bike computer use them or not ?

[Fixed]

bro I noticed I'm the only dude without a bike computer on my ride today, a lot of good riders even ex pro ian jackson and new pro josh .but I can't think for the life of me why I would need one . so why would i need one bros? cheers :beer:

[jerk]

the jerk hasn't used a bike computer in a long time. the jerk supposes it could replace a watch so you know what time it is. the jerk rides alot with people who have computers though which is pretty much the same thing as having one.

jerk

[Samster]

Never did. Probably never will. Maybe that's why I'm a failed racer...

Always blame the techology--or lack of it. :rolleyes:

[dirtdigger88]

Never did. Probably never will. Maybe that's why I'm a failed racer...

Always blame the techology--or lack of it. :rolleyes:


I think you should get one sam- do me a favor- will ya

Jason

[coylifut]

don't have one

[Brons2]

I just got my first one and I like it. its the cheapest one on the market though, the cateye velo5. at $19 how can you go wrong? it's not wireless, but who cares. So far have 107 miles on it in the last week. good times.

[e-RICHIE]

never had one.
never installed one.
live without a net atmo.

[yeehawfactor]

no, though not by choice. friend broke the mount 8 months ago. decided it was cool to know how far i'd gone, but i could just as easily get that info from someone else i'm riding with. works well. on a quasi related note, i have decided that ipods eff with the sanctity of cycling.

[manet]

the jerk hasn't used a bike computer in a long time. the jerk supposes it could replace a watch so you know what time it is. the jerk rides alot with people who have computers though which is pretty much the same thing as having one.

jerk

all mine does is show the time _ just that for the past two years. looks like it
should do a heck of a lot more. it's supposed to. looks important set in it's
handlebar cradle. i take my watch off before i ride, just so the little gizmo
in question feels like it has a reason to get up in the morning. evidently
they can be quite sensitive.

[Grant McLean]

never had one.
never installed one.
live without a net atmo.


Live without the 'net? what?

I'm strapping my laptop and wi-fi connection
to my new forged stem and non anatomic bars.

-g

[vaxn8r]

Aw come on! I'm a proud cycle computer user. I admit it. I keep track of mileage too. Sometimes I keep track of altitude. Most solo rides I keep average speed. I use a pedometer at work. I count everything. Everything!

[Grant McLean]

Aw come on! I'm a proud cycle computer user. I admit it. I keep track of mileage too. Sometimes I keep track of altitude. Most solo rides I keep average speed. I use a pedometer at work. I count everything. Everything!


not that there's anything wrong with that.

-g

[Grant McLean]

on a quasi related note, i have decided that ipods eff with the sanctity of cycling.

OK <now> yer talkin' crazy.
I'm thinking of having earbud
surgury installed on the right side.

-g
(p.s. never ride with both ears plugged)

[Brons2]

never had one.
never installed one.
live without a net atmo.

i had a gift certificate. only so many pairs of arm warmers and socks one can buy. curiosity got the best of me.

[dave thompson]

I have a computer on my 'fast' bike (Ottrott) and none on my 'slow' bike (Saluki).

My reasoning for having a computer is that I will often try to exceed my 'personal best': on a usual bike route, point A to point B time, mother 'effen steep hill climb, or on an organized ride I like to know how far to the next food stop. One of the joys of biking are the challenges I can present to myself to beat. It's a way of keeping score or counting coup.

[Ken Robb]

I got my first one after I got lost in the mountains trying to follow a trail map. It seems that a flat-lander like me over-estimates how far he has gone when riding above 7000 feet.

When I ride in pace-lines the speedo or cadence helps me maintain the right pace.

I can say " I pushed for 11 miles today" when I drag my body home.

I like to see if I exceeded my all-time high top speed of 52mph down a steep hill.

[shoe]

i don't use one and the two people i ride with usually- don't either...afterwards we like to guess how far we rode...my one friend always likes to add ten to fifteen miles on...dave

[William]

I haven't used one the last two seasons and I don't really miss it. Well, I only miss the max speed because I like to see how fast I can bomb down decents. Other then that, I've been in competitive sports long enough that I'm in tune with my body and I know when I'm on and when I'm not. I have an internal metronome built into my brain and my cadance, gearing, and personal "feel" compared to that internal tempo tell me how I'm doing on climbs (flats, and sprints as well).

I don't know if that makes sense to you all, but it works for me.



William

[Andreu]

Never.
I actually wear my polar for telling the time.
After 15 years racing (mostly with computers) I got bored with HR, max speed, etc. a few years ago. I still race - less so - and the results actually got better when I stopped using it (was this because of or inspite of having no computer?)!

I am sure they have their uses but I sometimes don't even care how far I have gone - I just need to know that I have to be back before 3 pm on a weekend afternoon to get fed.

Advice from elderly cycling grouch in Scotland:
"If you need to look at a computer to see how hard you are going then you are not going hard enough."

A

[Ray]

I don't ride with them in the winter at all and in the summer, I keep them on some bikes and not on others. When I use them, I generally use the simplest Sigma model that just tells you trip mileage, current speed, what time it is, and cumulative distance (odo). This allows me to follow cue sheets, which is sometimes a nice thing to have. I also have one bells and whistles computer which I periodically ride with on my "go fast" bike (or, in my case, go slightly faster bike). It's cool a couple of times a month to see where my average speed, HR, average cadence, max speed, etc is. I don't want to know this stuff most of the time, but every now and then I do. I also sometimes find the cadence and HR functions to be helpful on really hard centuries just to help remind myself not to ride too hard early and to keep the revs up. I kind of like the whole spectrum of information possibilities, from none to a little to everything. But 9 times out of 10, less is more.

-Ray

[Too Tall]

If you never leave the 'hood, like to wander or are the wheel sucking friend of a good navigator you don't need one ;)

However, it is du rigor for rando / brevet / events and esp. critical on long rides with unknown roads. The best method I've come up with to minimize wrong turns and backtracking is to use a cateye mity that has mileage 1 and mileage 2. Just reset mileage 2 at every turn so have a diff. between turns and an overall.

[Mud]

We have friends who ride double centuries for a weekend and others who train with 60 mile rides almost daily. I hear about watts, total climbing, mph, etc, etc. We had Astrales on the bikes and I got rid of them. Lois used to ask me did I see this or that, I never saw any of it-just watching the computer and pushing the cadence since I did not want to feel unworthy when the guys told me what they did.

So I started reporting our rides in kliks since it sounded better-65 klicks has a better ring than 40 miles. Then I got ride of the computers and just figured time from when we left the house to when we got back. I pretty much know the mileage we travel and I don't need a computer to tell me whether I enjoyed the ride.

Training is different. I have mentioned before that we have Computrainers. We work very hard on cadence, improving spin, climbing, etc and feel that it translates well into improving our rides outside.

The only "computer" we have on the bike is a $29.95 Polar HRM so I don't blow myself up trying to be 30 years younger.

[davids]

My preference is for a 'simple' one. I use the Cateye Mity - Distance, speed, time. I leave the display set to MPH and a clock (not a timer - a clock) when I ride. When I'm done, I'll look at distance and average speed. I also like keeping general track of my overall mileage.

I have a high-end Cateye CD300W wireless, too, and it's on the bike on the trainer. It meets my two requirements for the trainer: 1) rear-wheel cadance, 2) no wires. It has a ton of feature I never use, and the clock's perpetually wrong 'cuz it's so effen difficult to reset!

No computer on the mountian bike. All I'd really like to know there is the time...

[mikemets]

I use my computer on every ride, and even log my mileage. I love the information feedback. :D

I ride with a good friend, who shall remain nameless, who rides sans computer, but at the end of every ride asks, how far and how fast? ;)

[PeterW]

You know, I have to keep track of so much other stuff, especially at work.

The last thing I need is more data. Biking is supposed to fun, even if painful at times. So, no, no computer.

But, I admit, I'm constantly peeking at other computers in group rides.

When I had one, I was one of those kind of guys that had to cover it with electrical tape.

Now, folks are crazy about power meters. Yeesch. I don't want one because I want one.

[seehunt]

I've never used one, but since I am going to volunteer to lead some group rides with our club, I figure I need one to follow a route sheet and to make sure that I keep to the listed ride pace. :bike:

[Ginger]

Hold it mikemets...I don't ride with you!

When I tour there's a computer on my bike so I can figure out that I overshot the last turn by 5 miles on a century...

Now that I'm training again, I ride with an HRM and I do have a computer on the bike...wireless...sometimes the two talk to one another and say that I haven't gone anywhere. Sorta like riding the trainer on the front porch only with better scenery.

[slowgoing]

mtn bike, yes, and I also take a compass on new trails.

road bike, no.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I used to use them, but only for max speed and distance. Until I moved to TN I was a dedicated commuter, (and junk miles junkie) and it was fun to track the annual mileage. My best year in Seattle (including club rides) was just over 10K miles.

Now, I ride so little the computer is just a depressing reminder of what I used to do.... so I chucked it! I must admit I enjoy riding more without one now. Plus it cleans up the front end of the mike imo.

[dauwhe]

I'd love to find one of the old Huret cyclometers, which only does distance (and has a cool rubber band).

Actually, I think my usual computer could be customized to perfection by placing some electrical tape over the current speed display! Never feels good to see that speed drop below 4mph!

[chrisroph]

My batteries crashed about 3 months ago and it took me until 2 weeks ago to send the unit in to polar. It hasn't come back yet. I can't say I have really missed it but I'll remount it when it comes back.

[sg8357]

There a couple counties around here where the kids like to steal the
street signs, you need a trip odo to navigate. When you're night riding
you have to keep track of the battery time. Have heard of mounting
them on a seatpost, keep track of maintaince intervals. What I'd really
like is color weather radar or a Stormscope.

That said, I set mine to the amusment functions like max speed or
cadence, I'm not interested in knowing how far or how long till I'm finished.

Scott G.

[Kevan]

I don't know what Mikemets is even talking about!

Look at the flowers... looks up at the birds.... f'r Godsakes watch out for that pothole! I spit on computers. Putooey!

[Tom]

A lot of the time I leave it displaying the time of day while it is running, though.

I lose track of the time a lot so it's nice to know how long I've been out. Usually I need to be home at some time so it keeps me from getting into too much trouble. In the morning before work it is a prompt for me to get back home, or I'd just stay out riding all day.

[Fixed]

bro anyone remember those old ones that use to mount way down on the fork? cheers :beer:

[Skrawny]

I use a bike computer/ HR monitor (Polar 200-somethingorother)
Lately I found I rely on the HR more than anything else.

If I see I'm going over 170 BPM I know I'm starting to go anaerobic... I can sense when I have gone over the mark, but I'm not good enough to sense when I am approaching it.

I only rarely glance at the speed - mostly to make sure I'm not picking up the pace when I am in the front of a paceline. The total milage is fun at the end of the ride too...
-s

[Bud_E]

I like having some feedback as to how a hard effort on a familiar stretch of road is translating into mph on a particular day - especially when I'm riding solo so I'm not concentrating on pacing with others.

...but I chucked the HRM because somehow watching a visual display of my pulse as it rises and falls creeps me out. I know it's a good training tool but I'm happier using "perceived effort" instead.

[Climb01742]

i like knowing cadence. never look at speed or distance. just cadence and time. suppose if i were more experienced, my body would "know" cadence better. but a computer seems easier.

[Ginger]

It took me about four years using a computer with cadence to "know" where my cadence was...

I do like computers after the ride...
Wow! It was that far?
WOW! I went that fast down that hill!

I don't look at speed when I'm riding because there's no way I'd go as fast as I do on some terrain if I knew how fast I was going.

Oh...and I don't like to know how much further I have to go because if I don't know about the last five miles then I get to where I'm going I'm surprised that I'm there already. If I know about the last five miles, they take as long as the rest of the ride all together.

[yeehawfactor]

a guy i know has a comp that always has speed at the top of the screen. he's put electrical tape over it because the speed is never what he thinks it should be. maybe that's what i need.

[PanTerra]

i don't use one and the two people i ride with usually- don't either...afterwards we like to guess how far we rode...my one friend always likes to add ten to fifteen miles on...dave

It keeps me honest. :no:

[PanTerra]

You know, I have to keep track of so much other stuff, especially at work.

The last thing I need is more data. Biking is supposed to fun, even if painful at times. So, no, no computer.

But, I admit, I'm constantly peeking at other computers in group rides.

When I had one, I was one of those kind of guys that had to cover it with electrical tape.

Now, folks are crazy about power meters. Yeesch. I don't want one because I want one.

That's the beauty of a computer, you don't have to keep track, it does it for you so you can enjoy the ride. :banana:

[Too Tall]

Dauwhe - are you talking about the mechanical cyclocomputers that attach to the quick release / fr. axel bolt and "click" off the mileage? I've got TWO hanging on my tool rack!!! Good conversation starter :rolleyes:

[93legendti]

I use my computer on every ride, and even log my mileage. I love the information feedback. :D

I ride with a good friend, who shall remain nameless, who rides sans computer, but at the end of every ride asks, how far and how fast? ;)

Same here -- the same guys sans computers always ask at the end of our long Sunday rides : "How far did we go? How long were we riding?"

Reminds me of when Kramer got rid of his TV and spent even more time at Jerry's watching Jerry's TV.

[Fixed]

Dauwhe - are you talking about the mechanical cyclocomputers that attach to the quick release / fr. axel bolt and "click" off the mileage? I've got TWO hanging on my tool rack!!! Good conversation starter :rolleyes:
yea bro who made those was it a french co.?

[Spectrum Bob]

I like having one and keep it on cadence over speed most of the time – they come in handy on club rides when I am trying to follow a cue sheet – my wife and I often take turns riding and spending time with our child – when ever we do the same rout we always check each others average speeds – not that we are competitive (ha ha ha) - hers is usually faster.

[Dr. Doofus]

computers are pretty useless

doof does his specific workouts with a powermeter

endurance rides he uses a wristwatch

sometimes a hrm in races

[vaxn8r]

Data 16Feb2006:

Bike Serotta Legend. 66.08m. Time 3:15. TimeAvg sp 20.33 mph. Max 38.6mph. Alt. 785 ft. Max gr. 17%. Sunny, sparse clouds, starting temp 38F, ending temp 44F. Solo. N. Eugene bike path to River Rd, to Love Ln. To Noraton Rd. Terratorial to Cox Butte to Terratorial to Rt37, back to Terratorial. Kirk to Alvadore to Fir Butte to W. Eugene Bike path. Notes: Love Ln. RR underpass flooded. Had to hike up a 15 foot RR embankment over the tracks and back down through the blackberry brambles. Two herons seen in the W. Eugene wetlands. Wow. They have a huge wingspan.

OK, so I'm compulsive. What do you expect from someone who graduated from 25th grade? I also find this personality trait to be very beneficial to my patients and their ultimate outcomes.

OK some of this is exaggerated ever so slightly to make a point. But I think some of you guys are being, well, less than honest. Every time a ride with someone who uses no computer they ask how far we went. Never fails. Of course I don't ride with you guys too much....

[darylb]

I use one but it is a pretty simple one. I was going to get one of those fancy schmancy ones but that urge passed. When I think about it, the most useful thing it does for me is help me keep my pace constant in a group ride. The guys I ride with are faster so I am usually pretty tired when I am up front and have to concentrate to make sure I dont drop speed or yo yo. So I guess my computer is more a benefit to the other guys.

When I am riding along a lot, like lately, I sometimes go for a couple of weeks without remembering to reset the milage. So I guess I could do without but its not hurting anything up there so no need to ditch it.

[bironi]

I like a clean dashboard, and none of them have a fun meter.

[Grant McLean]

I recently noticed that lots of new computers allow you
to enter any number you want into the odometer setting.

Kinda takes the fun outta checking out a bud's mileage
when he's not looking. I guess they claim it's so you
can enter the mileage again after a battery change,
but I think it's a sign of the times.

-g

[Frustration]

I was gonna mount a weenie up.


Seems like that's what they measure anyhoo and it saves all the speculation

[e-RICHIE]

I was gonna mount a weenie up.



we're going to provo.
where are you going biwfd :beer: ?

[Climb01742]

what computers really measure, i think, are our personalities. we each have a relationship with data. which is cool. some of us are happy with more empirical data, some with less. as i've ridden with my srm i've thought about this, and for me, how i feel about my srm is much more a reflection of who i am than what the srm is. i don't wear a watch. is that about time or about who i am? :rolleyes:

[e-RICHIE]

<cut> i don't wear a watch. is that about time or about who i am? :rolleyes:


is that a rhetorical question?

[William]

Still mounted, but not hooked up.



William

[e-RICHIE]

Still mounted, but not hooked up.



William


this is not craigslist yo

[William]

this is not craigslist yo

Hey, you hook me up, I'll do the mounting...YO!


William

[Kevan]

Hey, you hook me up, I'll do the mounting...YO! William

that encourages Sandy.

Please! Please... I don't need it.

[Frustration]

e-RICHIE"

we're going to provo.
where are you going biwfd :beer:


Just learned my work keyboard is coffee spit proof.

[e-RICHIE]

Just learned my work keyboard is coffee spit proof.


yeah - parties are cool. i belong to both of them vtowm.

[manet]

this is not craigslist yo

hey?

[dauwhe]

Dauwhe - are you talking about the mechanical cyclocomputers that attach to the quick release / fr. axel bolt and "click" off the mileage? I've got TWO hanging on my tool rack!!! Good conversation starter :rolleyes:

Those are the ones! Had one on my bike around 1980 or 1981, when I was the world's worst bike racer!

[Dekonick]

I think a GPS type could be nice to have - especially if it displayed a map. I have been lost before...especially when going somewhere other than the usual 'hood.

With tech $$ getting cheaper, and lighter - why wouldn't you want that information? I would like a garmin unit but they still cost too much IMHO. Do the anti-computer people feel the same way about computers in their cars? Tom-Tom anyone??

Heck - I want ONSTAR on my new Bamboo Calfee... :D

[Skrawny]

I tried one of those GPS ones, but with the hills and redwoods in the area, it was more often than not failing to get enough of a signal. Since it spent so much time looking for a signal, it ran out of batteries alarmingly fast.
I returned it.
-s

[MartyE]

Mine died about a year and a half ago and all I get now is
cadence readings. Have a HRM that I use on the rollers to see
if I've died yet. Between the two I can accurately predict the
time (+ or - 1.23hrs).

so I guess the answer is no?

marty