Garmin Rideout

After watching Rapha Condor Sharp finish their Tour of Britain in a blaze of glory, we got up at the crack of dawn to head to the New Forest for the Garmin Rideout. As both a Garmin and Cervelo stockist it was a chance to meet the riders who directly influence the development of the products, and find out what is planned for 2012. It was also a chance to take a look at the new entry-level Edge 200 bike computer and the Vector pedal, a smart little power meter that is compatible with Edge 500 and 800 units.

We had a little one on one time with Roger Hammond. Not that he had a say in the matter, since we were in the middle of the countryside and riding alongside him. All the same he is a nice guy with some envious results to his name.

Things we found out:
1. He has a 140mm stem;
2. When he got 3rd at Paris-Roubaix, the longest training ride he'd done that winter was just two and a half hours;
3. He's not as tall as you think he is;
4. He's not a numbers man: "when the race goes hard, I go hard. When the race goes easy I go easy";
5. It is all about intensity: "anyone can ride a bike slowly for a long time. Short efforts have better gains";
6. He's one of the few cyclists to have an organ named after him;
7. He would like to do a bit of cyclo-cross this winter;
8. The Garmin team bus has nice faux wood panel surface tops, which add a bit of class if you have to spend 150 days living in it.