Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - gadgetry! alti, hrm, cyclometer...

WHY waste my money on my IRA when there is always so much new BIKE STUFF that i REALLY NEED?!
I want an altimeter and a heart rate monitor and a computer:

i'm thinking of the Suunto T6. (it costs alot, i probably won't use the computer stuff because i have a mac)

or

the VDO bike computer with alitimeter (5 year warranty!) paired with a wrist type HRM (Nike?) so i can use it as a watch also.

is there any conceivable advantage to having the all in one T6 type of wrist computer? it seems that if one function fails the whole thing fails-i'm reminded of the tv's with vcr's built into them...

also the VDO mc 1 paired with a Nike or Polar (suggestions?) HRM will still be cheaper than the T6.

I also looked at the Nike Lance watch and pairing that with one of the many bike mounted computer/HRM's, but it seems to me that a watch style HRM would be more useful for running, going to the gym, sex, etc....:)

also, who NEEDS an altimeter? but i didn't even know you could get an altimeter on a watch unless you were a mountain climber or something. it just sounds so cool to actually see my altitude while struggling up Latigo cyn or wherever (wish i'd had one in the alps last summer!)

thoughts? suggestions?

Garmin Edge.

Two words: Power. Tap.

heh im staring ab a NIB Garmin Edge 305...now if it would just stop raining I could go play with my new toy.

:D

The Polar S725X has an altimeter built in too. So you wouldn't have to buy the VDO. Also, as I just learned, the S725X is upgradeable with a decent (it's no Powertap or SRM, but gets the job done if you install it right) power meter option. It was nice to have a way to upgrade to a power meter for $200-300 instead of $800 plus.

The Powertap is really good at what it does (With the exception of heart rate, which I guess they're fixing on the wired units) but it doesnt offer an altimeter.

Personally I have an Edge and the Powertap and use them both. You can get valuable data from each that you cant get from the other.

WHY waste my money on my IRA when there is always so much new BIKE STUFF that i REALLY NEED?!
I want an altimeter and a heart rate monitor and a computer:

i'm thinking of the Suunto T6. (it costs alot, i probably won't use the computer stuff because i have a mac)

or

the VDO bike computer with alitimeter (5 year warranty!) paired with a wrist type HRM (Nike?) so i can use it as a watch also.

is there any conceivable advantage to having the all in one T6 type of wrist computer? it seems that if one function fails the whole thing fails-i'm reminded of the tv's with vcr's built into them...

also the VDO mc 1 paired with a Nike or Polar (suggestions?) HRM will still be cheaper than the T6.

I also looked at the Nike Lance watch and pairing that with one of the many bike mounted computer/HRM's, but it seems to me that a watch style HRM would be more useful for running, going to the gym, sex, etc....:)

also, who NEEDS an altimeter? but i didn't even know you could get an altimeter on a watch unless you were a mountain climber or something. it just sounds so cool to actually see my altitude while struggling up Latigo cyn or wherever (wish i'd had one in the alps last summer!)

thoughts? suggestions?


Garmin Edge 305.:D

I like the Suunto's. They make a GPS watch these days that actually approximates a wristwatch, not that VCR-with-a-wrist-strap they call the Garmin. I like the Garmin's functionallity, they just need to keep working on the microelectronics.

Garmin Edge................when God gave man the ability to create it, he forsaked all others :)

I suggest you read some reviews about Suuntos, they have reliability issues.

Garmin 305 hrm, cad with path output to Google Earth is the coolest toy I've ever bought.

All depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Neat statistics, bragging rights, altimeter is cool.

Want to get faster, and willing to follow aprogrm based on the data, the answer is a power meter.

Well, the jury is still out for this device regarding power, but it has some rudimentary software that graphs power (calculated), bike speed (speed sensor), elevation (barometric altimeter), wind speed (wind pressure sensor), and hill slope in percent grade (tilt sensor). Also, there's a built in thermometer.

This is my morning commute to work:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/iApp-1.jpg

There's a cadence option, but at the moment, there's no heart rate--but they're working on it.

check this sh*t oot...

check this sh*t oot...

LOL

Here's the elevation graph from bikely.com for the same morning commute route found here:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/My-Extended-Route-to-Work-Essex-to-Towson-MD

... and showing in the app above:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/elevationgraph.jpg

data from my Florida vacation...

That WallyMart smiley shur is happy wit dat finger prop'ing it up! LOL!

That WallyMart smiley shur is happy wit dat finger prop'ing it up! LOL!

yeah, either way, it says yer ****ed.

yeah, either way, it says yer ****ed.

And, what did I do to deserve your gracious attentions? Pffft! By the way, that was a rhetorical question.

I'll be unsubscribing from this thread now, as the intelligence level of the thread just took a nose dive since your reply.

check this sh*t oot...




You made my day...that was some funny shiat...!!!

Well, the jury is still out for this device regarding power, but it has some rudimentary software that graphs power (calculated), bike speed (speed sensor), elevation (barometric altimeter), wind speed (wind pressure sensor), and hill slope in percent grade (tilt sensor). Also, there's a built in thermometer.

This is my morning commute to work:

There's a cadence option, but at the moment, there's no heart rate--but they're working on it.

I bought an iBike before I bit the bullet and went for the Powertap. I found a lot of shortcomings in the iBike, mainly because its so sensitive to pavement issues. It also doesnt do well if you're drafing behind someone. Apparently in larger packs it gets closer to accurate but behind just 1 or 2 people, the power isnt even close.

I also had to continually do coast downs despite wearing the same clothes, etc and weighing everything before the ride. The tilt calibration also would go out of whack every 2 rides or so. I contemplated building a fixture to set the bike in to calibrate the tilt sensor but i returned the unit before it came to that.

My iBike is still siting in the return case at Performance Bike, I saw it yesterday. It's now marked down a hefty 60% from retail and no one has still bought it.

check this sh*t oot...

Wow, that must have been one hell of a descent!


Anyways, after looking over the offers i can get a deal on through my retail position, Polar's, Garmin's, and Suunto, I'm going with a Garmin edge 305, and feel confident in that decision from general work of mouth magazine, podcast reviews, etc.

I bought an iBike before I bit the bullet and went for the Powertap. I found a lot of shortcomings in the iBike, mainly because its so sensitive to pavement issues. It also doesnt do well if you're drafing behind someone. Apparently in larger packs it gets closer to accurate but behind just 1 or 2 people, the power isnt even close.

I also had to continually do coast downs despite wearing the same clothes, etc and weighing everything before the ride. The tilt calibration also would go out of whack every 2 rides or so. I contemplated building a fixture to set the bike in to calibrate the tilt sensor but i returned the unit before it came to that.

My iBike is still siting in the return case at Performance Bike, I saw it yesterday. It's now marked down a hefty 60% from retail and no one has still bought it.

Maybe you should have updated the firmware.

Also, if the tilt is wacked every other ride, you didn'y have it mounted properly. Mine has never been off since I installed the mount.

might have gotten off the thread a little bit, but thanks for everyone's input.
this is what i bought (on ebay, still on their way): a Polar axn500 hrm/alti/compass watch, and then, after i decided i really, really didn't need one, a Garmin edge 205 gps cyclometer.

the watch i just really liked (i also strongly considered an alti/hrm/watch from highgear for less than half the price). the garmin everyone here seems to love and it was "only" a hundred bucks on ebay.

i'm not OCP until i buy a custom carbon bike, right?

tblendell, why the 205 and not the 305?

because i'd decided on the polar axn500 which has the HRM and barametric altimeter which are the only things the 305 has that the 205 doesn't. actually i wan't even going to get the 205 but i found one for a hundred bucks on ebay. i was thinking it was time for a new computer anyway and, well, i just couldn't resist picking that up to. i'll post a little review when i get them.

Maybe you should have updated the firmware.

Also, if the tilt is wacked every other ride, you didn'y have it mounted properly. Mine has never been off since I installed the mount.

I did and it was.. moot point now tho.. There's an iBike sitting in the Performance clearance section at a whooping 60% off retail.. I'm surprised someone hasnt snatched it up.

I suggest you read some reviews about Suuntos, they have reliability issues.

Garmin 305 hrm, cad with path output to Google Earth is the coolest toy I've ever bought.
+ Eleventybillion