TwoNav interviews: Melcior Mauri
TwoNav interviews: Melcior Mauri
We interview Melcior Mauri, a Spanish cycling pro with more than 52 victories, most notably the 1991 Vuelta a España and 1995 Spanish time-trial championship. TwoNav has been collaborating with Melcior’s Titan Desert team for years.
On the weekend of 7 February, TwoNav was at the preparation for the Titan Desert, held in Lloret de Mar and attended by Miguel Indurain and his son Miguel, Sylvain Chavanel, Josep Betalu (who won the race in 2019 with our GPS), Silvia Roura, Bertrand Chavanel, Amael Moinard, and others.
TwoNav: We know you use Land, the TwoNav software to edit tracks, prepare routes and display several maps at once. Tell us about your experience. What stands out?
Melcior Mauri: I use Land to edit tracks. I analyse them, I look for distance and profile information, for example, and it gives me very detailed stats for analysing a track, whether purchased or shared by a teammate.
I like to convert tracks into TRK, which works best, in my opinion. On the one hand I collect all the analysis information, and on the other it helps me with the editing. Once everything’s ready in Land, I send it to my GPS Trail 2 and start discovering, hence the TwoNav slogan, “Freedom to Discover”.
I also like the option to change tracks while you’re making your route. Thanks to the tutorials, I can already make these changes, delete points I don’t need and even play with the colours. I would like to learn much more about Land, since it has many features that I think I can take advantage of during events such as the Titan Desert.
When I discovered this kind of GPS, I was instantly thrilled by the prospect of discovering places every day, without fear of getting lost and with the confidence this device gives you. It’s a truly satisfying experience.
TN: What can you tell us about your experience with Land and Trail 2 in the Titan Desert, in the Sahara?
MM: It’s the ideal GPS for this race. When I describe the features of the Trail 2 to my teammates, they’re amazed. Other brands have a lot of image and a lot of data, which is great, but the display, the battery life, the handling of the Trail 2 are incredible. Of course, as I mentioned, the software and the analysis that lets you record all the race information makes this pack of TwoNav products highly recommended.
TN: What technical tips would you give our followers if they’re preparing to go cycling in dunes?
MM: Recently, in the event that I organised in Lloret de Mar, the “Titan Desert Clinic”, I gave a talk and touched on precisely some issues related to tyre thickness and pressure when riding on sand.
The greater the thickness and the lower the tyre pressure, the wider the base it will have, and so the less it will sink. So it’s a question of striking a balance. The so-called fat bikes work best for this type of competition or activity.
The ideal tyre diameter is 2.35 and it shouldn’t have too many rolling knobs, so called because they help the tyre slip.
If you’re coming up on a dune, before you get to it you’ll have to lower the pressure, between 0.5 and 0.4 depending on your weight; as well as a minimum of 0.6-0.7. I think these ranges are ideal. Also note that the important thing is that the tyres stay on the rim because if they come off in the sand, the sealant will spill and you’ll be in a world of hurt.
TN: Thank you very much for your thoughts, Melcior. We hope to see you soon and enjoy your upcoming sporting events!
