Bike computer or smart phone?

bongofish

I use a smartphone on a phone holder on the stem. Works great and use Strava and komoot and wahoo fitness. All at the same time if I want.

I've been interested in getting a dedicated computer like a elemnt bolt but just don't know why I would really need one. Battery on smart phone even when out for a couple of hours never uses more than 30% and I get nice big clear map graphics in smart phone aswell as any app I want and I hook my wahoo cadence sensor up to it fine. I've had a couple of fall offs and phone has just stayed attached to bike.

But there must be a reason dedicated computers are still £200?

Just wanting to know if I'm missing something? I do prefer the asthetics of a stand alone computer but that's the only real thing I can see right now?

Please don't turn this into another rant thread as this (like all my other threads) is genuine

webboo

If you out for six hours plus you could end up with no computer and no phone.
Not too clever if you need to ring someone in an emergency.

cougie

Short rides and you'll be fine with a phone. But for the longer rides then a dedicated computer is better.

bongofish

cougie wrote:

Short rides and you'll be fine with a phone. But for the longer rides then a dedicated computer is better.

Yeh think I secretly wanted some reason that I need one haha. But it doesn't look like it as I only do max 3 hour rides.

Alejandrosdog

do you do them on Zwift? just leave your phone plugged in, that way it wont run out if you need to make an emergency call. You know, in the case that you need a psychiatrist urgently.

Brakeless

A wahoo is far more likely to survive a crash.

webboo

Bongofish wrote:

cougie wrote:

Short rides and you'll be fine with a phone. But for the longer rides then a dedicated computer is better.

Yeh think I secretly wanted some reason that I need one haha. But it doesn't look like it as I only do max 3 hour rides.

I thought you said you usually ride about 19 miles. Well if that takes you 3 hours you need a calendar not a computer to time your rides.

step83

Echoing the above mainly, cycle computer, even a connected one will make your phone last longer, I'd much prefer to have a flat bike computer battery than a phone battery then get a problem that needs me to ring someone.

Little side note my winter light has a huge power pack which allows me to recharge another device in an emergency, if you have the cable of course.

bongofish

Webboo wrote:

Bongofish wrote:

cougie wrote:

Short rides and you'll be fine with a phone. But for the longer rides then a dedicated computer is better.

Yeh think I secretly wanted some reason that I need one haha. But it doesn't look like it as I only do max 3 hour rides.

I thought you said you usually ride about 19 miles. Well if that takes you 3 hours you need a calendar not a computer to time your rides.

You don't want to know how long my coffee stops are! Haha

wobblebob

Brakeless wrote:

A wahoo is far more likely to survive a crash.

This. I used to use my phone on a bar mount, until the mount broke and my 2 week old £800 galaxy s8 came flying off and hit the tarmac, now the phone stays in my back pocket and the £200 elemnt is mounted to the bars

figbat

The ELEMNT is also very weatherproof and there’s the aero benefit of the Bolt.

benjamess

You can play zwift on your phone while cycling, can’t do that on a garmin.

mikeyj28

If your fancy smartphone phone is mounted on your bike and you crash , it could be an expensive replacement. I'd go with a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt or a Garmin 520. You'll get comprehensive data, and it'll cost significantly less than £800-1000 to replace should you crash and it doesn't survive.

bonzo_banana

Just have a basic cycle computer on the bike not a smart GPS equipped model and use an old moto g phone I bought for £3 with a crack in one corner of the screen. I've installed android 8.0 on the phone and it runs the latest apps. It only has 1GB memory and 8GB non upgradable storage. It does everything I need. I've given it, it's own email address and nothing important is stored on the phone. The apps I have installed are below although that lists them all not the current apps on the phone. Some were just installed as a test. It also has a fm radio app which I use quite a lot. I use a usb power pack with it when necessary. I think a cheap 2nd smartphone is the best option with its own email address. As you can see from the apps I have a health monitor bracelet app on there and the app that controls my action camera. Surprisingly considering its age the Moto G even this 1st gen one is very nippy and fast to use but then the apps installed are just those of use as a bike computer. I don't add any credit to the phone it is purely for receiving calls and is setup to use wifi. The sim card is one that offers 200MB of data free a month but the phone has data disabled until I actually need to use that data. All apps update over wifi only.

You can have an amazing smart GPS cycle computer for pretty much no money nowadays. A tatty old smartphone with GPS will do and I'm sure there are many that could pick up a phone better than mine for a fiver or so perhaps with a slightly cracked screen etc. Many won't even have to buy a new phone they will have one of their older phones in a drawer. Personally I wouldn't pay out for a dedicated cycle computer like garmins etc but do like to have a basic speedo, odometer type cycle computer on a bike.



https://3g.co.uk/three-data-reward-sim

StillGoing

benjamess wrote:

You can play zwift on your phone while cycling, can’t do that on a garmin.

Why would anyone want to? If you're outdoors riding, ride the road, not watching a screen playing a computer game. :roll:

figbat

philthy3 wrote:

benjamess wrote:

You can play zwift on your phone while cycling, can’t do that on a garmin.

Why would anyone want to? If you're outdoors riding, ride the road, not watching a screen playing a computer game. :roll:

THE JOKE

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lakesluddite

Echo the above. If I had my phone out in front I don't think I'd get about 10kph for fear of potential damage. I always had Strava running on the phone, but had it in the back pocket - but for the past few years I have had a Garmin Edge 25. Very small, but clear as anything to see, fits in the space on the stem and gives all the data I need - which is essentially distance, speed, elevation and will link up to Strava via Garmin Connect (usually).

https://www.halfords.com/technology/wea ... g-computer

Having just looked - this was £75 at Halfords just last week! It's now £102, WTF! Definitely worth £75, not sure about £102!

Tashman

LakesLuddite wrote:

Echo the above. If I had my phone out in front I don't think I'd get about 10kph for fear of potential damage. I always had Strava running on the phone, but had it in the back pocket - but for the past few years I have had a Garmin Edge 25. Very small, but clear as anything to see, fits in the space on the stem and gives all the data I need - which is essentially distance, speed, elevation and will link up to Strava via Garmin Connect (usually).

https://www.halfords.com/technology/wea ... g-computer

Having just looked - this was £75 at Halfords just last week! It's now £102, WTF! Definitely worth £75, not sure about £102!

£69.99 on Sport Pursuit currently

StillGoing

figbat wrote:

philthy3 wrote:

benjamess wrote:

You can play zwift on your phone while cycling, can’t do that on a garmin.

Why would anyone want to? If you're outdoors riding, ride the road, not watching a screen playing a computer game. :roll:

THE JOKE

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__________YOU___________

Oh really. With the amount of drivel that gets posted on here by trolls, (are you watching Nick) without an accompanying emoji to signify it was tongue in jest, I can only assume it is another idiot posting. :roll:

Korhag

Bike computer any day of the week unless you had no alternative... Plus it keeps your phone battery life preserved for phone-calls, emergencies or a cake stop photo opportunity.

The elemnt bolt is a great bike computer had it for 2 years now and is still gives me just nearly as much battery life as the day I bought it with reasonable use with minor degradation since then.

The app is easy to use and sync's perfect with smartphone / Wifi etc.

mugensi

I have a Garmin 520 on my bike. If I crash and my garmin gets damaged, its £150 to replace, If I crash with my iPhone on the front of the bike, its £600 to replace besides a garmin/wahoo whatever is much neater looking.

bonzo_banana

MugenSi wrote:

I have a Garmin 520 on my bike. If I crash and my garmin gets damaged, its £150 to replace, If I crash with my iPhone on the front of the bike, its £600 to replace besides a garmin/wahoo whatever is much neater looking.

There is the option to have 2 phones though either s/hand or a budget smartphone with gps. Some GPS smartphones start at £30, Alcatel etc. Perfectly usable as bike computers some with very bright albeit low resolution displays. Need to be careful of A-GPS though as in my experience some phones seem to be problematic acquiring GPS signals without using A-GPS which is a data enabled only service. The beauty of such phones is you can configure them exactly as bike computers and the functions and apps you use. Incredibly versatile and much better to damage a £30 phone than a £150 Garmin or your £600 iphone.

ridgeway_swiss

Still prefer using my iPhone on my bars, bigger display, easier to read GPS, more apps, lighter than a Garmin (Garmin = Garmin weight PLUS a phone). Not too big a deal if it gets smashed up (company phone) and after having it on my bars for about 5,000km now i'm confident my mount is good. It's waterproof and i manage my battery well enough not to have issues for up to 5hrs and even then i can switch off the screen if really needed. My phone is charged daily and is always ready to go.

alan_sherman

Which navigation apps do you use on the phones? I have an old moto G2 that I might use for navigation purposes instead of spending money on a dedicated unit.

ridgeway_swiss

alan sherman wrote:

Which navigation apps do you use on the phones? I have an old moto G2 that I might use for navigation purposes instead of spending money on a dedicated unit.

Cyclemeter, it has "Maps" inside (Apple Maps i think)

perfectmark

To echo what others have said, I use my old iPhone 5 as my bike computer. With the QuadLock case/mount, it doesn't look too bad on the bike.

I then just tether it to my iPhone X for data. I can get 4 hours out of the iPhone 5 with navigation, although I also have a USB battery I can attach to my handbars if I am going for an all day ride. Something like this:

noste500

perfectmark wrote:

To echo what others have said, I use my old iPhone 5 as my bike computer. With the QuadLock case/mount, it doesn't look too bad on the bike.

I then just tether it to my iPhone X for data. I can get 4 hours out of the iPhone 5 with navigation, although I also have a USB battery I can attach to my handbars if I am going for an all day ride. Something like this:

Do you have a SIM card in the 5 ?

perfectmark

noste500 wrote:

perfectmark wrote:

To echo what others have said, I use my old iPhone 5 as my bike computer. With the QuadLock case/mount, it doesn't look too bad on the bike.

I then just tether it to my iPhone X for data. I can get 4 hours out of the iPhone 5 with navigation, although I also have a USB battery I can attach to my handbars if I am going for an all day ride. Something like this:

Do you have a SIM card in the 5 ?

I don't have a SIM in the 5, that's why I why tether to my iPhone X, so googlemaps etc still work. The downside to doing that is that whatsapp doesn't work, but then it wouldn't really work if you had a SIM with a different number in there anyway.

noste500

Thanks , although not quite sure why WhatsApp matters ..Or is that just for info ?

supermurph09

Seriously just get a bike computer, you will in the end, don’t delay buy today.

There are many reasons why 99.9% of cyclists you’ll see on the road don’t use a phone. Keep your phone safe in your pocket, it’s not designed to be sat on your handlebars. A bike computer is.