Best bike Computer

DownTider

Hi guys/girls I am new to cycling and live in a country where I don't speak the lingo very well!! I went to LBS and told the guy kit me out everything I need and asked for the best he had!
I am very happy with my Bike Scott addict but my Polar CS 500 not compatible with Strava and I would really like to use this to keep my own record I know I never will be KOM but I want to do my route in a few weeks and see how I compare to last time!
So what's best setup for Strava do I use iPhone 5 Kit or a bike computer?

Thank you for your Help. Colin.

smoggysteve

You can convert the gps file to work with strava if that is all you are after.

CiB

A Smartphone with the Strava app on will do the job for you, Android or IOS.

Gizmodo

Personally I would keep my phone for phoning people in an emergency, GPS can drain the battery on phones especially if you're riding for 4 hours plus.

My recommendation would be a Garmin Edge 510, unless you want GPS Satnav type functions to get you home if you're lost, in which case Garmin Edge 810. Bryton do some nice GPS units, or if you want small size then Cateye Stealth 50.

cattytown

First thing is to decide what you really want from it. to be worth on Strava you need GPS. If that's all you are bothered about, and can live with the battery impact just use the Strava app.

Going to a dedicated computer will normally bring HR/Cadence. You can buy both sensors as part of a package, or separately, but the package will normally be cheaper.

From there do you want navigation? The ability for the device to tell you where to go. If you do, are you happy with a prepared route, or do you want the ability to ask the device to just get you home from wherever you are?
If prepared route, do you need alerts of a junction that you need to do something at, or are you happy to look down and see where a line points?

Finally, do you want the ability to run a live location feature?

From all those questions, you should be able to eliminate quite a few computers, narrowing down your choice somewhat. It can be expensive to buy all singing all dancing, and not use any of it, equally it can be expensive to not get what you want first time.

Paul.

Markjaspi

The new wahoo rflkt should do the trick, starvation compaitable and uses Bluetooth 4.0 so less battery drain, I've ordered one from the website.

DownTider

Thank you all for your advice I have had a look and am now going to order the Garmin 510 I know I won't use the maps of the 810 I have my iPhone if I get lost lol

DownTider

Had my 1st outing yesterday with my Garmin 510 Edge I had a few glitches but soon sorted them!!
The main one was it wasn't recording my 1st 5km as I didn't start it lol but I know now. Love the data it gives me and tells me how really unfit I am lol
If you want to know how unfit I am here's link But I did manage 91kmh http://connect.garmin.com/player/353917804. Thank you all helping me pick this computer
Colin

Steve236

cattytown wrote:

First thing is to decide what you really want from it. to be worth on Strava you need GPS. If that's all you are bothered about, and can live with the battery impact just use the Strava app.

Going to a dedicated computer will normally bring HR/Cadence. You can buy both sensors as part of a package, or separately, but the package will normally be cheaper.

From there do you want navigation? The ability for the device to tell you where to go. If you do, are you happy with a prepared route, or do you want the ability to ask the device to just get you home from wherever you are?
If prepared route, do you need alerts of a junction that you need to do something at, or are you happy to look down and see where a line points?

Finally, do you want the ability to run a live location feature?

From all those questions, you should be able to eliminate quite a few computers, narrowing down your choice somewhat. It can be expensive to buy all singing all dancing, and not use any of it, equally it can be expensive to not get what you want first time.

Paul.

Although I've read plenty of threads and reviews on computers (mainly Garmins) I'm still not completely clear on which one would manage the specific task I would want it to do. I like riding smaller country lanes that I don't know very well but prefer to stay on a predetermined route rather than making random route choices and eventually finding my way home. So, I come to an un-signposted fork in a lane in the middle of nowhere. At the moment I have to stop and check google maps on my phone which is tedious after a while. Whilst riding, I want to look down and for the computer to tell me whether to go left or right. Would a Garmin 500/510 do that or would it need an 800/810?

wongataa

Steve236 wrote:

Although I've read plenty of threads and reviews on computers (mainly Garmins) I'm still not completely clear on which one would manage the specific task I would want it to do. I like riding smaller country lanes that I don't know very well but prefer to stay on a predetermined route rather than making random route choices and eventually finding my way home. So, I come to an un-signposted fork in a lane in the middle of nowhere. At the moment I have to stop and check google maps on my phone which is tedious after a while. Whilst riding, I want to look down and for the computer to tell me whether to go left or right. Would a Garmin 500/510 do that or would it need an 800/810?

If you want mapping then the 800/810 will do what you want.

cattytown

Steve236 wrote:

Although I've read plenty of threads and reviews on computers (mainly Garmins) I'm still not completely clear on which one would manage the specific task I would want it to do. I like riding smaller country lanes that I don't know very well but prefer to stay on a predetermined route rather than making random route choices and eventually finding my way home. So, I come to an un-signposted fork in a lane in the middle of nowhere. At the moment I have to stop and check google maps on my phone which is tedious after a while. Whilst riding, I want to look down and for the computer to tell me whether to go left or right. Would a Garmin 500/510 do that or would it need an 800/810?

8x0 for mapping like that, especially if you want to hit a button or two to route home.

Steve236

cattytown wrote:

Steve236 wrote:

Although I've read plenty of threads and reviews on computers (mainly Garmins) I'm still not completely clear on which one would manage the specific task I would want it to do. I like riding smaller country lanes that I don't know very well but prefer to stay on a predetermined route rather than making random route choices and eventually finding my way home. So, I come to an un-signposted fork in a lane in the middle of nowhere. At the moment I have to stop and check google maps on my phone which is tedious after a while. Whilst riding, I want to look down and for the computer to tell me whether to go left or right. Would a Garmin 500/510 do that or would it need an 800/810?

8x0 for mapping like that, especially if you want to hit a button or two to route home.

Ok thanks. So I suppose then that the best a 500/510 would do would be to let me know after I'd aleeady gone some way down the wrong route then?

cattytown

The 5x0 will do breadcrumb navigation. No map on it, no turn by turn or anything.