Gadgets and improving faster
TheEnglishman
Posts: 587
I'm wondering if getting a heartrate and/or a cadence sensor will get me improving faster from a complete beginner's point of view.
I'm looking at the wahoo stuff and linking it in with my iPhone - I don't really want another gadget when the iPhone seems perfectly capable.
I know my cadence is all over the place and kind of assume that if a big screen in front of me is telling me what rpm I'm doing I'll learn to keep a constant cadence quicker?
And I'm guessing a heartrate sensor will enable me to stay 'in the zone' better so I'll get fitter quicker?
Basically I'm clueless but could do with a bit of guidance on what, if any, bits of kit would be beneficial to improving my fitness and ability
I'm looking at the wahoo stuff and linking it in with my iPhone - I don't really want another gadget when the iPhone seems perfectly capable.
I know my cadence is all over the place and kind of assume that if a big screen in front of me is telling me what rpm I'm doing I'll learn to keep a constant cadence quicker?
And I'm guessing a heartrate sensor will enable me to stay 'in the zone' better so I'll get fitter quicker?
Basically I'm clueless but could do with a bit of guidance on what, if any, bits of kit would be beneficial to improving my fitness and ability
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Comments
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I don't have a heart rate monitor but I do have a cadence checker on my bike PC - I found that really helped me improve my riding and now a decent cadence has become second nature. When I fist got it my cadence was about 70 - now it is an average of about 90.0
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Cadence and HR made the biggest difference for me. I can generally hold a given cadence and it matches well with HR.
Result is I feel smoother,faster and seeing working HR come down slowly is inspirational. My distance also increased dramatically.0 -
A cadence sensor would be a useful investment.
You don't mention if you already have a speedo/odometer.
Need something like this to be able to measure output. Training is really just about being able to increase output for a given input. If you ever get really serious about training you may want to invest in a power meter which gives the best information on output. But until then a speedo can act as a good substitute.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
There's plenty of iPhone apps that show speed. But my small brain can't see how this is useful - obviously your speed varies enormously on the road so what am I missing?0
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I have the Wahoo iPhone case, HR strap and speed and cadence sensors.
They all work really well. There is a huge range of excellent apps that work with the Wahoo case or dongle as well, so you aren't limited to a particular app...you can find one that suits you.
Personally, I normally use the Wahoo app to record my data as it allows you to export to multiple web sites (Strava & MapMyRide for me), and also allows you to export to an excel file on a per second basis if you are a bit anal like me. Many of the other apps only really seem to let you upload data to their own sites.
It's definitely made a big difference to my training. Highly recommended.
The only negative that I would warn you about is that battery life is only about 5 hours from full on an iPhone 4. You can extend this by using a PowerMonkey or the additional battery pack that Wahoo also sell, but just be aware of this if you do a lot of long rides.0 -
TheEnglishman wrote:There's plenty of iPhone apps that show speed. But my small brain can't see how this is useful - obviously your speed varies enormously on the road so what am I missing?
Yes speed will vary but most training routes contain sections where you can control this.
Hills are good for example, or a long junction/traffic light free stretch of road with, ideally with a roundabout so you can turn and return opposite to where you started. Or the route as a whole if its reasonably free of things you cant control like traffic volume/lights.
Its good to have a sections like this to help do training and motivate you. e.g. maybe a hill that takes 5 minutes to climb, a 6 mile stretch of road or a 30 mile circuit. Having a personal best time for each of these will help balance training and be motivating as you will soon find yourself going faster for less effort.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
Strava - http://www.strava.com
Everytime i go out i want to come back with at least 1 PR. It's great.All the above is just advice .. you can do whatever the f*ck you wana do!
Bike Radar Strava Club
The Northern Ireland Thread0 -
dw300 wrote:Strava - http://www.strava.com
Everytime i go out i want to come back with at least 1 PR. It's great.
Perfect. A great suggestion.
Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
I'm using CycleMeter on the iPhone - It seems to do the job. I bought a heartrate monitor yesterday and a cadence sensor is 'in the post'
I'm got a nice 15 mile run that contains long flat sections and a couple of 'climbs' which for me is an hour at present.
I think I'm 'set'? A power meter is not something I can justify.0 -
Should be enough. All you need to do now is ride... good luck and let us know how it goes.Martin S. Newbury RC0
