Cyclocross - Computer on your race bike?

I just picked up a Garmin 500 to train with and swap between my 3 bikes. I don't have a "training" vs. "race" bike for CX; only 1 for both, so I'll have the sensor on the bike already, but is there any benefit to having a computer running during a race for "in race" stats? Or would you consider it mainly to be a post-race analysis tool, checking lap times and HR graphs?
Or would you suggest forgetting about it and just go all out, eff-all to my numbers (which is what I did last season.)

Lap times are the best post-race metric there is, because they tell you how well you paced yourself. You might be surprised at how slow your second-to-last lap is, compared with the rest.

It doesn't hurt to have an elapsed time within view, although it's moot after lap cards start getting shown. Just gotta remember to set it to 0:00 while lining up.

Stuff like MPH, power, heart rate, etc, is pretty much useless during the race.

I don't see any good reason not to race with the Garmin, unless you feel that it somehow psyches you out or whatever.

This a record and download later kind of kit?

seems to me the race should get all your attention and effort,

then monday you can pick the effort apart.

Probably really need a coaching person to watch and comment, not a gadget.

but heck, Im just an old Tourist ..

Lap times are the best post-race metric there is, because they tell you how well you paced yourself. You might be surprised at how slow your second-to-last lap is, compared with the rest.

Stuff like MPH, power, heart rate, etc, is pretty much useless during the race.



seems to me the race should get all your attention and effort,

then monday you can pick the effort apart.

That's sort of what I was thinking. Good post-race analysis tool, but fairly useless during the event because who's got time to look at their computer during a race? If you're that far off the front, quit sandbagging. If you're that far off the back, concentrate on riding harder, not farting around with your computer.


Probably really need a coaching person to watch and comment, not a gadget.
I'm a beer-class hero with midpack Cat-3 aspirations. My coaching people are my teammates who are faster than me. The Garmin is a nice training tool to quantify my commutes and my "training" rides, but I race mostly for fun and I'm not serious enough to spend money on a coach.

If you have it then use it but I wouldn't buy one specifically for cross. I'm lucky that our race series uses chips on our helmets so I get lap splits after the race.

Also, save the GPS data for the following year for some pre-race virtual recon.

If you have it then use it but I wouldn't buy one specifically for cross. I'm lucky that our race series uses chips on our helmets so I get lap splits after the race.

Also, save the GPS data for the following year for some pre-race virtual recon.

It will get used on the CX bike, but I bought it to swap between multiple bikes and upload the data for automatic compilation since I'm pretty much a slacker when it comes to recording individual data to a spreadsheet from 4 different devices (3 computers, 1 HRM).

One series here uses RFID helmet tags, one is just traditional clock & judge, but both list lap splits (IIRC).

I have found both heart rate and lap times to be valuable information to examine after the race is over and again after the season is over but I've never been able to pay much attention to the computer while racing: I'm too far into the stupid zone during most races.
Brent

if you're tracking your stats at a CX race you're doing it wrong. gotta get that KOM on the run-up!