tyres and some tlc in the bike shop. Just not very regular checkovers really – Brake pads, bit of adjustment and some grease on the headstock and bottom bracket to keep any carbon creaking at bay. (I’m happy to say after some initial bedding in this has not been a problem – the bike runs quick and quiet).

Conclusion

I don’t like working on bikes. That means that any bike I buy/own needs to be able to run without an issue until it needs comsumables like brake cassettes. If it can’t do that then it’s no use to me. The Synapse has done just that and more. Yes, it was a new bike and should be good – but I’ve generally rode 20-50 mile rides with 2000 to 4000 feet of climbing. I’ve just cleaned the bike and nothing else. It hasn’t needed to have trips to the bike shop – It’s just been spot on.  It’s made the riding a doddle compared side by side with my alloy Fondriest (no mean feat in the Peaks) and gives me a grin whenever I ride it. It just has a nice feel to it. It’s a comfy bike thanks to the carbon, but a quick one too.

I did take it into the bike shop a few weeks ago knowing it would be spending time locked up and tucked away for winter. I was getting a delay with gear changes. Jamie stripped out the internal cables and found that the OE cable outers had gathered hindering changes. They had lasted over a year, so not bad – but we swapped them for Jagwire Pro Shift cable which I’ve reviewed separately. I look forward to seeing if that makes a difference longer as it’s a very cheap upgrade.

Bottom line is that the Canondale Synapse Carbon 105 is every bit as good as the reviews suggested. I’ll be keeping this for another year, but will most likely look at moving onto whatever the latest Synapse incarnation is. I won’t want a new bike, but I’ll have a chat with Jamie at High Peak and then within a few weeks …..

Jagwire Pro Shift Cable.

The cable routing on my Canondale Synapse Carbon 105 is internal. Whilst that makes it great to look at, it introduces issues. The OE cable used is ok, but the coating it has starts to quickly gather. High Peak Cycles have diligently looked after the bike tweaking the gearing when I’ve had shifting issues. I took the bike in a few weeks ago, just before we got our late November rain and we decided to change the cables.

When we took the old cable out, you could see where the coating had gathered and was stopping clean cable movement – which would delay gear changes. To stop this happening again, rather than fit similar cables we used Jagwire Pro Shift Cable. Cost wise it’s an insignificant increase over cheap cables, but hopefully it will ensure clean shifting without the need for intermittent fettling. If that is the case then it’s a no brainer – and especially with internally routed cables.

As we have the expected bad weather I’ve not had chance to run the Canondale and test the gearing out for any length of time. I’m using my Fondriest winter/hack bike. Once I get the opportunity to get a few dry rides on the Canondale I’ll update the blog and maintain that with feedback over a few months to provide a worthwhile comparison/ review.

 

Update Tuesday 5/1/2016.

I’ve now ridden a couple of good routes on the Cannondale (43 mls, 3500 ft climbs / 36 mls, 3150 ft climbs) and am reluctantly using it to commute to work this week (75 mls / 3 days) as I’ve killed my Fondriest winter hack bike.

I resisted adding to the review after just one ride as you expect new cables to feel good when just fitted. The rides I’ve done have seen good use of the gears given the climbing involved and to date (during my cold, dark and very wet commutes) the gear changing has been slick and positive. No issues at all. High Peak Cycles assured me this would be the case and so far so good. Very pleased and will update again in a month or two.

 

 

Schwalbe Durano Plus Folding Roadbike Tyres

*Updated at bottom of page 26th January 2016 and 18th February 2016*

I run two roadbikes. A Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 which is my ‘summer’ or dry weather bike and a Fondriest Alloy.

The Fondriest is an old racing frame with a custom build. Nothing expensive, just middle of the road components. To give the Fondriest a new lease of life as a winter/ commute bike it’s had new wheels and a full service with new cables, block, chain and brakes. The lack of clearance on the frame meant full mudguards cannot be fitted so SKS raceblades have been fitted to keep roadspray to a minimum.

During dryer months the Schwalbe Lugano tyres fitted on the Fondriest were fine. They were worn, and with winter coming High Peak Cycles suggested trying a pair of Schwalbe Durano Plus. They are a heavier tyre, but this is because they have the ‘smartguard’ puncture protection (as does the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyre). Smartguard is a layer of protection below the tyre surface that guards against punctures. Having punctured the Luganos and Continental GP4000 II tyres whilst commuting (never ideal) I was sold on the idea of reducing the chances of further punctures.

Fitting … I wasn’t looking forward to fitting the tyres as I expected a battle with them having the extra smartguard layer. Thankfully they went on without issue. Whether this was because they were the folding variant or not I don’t know, but I put new tubes in, tyres on and inflated to 100psi. I went for the 23’s as 25’s are too wide for this frame.

In use … My initial feelings were that the tyres dragged compared with the Luganos and GP4000’s. They felt slower on climbs when first used. Now, a few months down the line and over 1,000 miles covered I don’t notice this at all – so either I’m accustomed to it or the tyres just needed a couple of rides to scrub them in. Now they feel fine, roll well and I am confident with grip in commuting conditions ranging from warm, dry weather to standing / running water in storm conditions. I’ve been over roads where the council have cut hedges, I’ve felt stones and debris ping off the wheels in the pitch black and so far (touch wood) the tyres have not punctured. I’ve held my breath a couple of times as I felt sure I’d feel that vagueness which proceeds a puncture would happen, but to date it’s not. I do check tyre pressures every day or two to ensure I maintain 90-100psi and have a quick look over them when I give the bike a quick wipe down ready for the next morning. So far so good.

Conclusion … If I only ran one bike which I used for commute and social rides then I’d fit the Durano Plus. As I have two bikes the perfect scenario is Durano Plus on the commute/ hack bike and a lighter tyre on my summer/social bike. The Durano Plus are a great commuting tyre. If like me want to do what you can to avoid punctures then from my experience (75+ miles commuting per week) these tyres are worth trying.

Update (26/1/16) … The Durano Plus 23’s on the Fondriest continued to give me a fault free and puncture free ride.  In January I replaced the Fondriest with a Cannondale Synapse Disc (reviewed seperately)  The new bike came with Schwalbe Lugano 25’s fitted. They are a good tyre and rode well, but in the first week/ first 100 miles I had two punctures. I have now switched the tyres to Schwalbe Durano Plus 25’s and am confident they will ensure I can use the bike with no thoughts to punctures. I will add to this review once I have a few weeks of commuting and rides under my belt. Some pics of the new bike with Durano Plus 25’s fitted:

Update (18/2/16) … I’ve now covered 600 miles using the Durano Plus 25’s on my (new) Cannondale Synapse Disc winter bike. Most of that is the 100 commute miles (upped from 75mls as part of my ‘Fred Whitton training) I do over three days. The weather has been awful. This week alone I’ve had ice, persistent rain and freezing fog – all at 4.30am in the pitch black. Oh, deep joy!! Over the last few weeks I’ve run over vehicle accident debris, glass, car wheels covers, bricks and other crap in the roads that would have puctured lesser tyres – So I’m extremely pleased I’m running the Duranos. The ‘Smartguard Layer’ makes them impervious to punctures. Long may it last!

Maxxis Highroller II MTB Tyres

The Mondraker Dune RR was supplied with Mavic tyres. They are a well respected and well reviewed tyre, always getting high marks in tests. Whilst the Peaks were dry and terrain firm they performed well. However, the rear was found wanting once the rain started and was slipping/ spinning whenever I was hitting wet, muddy uphill sections where power was needed. A contributing factor to this may well have been my *cough* riding technique *cough*, but I decided too try a new rear tyre. The Mavics start off with shallow tread patterns on the rear, which soon wear down so I wanted to try a more aggressive tyre.

First picture is the Mondraker with front and rear Mavics. Second pic shows the rear Maxxis Highroller II fitted.

I called into High Peak Cycles and they had a few pairs/ brands of tyres, but I liked the look of the Maxxis High Roller II. Reviews confirmed that like the Mavics the Maxxis tested well – but had much deeper tread.

I decided to leave the front Mavic on as I’d had no issues with that. Tread depth was good and I had plenty of confidence in the tyre even when pushing for grip.

So, rear Highroller fitted and away we went. I’ve now done three rides in the Peaks and two rides in North Wales on the rear Highroller. Compared with the (rear) Mavic the Highroller has been (for me) far superior. One of the biggest tests was a Peaks ride in strong wind and rain. A tough uphill climb riding through some peaty terrain with lots of standing water. With the Mondrakers forward geometry (yes it works really well) it’s easy to keep weight over the back wheel to help traction – and the Highroller maintained it when my riding mate was spinning in the gloopy Peaks mud. I was very impressed. That experience was repeated on some wet slippy climbs in Llandegla where I didn’t give grip a second thought.

On my last Peaks ride I felt the front Mavic slide a couple of times, so I’ll be fitting the front Maxxis Highroller II before my next outing. At that point I’ll update the review. I’m looking forward to that because if the mixed compound front tyre is as good as the rear my confidence and speed should come on a bit.

Giro Feature Mountainbike Helmet 2016

I’ll start off by admitting that I like Giro helmets. After trying various other marques over the many years I’ve been cycling I’ve yet to find a more comfortable fit for my head than Giro. With that in mind, I’d stress that anyone looking to buy a helmet – consider reviews all the way upto trying a helmet on. If it’s a great fit, then buy it. If not, even if it’s 10/10 in every review you read – walk away and find one that is comfortable.

I’ve now done four rides wearing the Giro Feature. Two in the Peaks and two in North Wales. I’ve had a mix of weather from riding in a storm where it would only be possible to get wetter by jumping in a river, strong winds which blew the bike off track and one day where despite sodden trails it was reasonably warm and dry. A good mix of conditions to get a feel for the Feature.

Price… It’s mid price range, so a very reasonable price with an RRP of £69.99 I was sceptical about breathability at this price (and looking at not too many vents on the helmet).

Fit… As mentioned, try a few brands on at the same time to see which helmet suits your head shape. If the Feature feels good, then once on your head it’s an easy one hand adjustment for tightness with a disk to tighten/loosen at the back of the helmet.

Looks… I quite like the looks. The back of the helmet comes further down than my previous mountainbike lids. On the one hand this will offer more protection, but on the other I wondered whether this (along with not too many vents) may make the helmet hot to use.

In use… In Wales (Llandegla and Coed Y Brenin trails) you are moving from forest single track to fire roads, so light is never constant. I lifted the visor up so I’d have maximum field of vision and on both days never gave the helmet a second though – so all was good.

In the Peaks, I had one very wet, windy ride. Visor in ‘normal’ position as light was constant and again, no issues other than the strong wind trying to blow the helmet off my head!

More recently I did a local circuit where I decided I would  ride with no stops. Not a large ride, but (with hindsight) a great test for the Giro Feature. The route is 18.1 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing. Conditions were dry and reasonably warm, although terrain was soaking from constant rain and Storm Desmond, so a nice technical challenge in places. There is one section where you climb 700 feet in 2.5 miles. It’s a constant climb with no rest. Not in your face, but steady, quite steep in places and always awkward terrain so hard work. Stats at the end of the ride showed an average speed of 9.6 mph over the 18.1 miles and a moving time only 2.5 minutes less than total activity time which was the time it took to open and close gates. The helmet coped well and whilst I did sweat (to be expected) it wasn’t too much and didn’t affect my glasses (sweat beads or overheating) which was pleasing. It performed better than I had expected it would and confirmed that the number of vents were sufficient and the back of the helmet offering more protection was not at the expense of cooling.

Conclusion… I’m impressed with the Giro Feature helmet. I was intially sceptical about the venting and the back of the helmet, but in use neither were an issue. Fit is very good with no rubbing at all. The chassis/ pads and rotary dial tightening system all work well to keep air flowing and afford simple one handed adjustment. The visor has enough adjustment to be pushed up out of the way for darker trails and the helmet cost hits a competitive price point given it’s ‘features’ (see what I did there). It looks pretty good too in my opinion. Whilst we were in Wales a couple of mates asked about the Giro Feature and tried it on. Both were impressed. One has gone on to buy one straight away and the other is looking at replacing his twice as expensive Kask helmet with a Giro Feature as the Kask is not as comfy.

Mio Cyclo 315HC Bike Navigation System (with front bike mount)

Updated 1/6/16 – See the bottom of the page for all updates. 

As the title says – I’ve been asked to test and review a Mio Cylco 315 GPS/ Sat Nav by my local bike shop – High Peak Cycles in Glossop. (Website:http://highpeakcycles.co.uk/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/37040599968/ )

I use a Garmin Edge 200 and a TomTom Cardio Runner watch. My intention is to run all three devices together and compare them as they are all different price points with different pro’s and con’s. This will hopefully give a reasonable insight into what the Mio is capable of and whether or not that is worth considering.

I picked the unit up on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday I unpacked everything and hooked the Mio upto my laptop. It runs full mapping, so I knew if it needed an update it may want a while to download. It did (o/s and mapping) so I left it to it. Just so you get an idea of the size of the Mio unit, this is the small Garmin, a standard train ticket and the Mio. The Mio is a good size. Not too big, but large enough for the Sat Nav element to work very well.

Whilst the maps were being downloaded I went to the Mioshare website and created an account. It only took a couple of minutes. There is a feature here where you can click to link to online accounts like Strava. I clicked this and authorised linking to Strava, so future rides would be uploaded automatically. Nice.

There is also a help section where you can find a FULL and very detailed USER MANUAL*. Take a few seconds to look at this as it covers EVERYTHING and you will be amazed with features the Mio has which you would never find otherwise!
*To get to the manual – When looking at the MioShare webpage click on your username. From the Drop Down Menu choose ‘HELP’ and then Click on the picture of your Cyclo 310/315. A very detailed PDF User Manual will now load for you to read.

Once the mio had updated I was ready to go.

I registered the maps/unit and linked it to my Mioshare Account.

The software works just like Garmin software.
It has ‘CycloAgent’ which is the same as ‘Garmin Express’. That is what links to the Mio unit when you plug in via USB.
It then syncs and uploads data immediatelly to Mioshare and with a small delay to Strava. (Just as Garmin Express does to Garmin Connect and Strava).
So, if you have used other GPS units you will be familiar with the set up. If not, it’s simple and much of a muchness.

So, all of ^^ that done and I was left to play with the unit itself and set up a user profile. It is quite intuitive and easy to navigate. I set up my ‘Kingy’ profile and altered units from metric to imperial and other little changes just by pressing buttons which bodes well.

The Mio unit feels solid in hand. The USB connection (on the back) is strong and well fitting with a very good cover that it easy to open close (and not fiddly like the Garmin Edge 200). I also had a play with the cadence equipment. Unfortunately the bike I want to use this with (Canondale Synapse Carbon 105) has recessed pedal cranks and multi surface spokes – so won’t suit any off the shelf cadence kit. I did get everything but the spoke magnet fitted though, so if I get chance I’ll pop into the bike shop and see if they have one to suit as I’d like to try that if I get chance.

There is also a chest strap for heart rate. I will try that at one point just to see how it fits and the recorded stats. My TomTom Cardio watch uses a laser system to measure heart rate without a strap so if I get chance I can see if they both agree. I fitted the extended bracket to my bars (one allen key bolt) and locked the Mio inplace. I’d recommend the extended bracket as it puts the Mio at an ideal viewing point when following its directions.

Playtime over and come Tuesday I got to use the Mio for the first time. First run was a standard ride into work. The unit got GPS lock quickly and I just hit record before I set off and stop when I was at work. Simple. It recorded the route perfectly and stats were almost identical to the Garmin once uploaded (side by side) to Strava to compare. So, no problem just recording rides and uploading.
You can also choose to hold your activities on the unit if you want to look over them. These are details from our ‘High Peak Cycles Mio Wednesday night ride’ over  The Woodhead Pass /Strines Road and Snake Pass which was a good challenge.

*Apologies for the photos linking sideways. I’ll get that sorted*

Tuesday night and I decided to try out a very cool feature on the Mio. I often decide to go for a ride but then deliberate about where to ride as I’m fed up with the same old routes. The Mio has a ‘Surprise me’ option. You can use it based on time or distance and within loops, using points of interest, points on the map, addresses or favourites. I kept it simple and chose to do a ‘Workout’ of 22 miles with an average speed of 14 mph. Yes, a very steady one after a long day at work! The Mio calculated two routes (18 miles or 36 miles) and asked if I wanted to do either one. I chose the 18 mile route which it gave an estimated time of 1 hour 34 mins.

I hit ‘GO’ and we were off.

… I was going for a bike ride my Mio Sat Nav had arranged and was now guiding me! Madness!  It took a couple of miles to get used to the big, clear display and then it was very easy to follow. It gave countdown to turns so you could see the distance reducing and also backlit and zoomed out for junctions so you were fully aware of where you needed to go. I found that as I had no idea (other than the next mile or so) where I was going I relaxed more than normal and just enjoyed the ride. A definite benefit!

 

The route it chose ended up being a nice little challenge and used some great quiet country roads. Final stats were:
20.3 miles (longer as I rode home and not back to my start point)
1 hour 20 mins (Shorter as I averaged 15.3 mph)
2,060 feet of elevation – So some nice climbs on route.

I got back, fired up the laptop, connected the Mio (no delay now as its all set up). It uploaded to Mioshare and showed me routes and stats, then a few minutes later it had auto uploaded to Strava. Nice and simple.  You also have lot’s of data on the Mio unit itself. You can see stats for the day/ week/ month etc.

This is the MioShare page with some basic route details:

 

Thoughts so far …

Cons

(May as well get them out of the way as there is nothing significant to complain about)

The set up information with the unit is poor. There is a quick start guide, but Mio would have been better served to just put an ‘idiot proof’ thick piece of glossy card in telling you the detailed user manual is online and to just go straight there.

First time you connect the Mio to register the maps and unit it will need to download a lot of data to bring the unit uptodate. I’m on 70mb Fibre broadband and it took about 45/50 minutes. I don’t personally see this as a ‘con’ as it’s necessary and good the unit mapping and o/s are updated, but it’s worth mentioning as it has been moaned about in other reviews.

Whilst this is likely the same with any unit you buy, so maybe a harsh critisism, I was a little disappointed that the Cadence kit wasn’t a simple ‘fit and go’. I accept that manufacturers have to aim their kit at the general market and my bike (Canondale Synapse Carbon) with recessed pedal cranks and edged spokes (not flat or round) mean it is outside that general market, but it was a little disappointing all the same. That said, I did get everything but the ‘spoke sensor’ fitted with some velcro inplace of zip ties for the pedal sensor so with a little bit of thought and ingenuety it can be fitted to the more ‘awkward’ bike designs like mine.

Pro’s

The ‘Surprise Me’ Feature. Very simple and works well. Great for local rides when you can’t decide where to go, but can see it being invaluable if in an area you don’t know and you want to go for a ride. Just input distance or time, approx mph (Eg 14 or 15) and it will sort you a few routes to choose from with approx. times required and elevation.

You can go onto the MioShare website and click on ‘Explore’. This allows you to create routes for your Mio easily, but, more importantly lets you zoom in on areas and see what routes are available. Find one you like, click on it, choose ‘Save to Tracks’ and use it.

Comprehensive display and stats on the Mio unit. You don’t have to wait until you get home to see detailed stats. The unit holds plenty to keep you upto speed during your ride or at a cafe stop – including elevation graphs. Along with the size and feel, this gives the Mio the feel of a premium unit which is as it should be at this price point.

Simple link to external sites like Strava for auto sync. Lets face it – as good as the MioShare site and software are most people have a favourite site to upload activities. In the UK that site is generally Strava. From your ‘account’ in the MioShare site you just click on the Strava widget and authorise connection. That’s it. Job done. So far it’s been a solid sync, uploading automatically within about three minutes. My Garmin which has been flakey at times by comparison which is why I’m pleased that the Mio seems reliably solid.

Battery life. I do charge the unit after each use, so it goes into a ride with a full battery. That said, I did a 49 mile ride after work which had the unit ‘on’ for 3 hours 14 minutes with a moving time of 3 hours. The battery was showing over half full so I don’t think my rides/ training will encounter any battery issues.

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Update 7/12/15 … I’m now midway through my winter commuting. Dark mornings and dark nights – often cold and wet – Which is good for beer, crap for riding! The Mio has turned out to be a much better commute companion than either the Garmin or the TomTom Cardio watch. The main reason for this is that a touch of the screen lights the nice big display up. Quick, easy (when riding) and very useful to confirm where I’m upto time and mileage wise. I altered the display so that instead of calories being shown (like I’m bothered about calories burnt) it now shows a clock / current time. You cannot do this on the Garmin Edge 200 and it’s a crucial element when getting a cheeky hours riding in before work. Over the months of use I’ve also had both Garmin Edge and TomTom fail to get a GPS fix quickly, where the Mio has been rock solid. This may not sound too important, but when you are just wanting to set off but you are hanging around in the dark, cold rain for a couple of minutes waiting for your GPS to ping, then the fact the Mio fixes quickly is a very good thing. Here is my ‘main display’ screen set up with the info I specifically want…

Update 29/4/16. … The Mio has proved to be a cracking GPS system. One thing I hadn’t tried was using someone elses route. I fancied doing a longer ride a couple of weeks ago, so had a quick look on the internet and found a good route on Strava. I edited the start/ finish point to suit me and downloaded the .GPX file. I copied and pasted that to the Mio and it sat waiting for me in the ‘Tracks’ menu. Pressing on the route confirmed it was all there …

The Mio had a little blip in Holmefirth where it initially indicated a right turn ahead, then changed to a left turn. My phone was ringing so I stopped and took a couple of calls, then got on my way again. From there on in the Mio was perfect. I went through areas I’ve never ridden. Some cracking views and belting climbs – and the Mio was faultless. Unfortunately the weather turned and there was fairly heavy rain so it was tough going for over half of the ride. By now I’m well aware of how waterproof the Mio is, but given it had a few hours of being constantly wet through I was impressed with how clear reading directions was. The Mio was running for a total time of 6 hours and eight minutes and I had a moving time of five hours and fifty minutes. Other than stopping to sort the phone calls out I just kept moving to keep warm. This was the longest I’ve used the Mio for and it still had charge left when I got home, so battery life is good.

If you would like to use the route, this is it: Strava GPX route from Glossop with lots of climbing!

The final mileage was 82.6 miles and climbing was 8,949 feet. A good, tough ride and one that I will re-visit again in the future.

29/5/15 … I loaded another .GPX file from Strava. This time it is a local Sportive called ‘GKV Half Hog’. It’s just over 50 miles riding around the Peak District with 5,300 feet of climbing. I had some spare time on bank holiday weekend so activated the ride from home. The Mio guided me to the start and then through the ride. It was incredibly easy to follow and was faultless for the whole ride. The only time I went wrong was when I missed a left turn daydreaming and the Mio bleeped to let me know! The navigational side to this unit is very very impressive. This is the route … GKV Half Hog route through the Peak District.

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Update 1/6/16. … If you use Strava then you will know all about ‘Segments’ and ‘KOM’s (King of the Mountains). A new feature that has been activated with the May software and o/s updates is ‘Live Segements’. Whilst this has been available to some Garmin units, it has only just been enabled (by Strava) for the Mio. You need to have a ‘Premium’ Strava account linked to your Mioshare account to enable this feature – so you either need to get a free trial or pay. Once you have that set up go into Strava and bring up one of your recent rides. You will see a grey star at the left side of each segment. Click on the star and it will turn orange. The segment is now a ‘live segment’. Do this with any segments you want to ‘attack’. (You can also search segments local to you).   

You now need to sync your Mio unit. Connect the Mio to your computer and launch CycloAgent. Open Mioshare. In Mioshare click on your name (top right of the screen in orange) > ACCOUNT > Synchronisation settings. You can now enable ‘Starred Segment Option’ and/or ‘Popular Local Segment’. Once you have done this nip back to CycloAgent (with the Mio still connected) and click on ‘Sync Again’. That’s it. If you wish to disable either or both just use the same routine, but choose ‘Disable’. 

In Use. 

If you want to go in search of KOM’s, find more local segments or improve on one specific segment then this is a very useful feature. Hats off to the Mio guys for updating ‘older’ units rather than just making it available to newer ones. 

Once you are near a ‘live segment’ the Mio alters the display from your normal information screen to a Grey screen with the segment details on it (giving you the option to dismiss) and then a ‘GPS direction screen’ giving you directions to the segment with a distance countdown as you approach. You see a start flag on the screen and as you start the segment the screen flashes to ‘GO‘. If it is a long segment the screen will auto toggle between the segment info and your normal information screen. If a short segment it will stay on the segment information. You have a timer on screen which shows (in green) if you are ahead of the KOM time, or (in red) if you are behind. It will also tell you if your rival (who holds the KOM) has finished if you are still working hard. Once you have finished the segment it displays your time, your personal best and the KOM before switching back to your normal information screen. 

It all works very well, is very clear and adds an element of fun if you want that. If you choose to ignore a live segment the Mio will try to re-route you for as long as it can, but will then acknowledge that you have left the segment route with a quick on screen message.

Tips when setting up.

Just try adding some (not a lot) of your own segments first. Don’t enable ‘popular local segments’ straight away. Too many segments means the Mio is trying to re-direct you for a lot of your ride. If you are commuting or trying to follow a specific route, but want to add in a  few ‘live segments’ it can grow frustrating when the Mio screen is constantly trying to re-route. Go for quality rather than quantity then add more segements (or enable ‘popular local segments’ once you have a feel for it. 

From a personal perspective I like the feature and have had some fun with it. The on screen ‘GO’ at the start of a segment certainly encourages you – as does trying to keep the counter in the green whilst chasing that fast time. It’s not something I leave enabled permanently though, as for normal commutes (where I know the area) and longer rides I find it a little too distracting. That said, it’s a very good feature provided to the Mio units at no charge and it will definitely be something a lot of Strava fans will welcome with open arms.