Training & Nutrition - Bike Computer/trainer

Hi guys,

I've been impressed reading through this forum about the dedication that many of you have to fitness.

My question is what experiences (good or bad) have you had with high-end bike computers? Many of you obviously demand a lot out of your equipment when training in the field.

What do these devices not do that you think they should? What more for the sake of training would you like to see these units offer? In your opinion, what features would a no-holds-barred product offer?

Thanks,


Focus.

For a bike computer...

current speed
max speed
average speed
trip distance
odometre
trip time
clock
stopwatch**
splits/laps**
cadence*
multiple wheel memory*
wireless**

* = stuff you can really use and should look for in a high-end computer, but you live without if you have only one bike and you're not into too-disciplined training.

** = stuff that'd be nice to have, but you won't miss unless you're a bike tech weenie [like me] and anal-retentive about training [like me].

I don't think such a beast actually exists with all of these features, unless you get one of the Polar S series HRMs [I have the S510], which also give you heart-rate info and computer downloads... but they're pretty pricey.

I've seen some Cateye and Vetta models that are combination
bike computer and HRM.
IMHO I prefer seperate units, that way you can use HRM
when not on the bike (not sure but I think the
Polar units allow you to do this).
concur with Velocipedio on the rest....

Marty

Cateye makes...or made...a bike computer with an altimeter. Now THAT is over the top! I prefer a seperate heart rate monitor, too. One less thing to go wrong.

Ease of set up is important to me. For that purpose the Sigma Sports can't be beat.

I like wireless computers for mountain biking, but think they are overkill for the road. Cadence is more important for road biking than mountain bikes. One of my first computers registered cadence. Once I got a feel for cadence, I found that I didn't need the feature anymore.

Give me total mileage, ride mileage, elapsed time, clock, current speed, average speed and maximum speed, and I have more than I need to know.

Oh yeah, I've used computers that had a little arrow that indicated whether I was above or below average speed. That can be motivating, I guess. It can also be frustrating when you are fighting a headwind and watching that arrow point down down down...