Cycle computer to replace Endomondo
rumbataz
Posts: 796
I've been using the Endomondo app heavily for a good couple of years now. It tracks my bike rides, gym workouts, walking, running, etc. I've got a Polar Wearlink+ HRM chest strap that works great with it. The app runs on my iPhone.
Before a bike ride I just press start and at the end I press stop, so simplicity and ease of use are a big plus. I get plenty of data on my route including things like average heart rate, max heart rate, hydration, average speed, max speed, distance, time, route, segments etc. It uploads a summary of my workout to social media automatically. During the ride I get call-outs for my pace per Kilometre.
Would a dedicated cycle computer provide at least all of the above (even through uploading a bike ride's data to Endomondo) with start/stop ease of use?
The battery life of the phone can sometimes be an issue when using an app if I've forgotten to charge the phone before a bike ride. I'd also like to see the screen on all the time and turn-by-turn navigation features in any dedicated cycle computer.
Before a bike ride I just press start and at the end I press stop, so simplicity and ease of use are a big plus. I get plenty of data on my route including things like average heart rate, max heart rate, hydration, average speed, max speed, distance, time, route, segments etc. It uploads a summary of my workout to social media automatically. During the ride I get call-outs for my pace per Kilometre.
Would a dedicated cycle computer provide at least all of the above (even through uploading a bike ride's data to Endomondo) with start/stop ease of use?
The battery life of the phone can sometimes be an issue when using an app if I've forgotten to charge the phone before a bike ride. I'd also like to see the screen on all the time and turn-by-turn navigation features in any dedicated cycle computer.
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I've been using the Endomondo app heavily for a good couple of years now. It tracks my bike rides, gym workouts, walking, running, etc. I've got a Polar Wearlink+ HRM chest strap that works great with it. The app runs on my iPhone.
Before a bike ride I just press start and at the end I press stop, so simplicity and ease of use are a big plus. I get plenty of data on my route including things like average heart rate, max heart rate, hydration, average speed, max speed, distance, time, route, segments etc. It uploads a summary of my workout to social media automatically. During the ride I get call-outs for my pace per Kilometre.
Would a dedicated cycle computer provide at least all of the above (even through uploading a bike ride's data to Endomondo) with start/stop ease of use?
The battery life of the phone can sometimes be an issue when using an app if I've forgotten to charge the phone before a bike ride. I'd also like to see the screen on all the time and turn-by-turn navigation features in any dedicated cycle computer.
The simple answer is yes, all of the above and more. There are many devices out there and many manufacturers with Garmin being the standard setter. However, Garmin have a bad reputation with their firmware updates that seem to screw the device up more than they cure any noticeable problems. I've previously been a big defender of Garmin as once upon a time, they used to respond with calls about such matters promptly and send out a fix. Nowadays they seemingly couldn't care less and leave owners in limbo probably in the expectation that they'll just go out and buy the latest device. Well not anymore for me.
If you can hang on until November, I'd go for the Wahoo Elemnt which is expected to do everything and more that the Garmin Edge 1000 does (maps are included but in black and white, though in high contrast so clearer on the screen) for less money and about the size of the 810. Don't buy an 810; it is the current edge device that Garmin have screwed up with their firmware update to version 4.2.I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.0 -
I used Endomondo and various other apps for a good few years before buying a Garmin 510. I find it better than Endo as I didn't really like having my phone on the bars, primarily though battery life is better.
I wouldn't dive straight into the Elemnt, as good as it may sound, as Garmin aren't the only ones that have software issues. I gave up on Wahoo after they didn't have a fix date for a bug in their app that caused it to crash after a couple of hours recording (i.e. whenever I did a long ride that I really wanted to track), and after the forerunner of the Elemnt, the RFLKT+ proved to be a massive disappointment. They promised battery life of 6 months+ and I occasionally got as low as one hour.
Garmins work well enough for me, though the 1000 battery life needs to improve before I'll invest in one, still holding out for that. I have mine set up to automatically keep Endo and Strava up to date, which means I can still take part in challenges there that I do with friends.
There's so much competition in the GPS tracking market now that Garmin need to raise their game, which is great for all of us.0 -
Don't buy an 810; it is the current edge device that Garmin have screwed up with their firmware update to version 4.2.
The solution to that is don't update to 4.2 rather than necessarily don't buy the 810.Faster than a tent.......0 -
Thanks for the advice so far. It gives me avenues to explore.
In an ideal world I would want to press a button at the start of my bike ride and press a button at the end. My route, speed, heart rate, calories, elevation, hydration etc should then all be synced up with Endomondo (as I still use that for my other non-cycling activities).0 -
The battery life of the phone can sometimes be an issue when using an app if I've forgotten to charge the phone before a bike ride.
I put my phone into airplane mode then enable GPS and bluetooth - battery lasts all day easily, and that's on a Nexus 5 with a crumby 2300mAh battery. This also results in far more accurate GPS signal.
YMMV0 -
Don't buy an 810; it is the current edge device that Garmin have screwed up with their firmware update to version 4.2.
The solution to that is don't update to 4.2 rather than necessarily don't buy the 810.
I agree to some extent. I've just reverted to firmware version 3.2, but have had to uninstall Garmin Express to prevent auto updates of the firmware in the future. The 800 and 500 aren't affected by the firmware glitches of the 810, presumably because they don't have remote uploading or bluetooth. Garmin have released updates for the firmware to enable things like Strava segments and auto upload to Strava that have had similar results for the 510 and 810 owner. This is firmware that is aimed at the 520 and the anticipated 820, but has been shared on the 510 and 810 platform resulting in failures.
I've always been a big defender of Garmin, but the last 2 firmware updates have lost my support.I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.0 -
I put my phone into airplane mode then enable GPS and bluetooth - battery lasts all day easily, and that's on a Nexus 5 with a crumby 2300mAh battery. This also results in far more accurate GPS signal.
Thanks for that tip.
I'm currently using an old Samsung Galaxy S2 phone with a deactivated SIM card in it as my 'cycle computer' at the moment, simply because I have a nice holder for it attached to the handlebar. A fairly short bike ride (around 15KM) consumes about 30% of the battery. A slightly longer one (25KM) consumes around 50% of the battery.
I'll try out your suggestion later today.
One reason I'm looking at a dedicated cycle computer is that some of them feature suggestions for a route where you enter the distance you want to ride and it'll work out various recommended routes for you. Currently I still to two simple routes around my home but I need to venture out to pastures anew! I've been riding the same short two routes for around 4 years now!0 -
I spoke to Garmin customer support today about their cycle computers. They were very helpful and knowledgeable. They have a new product called the Garmin Edge Explore 100 - almost the same as the full-fat Garmin Edge 100 but they've removed a few of the features that competitive cyclists would use.
I don't think it's out yet though but it is imminently due to go on sale.
I also called Polar customer services. I'm a big fan of Polar heart-rate monitors and they have a Polar V650 cycle computer that is about the same price as a Garmin Edge 520 or the (heavily-discounted) Garmin Edge 810. At the RRP of £209.50 it comes with Polar's HRM chest strap. It doesn't have maps/navigation from what I can tell though, but has everything a leisure cyclist/enthusiast would need. You can also add a cadence sensor to it. It's available now. Polar support is absolutely top-notch.
So, my shortlist is (with RRPs):
1. Garmin Edge Explore 1000 (not yet available, but imminently on sale) - £349.99
2. Polar V650 (available and comes with a really good HRM chest strap) - £209.50
3. Wahoo Elemnt (available in November) - £279.99
Of these, the Garmin Edge Explore 1000 is the most expensive but has full mapping/navigation/turn-by-turn directions. Apparently Garmin Connect also syncs with Endomondo too, even though it's not officially on their list of supported apps.0 -
I spoke to Garmin customer support today about their cycle computers. They were very helpful and knowledgeable. They have a new product called the Garmin Edge Explore 100 - almost the same as the full-fat Garmin Edge 100 but they've removed a few of the features that competitive cyclists would use.
I don't think it's out yet though but it is imminently due to go on sale.
I also called Polar customer services. I'm a big fan of Polar heart-rate monitors and they have a Polar V650 cycle computer that is about the same price as a Garmin Edge 520 or the (heavily-discounted) Garmin Edge 810. At the RRP of £209.50 it comes with Polar's HRM chest strap. It doesn't have maps/navigation from what I can tell though, but has everything a leisure cyclist/enthusiast would need. You can also add a cadence sensor to it. It's available now. Polar support is absolutely top-notch.
So, my shortlist is (with RRPs):
1. Garmin Edge Explore 1000 (not yet available, but imminently on sale) - £349.99
2. Polar V650 (available and comes with a really good HRM chest strap) - £209.50
3. Wahoo Elemnt (available in November) - £279.99
Of these, the Garmin Edge Explore 1000 is the most expensive but has full mapping/navigation/turn-by-turn directions. Apparently Garmin Connect also syncs with Endomondo too, even though it's not officially on their list of supported apps.
V650 now has mapping but not guidance although this is planned for a future upgrade.0 -
V650 now has mapping but not guidance although this is planned for a future upgrade.
Okay that's good to know. That must be fairly new functionality. I did some digging and found this page on the Polar site that talks about the mapping update:
http://updates.polar.com/2015/08/open-street-maps-for-polar-v650-2/0 -
So, everything is clear as mud now!
Here is what I would like:
1. Use the excellent Polar H7 HRM chest strap (Bluetooth Smart)
2. Cadence sensing using the Garmin ANT+ cadence sensor
3. Full sync with Endomondo (as I track my other physical activities like walking, running, elliptical trainer, etc on Endomondo and it works great for sports other than cycling)
Now, here are the issues I've found after hours of research:
1. Polar don't integrate their Polar Flow app with Endomondo
2. Their cadence sensor (Polar W.I.N.D.) isn't that well rated (compared to the Garmin ANT+ one)
3. Garmin cycle computers seem to have many complaints about the software on them
4. Polar is a better fit for me as its roots are in fitness so I get more fitness-focused information in their Polar Flow app (detailed HR zones, recovery times, etc)
5. Polar don't support ANT+ (so cannot use the Garmin cadence sensor with a Polar cycle computer)
So I want the connectivity of Garmin (Endomondo integrates with Garmin Connect), the reliability/quality/usability/ergonomics of the Polar M450 or Polar V650 cycle computer, the excellent Polar H7 HRM and the excellent Garmin ANT+ cadence sensor.
A combination I cannot get at the moment.0 -
You can get Bluetooth cadence sensors which is all you need to to have what you want.So I want the connectivity of Garmin (Endomondo integrates with Garmin Connect), the reliability/quality/usability/ergonomics of the Polar M450 or Polar V650 cycle computer, the excellent Polar H7 HRM and the excellent Garmin ANT+ cadence sensor.
A combination I cannot get at the moment.0 -
Maybe wait for the Wahoo computer as that will probably tick all boxes0
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3. Garmin cycle computers seem to have many complaints about the software on them
Yet there are probably many more that don't have the same issues, so don't complain...
My own practice with Garmin - never update it just before doing something big. So ahead of doing my first 100km ride, an update became available the day before. I did the ride on the old version and updated afterwards when any failure wasn't going to matter to the same extent.
There are a lot of people out there that have no idea how (in)accurate consumer-grade GPS actually is - a read of http://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/performance/accuracy/ is helpful. They take a lot of that out on the likes of Garmin when physics is the real limit
(I'm not defending Garmin entirely because they have done some spectacularly silly things - like one firmware I ran had a limit of 10000 track points. Couple that with the hidden setting where they ignored the Ultratrac settings for endurance and your track only recorded the last 10000 seconds (about 2h40) of the activity)0 -
Okay, I've bitten the bullet and gone for a Garmin Edge 1000 (performance bundle). I managed to get a UK retailer to price-match a German one so got a very nice discount.
I suspect the 1000 is going to be replaced soon but I'm not too bothered about that. I did the sums and when adding in a decent HRM, cadence sensor, speed sensor and decent mounts to more basic cycle computers, there wasn't a whole lot of difference in price.
So it ticks the boxes for me: Endomondo sync (via Garmin Connect), neater cadence and speed sensors, a decent HRM (although not a Polar one), mapping and nav.0
