Strava.. what device do you use

BOSSNUT.DAVE

Hello,
I've been using my phone to Strava my rides. But find it difficult to carry when I don't take my ride back. I was thinking of changing to a GPS device. What do you use.

Cheers Dave.

fat daddy

Wahoo Elemnt ... or if I run or swim a tomtom watch

No complaints at all with the Elemnt, having come from Garmins I was worried I was making a mistake by breaking ranks and ditching the Garmin. As it turns out, the only downside to the Elemnt is in my opinions the looks and the lack of kedge mount options you can buy .. the upsides is a screen you can see in all conditions and a UI that is unparalleled to any bike device I have ever had the misfortune to use

cougie

Fenix 3.

cooldad

Phone if I have a Camelbak with me, Garmin GPS watch I use for running if not.

Crazyjenkins01

My smartphone lives in the pocket of my shorts when riding. Haven't damaged it yet so all good

doomanic

Either an old iPhone4 in a Biologic handlebar mount or my iPhone5 in a pocket depending on what I'm doing.

oxoman

Currently using smart phone in pocket as Garmin edge touring currently unreliable keeps switching off. Suspect I will stick with smart phone

tootsie323

I generally carry my phone with me but recently acquired a tomtom watch. I still carry my phone but use my watch... and upload it to the phone afterwards. :S

figbat

iPhone connected to a Wahoo REFLKT. On the MTB I almost always have a hydration pack so the phone can go in there, although I found it would occasionally drop the Bluetooth connection to the REFLKT. I did used to put it in my pocket too, but didn't like it slapping about in the baggies. Now I use a top-tube bag (mounts on top of the top-tube, just behind the headset) which holds my phone in a clear-fronted pocket, and also takes my light battery and any other paraphernalia, like garage door fob and, for longer rides, snacks.

On the road bike the phone goes in a ziplock bag in the kidney pocket of my jersey.

larkim

Garmin Vivoactive watch - either on my wrist or strapped using a generic b'twin watch mount for the handlebars if I want to see speed etc.

Watch was only £99 when I got it, excellent long battery life, accurate tracking and has "smart" features so that if I have my phone in my pocked and SWMBO messages me, I see it on my wrist or on the handlebars. Perfect piece of kit. Can even do some basic navigation with an app from the ConnectIQ store.

(Available from the Amazon warehouse at £105 at the moment - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Vivoact ... rds=garmin - no link to me, just something I was keeping an eye on)

thistle_

Smartphone in jersey pocket (usually, sometimes in backpack). Only fell out once and that was on a pump track.

I'm looking for something different though because the GPS seems to be getting more and more unreliable.

sniper68

Garmin Edge 820 recently upgraded from a Garmin Edge 800.
My iPhone 4 and 5 were too unreliable.I lost rides in Devon and the Peak/Lake Districts due to loss of signal.I gave my iPhone 6 a go in France recently and that failed to restart after an autopause so no change there then!

bigmitch41

Garmin 500, rides upload to Garmin Connect and my Strava account is linked to that so the data syncs automatically.

YIMan

Garmin 520. Got sick of phones running out of juice on long rides and it's nice to have the device on the bars displaying speed/distance etc.

carvedmarble

Garmin Edge 25 and then my iphone to upload to connect/strava when i get home. Saves phone battery and its tiny and does everything I need.

Dirtydog11

Garmin Edge 810 here.

Phones ok but are pretty censored when it comes to measuring altitude.

On a regular ride two different phones show 2400ft, both my Garmin and a friends show 1900 ft, both use built Barometric sensors to determine altitude.

Had a good look at an ordnance survey map of the route and have no idea where the two phones get 2400ft from.

musclebeach

I got 1/2 price off a fitness device so I got a Polar M400, I love it and it links to Strava once setup

johnmcl7

I use a Garmin Edge 520 which I find works well as it has a good feature set, it's fairly compact but screen is easily readable at a glance with a variety of data fields, I prefer not having a touchscreen and batterylife is superb.

larkim

Dirtydog11 wrote:

Garmin Edge 810 here.

Phones ok but are pretty shoot when it comes to measuring altitude.

On a regular ride two different phones show 2400ft, both my Garmin and a friends show 1900 ft, both use built Barometric sensors to determine altitude.

Had a good look at an ordnance survey map of the route and have no idea where the two phones get 2400ft from.

Some phones have barometric altimeters too, so its a little unfair to write off all phones on that basis.

And if the phone doesn't have barometric measurement built in, then Strava (usually) replaces the recorded altitude / climb data with its own based on the topographic maps it uses. Its not perfect though by any stretch.

mugensi

Garmin 520. I love the auto-upload to Connect and Strava.

Dirtydog11

Some phones have barometric altimeters too, so its a little unfair to write off all phones on that basis.

Fair comment, didn't know that, hate the things!

AlShack

Garmin VivoActive HR watch. Seems pretty accurate. Have done side-by-side tests with Strava running on Android phones and similar enough. Good battery life (did 6 hours of London to Brighton OffRoad at the weekend and still had about 40% battery life left) and uploads to Strava via the Garmin Connect app on the phone (via Bluetooth sync'ing).

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I only discovered I could use my ~9 months old Nexus 7 2013 with Strava in the last week, so it goes in my Endura gillet back pocket during the rides since... Even the silly little trip to the shops this lunchtime (in the shopping rucksack)!

Edit: Forgot to mention this is in tandem with my Aldi speed/cadence sensor, bought in May.

Angus Young

I just ride till I'm knackered.

cooldad

Angus Young wrote:

I just ride till I'm knackered.

The mile to the pub then?

fat daddy

It's good in some respects though ... Knowing that there are 8000 people that have cycled to that pub quicker than you would suck.

Harry182

Garmin Edge 25 w/ speed + cadence sensors and HRM.

streaker

I use a Garmin Edge 200 and/or a Garmin Forerunner 305. Both give similar results to Strava on my Sony Android phone but none of them are as accurate as my old Cateye Mity 3 which of course is not GPS based, and also does not run out of battery on a long ride which all the others do. On twisty routes the GPS based devices all cut corners because they only record position at intervals and this can reduce distance significantly. Of course the Cateye does not record elevation.
I've tried using all four together but it is not worth the trouble - who really cares exactly what I've done?

BOSSNUT.DAVE

Thanks for the info guys.