Category: cycling

My AURA Smart Bike Helmet by UNIT 1

On By Rick McIn cycling, health & fitness, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Overall, I’m very happy with my Aura Helmet — and would recommend it to one and all.

Right now it’s probably the best smart helmet available.

The system is expensive, however. I paid USD $300 for the entire system. You might be able to buy the helmet alone for about $220.

I bought it on Kickstarter. (And might not use Kickstarter in future.)

My delivery was delayed by several months.

Click PLAY or watch my 3 month review on YouTube.

I used an A.I. voice over on that edit.

A helmet once saved me on a crash in New Zealand. I plan to wear this helmet more often into the future.

I’ll try not to lose it. 😀

IF you ride an electric bike, having the SAFEST possible helmet is even more critical.

  • MIPS certified (Multi-directional Impact Protection System)
  • Helmet with integrated lights front and back
  • Magnetic smart lights that can be mounted anywhere
  • Handlebar navigation remote control
  • Smart phone app

I really like the quick magnetic attachment of 3 alternate visors. Wearing glasses full-time, very few other types of visors or cycling sunglasses fit.

BUT …

The process for pairing all the devices with Bluetooth is confusing. What’s on their various help videos is not what happened when I paired.

In addition, my first remote was faulty. Support was prompt. And they eventually shipped me a replacement.

The biggest complaint online is that the ON / OFF button is difficult. Personally, I like the fact that the helmet will not accidentally be turned on. I’m OK with the stiff button.

Click PLAY or watch an independent review on YouTube.

Here’s the company pitch.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Here’s one review of the top 4 smart helmets, as of the date of this post.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cycling Cordilleras Blanca & Huayuash, Peru

On By Rick McIn cycling, travelLeave a comment

An amazing adventure.

Mick Turnbull and Danielle O’Hara. Four weeks in July.

Personal stories like this is what I love about YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Their trip report is posted on Bikepacking.com

RIDING HIGH: BIKEPACKING PERU (FILM)

Where to TRAVEL in 2025?

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Of course I have a half dozen different itineraries drafted. 😀

BUT which will end up happening?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Highest priority destinations 2025:

  • Indonesia for World Gymnastics Championships October
  • Northern Australia
  • Nepal in November (Everest Base Camp)

Medium priority destinations 2025:

  • USA hiking part of the Pacific Crest Trail
  • Denmark for cycling
  • Germany for cycling

Low priority 2025:

  • Iceland and the Faroe Islands (again)
  • Madeira – Portuguese Islands
  • Canary Islands – Spain
  • East Africa
  • northern Vancouver Island cycling
  • Pakistan for hiking
  • India for hiking
  • Jordan for cycling
  • Oman for cycling
  • Taiwan for hiking
  • Mongolia
  • Greece
  • Scotland
  • Corsica
  • Montenegro & Balkans

Any other recommendations for me?

Expedition Oregon Adventure Race

On By Rick McIn cycling, health & fitness, sport - amateurLeave a comment

Perhaps we should put together an Adventure Racing team for Expedition Oregon. 😀

Only 250 miles of mtn bike, trekking, climbing, packrafting, rafting, navigation.

America’s toughest A.R. race.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

North to Alaska by Trevor Lund

On By Rick McIn books, cycling, travelLeave a comment

North To Alaska: The True Story of An epic, 16,000-mile cycle journey the length of the Americas

I downloaded this book to read while cycling in Iceland’s wind and rain.

I had it easy compared to Trevor. 😀

At age-21, Trevor cycled 1800 miles down the west coast of Canada and the USA on a second-hand bike he had bought for around £20.

10 years later — in 1999 — he wanted more. Patagonia to Alaska .

His companion crapped out after the first few days. Trevor was alone.

His bicycle was terrible. No mobile phone. Very little money.

What’s different about this book compared with other similar adventures, is how honest and vulnerable the author is about all the many, many things that go wrong. You really feel the highs and lows.

 Independently published Jan. 7, 2020.

Cycling Denmark

On By Rick McIn cycling, travelLeave a comment

My biggest surprise cycling Europe in 2024 was Denmark.

It’s fantastic.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I needed to cross Denmark south to north, coming from the Rhine river in Germany.

I had low expectations, basically planning to spend as few days in Denmark as possible while getting to the ferry to Faroe Islands.

NOW I want to go back to Denmark — the 2nd happiest nation in the world!

Highest priority is National Cycle Route 1, the West Coast Route. 560 kilometers from the German border.


National Cycle Route 12 ➙ Limfjord Route looks interesting, as well. I rode part of that from Aalborg summer 2024.

Third priority would be National Cycle Route 9 ➙ en route from Berlin to Copenhagen.

As I post, Denmark is my #1 cycling destination for the future. It would get me back to Germany, as well, which is fantastic with the Deutschland Rail ticket making public transit almost free.

Part of the attraction are the fantastic free campsites in an otherwise very expensive tourist nation.

I’m still brainstorming future cycling destinations.

Penticton – Adventure Racing Worlds 2025

On By Rick McIn cycling, health & fitness, sport - amateur, travelLeave a comment

Adventure Racing World Championships

Sept. 22 – Oct. 6, 2025

Penticton, BC, Canada

I’d love to attend my first A.R. Worlds — but will probably be in Asia at that time.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

By coincidence, I was 1st to watch this VIDEO. Just happened to be online when it popped up.

Cycling Mt. Washington to Horne Lake

On By Rick McIn cycling, travelLeave a comment

From 2020 I had some great memories of cycling a logging road called Comox Main.

At the time it was my favourite gravel road on the island, so far.

And I did spot a bear cub.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

As the weather was fantastic for Labour Day 2024, I was keen to cycle in the opposite direction …

Mt Washington to Horne Lake

Actually, my original plan was Mt Washington all the way back to home in Parksville.

It only took 40 minutes to roll down the mountain from the ski resort to highway.

I detoured into Cumberland to pick up some refreshing Fresca. 😀

Then it was on to pretty and surprisingly undeveloped Comox Lake.

On a sunny long weekend Saturday the gates were open and hundreds of people were out enjoying the water.

I’d forgotten that the road along the lake is a brutal series of steep up and downs. Pushing the bike more than riding.

Still — I was psyched for the Comox Line logging road to come.

I saw only 1 vehicle. That road is always deserted.

Just back from 6 weeks cycling in Europe I was feeling fit. The bike tuned up, new tires installed.

But — from Comox Lake it was all uphill, uphill.

Yeesh. I should have checked the elevation before starting.

A very tough afternoon.

I did find a good campsite on a logging road spur around 8pm. Cooked corn beef dinner in the dark.

Slept well. No bears.

Seems they are eating berries exclusively of late.

Sunday morning was fun. Mostly downhill to Port Alberni for lunch.


Another perfect day.

The route Port Alberni to Horne Lake is a slog. I’d done it a number of times in the past.

Up and over the island.

This time it seemed worse than usual, being so hot and windless.

The only highlight was the lookout over Port Alberni.

Worried about making it back before dark, I’d called my brother at lunch to suggest I might need pick-up at Horne Lake.

The afternoon was bad enough. And the route even worse as there had been much new logging since the last time I was there. New logging roads are impossible to cycle.

When I finally could see the lake and had 2 bars of mobile phone service, I called again to see if my brother could pick up at the Horne Lakes Caves parking lot. I was exhausted from too much hike-a-bike.

No problem … we thought.

I’d unloaded the bike and was waiting when he rang me back.

Dad’s truck had quit at the start of the Horne Lake road.

I had to reload the bike and continue another 12km or so to get to the truck. Dead.

It was a long weekend holiday Sunday night, yet Stacey was able to still get a tow truck with her CAA membership.

We had it towed to the dealership in Parksville.

On the upside, I did get a good tan.

… or is that dirt? 😀

I’m not keen on Vancouver Island logging roads at this moment in time.

Spoiled, perhaps, from all that easy cycling in Europe.

Visiting Cumberland, Vancouver Island

On By Rick McIn cycling, travel1 Comment

Cumberland, near the east coast of central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, reminds me of Canmore, Alberta about 30 years ago.

A mountain biker’s mecca full of funky coffee shops, bike shops, and restaurants.

Plenty of live music.

Average age-38.

Average in nearby Parksville is about age-70. A retirement town.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

My NEW DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, photos, product endorsements, travel, videoLeave a comment

I’ve been really enjoying flying drones.

Mine was the dumbest — and least expensive — in the DJI line-up, the original Mini S.E.

Getting ready for hiking / cycling 2024, I bought a DJI Mini 4 Pro drone. (My old drone broke in Idaho.)

Click PLAY or watch samples on YouTube.

Now have the DJI RC-N2 controller with the built-in screen. No longer need to hook up my phone.

I got the full Fly More Kit which includes 3 batteries, charging hub, carrying case, and extras.

Not inexpensive at CAD $1500 including tax.

Of course buying a warranty is essential. I paid CAD $170 (USD $125) / 2 years. I can replace the drone carcass up to 3 times. But IF I lose the drone, no warranty coverage.

I bought some accessories, as well:

I could have gone for the less expensive Mini 2, or Mini 3, but decided on the 4 for these features:

  • 360 degree obstacle avoidance
  • better low light video
  • it has a built-in light, so I can see the drone in the sky at dusk or dawn
  • vertical video in 4K
  • more Quickshot options

Most importantly, super powerful Activetrack options. The drone will follow-me wherever I go, avoiding obstacles so I need not manually watch it every second.

Due to obstacle avoidance, I’ve not crashed the Mini 4 even once … aside from day 1 when I tried to catch it by hand incorrectly. Oops.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’ll shoot video in 2024 with drone, iPhone, and Ace Pro Action Camera:

  • 4K HDR / HDR, 60 or 30 fps automatic setting

Add-on

  • SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO® microSD™ UHS-I Card
  • replacement rubber prop holder
  • controller bracket for my bike
  • normally shoot in 4K 60 fps (unless only 30 fps available)
  • slow motion mode is 4K 100 fps
  • also possible is 1080p 200 fps
  • normally shoot in HLG mode
  • shoots vertical video in 4K (better than cropping)
  • normally photos in JPEG and RAW both
  • Quickshots are great
  • Mastershots even better. About 2 minutes of different shots around a target.
  • Hyperlapse is easy. Generate a few seconds of Timelapse footage.
  • Activetrack will follow the target. 360 allows you to rotate around while moving.
  • POI circles the target, while following

My guru is DC Rainmaker.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

NOTES:

I didn’t go for the Plus battery because the added weight takes it over the sub-250g weight

I was convinced to buy the more expensive Mini 4 by DC Rainmaker’s 2022 review.

If you are keeping track — I bought the DJI Spark at the beginning. Couldn’t get it off the ground. Traded to Kraig for a fantastic jacket.

During the pandemic, I bought 2 DJI Mini SE drones. Now discontinued. Less than CAD $1000 total for both including the Fly More kit.

Surprisingly durable. I crashed them dozens of times.