I was hanging out at my LBS tonight and was told about this:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&pID=36728

Besides the GPS data it collects, it's got ANT+, altimeter, temperature, auto-lap, more conventional stuff, etc. What I gathered was that it'll do everything besides display a map.

I don't want one, just like I didn't want the map-enabled devices (I simply prefer speedometers/computers that last for months on a battery instead of a few hours). It kinda looks like a viable training device, though, at least for riders who want to keep track of where they rode once they return home.

That's fine if you're a pro cyclist (or a wannabee) who cares about performance data. If you're just trying to figure out where to go, or perhaps where you are, you're much better off with a Garmin eTrex: tells you what you want to know and costs a whole lot less

It's a great concept for folks who just want to see where they've been. For routing, a plane old map probably works just us well. The ability to see where you've been (especially if you ride with others) is great.

But ... I think these devices are much better for roads than mountain bikes. They calculate speed based on tracking net position changes. So you could ride around in a circle at 7mph. Hard turn are pretty frequent when you mountain bike. So are elevation changes which are really important to calculating distance travelled. Here again the GPS is at a distinct disadvantage. A hillside may have a bowl shape but all the GPS unit will see are the points you have actually been with a sharp joint at every measuring point.

Would those be defined as "smoke breaks"?