Bike 'cockpits'

[oldpotatoe]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...coming-in-2013

another 'TV' for your bike

[Llewellyn]

My Cateye Strada computer gives me all the riding info I need in a "just big enough" package

[AngryScientist]

say what you want, but my garmin 800 has really revolutionized how i ride.

i am notoriously terrible with directions. the ability to create a course i want to ride home on the computer, load it to my garmin and get turn-by-turn directions on the road is huge. previously i wasnt able to enjoy rides in new places as much as i could, i would need to devote too much concentration to where the hell i was, now - it's all right in front of me.

for cycling in new places, unfamiliar routes, etc, these things are a super help. i'm sure the 900 will improve even further.

IMO.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

say what you want, but my garmin 800 has really revolutionized how i ride.

i am notoriously terrible with directions. the ability to create a course i want to ride home on the computer, load it to my garmin and get turn-by-turn directions on the road is huge. previously i wasnt able to enjoy rides in new places as much as i could, i would need to devote too much concentration to where the hell i was, now - it's all right in front of me.

for cycling in new places, unfamiliar routes, etc, these things are a super help. i'm sure the 900 will improve even further.

IMO.

I agree, riding in new places, a map of some kind makes sense. But I prefer a 2 dimensional type(paper map) and a watch..maybe a cell phone in the pocket if I need it.

I donno, riding with a GPS map, takes some of the adventure out of riding, IMHO. Plus they seem huge( and expensive). Commuting in a new place is one thing, but I have gotten on the bike in places like Lavorno, Italy and Palermo, Sicily, and just 'rode on road goin north' to see where it went.

[csm]

I have an 800. it's just a 'nother toy to me. It's fun to have and probably got me to ride more the past couple of seasons.

[etu]

i think the wireless feature has been the most significant improvement for cyclocomputers.

used to have one with HR feature and then one with an altimeter feature.
too many buttons and information that quickly became irrevelvant.

now i just have a simple wireless version with just the basics - current speed, distance, odometer and avg speed. it actually has a second wheel function which i find annoying because i sometimes flip into wheel B and can't figure out how to get back to wheel A.

[saab2000]

Bikes don't have cockpits. Airplanes have cockpits. Or box offices. Depends on who is flying.

[gdw]

Have any of you ever noticed that some folks who rely heavily on these toys seem to be clueless without them? I've been on rides with several people who for some reason didn't have their GPS and were unable to remember the route they took a couple weeks earlier while using it. Same thing has happened in the car, "I'm sure we took a sideroad somewhere around here.. what time were the reservations?"

[Vientomas]

Call me what you like, but I actually enjoy the adventure of navigating a new ride with a map, compass, and my pre-ride notes. I do take my cell phone but I don't rely on it as service and functionality diminish the farther from civilization I roam.

I will admit I have gotten lost a time or two. Once necessitating being picked up by my wife, but the "mis-adventures" always make for a good story and a laugh afterwards.

For a short period I had a simple cyclometer on my bars but I found I spent more time looking at it and pushing buttons then enjoying the ride. My bars are now free of any clutter.

[fogrider]

for riding in new places, I check it out online and take note of the major roads and general lay of the land. then when I'm on the ground, ride where I want and see where the road takes me. with that said, I love the garmin just because it does away with all the wires, goes on any bike and I get a log of my ride. but the 900 is pretty big and I sure it won't be cheap...I'll stick with my 200.

[christian]

I haven't ridden with a computer since 2006. I don't miss it. If I'm particularly looking to get lost, I sometimes carry a half-ripped map of northern Westchester in my jersey. Then I head for Fairfield county.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

another 'TV' for your bike

But does it have a HUD and HOTAS?

[zennmotion]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I agree, riding in new places, a map of some kind makes sense. But I prefer a 2 dimensional type(paper map) and a watch..maybe a cell phone in the pocket if I need it.

I donno, riding with a GPS map, takes some of the adventure out of riding, IMHO. Plus they seem huge( and expensive). Commuting in a new place is one thing, but I have gotten on the bike in places like Lavorno, Italy and Palermo, Sicily, and just 'rode on road goin north' to see where it went.

I think it depends on where you ride. I don't ride with a GPS yet, although I have occasionally used my smartphone to get me oriented. But I think I'd like a Garmin or something, the big frustration here is navigating around unpleasant or even dangerous heavy traffic roads. Peace of mind is broken when during an otherwise rural ride I'm forced onto a busy 2 lane state highway with no shoulders and 60+mph traffic. Outside the snow belt, these roads have no shoulders more often than not. GPS + maps makes it possible to avoid them. Also, during long winter rides there's nothing worse than getting lost with the temp dropping and the sun setting and you're cold and bonking.

[bironi]

Get out there and explore. Look around at what is all around. F. the cockpit.

[Liv2RideHard]

I am with oldpotatoe. Havent trained with a computer for years. I have no plans to mount one anytime soon either. I have ridden in Italy a lot. Not once did I rely on a computer or a phone to get me around. I just rode...and rode...and rode until I made it back. I generally have a pretty good sense of direction...though one time in the Dolomites I got a bit lost. Was ok though as the scenery was absolutely stunning.