Well, it's the twenty-first century and, in case you haven't noticed, there's an awful lot of new technology around that can be pressed into service to make our noble sport even better… We got into GPS mountain biking a couple of years ago and it has to be said that it has totally changed the way we ride our mountains. Here's why:

Why riding with a GPS?

GPS are devices that calculate your position on the surface of the earth by interpolating radio signals from a constellation of 24 special satellites that constantly orbit the earth. Since it depends on very low energy satellite signals, the coverage of a GPS, unlike that of a mobile phone, is global. Actually, that is what the acronym stands for: Global Positioning System. The device is purely a receiver, itself not emitting any kind of signals.

What do they do for a mtbiker?

Well, the simple answer to this is 'it remembers exactly where you have been'. It constantly records your position and notes down the time: with this info, it generates a virtual 'track' of the ride so if you are carrying a gps in your outings, you will be able to retrace your exact steps -or pedalstrokes- in the future. On top of that, a gps unit tells your position, current elevation, speed, direction, and tons of other info you will never get from a bike computer.

How do we use them?

Each rider carries a tiny GPS on the bike. Our GPS receivers are very simple devices that don't need any particular input from the rider. They just sit there and keep track of everything. At the end of each long day of riding, we download the information into our computer, in your own individual folder.
Then the fun begins.
Using the proper software (we love www.compegps.com), we can plot your own individual track on a digital map of the area, and see exactly where you have been all these hours; then, we overlay the track on a computer generated 3D image of the same map (this is when you understand why your legs are still burning from those climbs). And then, we download calibrated satellite photographs of the area and give you a bird's eye view of the day's work.

With all this, we can 'replay' the ride on the computer screen, and watch as riders overtake, gain or loose positions with respect to the group. All this we do from the comfort of our sofas, once everyone has had a proper shower and has been decently fed.

We also have a laugh at the photos of the day, and we use the same technology to brief the group for the following day.

Navigation

If the group feels adventurous, we can load a track in your GPS units that should guide you into the forests, and let you navigate it on your own. With the help of the track and a few strategically placed waypoints, soon people become as fast and confident in finding their way as if they had been born on those very forests (well, almost). And it's good fun too!

Of course after your trip, we'll email you a link to your personal folder, which holds all the photos, tracks, and 3D images, along with a complete dossier on personal times and speeds throughout the rides… Very cool!

Broadcast

Soon you will be able to let people at the office know where you are and follow your ride on line, or follow our rides from your computer at the office... This incredible new feature, apart from making you feel like James Bond, allows our drivers to see the group position and progress. The trick is done with a bluetooth GPS and a suitable mobile phone, that sends the information over to our server in Barcelona Mountain Bike, from where it goes on our web page! Again, all this is possible thanks to our friends at CompeGPS. Really, you should take a look at their web page...