SJX426 

I have always wondered about speed. So yeah I have wanted to know.
Today I have multiple sensors of speed and two for cadence so I don't have to move them. The head unit was given to me 2 years ago by my youngest daughter, Wahoo Roam. Big enough to read comparted to the Bolt at the time. Records are kept on Ride with GPS. I like to know how many miles I put on a specific bike.
The driver is to understand or validate how I feel on a ride. I push, always have always will. I don't ride enough. I would like to be able to be capable of doing a century and keeping states helps me know what condition I am in. The best days were in my 20's where the limit was unknown and hills were fun. Not so much anymore. I would like to get a hint of the same experience
in 2017 I did nearly 4K miles commuting and lost 20lbs. That is now the base line. I need to know how far off I am. Or more positively, how close!
I do watch my cadence and the now the Varia for cars. The rest is a byproduct of interesting info but not goal measurement.

rsbob 

^ Varia to notify and track the number and closing speed of vehicles is the best invention since - uh - inventions were made 🤣. I especially like the new, “all clear” tone as well. It makes cycling so much more enjoyable. Of course there are always mirrors.

_ForceD_

I don’t log fitness performance stats, but I do log my mileage. I can give you my lifetime/annual/monthly/weekly distance on any given day (and number of rides). I’ve been keeping a written log for about 35 of my 40 riding years (it includes swimming and running mileage too). These days I use GPS and Strava, but I still make a written log entry. I do have a wired computer on my handlebars just so I have a mid-ride idea as to how far I’ve gone. Otherwise…I like uncluttered handlebars, and I don’t look at anything until I’m finished and put it in the log.


Dan

Inusuit

I like to know how fast I'm going and how many miles. Logging mileage is something of a motivator. Sometimes I don't want to get further from home than my fitness ability to get back.

I-Like-To-Bike

Not necessarily misinterpreting but rather assuming that bicycle riding enjoyment requires either monitoring data or sight seeing, or both. Bicycle riding can be fun because it is fun, even without data, pictures or scenery. Even riding to work or for picking up groceries can be enjoyed for the pleasure of bicycle riding.

AlgarveCycling

My wife used to enjoy her commute in Amsterdam and the trips to the grocery store. I bought her an e-bike that is very similar to the bike she had in Amsterdam to get around here - it is quite hilly - and she loves it. Just for the joy of pedalling around, taking in the fresh air. I sometimes join her and we ride to one of the beach bars to view the ocean with a drink and then ride home.

She doesn't ride to get fit, she only rides for the sheer joy of it. I on the other hand, get my kicks from racing and that requires training, which I also enjoy and I find data collection of my performance helps me achieve my training goals. When I do a longer recovery ride, I will often do a photography tour and take pictures as I go. Cycling is indeed fun in many forms.

Terex

No need to justify what you enjoy doing or criticize what others enjoy. Like I-Like-To-Bike said above, just ride in a manner that provides the most enjoyment to you. I've never seen a post by someone who rides a lot at a high level using all the latest and greatest gadgets and gear criticize the habits or equipment or anyone who likes to just go out and spin the wheels.

caloso

Well said.

rob214

I do both, sometimes I want to know everything and sometimes I just fo for a ride

CAT7RDR

Keep track of miles on my Cateye. I map and figure out the elevation gained after the ride.
That's it for me.

Chuck M 

I guess if I really think about it, I kind of want to know but don't really care. I do like to see how far I've rode and while I monitor heart rate and cadence, I really don't do anything with it.

But I do wish I would have had access to some of these toys in the late 70s and early 80s. I'd love to know what kind of miles I was doing when I was 16 or 17 and rode 10 to 12 hours a day every summer.

Carbonfiberboy 

I've been riding with Garmins since 2009 IIRC. I upload to RWGPS, Strava, and TrainingPeaks (TP). I care about training stress more than any other metric and TP calculates that for me, Training stress is sort of time X effort, so I care about both time on the bike and how hard I'm pushing. Distance doesn't matter so much. I try for about 8 hours a week. My goal is to keep riding the routes I've been riding for the past 25 years even though I'm a bit slower now. I monitor everything so I can better see how close to my limit I'm working which has to do with being able to keep at it. I know the time will come when I won't be able to do everything I like to do, but that time is not now and I'm going to keep pushing it off into the future for as long as I can.

Lakerat

I don't like to carry anything extra on my bike. I wish I didn't have to carry tire repair supplies. My son gave me a cateye for my birthday and I reluctantly rode it long enough to show appreciation, but no more. I cut the labels out of my togs. I'm a seat of the pants sportsman and like to develop my senses of judgement. I do the same a sailboat racing skipper. I race on a lake I've lived on for all my 67 years and rely on my memories of position on the water and wind direction. I keep no records of bike rides or sailboat races but am aware it could be beneficial.

indyfabz

I only pay close attention to mileage when I tour. Cuts down on the chance of getting lost. And sometimes you need to arrive at a place like a store before it closes or you won’t be having a real dinner. But some days it doesn’t matter. I’ve done 50+ mile days with only a couple of turns. I can still remember that many.

caloso

This.

Clyde1820

With cycling, that's how I approach it.

With running, back in the day, that's how I started. Got the mileage in, then worried about performance increases only after I'd "proven" myself at a given distance. Then I began breaking the route into chunks that were manageable, then ensuring I performed as best as possible over that given section. Say, hills at a certain speed, or recovery for half the flats at a race's mid-point, etc. But, most of my "base" training, whether for running or cycling, was essentially just getting the mileage in ... just doing the work. Performance would eventually come, if I were training well enough, if I got strong enough, if my sleep/diet was sufficiently nutritive, etc.

We used to think of the training in this way: get a good base ... always a good base first ... then refine the "little" parts (hills, sprints, flats, drafting, whatever).

Side benefit has always been: it's easier to "smell the roses" on a run or ride, that way. Takes longer to improve, but IMO the gains are more strongly held and last longer.

andrewclaus

I have an old digital odometer but rarely use the trip or pace meter. It's more for maintenance reasons and the clock. I can't imagine spending more for a bike GPS device than I spent on the bike. My last several bikes I've gotten used or salvaged for $100 or less.

The benchmark I like to pay attention to is total elevation gain, since I love cycling in mountainous terrain and that satisfies my need to brag. I get that info from Google Maps. I'm not a fast climber though so I just ignore the dismal pace reading on the odometer.

I like to do a century every year, and I like to cycle my age at least once every week or so, so I try to remember to reset the trip meter for that.

caloso

GPS computer for $85. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QRYVD8Z/ref=emc_b_5_t

beicster 

I go back and forth. Sometimes I like to know and sometimes I don't. Here lately, I have not been tracking anything on the bike.

However, I do have a Fitbit that tracks my steps, heart rate, etc. Since we get points for free stuff at work, I like to track my steps. I find it interesting to know how many miles I've hiked, etc. I suppose when/if I leave my current employer, I will have to decide if I want to keep it up.

caloso

I think if I ever reported all of my exercise to my employer, they'd wonder if I'm actually working a full day.

jackb

Congratulations, Random11. You've got the key to cycling for pleasure: enjoying the ride without any reference to numbers. I have a basic cycle computer on my road bike but generally just look at total distance for a ride simply to see how far I went or if I am heading toward a known destination to see how far I have left to go. My mountain bike is computer-free as is my single speed. touri9ng bike has a a basic cycle computer, but I don't tour much these days.

Wildwood 

I don't want to know.

But since I never knew, it was open-ended.

Closed the case.

248 watts averaged for 60 indoor minutes.

Now I know. That and $3 will get 'ya a cup of coffee.

Life is good. Roll on.

Biker395 

I don't keep track of much.

My kids got me an Apple Watch, primarily for the "I've fallen and I can't get up" feature. It keeps track of heart rate, distance, time, average speed, elevation, and all that. It all gets recorded, but I don't stress about it. I've nothing on any of my bike handlebars.

Some days I feel good and ride hard, and some days, I'm just not feeling it and I may well turn around and go home. One of the advantages in doing this for fun instead of for a living is that we get to do it on our own terms.

ofajen

The only tech i use on rides is a bell (and lights when it’s dark.). I’ve basically ridden single speed the last two years, so the bike lets me know where I stand as far as fitness.

Otto

Richard Cranium

I'm still logging info - but my only real concern is going slow enough to avoid triggering Afib......