Live power/HR/cadence data during ride

penski

I've started using Strava to log my rides and runs as of a few months ago. Since I have recently bought a power meter, I would like to display this data along with my heart rate and cadence whilst I am riding.

I do not have a dedicated head unit such as a garmin, therefore I am using my Android phone on a mount.

Strava does display some data on the 'record activity' screen, but it seems to be an average over the entire ride, which is not very useful. Is this correct?

What options exist for seeing such data?

norvernrob

I'd spend another £200 on a Garmin 520 and that will connect to and display everything you need.

cougie

Their power figures are bobbins so you don't need that.

Cadence - so long as you're not struggling with it then I don't see it being very useful.

HR - useful if you've done your max tests. If you haven't then not so much. Any cheap HRM would give you that.

joenobody

cougie wrote:

Their power figures are bobbins so you don't need that.

But his power meter will be more accurate...

AK_jnr

You must be the first person to buy a PM before a head unit. Lol

penski

AK_jnr wrote:

You must be the first person to buy a PM before a head unit. Lol

Well, I've always used my smartphone for everything tbh. I always thought that my smartphone would be much much more powerful than a headunit. SportsTracker shows you cadence, heart rate etc but I abandoned it a while back because of the propietary nature of their hardware requirements.

Mind, I am being tempted to buy a Garmin, but surely there must be something that can do the same job that people are using.

Omar Little

i think the wahoo app will show this - assuming either your power meter has bluetooth or your phone receives ant+

StillGoing

Penski wrote:

I've started using Strava to log my rides and runs as of a few months ago. Since I have recently bought a power meter, I would like to display this data along with my heart rate and cadence whilst I am riding.

I do not have a dedicated head unit such as a garmin, therefore I am using my Android phone on a mount.

Strava does display some data on the 'record activity' screen, but it seems to be an average over the entire ride, which is not very useful. Is this correct?

What options exist for seeing such data?

Get yourself a Garmin 510 or 800. They at least have swipe screens making them easier to operate on the move and are cheap now that there are newer models on release.

slowbike

Cadence - it can be helpful - but (for me anyway) only a reminder that I'm not pedalling to the cadence I should be ...

Heart rate - again, this can be helpful - especially for measured efforts where you know you can sustain an effort level for a particular time - or if you've got a longer event and you don't want to overdo it on the first part - then you can use it to keep your HR down.

Power - this can be more helpful than HR in that it's more instant. (HR drags a bit) - but it can also be too sensitive - spikes in power don't help you measure your effort - average the power reading over a time - typically 3 or 10 seconds will smooth it out a bit and can be used to gauge your efforts - although for me it's more just a "FYI" field atm.

Have you got Strava premium? Because that enables more things in the app as well as the online benefits - I've not got it myself so can't help there. I use a Garmin 800 which does the vast majority of what I need - could do with Bluetooth I guess, but that's a convenience thing ..

DavidJB

Your phone is for your pocket...get a Garmin and thank us later.

lostboysaint

DavidJB wrote:

Your phone is for your pocket...get a Garmin and thank us later.

That.

buckmulligan

Omar Little wrote:

i think the wahoo app will show this - assuming either your power meter has bluetooth or your phone receives ant+

^ this.

Congratulations on posting the only helpful reply in this thread!

norvernrob

BuckMulligan wrote:

Omar Little wrote:

i think the wahoo app will show this - assuming either your power meter has bluetooth or your phone receives ant+

^ this.

Congratulations on posting the only helpful reply in this thread!

I think most people are surprised at the use of a PM without a head unit, or why you wouldn't have one already. That's why the recommendations to get one, if you can afford a PM you can afford a Garmin. The OP may have a specific reason why he doesn't want one, but I can't think of any. :?

slowbike

NorvernRob wrote:

BuckMulligan wrote:

Omar Little wrote:

i think the wahoo app will show this - assuming either your power meter has bluetooth or your phone receives ant+

^ this.

Congratulations on posting the only helpful reply in this thread!

I think most people are surprised at the use of a PM without a head unit, or why you wouldn't have one already.

The OP does have a "head unit" - it's his mobile phone - they can work as a head unit quite well - if you've got the right software running on it and have the hardware capability of pairing with the devices.

Ok - we can wonder why the OP bought a PM without first checking he'd be able to see the power data - but he probably just assumed that as he can see everything else on the strava screen then power would be included.
If the OP has a stages PM and strava premium membership then he should be able to see live power from the powermeter (although a search suggests that it can't display cadence at the same time).

The only real issues with using your phone are the vulnerability of the device (cos phones are quite expensive and don't like to be dropped) and the battery life - which generally gets seriously reduced with the screen and GPS on 100% of the time.

Dave_P1

Buy a garmin, much easier in the long run

bobmcstuff

Yep phone's fine for shorter rides but one of the main reasons I got a Garmin was so I wouldn't burn through my phone battery in a couple of hours.

zntrx

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iforpowell.android.ipbike&hl=en_GB

antfly

philthy3 wrote:

Penski wrote:

I've started using Strava to log my rides and runs as of a few months ago. Since I have recently bought a power meter, I would like to display this data along with my heart rate and cadence whilst I am riding.

I do not have a dedicated head unit such as a garmin, therefore I am using my Android phone on a mount.

Strava does display some data on the 'record activity' screen, but it seems to be an average over the entire ride, which is not very useful. Is this correct?

What options exist for seeing such data?

Get yourself a Garmin 510 or 800. They at least have swipe screens making them easier to operate on the move and are cheap now that there are newer models on release.

Not true, they are actually more expensive than the newer ones, if you can find them anywhere.

StillGoing

antfly wrote:

philthy3 wrote:

Penski wrote:

I've started using Strava to log my rides and runs as of a few months ago. Since I have recently bought a power meter, I would like to display this data along with my heart rate and cadence whilst I am riding.

I do not have a dedicated head unit such as a garmin, therefore I am using my Android phone on a mount.

Strava does display some data on the 'record activity' screen, but it seems to be an average over the entire ride, which is not very useful. Is this correct?

What options exist for seeing such data?

Get yourself a Garmin 510 or 800. They at least have swipe screens making them easier to operate on the move and are cheap now that there are newer models on release.

Not true, they are actually more expensive than the newer ones, if you can find them anywhere.

You need to search better; the 800 and 510 are much cheaper than the 520. A quick search and I've found the 510 at under £140 new and the 800 is going for under £135 as a reconditioned unit.

antfly

So, where can you get a new 510 for £140 ?

StillGoing

antfly wrote:

So, where can you get a new 510 for £140 ?

Stock being sold on eBay by various vendors.