Advice to newbies - Buy a Computer!!

Thebigbee

I am pretty new to this "proper" cycling lark.

Anyone who is interested in it then I really suggest you buy a computer.

I have found it really motivates me to do - "that extra mile - or 5"!!

Wireless is easiest like this one

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=41402

BTW - I don't work for CRC or have any affilation - just a good price!!

eg - this afternoon I wanted to just to 10 miles to keep my miles up. Did that and felt fresh as a wilted daisy and was attacking some stupidly long steep hills along the way. Hit the 10 mile goal still about 4 miles from home, and just challenged myself, against the computer to hit the 20.

I know it is not a massive achievement, but choosing ridiculous hills to ride up, when my body is saying no, and then climbing them and not getting off the bike once - gives you a great sense of accomplishment.

When you eventually get home, utterly shagged and dripping in sweat, you have to turn the shower down and you enjoy it so much more!!

redddraggon

And I say get a Garmin (any of them pretty much), it was the best money I've spent on bike stuff.

CarleyB

ive just bought a garmin 500 from handtech with cadence and hr. I opened the box and frightened myself! Its gone in a drawer to tackle another day ! And I love my gadgets !

Thebigbee

Yep - definitely get a Garmin if you can afford.. like this one here

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

unfortunately it is 10 X my budget lol!!

lonewolf3890

Just buy a $30 cycling computer. Save your money to buy a lighter and better wheelset. don't waste your money on $500+ garmin edge. It doesn't make your bike go any faster.

CarleyB

lonewolf3890 wrote:

Just buy a $30 cycling computer. Save your money to buy a lighter and better wheelset. don't waste your money on $500+ garmin edge. It doesn't make your bike go any faster.

I t doesn't make it faster but it does make working with a coach a little easier

Thebigbee

lonewolf3890 wrote:

Just buy a $30 cycling computer. Save your money to buy a lighter and better wheelset. don't waste your money on $500+ garmin edge. It doesn't make your bike go any faster.

That is completely contradictory advice to what I was initially suggesting... but thanks anyway

overgeared

agreed, so much of cycling is motivation and for many there´s nothing better than data to build motivation. afterall, numbers are there to be beaten. so computers are great, but heart rate monitors and now power meters take it to another level.

springtide9

Garmin/GPS/Cycle computers also do it for me.

I have started using Strava and have created timed sections on sections of roads and hills that I regularly ride... and there is nothing like being motivated into trying to beat your time to the top of that killer hill or having your very own TT on a weekend solo run.

Cycling and pushing yourself is all about motivation. It's hard to motivate yourself to push harder if there is no proper feedback loop.

But this is my personal opinion.

jagmate

Iphone 4 with Runkeeper in pocket.

Set audio cues to every mile.

Race away against the clock. Download data after ride.

Use it for 2 hours a day riding to and from work, no issues with iphone battery life.

Free App.

Works for me.

CiB

You wanna do some additional miles for no good reason? Put yourself on our Stats Board (link below). Before you know it you'll be all over the place 'just doing a couple more' with some idea of to moving up to 83rd place.

You know it makes sense. Computer recommended to aid logging. Welcome aboard...

furrag

Garmins are great. Allows me the freedom to go further afield and discover new routes/roads without getting lost, which also results in me cycling much much more. Also my sole training tool which will eventually be hooked up to a power meter.

Rich Hcp

Its personal choice.

On my roadie I use a Cateye cordless similar to the one in the first link, just to check mileage and ave speed.

On my MTB I have no computer,I just go out for a few hours and see where I end up(ie,which pub!)

I don't feel the need for a Garmin, but never say never!

kettrinboy

Ive got four bikes that i use regularly, so to track my riding, a Garmin is perfect as you can buy extra mounts cheaply and just put it on each bike as you need it, that would be very difficult with a non GPS computer,plus you can use them for running and hiking and more,as somebody else has already said the Edge 305 and now the 800 are the best things ive ever bought for cycling

shane r

I recently bought a cateye wireless and loved it-until last night. I was on a ride with some friends and we decided to have a bit of a race along a quiet rural stretch with a long gradual decent.

I was out in front and my speedo read 32mph and I was still excellerating. It then flashed 'error' three times and the display completely crapped out. Got home and there was no way around it- hard reset and all my odometer miles lost :-(

Do cheaper ones have a speed limit above which they crash?

1_reaper

Garmins are the way ahead. Although like all tech can be a bit temperamental at times. See the link for possible problems on the forum. Would never go back to a "normal" bike computer


https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=245

ShutUpLegs

I'd suggest they buy a bike

Rich Hcp

ShutUpLegs wrote:

I'd suggest they buy a bike

Its a good start

iplod

Myself and several friends from work use the Endomondo app on the andriod phones. And its a fantastic motivational tool. Tracking and mapping your time,distance, elevation etc, and we set each other personal challenges. You can even send them voice messages whilst they are out riding. And best of all its FREE.

griffsters

I use my Garmin Forerunner 405, its great and definately adds a bit more interest to any ride.

meanredspider

The Forerunner 305 is, to my mind, the 80:20. For under a hundred quid you get the GPS recording, Virtual Partner, great battery life and virtually bullet-proof, optional cadense sensor etc

christurbo

jagmate wrote:

Iphone 4 with Runkeeper in pocket.

Set audio cues to every mile.

Race away against the clock. Download data after ride.

Use it for 2 hours a day riding to and from work, no issues with iphone battery life.

Free App.

Works for me.

That's exactly what I do.

-steves-

iplod wrote:

Myself and several friends from work use the Endomondo app on the andriod phones. And its a fantastic motivational tool. Tracking and mapping your time,distance, elevation etc, and we set each other personal challenges. You can even send them voice messages whilst they are out riding. And best of all its FREE.

Definate +1 for the Endomondo app on either Android phones, smart phones or I-Phones. Free downloadable app and it does everything, speed, GPS, Av speed, tells you minute miles every mile, pep talks from friends, route uploaded online so friends can see you go round, set yourself or other goals, and best of all for me, a complete record of what you have done per day/week/month/year along with personal bests of both time and distance, brilliant stuff for free

P.S. Ignore top speed as its usually complete crud on it, lol Best get a trip computer for that, lol

Bozman

+1 for a cateye, as long as i have distance and average speed i'm happy, i don't need to know ft climbed and heart rate etc, sod the Garmin and put the cash towards some new wheels and tyres which will aid your performance.

You could probably buy 20 pairs of Paul Smith socks for the price of a Garmin 800, that would well and truely shaft a mans sock budget for the majority of June!

cruiser33

Yes, I`m pretty new to road cycling. I bought a `cateye` computer pretty much from the word go..............It makes all the difference to me, I`m always trying to `round up` the miles to 10m, 20m, 30m, etc, Would love a Garmin, but out of my league really.

screebs

Just took delivery of a Garmin 705 Edge last week - great bit of kit that I'm going to have a lot of fun with!

David100

shane r wrote:

I recently bought a cateye wireless and loved it-until last night. I was on a ride with some friends and we decided to have a bit of a race along a quiet rural stretch with a long gradual decent.

I was out in front and my speedo read 32mph and I was still excellerating. It then flashed 'error' three times and the display completely crapped out. Got home and there was no way around it- hard reset and all my odometer miles lost :-(

Do cheaper ones have a speed limit above which they crash?

You can program your miles bike into the computer if you can remember what it was on. Ideal for if you ever need to change the battery or in your case you get an error.

Thanks
David

Thebigbee

shane r wrote:

I recently bought a cateye wireless and loved it-until last night. I was on a ride with some friends and we decided to have a bit of a race along a quiet rural stretch with a long gradual decent.

I was out in front and my speedo read 32mph and I was still excellerating. It then flashed 'error' three times and the display completely crapped out. Got home and there was no way around it- hard reset and all my odometer miles lost :-(

Do cheaper ones have a speed limit above which they crash?

I keep a word document of my OD because apparently when the battery fails you lose all data.

Having said that the battery still works 3 years down the line...

redddraggon

Bozman wrote:

+1 for a cateye, as long as i have distance and average speed i'm happy, i don't need to know ft climbed and heart rate etc, sod the Garmin and put the cash towards some new wheels and tyres which will aid your performance.

You could probably buy 20 pairs of Paul Smith socks for the price of a Garmin 800, that would well and truely shaft a mans sock budget for the majority of June!

Whatever.

Thebigbee

CiB wrote:

You wanna do some additional miles for no good reason? Put yourself on our Stats Board (link below). Before you know it you'll be all over the place 'just doing a couple more' with some idea of to moving up to 83rd place.

You know it makes sense. Computer recommended to aid logging. Welcome aboard...

Thanks for the welcome, will have to start taking this lark a bit more seriously.

My goal when I started in February was to do at least 10 miles a day which I haven't always met.

Guess I am going to have to increase my goals and targets. I think 100 miles a week is a better goal.

Have done 75 since Tuesday so it is easily achievable.

Thanks for the support.

shane r

Thebigbee wrote:

shane r wrote:

I recently bought a cateye wireless and loved it-until last night. I was on a ride with some friends and we decided to have a bit of a race along a quiet rural stretch with a long gradual decent.

I was out in front and my speedo read 32mph and I was still excellerating. It then flashed 'error' three times and the display completely crapped out. Got home and there was no way around it- hard reset and all my odometer miles lost :-(

Do cheaper ones have a speed limit above which they crash?

I keep a word document of my OD because apparently when the battery fails you lose all data.

Having said that the battery still works 3 years down the line...

It's a good idea as although my cateye was brand new a coupla months ago, it turns out it was a flat battery that was the problem.

I just have a £30 one, not sure of model but it doesn't have facility for reprogramming in the lost miles.