Review - IGSport BCS300 GPS cycle computer

 As I'm a geek, I've always been a little obsessed with cycling data from my rides.

I started off with a little mechanical odometer that ticked around as the wheel turned

A 1980s mechanical odometer that fixed to the wheel axle

I then moved onto my first computer in about 1984 with an Avocet 20 computer. A single line display which recorded speed, average speed, trip distance and total distance.

I first started recording rides back in 2008 when I had Nokia phones and internet tablets. I'd already bought a bluetooth GPS module and started uploading rides into Nokia's Sports Tracker. I migrated to Strava in 2010 as I liked the idea of segments and still do. Segments are the main reason why I still use Strava.

My first GPS cycle computer was a Garmin Edge 200 back in 2012, followed by a Lezyne Macro GPS and then a Sigma Rox 4.0

L-R Garmin Edge 200, Leyzyne Macro GPS, Sigma Rox 40. IGPSport BSC300

The IGPSport BSC300 was bought when the quarter turn mount on the Sigma broke. 

The BSC300 on the home screen

Features

The BSC300 has a number of features that drew me to consider it as an upgrade from my current computer and they are:

• Colour screen (not touchscreen)
• Full offline maps stored on the device, not just a breadcrumb trail
• Strava and Komoot integration (to be fair the Leyzne and Sigma also have the same integrations)
• Bluetooth and Ant+ sensor support (again Lezyne and Sigma support same sensors)
• Decent battery life of 20 hours enhanced by auto sleep, and auto start/pause.

It was also available at a decent price of £130, which was almost half of a similarly specced Garmin.

About the only features it doesn't have are a barometric altimeter, so it calculates it's altitude from GPS instead. Barometric altimeters can be susceptible to changes in weather so are not infallible either.  When you upload rides, Strava corrects any altitude errors anyway, so I'm not sure it's that much of a thing.

The device also doesn't have a feature to pace you up climbs. This seems to be a thing on Garmin and other devices.

when I received it I was pleased to see that it had a place to attach a lanyard so it could be "tied" to the bike so that in the event of a fall it doesn't fly off into a hedgeback never to be found again. If you used a wire lanyard then it could also be used as a security to stop the head unit being stolen if you left it attached whilst in a shop or a cafe.

The box also contains a basic garmin style mount that attaches with a couple of rubber bands. 

The mount is Garmin compatible so there's a wide range of out in front or other mounts.

The device dos charge and connect to computers via a standard USB-C connector. There is no cable supplied as most people probably have a couple laid about. If you don't then you'll need one

On the road Jack...

I've found in use that this computer has just worked. 

It gets a GPS lock a lot quicker than my older models which often could take a couple of minutes. the BSC300 takes maybe 30 seconds or so.

I have heart rate and cadence sensors linked and the connections have been rock solid, unlike with the Leyzyne or the Sigma.

Like my previous computers you can't start recording a ride, and then start turn by turn navigation. You need to stop and then start following the planned route as a new ride.

Like most modern GPS computers it records and displays a wealth of data which is spread over 8 screens (pages) with up to 8 data fields on each.

What I have found works well for me is 3 main pages. 

First page has the speed graph, as well as speed, elapsed time and distance

Second page has the maps with any planned route along with speed and heading

Third page has 8 fields   Max and average HR, 

                                        Max and average cadence

                                        Speed, distance

                                        Time of day, temperature 

The three main data screens I use.

Post ride. You can stop the recording with two pushes of the top right button, first to stop, and then to confirm saving of the ride.

The ride will then upload into the app (if connected) and then quickly upstream into Strava or Komoot

Navigation: Where ever you go, there you are

You can plan routes in the IGPSport app, but I have found it awkward to do so, so I create routes in Komoot and then import them into the app.

The importing a route process is easy, but unlike the Lezyne and Sigma apps which just displayed Komoot or Strava routes almost immediately in the app, here you need to import them on the routes page. To be fair it's not onerous, I've just been spoilt.

Navigation itself is fine. when a turn is approaching, you get a reasonably loud audio alert as well as the popup on screen.

The Map screen showing a turn instruction

A turn popup over a normal data screem

If you go off course, it does keep remind you with an almost constant audio alert until you get back on course. 

The only flaw I have found is that the navigation gets confused if the finish and start are close together.

I created a short route on Komoot which had the finish on the same stretch of road, but a few metres away from the start. After I rode over the finish point the turn by turn popups stopped appearing, although the route was still showing on the map and the beep alerts for each turn still beeped.

The App. Everything has an app these days

Not just an app. All GPS sports computers now seem to have their own activity tracking site. and this is no different.

Firstly once you've paired the app and the computer which is very painless and quick, the first thing you need to do is to configure the head unit. One slight quirk is that the app can be configured with mixed units i.e. miles for speed and distance and Celsius for temperature, but the head unit itself can only use either imperial or metric. It can't mix them. 

The very first thing I would recommend is to go into the settings under the "Me" heading and then the privacy settings. Set privacy status to private and then a radius around start and end zones. You can go into individual activities later and set them as public if you want to, but these protect your privacy from the off.

IGPsport App privacy settings

You can also link your other apps. Strava, Komoot and Training Peaks are supported.

Once you've recorded a ride. the app will upload to your linked ecosystem.

The activity data in the app is quite good though. The route on the map is colour coded to speed, and the graphs of the data from speed, heart rate, cadence etc are really good and clear.

Verdict

There are no super duper features here that no one else is doing, but it is a reliable computer with features that a couple of years ago would have been double the price. And some makes still are charging double.

I know others have criticized the web service, but you can and should lock the privacy settings down hard straight away. Which is best practice with any sites like this regardless where the data is. 

That in itself is perhaps this computers killer feature - The value for money. at £129.99 currently from Amazon it's a good deal

Book Review: Wild camping the Wild Atlantic Way by Will Nell-Barker

This is a well paced and very well written  travelogue

First off, I've known the author on social media for a few years.

I recall Will's trip from Twitter, and took a particular interest as I toured parts of northern and southern Ireland several times in the 80s and 90s. A lot seems to have not changed. I found Ireland overwhelmingly beautiful and friendly.

This book is well paced and you feel like you're actually along with Will for the ride. I read the kindle version. Unlike some books which read like a GPS guide with mileage and other stats, this doesn't and is better for it.

I'm not going to delve into the book and discuss in detail as I don't want to give any spoilers.

Suffice to say it wasn't all.plain sailing for Will. Tours rarely are and I have enough stories of my own. Nothing stopped Will though.

When I finished the book I was disappointed as I wanted it to carry on. That's always a good sign.

My Brompton. A 4 month review

So at the time of writing, I've now had Bluey the Brompton Bicycle for 4 months.

My love of the Moulton marque is well known and established.

Bluey is a game changer though.

It's great fun to ride, quick, nimble and feels very stiff and solid. All of which is very much like a Moulton. 

Because there is no front suspension the overall ride isn't as smooth as a Moulton, but considering the small wheels and high pressure tyres it's surprisingly good.

Initially it can be twitchy, but load the front up with some luggage and it settles down. And you very quickly adjust to the handling.

The game changer though is the fold. 

We have had a 20" folding bike for a long time, but the Brompton is so much better. It folds down in a few seconds & "locks" so the bike doesn't suddenly unfold on you.

When folded it's so compact and easy to carry that it goes anywhere you go. When it's folded it's basically luggage.

Public transport is easy as it fits in train luggage racks easily.

Even if the racks are full, then it will happily go between it under the seats.

Shopping is easy. Just fold and chuck in in the trolley. Some shops even have fold out racks which are perfect for a Brompton.

There's no need to lock, just fold the bike and take it with you.

Part of the genius of the Brompton is that all the mucky bits are hidden when folded.

The comments I've had taking it folded into shops and other places has always been along the lines of "wow isn't that fab" and "so handy". Even that it's cute!

I think it could be the perfect utility bicycle because of the amazing convenience

i can't think of another form of transport that isn't as well thought out and as convenient as a Brompton.

Andrew Richie, the inventor of the Brompton, described it as a personal magic carpet that you could just unfurl and ride to your destination then refurl and take it with you.

It is a perfect description.

Review: Carradice City Folder bag for Brompton

First off, I've been using Carradice bags since the mid eighties, both nylon and cotton duck and am a fan. I have a set of Overlander panniers, bar bag and stuff sack from the eighties, as well as a Super C rack pack and Moulton touring bag. I even have a Carradice waxed cotton cape which feels very luxurious in the rain. 

The bags are made in the UK in Nelson, Lancashire and each bag is signed by the person who made it which is a nice personal touch.

The City Folder is a cotton duck (waxed cotton) bag specifically for Brompton bicycle. Various colours and combinations are available. Mine is the black with white straps. 

It's a 25l bag with two large rear pockets which can take large water bottles or reusable coffee mugs. The Brompton luggage block is only rated for 10 kg, so don't go loading this bag to capacity with heavy objects.

There is also the pouch for the Brompton bag frame, which is secured underneath by two velcro straps.

On the front there is an open pocket under the flap as well as a zipped pocket for a phone or other valuables.

The  interior of the bag is well cavernous to be honest. There is plenty of room for a laptop, clothing, shopping or whatever you want to chuck in. Although in poor light it can be a bit of a black hole.

There is a lightly padded laptop sleeve which is secured with a couple of press studs. Neatly, when secured with the studs, it is suspended off the bag bottom which further protects a laptop from being banged about when cycling.

On the outside of the bag, there is a substantial nylon and  leather handle as well as a detachable shoulder strap. This is secured by four screws into the dowel reinforcement under the flap.

The rear pockets are secured with traditional leather straps and buckles. The straps for the front cover are a slightly odd combination of a traditional leather strap and buckle for adjusting, but has plastic clip buckles for securing the flap.

Personally I would have preferred using the plastic clip buckles and ditch the leather buckles which can be fiddly especially in the cold whilst wearing gloves.

The bag has the Carradice name and logo stamped on to a leather patch which is sown on to the flap. There is also a diamond shaped reflective patch stuck to each side and the top flap. The top flap reflective faces up rather than forward with even a partially full bag.

I would have liked to have seen a white  reflective strip around the base of the bag for added safety. I would have also liked a mesh socket or two so gloves etc can be stored for quick access. Whilst you can use the rear pockets, the buckles don't make for quick access.

In use though it's very well designed. It's well balanced and comfortable when being carried by the handle or the shoulder strap. It is very stable on the bike and feels very secure.

Sigma Rox 4.0 review

The sigma Rox 4.0 is my third GPS cycle computer. I've used a Lezyne Macro GPS for the last four years or so. For one reason and another I decided it was time for another. 

I'm a touring plodder and don't need a super duper computer that's really designed for racing and training. Connections to sensors such as heart rate are useful as a rough gauge of effort though.

I do use navigation on unfamiliar routes though so komoot integration is important to me. I also wanted a slightly bigger screen than the Lezyne, and better quicker syncing and activity uploading with a phone

In the end I settled on a Sigma Rox 4.0. I've used sigma wired and wireless computers before GPS and liked the design aesthetic and the reliability.

It uses a standard Garmin mount so there's plenty of choice for mounts.

The unit has three big buttons surrounding the bottom of the unit. They have a fairly light but positive action. You do have to be careful not to hit them and accidentally pause your ride though.

Depending on the sport chosen there are up to 6 pages where the display can be customised with different sets of data.

The usual speed, distance and elapsed time is bread an butter stuff and works as you would expect.

GPS lock is normally very quick too.

One small first  irritation to me is that the units selection is metric or imperial. I prefer distance etc in miles and temperature in centigrade.

Update 

unit settings for individual metrics such as speed, distance, temperature are changeable in the app when the unit is connected. 

When you are following a route be it from Strava, komoot or by the Sigma app itself, you get an arrow in the circle which also works as a countdown to the turn which is quite useful.

If the unit is synchronised to the phone app then you get the now usual SMS, email, and phone call alerts. 

There is no option to delete a ride on the device itself. You have to synchronise with the phone app and delete it on the phone. It you have auto-upload to Strava and Komot turned on, you have to delete from them too which is another minor irritation.

Synchronisation is the computer's downfall. I've tried with a couple of phones and even though the devices are paired correctly it only connects to the app the first time after a phone restart. When you dig into it it's not an isolated issue. Sigma unhelpfully just say to re-pair, but that doesn't help. I've had a several cheap smartwatches and fitness bands which just connect without issue so it seems to be an app issue rather than a phone incompatibility

Update

I was informed that the connection worked flawlessly on older versions of Android.

I checked this and it did.

Subsequent fiddling showed that there is a sequence that needs to be followed with Android 12

1. Install the Sigma Ride app.

2. Check and grant all permissions to the app.

3. Only then so you pair with the unit.

When I emailed sigma sport, they said just check permissions but not when in the process. 

Setting permissions before pairing the phone and unit seems to be the key to making connection work.

Connection for me is now reliable all the time.

Pros

✅Attractive design 

✅Good large display

✅Good integration with Strava and komoot maps

✅Uses standard Garmin mounts.

✅Ant+ and Bluetooth connection to sensors.

✅ USB C connector for pc connection and charging.

✅ Relatively cheap at £90 in the UK 

Cons

❌Not possible to delete an activity on device

Book Review: Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne

This was a book I wasn't aware of until very recently, although I was aware that David Byrne cycles when on tour as I previously stumbled across his account of riding the banks of the Tyne and though the fab cycle tunnel. You can read that account here here

If you don't know, David was the lead singer and founder of the rock band Talking Heads and has done a lot of other art projects since.

Anyway back to the book. It's basically a series of explorations by bicycle though various cities from Buenos Aires to London and San Francisco to Manila. 

It's much more than a bunch of bike ride stories as David is a person of deep thought and curiosity and he delves deep into the culture and society in the various locations with musings on everything from art to urban planning. This makes for a very interesting and entertaining set of travelogues.

There's a short section at the back with some of David's cycling tips along with some bike stands he designed for New York, but it's not a book about bicycles and cycling. They are just the magic carpet for this zen like journey across the world and David's inner thoughts.

Review - Topeak Javaslim adjustable cage

The Topeak Javaslim cage is marketed as an adjustable bottle cage which is really suited for insulated coffee cups, water bottles or other cylindrical objects such as  a bluetooth speaker.

It has an adjustable spine and bottom, and the top has a rubber strap to keep a cage secure.

All good you may think, as I did.

The problem is the top with the rubber strap. The plastic is moulded to accept a small diameter object, and isn't even wide enough to accept a standard water bottle without a struggle.

Whilst the bottom will expand to accept a bottle 85mm in diameter, the top will fight you all the way if the diameter is more than 55mm.

Topeak do make a similar cage with a larger top diameter, and if this design suits your needs then that's the one you should get. The Slim variant here is next to useless sadly.