GPS/Fitness Computer advice

theshortstack

Morning all,

I'm fairly new to the road, but part of the reason I'm commuting into work every day.

With that in mind, I'm thinking of getting a computer to track the number of calories I'm burning and also guide me to my destination on long rides.

Given my novice status though, is this OTT? If not, can someone point me in the direction of a good starter device? I was looking at the Garmin Edge 500, but can't seem to find screenshots of what the GPS part of the device looks like. Given the monochrome screen, I shouldn't think it's too easy to follow, but happy to be corrected!

Any thoughts?

Thanks very much in advance

wongataa

The Edge 500 routing only gives you a breadcrumb trail to follow and no turn by turn directions like car sat navs. If you go off course the 500 will not direct you back on course. If you want turn by turn navigation such as on car sat navs you will need the Edge 800/810 or Bryton Rider 50 with suitable maps.

theshortstack

Hey there - thanks a lot for taking the time to reply.

Can you let me know what you mean by a breadcrumb trail?

BillyMansell

GPS bike computers can be extremely useful for what you require and if you're into collecting data then using a computer and seeing the numbers mount up can be helpful but calorie counting on bike computers is not likely to be accurate as it's based on an algorithm and does not balance the numbers with calorie intake.

A better way of calorie counting for weight loss is weighing yourself routinely and by knowing how many calories are in a pound or kilo of body fat you can calculate calories burned.

As to a GPS computer, if you feel it will inspire you to ride more then who is to say whether it's OTT or not? Being able to look back at what you've achieved and see the miles mounting, yourself getting faster or going further are just a few of the things that can inspire you to keep going. If you're competitive you have Strava where you can upload your data to see how your riding compares to others.

Breadcrumb trails are where the device doesn't use maps only the way points of a journey.

wongataa

A breadcrumb trail is where the device shows your route as a dotted line with no map background.

theshortstack

Thanks for your reply Billy - that makes a lot of sense.

wongataa wrote:

A breadcrumb trail is where the device shows your route as a dotted line with no map background.

Ah ok,so it doesn't tell you to 'turn right' or anything - it just gives you a dotted line and expects you to follow it?

Grill

It supports turn by turn, it just doesn't show a map.

wellbeloved747

Agrees the edge 500 maps are ultra basic. so you best bet it a Garmin edge 800/810. or if you have a smart phone you can just buy an ant+ adapter. Garmin make one for the iphone
http://www.bhipltd.co.uk/garmin-ant-ada ... re=default

theshortstack

Thanks all - sounds like the oPhone route might be the best thing to start with.

Are there specific Apps available to track speed, energy burned etc?

lc1981

Grill wrote:

It supports turn by turn, it just doesn't show a map.

This is worth emphasising. The Edge 500 can tell you to turn left, turn right, etc. - something that lots of people don't seem aware of. As long as you don't want to change route mid-ride, and you stick to the route, then I've always found it perfectly adequate for navigation.