Gadgets and improving faster

TheEnglishman

I'm wondering if getting a heartrate and/or a cadence sensor will get me improving faster from a complete beginner's point of view.

I'm looking at the wahoo stuff and linking it in with my iPhone - I don't really want another gadget when the iPhone seems perfectly capable.

I know my cadence is all over the place and kind of assume that if a big screen in front of me is telling me what rpm I'm doing I'll learn to keep a constant cadence quicker?

And I'm guessing a heartrate sensor will enable me to stay 'in the zone' better so I'll get fitter quicker?

Basically I'm clueless but could do with a bit of guidance on what, if any, bits of kit would be beneficial to improving my fitness and ability

jonomc4

I don't have a heart rate monitor but I do have a cadence checker on my bike PC - I found that really helped me improve my riding and now a decent cadence has become second nature. When I fist got it my cadence was about 70 - now it is an average of about 90.

t.m.h.n.e.t

Cadence and HR made the biggest difference for me. I can generally hold a given cadence and it matches well with HR.

Result is I feel smoother,faster and seeing working HR come down slowly is inspirational. My distance also increased dramatically.

bahzob

A cadence sensor would be a useful investment.

You don't mention if you already have a speedo/odometer.

Need something like this to be able to measure output. Training is really just about being able to increase output for a given input. If you ever get really serious about training you may want to invest in a power meter which gives the best information on output. But until then a speedo can act as a good substitute.

TheEnglishman

There's plenty of iPhone apps that show speed. But my small brain can't see how this is useful - obviously your speed varies enormously on the road so what am I missing?

adm1

I have the Wahoo iPhone case, HR strap and speed and cadence sensors.

They all work really well. There is a huge range of excellent apps that work with the Wahoo case or dongle as well, so you aren't limited to a particular app...you can find one that suits you.

Personally, I normally use the Wahoo app to record my data as it allows you to export to multiple web sites (Strava & MapMyRide for me), and also allows you to export to an excel file on a per second basis if you are a bit anal like me. Many of the other apps only really seem to let you upload data to their own sites.

It's definitely made a big difference to my training. Highly recommended.

The only negative that I would warn you about is that battery life is only about 5 hours from full on an iPhone 4. You can extend this by using a PowerMonkey or the additional battery pack that Wahoo also sell, but just be aware of this if you do a lot of long rides.

bahzob

TheEnglishman wrote:

There's plenty of iPhone apps that show speed. But my small brain can't see how this is useful - obviously your speed varies enormously on the road so what am I missing?

Yes speed will vary but most training routes contain sections where you can control this.

Hills are good for example, or a long junction/traffic light free stretch of road with, ideally with a roundabout so you can turn and return opposite to where you started. Or the route as a whole if its reasonably free of things you cant control like traffic volume/lights.

Its good to have a sections like this to help do training and motivate you. e.g. maybe a hill that takes 5 minutes to climb, a 6 mile stretch of road or a 30 mile circuit. Having a personal best time for each of these will help balance training and be motivating as you will soon find yourself going faster for less effort.

dw300

Strava - http://www.strava.com

Everytime i go out i want to come back with at least 1 PR. It's great.

bahzob

dw300 wrote:

Strava - http://www.strava.com

Everytime i go out i want to come back with at least 1 PR. It's great.

Perfect. A great suggestion.

TheEnglishman

I'm using CycleMeter on the iPhone - It seems to do the job. I bought a heartrate monitor yesterday and a cadence sensor is 'in the post'

I'm got a nice 15 mile run that contains long flat sections and a couple of 'climbs' which for me is an hour at present.

I think I'm 'set'? A power meter is not something I can justify.

bahzob

Should be enough. All you need to do now is ride... good luck and let us know how it goes.