Garmin Edge 500

pinno

Now here is the conundrum.

I have 3 bikes. I cannot get fitting kits for the current computer. Do I buy a single Garmin 500?

I see that Ribble have offers on at the moment and the 500 'performance' is available for £150. It lists the cadence sensor as 'compatible with sensor and HRM' but does that mean it is not supplied? What would I need in terms of extras so that I could simply swap from bike to bike?
I presume that the computer does not need wheel sensors as it is GPS but I would need 3 cadence sensors.

richa

"GARMIN30" for 30% off again today. Bundles with HR & Cadence = £220 reduced to £154.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/sports/ ... 36728.html

You would need 3 cadence sensors (these also do speed) if you want cadence on all 3 bikes.

The £150 price on Ribble (excludes the HR & Cadence). It is £200 on Ribble with these.

pinno

RichA wrote:

"GARMIN30" for 30% off again today. Bundles with HR & Cadence = £220 reduced to £154.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/sports/ ... 36728.html

You would need 3 cadence sensors (these also do speed) if you want cadence on all 3 bikes.

The £150 price on Ribble (excludes the HR & Cadence). It is £200 on Ribble with these.

Thanks for that. How does the cadence sensor double up as a speed sensor as well?

NeXXus

pinarello001 wrote:

RichA wrote:

"GARMIN30" for 30% off again today. Bundles with HR & Cadence = £220 reduced to £154.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/sports/ ... 36728.html

You would need 3 cadence sensors (these also do speed) if you want cadence on all 3 bikes.

The £150 price on Ribble (excludes the HR & Cadence). It is £200 on Ribble with these.

Thanks for that. How does the cadence sensor double up as a speed sensor as well?

It has two sensors and two magnets

pinno

Right.

So I would need the Garmin complete with fitting kit, 2 extra sets of sensors and that would be it? And 2 extra fitting kits for the computer? Or has it got one of those velcro straps to mount it?

NeXXus

2 mounts in the box as standard, so just 1 fitting kit.

Get yer speed/cad sensor from Decathlon Could get two for the price of one garmin gsc10

kajjal

My edge 500 came with two bike mounting kits and no other sensors etc. it depends on which one you buy to what is included. It is very easy to setup and use, one tip is to set it to update your position every second to increase accuracey.

inseine

The great thing about the Garmin is that you can swap it easily between bikes and there's no need for addition clutter on the frame. I'd do without the cadence, and just. Count if you really need to know! I use the cadence sensor on my turbo bike so that I have speed as well, I don't bother on my road bikes.
No one ever seems to mention the trainng plans and workouts you can programme, very useful.

Bobbinogs

I would not buy an extra mounting kit to start with, just buy the unit which, as mentioned, comes with 2 mounting units. Most folks I know don't use the standard mounting kit but use the 'out front' kits which can be bought as Garmin, Raceware, KCNC or a few others. I prefer these too and you can get some that turn to the left/right or even fit straight from the stem cap. So buy the unit, fit it and use it and then have a little think about the best mounting system for you on each bike (I have 3 road bikes and have a left turn, a right turn and the standard fitment!).

The 500 is a great unit and I have been really pleased with mine. I bought it to replace the Bryton 20 which just had too many, ahem, 'features' like steaming up everytime it blinking looked like raining and resetting itself when it felt like it (2 warranty returns and still had the same problems).

I just use my Bryton HRM and a cadence/speed sensor which is a single use device (you pick which unit you wish to measure and set the sensor/magnet up). I don't get measuring speed as that what the GPS does (and very effectively) and on the turbo it doesn't matter anyway, IMO. Ant+ works great but apparently not all Ant+ is the same!

rolf_f

Bobbinogs wrote:

Most folks I know don't use the standard mounting kit but use the 'out front' kits which can be bought as Garmin, Raceware, KCNC or a few others.

Really? Hardly anyone I know bothers with those. But I'd agree not to rush out and buy more kits. You get two to start with and it only takes seconds to swap the mounts over anyway.

richa

+1 start with 2 mounts. Also start with 1 cad sensor and see if you can do without. May be useful to monitor occasionally but not something you need to check every ride.

pinno

Some good tips, thanks.

Cadence is by far the most important feature as far as I am concerned. I don't really worry about anything else. If I glance at the clock on the wall and enter my distance and time on the bike onto my existing spreadsheet (home grown), I get ave speed.
90 rpm for one hour is 5400 pedal strokes, whereas 85 is 5100 ps. Having done a lot of gym work to strengthen the legs after a long vacation courtsey of the NHS, I found that I increased my strenght disproportionately to what I would have done by merely cycling over the same period of time. The downside was a huge loss of leg speed.
On the rollers my average cadence is 94+ and on the road it is 84 (although I do tend to go up and down hills a lot). What i am trying to do is increase pedal efficiency and reduce the gap between roller cadence and road cadence.
If I go on the rollers at 90rpm then I can pedal in a higher gear than at 96rpm, thus increasing strength (a little).
Since getting a computer with cadence, I have found that at times (especially when out solo), your leg speed dips sometimes because your just not paying enough attention to it. Now with it staring me in the face, I either speed up or change gear.

The result of all this has been a massive improvement in technique, climbing speed and average speed.
Le Marmotte is the long term plan. (BTW - have been cycling for the best part of 29 years).

richa

Sounds like you know that you want cadence on all 3 bikes, so go for it.

'though you touch on quite a few theories in that last post that have sparked plenty of debate in the past. e.g. benefits of leg strength, increasing cadence v increasing efficiency, improving technique = increased climbing/avg speed. I've not read enough support behind these to fully buy into them myself, but that's the beauty of these forums, it is all about debating & counter views (and the odd Friday joke / smutty pictures).

Bobbinogs

Of the 3 road bikes I have, I just have a cadence sensor on one bike but use an HRM on all. It can become a bit too obsessive/monotonous staring at your cadence on all rides so it is nice to work accurately every now and then on one bike so that you get to know what it feels like... and then forget about tracking cadence on the others.

napoleond

I only have a cadence/speed sensor on the bike I use on the turbo.

diamonddog

NapoleonD wrote:

I only have a cadence/speed sensor on the bike I use on the turbo.

^^This +1

EBUK

RichA wrote:

+1 start with 2 mounts. Also start with 1 cad sensor and see if you can do without. May be useful to monitor occasionally but not something you need to check every ride.

^^ +1 - no point buying more than what comes with the unit until you know if you really want / need it. I've got the 500 - a good bit of kit and plenty of menus / options to customise to your hearts content.

pinno

Bobbinogs wrote:

Of the 3 road bikes I have, I just have a cadence sensor on one bike but use an HRM on all. It can become a bit too obsessive/monotonous staring at your cadence on all rides so it is nice to work accurately every now and then on one bike so that you get to know what it feels like... and then forget about tracking cadence on the others.

I gave up on the HRM when I got one for letter of the month in Cycling Weakly. thats where I just go with 'feel'. Sometimes, going hell for leather up a hill, i'd be over the threshold and feeling great and other times I would be ticking over nicely and the heart rate would be through the roof.

RichA wrote:

Sounds like you know that you want cadence on all 3 bikes, so go for it.'though you touch on quite a few theories in that last post that have sparked plenty of debate in the past. e.g. benefits of leg strength, increasing cadence v increasing efficiency, improving technique = increased climbing/avg speed. I've not read enough support behind these to fully buy into them myself, but that's the beauty of these forums, it is all about debating & counter views (and the odd Friday joke / smutty pictures).

Yes, there has been plenty of debate. I cannot claim that I entered into them much. My recovery rate is poor because of my medical history and I have found that (since getting Record 10 and 11 ), a single gear change can mean an increase of 5rpm with no loss of speed. As I said, since concentrating more on the cadence and less on average speed, my recovery rate is quicker and my average (on all terrain) speed has gone up by 2.5mph in the last 3 years.

That might just be down to technology alone but who needs an excuse to buy a £600 pair of hoops?

Back to the OP: Every spring or autumn, I spend far too long fiddling with swapping whole fitting kits. My new old acquisition (C40) means that I would have to swap between 3 bikes rather than two - what a headache. I have trebled up on bottle cage mounts and mini pumps and now have 3. The idea being, I can just jump on whatever bit of Italian exotica I fancy (weather permitting) without having to pfaff around.
The next thing will be an old hack for the rollers; as a permanent fixture, before that a shed extension.with TV, proper insulation, girly posters, bikey posters, leather couch...(have to get it by the OH).
Nuff said.