Fifty Plus (50+) - tired of computers and stats

I'm not a competitor yet my entire riding life I've enjoyed using computers and heart rate monitors and diligently logging the info. With each passing year it gets easier to do.

Now I don't care. I just ride. I have no idea how many miles I've ridden the past couple years or how fast. And after using a heart rate monitor for long enough, you eventually just know your exertion level.

Has anybody else lost that "need to know"? Maybe some of you never had it.

The only stats I keep are "mileage" so I know "when" certain "consumable" parts need to be replaced and I do like to know my miles by month and year, the rest I have no interest in, LOL, I'd be afraid to use a heart monitor, I might give up cycling seeing the "numbers" on a long uphill grade! ;)

I didn't replace the battery on my Cateye when it died a few months ago. Haven't noticed a difference in my riding.

I'm not a stat fiend myself. I don't race and don't have any need to know all the details. I do like to know how fast and far I've gone, however.

My touring bike, 25 years ago, I got a computer that mounted on the fork blade.
(German, ciclomaster)
Put it between the canti boss and the top of the lowrider rack..
.. for me, It just counted milage.

If hit the trip re-set, at the start, I could deduce how far I had to the next Village.

It comes and goes for me. I never get really wrapped up in goal setting and trend charting, but I do enjoy seeing where I rode, how the climbs look on a graph and where my speed stacks up to other times I've done the same route or climbed the same hills.

It comes and goes for me. I never get really wrapped up in goal setting and trend charting, but I do enjoy seeing where I rode, how the climbs look on a graph and where my speed stacks up to other times I've done the same route or climbed the same hills.

Couldn't have said it better myself, at least not without a whole lot of thought, and I don't feel like doing that today. And even if I did, the results are unsure.

;)

I log distance and nothing else. I kind of like to see how much I covered at the end of the year. I used to write down gas purchases in a little notebook. Stopped doing that years ago.

HRM--And if I do not use it and check what I am doing- I find I have got lazy. Leave it off for too long and I find I am only riding at 125 and not 135 and that makes a world of difference to speed- distance and fitness.

The only reason I check the avg is to see improvement over time. The cyclocomputer, a very simple one, does assist when I have to change a route because of road work and I want to ensure I get the same or similar distance that I planned on for the day.

I used to track distances for repeat rides, like commutes or errands, just to get an idea of how much I was actually riding. Probably could have used a computer to track the ride I took last fall, which I 'guesstimated' at 52 miles; but, in end, it doesn't really matter. (LP)

I like the sig line I've seen here before -- "smiles, not miles". A ride is over when going further won't make me happier, that's my measure.

Speed, cadence, etc.? Meh. If I satisfy my body's demand for a certain speed or distance, that's close enough.

I like to use the computer when I push myself in the morning. Although the level of pain in my legs works almost as well as an indicator. What it does do is keep track how far I go, and give me an average speed so I compare week to week and see if I'm getting faster. When I ride with my family I switch bikes to one without a computer. I know I'm riding slower than a turtle with my kid on the back.. I don't need a computer to tell me. I also don't use a computer when commuting beyond telling the time. Commuting is not a race and as long as I get to work on time who cares what the average is.

Speed, cadence, etc.?

Cadence was like the heart rate for me, it didn't take long before you just knew without needing a tool.

It comes and goes for me. I never get really wrapped up in goal setting and trend charting, but I do enjoy seeing where I rode, how the climbs look on a graph and where my speed stacks up to other times I've done the same route or climbed the same hills.

Same with me. I had one of the first Polar HRM's for tracking performance. I had one of the first Garmins for cycling. Took a Hunter Allen class for power meters, but decided not to get one. I currently have a relatively new Garmin for my bike, but rarely use it. I have a pretty good feel for my HR, level of fitness, what's needed to improve (ride more...), and don't need to track every little thing. If I get back into massive intensity mode, I'll probably start tracking things again. "You can't improve what you don't measure" is pretty true, but people were measuring performance empirically long before computers, and even watches, were invented.

I can't believe what I'm about to post...

Been reading Bicycle Times this evening when I read about the Strava ride tracker app for iPhone. What did I say about it getting easier to track rides? Well, guess what I have to try on my commute tomorrow? :o :lol:

It is written (in Base Building for Cyclists): "....it takes only four hours to ride four hours".

So, for proper training all you need is a watch and a map. You don't need to keep track of miles and speed. It's all about time in the saddle.

I like to know my average speed just to guage my fitness level, right now, it ain't that good.
The other stats I have on the bike with a computer are fun to see, like max speed, and ride time, but I don't track them.
On of the most freeing ride was a few months ago, when I got a single speed 29'r. No computer, no gears to shift, just riding, and (this will sound corny) being one with the bike. It was a sublime enjoyment.

I like what I like and you like what you like.

I ride for fun, fitness, and health. One or more of these reasons motivate me to go out and ride.

Having a variety of statistics and information often increases the impact and enjoyment of each of these reasons.

For me.

But if it doesn't for someone else - or even decreases the impact and enjoyment, then ignore and avoid the information.

Half of my bikes have computers half don't. The highest mileage bikes have computers. I like to know how far and how long a trip is before I lead a ride for others. Sometimes I take others on a ride to the ferry and around an island, or a car ride a remote ride. It's nice to know if the dog needs to be fed and let out by someone else. Some of my friends want to know when we will be back from a ride.
Knowing how long it takes, and how far all my destinations are, means I know the same thing on a bike without a computer too. Having a couple of bikes with cadence means I know the rpm on bikes without cadence too.
Using the average speed tells me how long it will take me to get somewhere to meet someone. I like knowing how many miles I get out of tires, chains, wheels etc.
Sometimes I don't care about any of this. That's nice too.

It is written (in Base Building for Cyclists): "....it takes only four hours to ride four hours".

So, for proper training all you need is a watch and a map. You don't need to keep track of miles and speed. It's all about time in the saddle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I like them. My purpose in riding is probably the same as it is for many people in tis forum - retarding the progress of aging and disease. (Okay, there are 'nicer' ways to say it).

I enjoy the feedback (if you're not a technical person and find that jargon offensive - it's information). No matter what I do, I prefer having information to not not having it. Maybe that's a disadvantage in some way, but to me, it's a need I have always had, even as a little kid - I needed to know how things worked and how much of this and that was needed to make something happen.

So, I have bought 4 or 5 of them (I've been riding since two summers ago. The first 2 or 3 didn't work well or last very long.

But the point is, I am reading back the data from each ride to determine whether or not I am improving, even though I will probably never ride a century and don't think I could win a race if I practiced for years and went on an all out training diet, hired a pro to work with me etc.

I understand the love of riding too, and I reallly like it. On days like today (it's unseasonably warm and sunny) I will not be able to resist going for a ride, even if I have to quit work early and sneak away and even if I only go 6 miles.

When I go, the computer will be on and it will capture all the statistics. If I see that my heart rate when higher than I expected (and I don't remember feeling like I was going to explode...) then I'll be happy about it, If it shows that I never even got into the zone, I'll think about what might have caused that.

Either way, the computer won't make the ride any worse and it might be fun to see that I've hit a better than usual pace, so I don't see the problem with it.

Actually, you don't even need a watch or a map to enjoy a ride, but if you have one, you probably can't ignore it :)

Rich

Speed and distance is all I need. And those two stats have been kept since the days we had speedometers (the heavy cable operated kind) on our stingrays and murray's.

6 bikes and 6 computers - and I have forgotten how to reset the computers on all the bikes, and I don't want to do a Google or try and find the manual. Some I press two buttons, and it resets, others I press two buttons, and the whole thing has to be reprogrammed. So, I just disregard.

Now, I have this "smart phone" and "my tracks" app that works the same for each bike.

Darn!!!! :)

Put me in the "never had it" column. Never bothered with a cycling computer, or an HRM. I seem to enjoy my rides just fine.

Miles and average speed is what I look at, and if I'm in hilly terrain, verticals. That's it. Other than that, I really couldn't care less.

I bought one (cycling computer) once, about 8 years ago; had it on the bike for about a month then took it off. It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know: some days I'm "faster" than on other days; some days I ride further than on other days. I've found over the last 11 years or so that the more I ride, the faster and further I can go (on average) on any given ride without getting fatigued. Who knew?

If I ever fulfill my dream of having a Rohloff bike (and doing some touring) I'll get a simple computer to record accumulated distance, but only because the Rohloff hub has an oil-change interval.

The transmitter battery on my Strada Double Wireless must have died while I was in Illinois last week and I didn't find out about it until I started my ride this morning. Sorry, but I was lost without it. I'm one of those guys that keep stats on every ride and use the information to help better my riding. I also use a HRM on all of the rides where I use my road bike and had to use the elapsed time feature on the HRM watch to determine if I was riding close to my normal speed. I don't use the HRM or keep as many stats when I ride the hybrid, but it does have a simple bike computer on it.

I'm kinda in the middle on this. Been riding since 1985. I know my body well enough. I use a basic cyclometer. Trip distance, avg speed, ride time, once and a while max speed, are all that I need to see displayed at the end of a ride. All that I record on my calendar are trip distance and avg speed after each ride.
I don't need any more of a gadget than that. Couldn't care less about watts, heart rate, elevation, or any more that the modern gadgets can do to tell me if riding my bike for fitness, fun, and freedom was worth it on any gven day.

Found out today why to Stats and Computers are too useful to not use.

Went for a ride-and I am trying to get fit after a winter layoff. Put the Garmin on with HRM and cadence meter. Cadence is still a bit lower than I used to ride at but that is easy enough to work at. Heart rate though and BOY do I need some cardio work. Last year I was riding with HR at about 130 to 135 and pushing 150 on the hills and seeing 165 at some point on most rides. I struggled when the HR got to 130. I mean it- out of breath and legs feeling the strain. I got myself into the comfort zone and it was about 120- so I aimed for 115 tp 120 as a guide till I Improved. That was better than the 110 I had been riding at. Did 16 miles and stopped for a break with an average of only 11.8 mph. OK a few lumpy bits and not many places where I could get speed up downhill but I just felt I could improve on that on the way back. Pushed HR up to between 125 and 130 on the way back and did the return 16 miles faster and the total Average for the ride of 14.8 mph.

Without that Computer and Heart Monitor telling me how low I was working- I would have done the ride at a pace that would not have got me into my Heart working zone- I would have just turned the legs for 32 miles and although that may have done some good- By putting a little more effort into the ride I enjoyed it. I also have a marker to improve on for the next ride and that 50 miler at the end of May might not hurt as much.

My wife and daughter like to know how far I ride, so I do keep track of distance.

When I used to ride a road bike and wear spandex I used a Cateye...mostly for cadence but some mileage/speed info.
Now, I commute and ride for fun...I know it's 5.9 miles to work - I know I have 5 horrid redlights/crossings, construction, and typical traffic congestion - so my commute can vary from 25-45 minutes. No need to worry about heart rate, cadence, or mileage...time only counts if I'm late!! I used to love gathering and comparing log information. Not so much any more. I'm not in training and I've lost 45 pounds and feel great -- don't need bicycle stats to tell me that!!

The reason they make so many flavors of ice cream is that we are all different. Some like to keep track of every kind of stat there is and on the flip side some could care less. There is no right or wrong just different. Over time we tend to change which is another good thing. Wouldn't it be sad if we never had any change in our lives. Life goes on...

When I was a kid I had this odometer contraption that was secured by the nut that held the wheel in the front fork. It was about an inch to an inch and a half square with kind of a pinwheel that moved when it was struck by a device attached to a spoke. With every revolution it smacked that thing and I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be able to see how far I went.

Does that device sound familiar to anyone?

The reason they make so many flavors of ice cream is that we are all different.

Yum . . .

I would like to keep stats on every ice cream I could taste - if BR and T&J and others would let me do it for free.

When I was a kid I had this odometer contraption that was secured by the nut that held the wheel in the front fork. It was about an inch to an inch and a half square with kind of a pinwheel that moved when it was struck by a device attached to a spoke. With every revolution it smacked that thing and I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be able to see how far I went.

Does that device sound familiar to anyone?

Sure does, I had one too as a kid on my Italian 10 speed racer (Olmo). When I came back to bicycling in 2005, I was LOOKING for a unit like that and was told, "gee you must be OLD", they haven't made those forever! LOL! ;)

When I was a kid I had this odometer contraption that was secured by the nut that held the wheel in the front fork. It was about an inch to an inch and a half square with kind of a pinwheel that moved when it was struck by a device attached to a spoke. With every revolution it smacked that thing and I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be able to see how far I went.

Does that device sound familiar to anyone?

I've seen them. I'm old too. I've seen a couple recently.

I've seen a couple recently.

certainly not in use though, right? Talk about old school!

My wife bought me a computer in 1986. It was large, rectangular (about 2.5"X4") and measured HR and cadence as well as speed/distance/time. The HRM was not wireless so I was "wired" to the handlebars. When it died after 3 years, the replacement was small with tiny buttons and I lost interest. For a few years I tracked mileage. Today I have no interest in the data. My goal is to ride 5 times a week never less than 15 miles, usually 25-30mi.

My main interest today is keeping my fleet of roadies running well and somewhat shiny. More fun than statistics.
YMMV, it's all good.

certainly not in use though, right? Talk about old school!

Yes, on bikes, probably not bikes that are ridden a lot. At the LBS. Almost makes me think you could find one if you looked hard enough.

For my rides I log elapse time, distance, avg. mph, route taken, temperature and wind speed on a spread sheet. I also have a column for random notes. I find it interesting to figure out what makes an enjoyable ride or a particularly fast ride.

I like keeping these kind of diaries for any activity that I am involved with. It's a good memory jogger and sometimes just looking a a line and the notes can make me smile as I remember the ride.

If I hang around this crowd some more I may have to add another column to the spread sheet and start logging pies. :lol:

I like to keep track of my cadence, speed, maximum speed for the day and distance. I'm not interested in any long term records -- just how I'm doing that day. If I see my speed or rpms dropping, it's a little motivation to work harder.

I was riding into a headwind yesterday, watching the speed while struggling to maintain 8 mph. After I eventually turned around, my reward was holding the speedometer at 32 mph with the wind (it was howling out). It seemed like the computer made it a little easier to put up with the headwind.

Pie stats excluded . . . I am experimenting with riding without HR monitor I still like to keep an eye on cadence and distance . I joined some distance challenge thing that starts May 1 and it would be needed to track my millage http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national

Ride for relaxation and exercise....just go out and ride, not concerned about distance or ave. speed, just go and am happy with accomplishment of going...so easy to talk yourself out of going in the first place....hardest part is starting....

I have a computer on my bike and on many days I do wish it wasn't there. I really only care about how far I have gone, not how fast. I am not a fast rider and never have been, so speed, cadence, ad nauseum...mean little to nothing to me. I feel like I want to remove the darned thing, but as soon as i do that I won't feel cool anymore:D.

I am really not a huge fan of them though.

Lots of terms and acronyms (brifters, MUP, a Fred, a troll, N+1) that are new to me since getting on BF. Will someone please advise what a pie is?:) Thanks!

Lots of terms and acronyms (brifters, MUP, a Fred, a troll, N+1) that are new to me since getting on BF. Will someone please advise what a pie is?:) Thanks!

Pie:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Apple_pie.jpg/300px-Apple_pie.jpg

Pie:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Apple_pie.jpg/300px-Apple_pie.jpg

Yes, Denver got it right. It's one of the few literal terms used. There is a general reverence for a well baked pie on this particular forum. While all types, ranging from apple to rhubarb and pumpkin to key lime have their advocates, blueberry seems to be the standard against which all others are judged.

Yes, Denver got it right. It's one of the few literal terms used. There is a general reverence for a well baked pie on this particular forum. While all types, ranging from apple to rhubarb and pumpkin to key lime have their advocates, blueberry seems to be the standard against which all others are judged.

Preferred pie:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/photos/serving-blueberry-pie.jpg

And now WC89 knows about the pie requirement!:thumb:You can enjoy bicycling even more than before. Key Lime or Apple, in any form, for rides. My wife's homemade pecan for my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas (we have to finance pecans now:notamused:)

Bill;)

I like knowing how far and fast I have ridden. I like to know where I am at in my fitness. I take some satisfaction that I am riding at a higher average rate of speed now than I was 2 years ago. I belong to two clubs. A few weeks ago I rode with the B group of the faster club. It felt good that I could comfortably maintain a 17+ mph average for a 50 mile ride. I would not know this without a computer. While I enjoy this information, I dont stress over it.

I use the cyclocomputer to see my progress and to keep me pushing...I still smile while I ride.






My first Pie celebrating the first real ride on my N+1.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/iamender2/BluberryPIE.jpg


Brifter
A combination brake/shift lever, such as a (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html)Campagnolo (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ca-g.html#campagnolo) Ergo (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_e-f.html#ergo) or Shimano (http://sheldonbrown.com/shimano.html) S.T.I. (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_st-z.html#sti) unit. This term was coined by Bruce Frech.


Image of a Brifter

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://thelazyrando.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/igh-brifter.jpg?w=510&sa=X&ei=Sh-LT5euMaW62gXC8pTaCQ&ved=0CAwQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNGQxZNCkXkCqIMWx3jWDL8d8rx8Qg[/QUOTE]


MUP Multi-Use Pathway -- pedestrians, cyclists, runners.

fred (http://www.bicyclesource.com/bicycling_glossaryhttp://) 1) n. a person who spends a lot of money on his bike and clothing, but still can't ride. "What a fred -- too much Lycra and titanium and not enough skill." Synonym for poser (http://www.bicyclesource.com/bicycling_glossary#poser). Occasionally called a "barney".

2) n. a person who has a mishmash of old gear, does't care at all about technology or fashion, didn't race or follow racing, etc. Often identified by chainring marks on white calf socks. Used by "serious" roadies to disparage utility cyclists and touring riders, especially after these totally unfashionable "freds" drop the "serious" roadies on hills because the "serious" guys were really posers. This term is from road touring and, according to popular myth, "Fred" was a well-known grumpy old touring rider, who really was named Fred.

Troll (Internet) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll)

In Internet slang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_slang), a troll is someone who posts inflammatory,[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll#cite_note-1) extraneous (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/extraneous#Adjective), or off-topic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-topic) messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion) response[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll#cite_note-PCMAG_def-2) or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll#cite_note-IUKB_def-3) The noun troll may refer to the provocative message itself, as in: "That was an excellent troll you posted"...


N+1

Your bike +1. Regardless of the number of bikes you have, you need +1 more. When you get a new bike in a addition to the one you already have, the new one is the N+1.(someone correct me or elaborate if need be)