Before i open my new edge 810 set up do i really need it?

Whiteeddymurphy

just wondering if i really need the package (performance bundle) recently re started cycling and to be honest my mind always looks for excuses not to go out (lack of willpower) but when i get out i actually enjoy the heading home part. I probably do 2 20-30mile rides a week with no format ie pedal fast when i feel i can & slow down when im tired resulting in an average of aprox 15-15.9mph.

I like to have a visual of my distance etc but do i need a hrm & cadence sensor???? will using a training plan with a hrm make me a better, fitter, lighter & quicker rider or is it all about just getting out and riding in my own little way.

If a hrm program would help could someone point me towards something please? Also how many of you use the outfront mount? as look strange on he bike and at the angle it needs to be for me to see it it surely cant be doing anything for the aero properties of my bike

I could also just keep using my strava app on my iphone

Omar Little

You dont need it but its a nice toy to have and my edge 800 is probably the best cycling related purchase ive made other than the bike itself.

drlodge

Omar Little wrote:

You dont need it but its a nice toy to have and my edge 800 is probaly the best cycling related purchase ive made other than the bike itself.

+1 Its great plotting a route, not getting lost and knowing exactly how far and how long you'll be out for.

ai_1

As above. You don't need it.
If you like to ride by feel, you may not want it either.
On the other hand I would feel lost without my Forerunner 910XT. I don't constantly watch my HR, cadence, speed and distance but I do really like having them there. When I'm pushing hard I'll refer to it regularly both to ensure I'm not easing off and to make sure I'm not overdoing it and likely to blow up early. Having been using it for years I know what I can sustain if I'm in reasonable shape. Also since I use it for every run and every ride I can just query my logged rides and runs to see if I've been falling short on training compared to normal. It's a good motivational tool and helps with pacing but if you're happy to go on feel then why bother!
My brother uses a basic bike computer, no cadence, no HR, no GPS. That doesn't stop him kicking my ass every time!

If you do want to have some data available, you don't need to jump straight in at the Edge 810. There are plenty cheaper models like the Edge 500 that will give you HR, cadence and all the other metrics you might want in a cheaper and more compact package.

I use an out front mount with mine (Barfly) and it puts it in a more easily viewed location but the standard mount on the stem or bar works fine too. Try the basic mount and if you feel the out front would suit you better then get one. No point trying to solve a problem when you don't know if you have one.

herzog

Whiteeddymurphy wrote:

...my mind always looks for excuses not to go out (lack of willpower) but when i get out i actually enjoy the heading home part....

So you don't want to go out, then (only?) enjoy the homeward bound leg.

Thought about golf?

slowbike

Of course you don't need it ...

If you're making excuses now, would you stick to a training plan - on the 810 or any other device? Would you use the cadence and HRM to monitor progress (you don't need to wear the HRM all the time)? I'd suggest probably not.
What are you trying to achieve anyway? If all you can look forward to is the ride home then it sounds like you're not enjoying cycling to start with - perhaps time to think about what you're doing and why....

supermurph09

If you don't like cycling try something else, life is too short to do things you don't enjoy. Do you lack energy and enthusiasm in other parts of your life? If so I'd consider going to the doctors or changing your diet.

Whiteeddymurphy

Herzog wrote:

Whiteeddymurphy wrote:

...my mind always looks for excuses not to go out (lack of willpower) but when i get out i actually enjoy the heading home part....

So you don't want to go out, then (only?) enjoy the homeward bound leg.

Thought about golf?

yes thanks im a category one player but that doesn't help me ride a bike

ianbar

no one needs 99% of the stuff we all buy cycling wise....doesnt stop us though :-)

Miles253

Both are useful tools for recreational riding and training, as well as group ride competitiveness. Neither is essential but they will enhance your riding. I really like my new HRM, although it can only measure my respiratory effort not the effort of my legs and the two don't always coincide.

markhewitt1978

Of course you don't need it. Particularly when starting out with cycling the likes of heart rate and cadence are pretty meaningless anyway, and getting lost can be fun too

You can pick up a basic wireless cycle computer for a few quid and that'll be nice and small sitting on your stem and give you all the info you need, speed, distance, average speed, time etc.

Personally I have a Cateye micro wireless computer on my stem, does all the basic stuff, and I have my iPhone in my pocket doing GPS tracking through Strava so I can look at it after the ride.

Earlier in the year I bought myself a heart rate belt and cadence sensor, but I stopped using them as for me that's not what *my* cycling is all about, but different people will take different things from it.