The Strawberry Project

According to a tweet from @blackberry earlier this week, then today was inked as the official release day for the new Blackberry Bold handset from Research In Motion. I’ve been using the handset on a daily basis since leaving for Chicago and so have put together a few notes on what you can expect from using it

Similarities between the Bold and iPhone are bound to be drawn given the styling of the RIM device. It remains a trackball and keyboard based input system, so there’s no change to a touch interface yet, although that is rumoured to be coming with the ‘Thunder’ product expected at some point this year (pick up a pinch of salt at this point).

The Bold is the first RIM device to have HDSPA capabilities, and if I heard correctly, T-Mobile (UK) are teaming up with 3 (UK) to provide greater 3G coverage across the UK. Data transfer speeds, using a BES server for the usual data compression and encryption, will likely be at least twice as fast as existing GPRS coverage. Add on top of that the ability to use WiFi, and you’re getting towards a single device that could just about have you leave the laptop in the bag for a long journey, though I don’t think any device has got to the point that you could leave the laptop at home yet.

All the extra services available on the handset obviously put a greater strain on the battery. One differentiator with the iPhone is that you can actually take the back off the phone and swap your battery out. If you’re away from power for any length of time as a business traveller, believe me when I say this is a necessity. The iPhone 2.0 at least doesn’t have the battery soldered in to the device, but you still need to be an expert safe cracker to get the smooth case apart, and you’ll probably find that it invalidates your warranty. Certainly not something you’d be doing in the field.

I’ve had issues with the quality of the browser on RIM devices before today, and on the pre-release version of the Bold firmware, this continues to be the case. A number of the more popular business/traveller social network sites that I’d normally make use of just don’t work all that well on the current version of the browser, which is a great shame as the new screen is really great.

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to attend the VIP Preview for T-Mobile’s introduction of the Blackberry Bold in the UK, and RIM had provided us with some test handsets a while before that. There was a fair bit of conversation amongst people around the iPhone as a competitor platform, as you might expect, and we’ve certainly had the same questions asked of us at work. The new public sector list prices for iPhone put it almost head-to-head with the exec RIM devices and data plans, but there are noteable differences - particularly depending on your backend architecture and security requirements.

More on this when we receive our release handsets.

Tags: blackberry, bold, launch, review

OK, so here’s a quick review of the Kona PhD experience so far.

The bike basics:

Frame tubing - Kona 7005 Aluminum Butted
Fork - Kona Carbon
Headset - FSA Orbit #8BE Integrated
Crankarms - FSA Gossamer MegaExo
Chainrings - 30/39/53
B/B - FSA MegaExo
Pedals - Shimano A520
Chain - Shimano 105
Freewheel - Shimano 105 (12-25, 10spd)
F/D - Shimano 105 Flatbar
R/D - Shimano Ultegra
Shifters - Shimano 105
Handlebar - FSA XC-180 OS flatbar
Stem - FSA OS-150 LX
Grips - Kona Race Light
Brakes - Avid SD 5
Brake - Levers Avid FR 5
Front hub - Mavic Aksium Wheelset
Rear hub - Mavic Aksium Wheelset
Spokes - Mavic Aksium Wheelset
Tires - Continental Ultrasport 700 x 23C
Rims - Mavic Aksium Wheelset
Saddle - Selle Italia X2 Man SE
Seatpost - FSA SL280
Seat clamp - Kona Clamp
Color - White

I went for the 58cm frame given that I’m about 6′1″ - or at least used to be the last time I checked. I still need to make some slight adjustments to the setup as it’s being run in given that I can tell there’s a slight difference in my riding position to the Orange, and it feels a little too upright to be comfortable on longer rides. To be honest, this is probably more due to the fact that I need to stick some bar ends on there which would give me a similar stretch position to that of the setup on my Evo2.

I’d read elsewhere that the saddle was something to replace, but for the life of me I can’t quite see why. If you’re used to being in the saddle, then it performs well and its fairly comfortable. It’s no Gel saddle, so don’t expect Saturday-night-in sofa quality, but it’s far more comfortable than any race saddle I’ve been on.

How fast is it?

Acceleration is better than my expectations. The 7005 frame remains a solid platform to put some power through in a straight line, and it can hold its own against road frames at the lights from experience. Over distance, in comparison to the Evo2, the lighter frame and bigger gears mean that I’m able to sustain a higher average speed over the same distance. Here’s the same route on the two different bikes. As you can see, the PhD was quicker on average, and I wasn’t really pushing it that day.

Kona PhD Speed Profile (mean: 15.1 mph)

Orange EVO2 Speed Profile (mean: 13.6 mph)

What about Vibration?

On the whole the road vibration isn’t all that noticeable on the front end. You can feel the road through the saddle more than you would on fat tyres, but it’s not too distracting. What’s more distracting coming from MTB territory is that all those big hills and patches of debris/crapola you’d normally ride across without thought suddenly become life threatening hotspots on skinny rims.

Anything else on the handling?

Steering is responsive and pretty light - a product of the fact that the bike is ridiculously light in its own right. In fact I’d go as far as to say that it’s pretty frisky if you’re coming from an MTB background. I was out in high winds on the way home from work on the PhD and it felt pretty skittish on the road as I avoided the inevitable Cardiff potholes (actually, it’s probably more accurate to describe them as sink holes)

Gears work OK for around here. I haven’t done Big Hill territory yet (that’s Big Hill in South Wales folks, not Alp d’Huez type Big Hill), but I suspect that the range would be pushing it on the inner front ring. It’s just about comparable to the middle ring of an MTB, so if you use granny gears a lot for climbing long drags, then you’ll probably struggle for a while until your legs get used to the different pace/power output required to drive yourself along.

That bigger outer ring is great on the flat and on the descents too, although for my riding it suits the flat better.

Can you stop as well?

Brakes are pretty good for cantis. They definitely stop the bike, but as the Kona owner’s manual says, they may not stop *you* - you’ll need to hang on and be ready to shift your weight if you need to decelerate quickly.

So in general, it’s all good.  It suits my commute to work really well, and offers me just enough challenge to make it a different ride home up the hills over my trusty old Orange.  I have, however, one slight problem that I need to deal with at the moment. On the supplied tyres I’ve managed 2 flats already, and have now cut a sizeable chunk out of the rear tyre thanks to Cardiff Council cutting back the Hawthorne hedges around the lanes, and then not bothering to use a road sweeper afterwards [probably a different, outsourced department :-/ ]

I reckon that a pair of Specialized Armadillos should do the trick. More on that when I can take delivery of some new tyres.

Tags: Cycling, evo2, kona, orange, phd, review, speed