So there maybe a better section for this post but couldn't find it. My question to you all...I'm too the point where I ready to get some centuries/super centuries under my belt. Should I invest in a bike computer to give me cadence/hr? why are they important. Thanks in advance.

nope. enjoy the scenery

If you've gotten to this point without them why would you need them now?

Also you might clarify what it means to be to that point.

I'm to the point where I would like to effectively train for some upcoming rides and really do well. Hope that helps.

cadence is huge at first, then you know it by feel.

HR is best when logged in sync with gps location so you can see what the terrain and speed was doing to you. HR with no logging is not that useful unless your doc has told you to keep it under some number. your body knows when too much is too much and stuff starts shutting down, so you don't need it for that.

you can attempt to train based on HR but it isn't that effective because it can lag the effort considerably. riding based on power is best, but second best isn't HR-- it's perceived effort.

I got a Garmin 500 with HR and Cadence for Christmas and I like having the information on the screen and even more so to be able to go over the numbers after the ride.

I don't have cadence on my computer, but used to count it, so I am somehow aware what is my RPM. The HRM monitor was a big deal to me, because it is clear when I am being lazy. Sometimes going downhill my speed/cadence is not bad, but if my HR is low - thus I know I can do better.

Cadence sensor will help you to keep your knees healthy. Cadence of 80-100 RPM is considered efficient, but someone can argue with it.

Also, if you are going to do centuries, and maybe (I hope not) you have a heart condition, the HR will help you to figure out if you are working too much. I know a person who quit a triathlon race on the bike course because his HRM was off the charts. He was severely dehydrated, but did not feel a thing.

It is not the most important thing on a century ride though. If you have everything else, then why not. There are more important things for the centuries, like proper fit, comfortable clothes and shoes, nutrition-hydration, etc... To have a HRM/Cadence computer is nice, but you can do it without it. Good luck

If you have got this far without one and have to ask what the point is then I guess you dont need one. Having said that, computers do keep an excellent record of what you have done and what training it took to get there (for future reference) In that way, if you want to get to the same condition next year the files will will show you what it took so maybe there is training benefit there.

The only time my HR monitor actually helped me was a few years ago when I did 115 miles at firm effort on a 105 degree day. I was 80 miles in, riding into a solid headwind on a false flat section and started to feel cold. I felt fine and thought nothing of it, a few minutes later I got the shivers and it occurred to me that I shouldnt feel cold on a 105 degree day. looked down at my HR and it was ticking along nicely at 210 bpm. Thats well off the scale for me so I stopped and it didnt come down until I poured a bottle of water over my head. A few minutes rest and all was good. Without the HR monitor I may have ignored the feeling and carried on - which could have ended badly.

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thanks folks all good advice.

I would definately do a cadence unit, I have a heartrate function but I haven't figured out how to "use it " correctly. I've been riding nearly 40 years without one an am know myself pretty well and don't race anymore.

The very best riders run thier rpm over 100. 90 rpm while good is an older std. I've done both and find the higher rpm more efficient and easier on my knees. I do exercizes where I ride using only one pedal to improve my "stroke" and were I try to improve the maximum rpm, (not to hold it but just to get there), to make my muscles "fire" more efficiently. In years where I have a "goal" I like to be able to do over 160 rpm on the bike and over 200 on the trainer. "Eddy B." required U.S. team members to be able to hit 300 rpm. and they won
olympic gold

Wow, that's some of the coolest info that I've ever accidentally come across. Seriously.

If you're doing these centuries as races I believe Cad/HR monitoring can help you to ride them more efficiëntly and to learn to spread your effort better.
Once you figured out your own personal lactate threshold and your own personal optimal cadence, obviously.

I am all for having both if you can't afford power. I track my CAD and HR on all my rides. For me perceived effort a lot of time does not match what my HR actually is saying so for me perceived effort is misleading.

HR is handy to show how hard I am actually going on a ride as well as showing me days when I need to take a rest. HR will be high with only minor pedaling effort on days where my body needs a rest. Same when sick sometimes. If I am not feeling well but head out for an easy ride anyway my HR may be up in the 140-150 despite no real effort. This tells me that my body is not well. Also, if eating poorly the results will sometimes show in my HR for a ride.

Cadence is easier for me to judge but I still rely heavily on my cadence meter to keep focused and going hard on my ride.

If you're just riding to have fun and for pleasure, you really don't need either. If you're training and want to improve as a rider, get faster, start racing, etc., then it will benefit your training.


But be ware, once you get it, there's no turning back. You won't want to ride without it anymore.

Determining your lactate threshold heart rate, i.e. the point at which your efforts become anaerobic, is a very valuable piece of information for pacing your efforts.

Not needed but can be useful. It somewhat depends on how athletic one is and how aware one is about their body during activity. Cadence can be really useful as a new cyclist who does not have a good sense of rhythm/RPM yet. An easy inexpensive solution for cadence is to use Sheldon Brown's gear calculators to display and print the matrix of speeds in each gear at a given cadence. For instance one inputs their bike/gear details and displays results of what speed one is traveling in each gear at a cadence of 90 or 100RPM (or other). Print out the small matrix and tape it to your top tube so you can look periodically for reference.

Frankly, after a fair amount of riding one usually gets a good "feel" for cadence as well as the speed/gearing choices to maintain optimal rpm. Saves on a comp if one is just a rec cyclist.

Heart rate is a fun metric to use for later analysis but not at all necessary and can be inaccurate and distracting on a ride. Same applies for "having good feel" about one's heart rate as well. The more one rides the more familiar with the body one gets which can render cadence and HR mapping fun but unnecessary. Not really worth the expense as a "must" IMO but fun data if desired. Where that changes is when one is using an all in one comp that can overlay all the data (rpm/speed/HR/elevation/PWR/map). Still just a fun tool to play with/at for most of us though...

I've found that an HRM can be useful on longer rides so that I don't go too hard out of the gate. I have a habit after the first 10 - 15 files to really start pounding and if I'm doing a century, it makes the final 20 miles a suffer-fest. Yesterday I did a 62 mile organized ride and averaged 79%, with a high of 92%. There were a few times in the first half of the ride that I found myself maintaining 85 - 90% and would back off a bit. I thought it helped me to finish the ride stronger.

As far as cadence is concerned, I have cadence on one of my bikes. I always felt that my cadence was in the 80 - 90 range and the computer confirmed it. I don't miss having cadence on my second bike and rarely look at it on my first anymore. Having said that, it was helpful for me to confirm that I was in the right range.

Heart rate and cadence monitors are very poor investments. However, they can be good adjuncts to a systematic training plan in improving performance. It's a bit involved so the best thing to do is to get a decent book on the subject. There are many good ones. Some of suggestions:

The Time Crunched Cyclists. Chris Carmichael
The Cyclist's Training Bible. Joe Friel
Cycling Past 50. Joe Friel

Same problem here. I use pace, though. HR is fine early on for me, either way, but if I burn too many matches early in a ride I really suffer.

They are a valuable tool in training for me. Once you know your max. sustainable HR, you can know what HR to maintain in order to finish strong. Cadence is another tool that for me I continually check on as its easy for me to be a little slower than I need to be and when I check myself and increase the cadence I feel better and usually pick up a little speed too. One other benefit is being able to post my rides on line and compare routes and performances with what I have eaten before and during the ride. There are others too.
Good luck

Whats a super century?

I use my HRM for training but often leave it at home for events.