Andyz

Getting my new CAAD next week and been looking at computers. We started a discussion in the CAAD thread but didn't want to hijack it completely.

Has anyone been able to use a very simple Cateye for cadence and speed and then use an iPhone app to get all the map tracking etc? Does that setup work successfully?

That seems a lot cheaper than getting a Garmin 500 bundle which gets you all the stats (plus more which I probably would not use) as well as the map and sharing functionality? It seems like the Garmin needs a phone connection anyway so I guess wondering if there is a real benefit to having the Garmin over a much more simpler (and cheaper) computer. The Garmin 500 seems very popular but even on eBay the bundles aren't that cheap.

Bacciagalupe

For short rides, you can use a smartphone. On longer rides, you'll drain the battery after a few hours. In comparison, a Garmin 500 will run for 12-15 hours.

The Garmin doesn't use a phone connection. It records your locations, and you download it to a computer, which puts it on a map.

seymour1910

with the release of the 510, you may be able to find a decent deal on a 500....but I personally think you will be fine with a cateye. the 500 will not give you turn-by-turn directions. if that's what you're looking for you have to go higher.

mkadam68

iPhone can get regular rides of 4+ hours, easy (mine is 4S--use it with WiFi turned off increases battery). I've gotten 6+. But, you do have to turn it on/off to maximize battery life

That said,

• Garmin is always on display,
• don't have to worry about it- turn it on & forget
• Uploads to lots of sites (most? all?). Some apps are proprietary & don't play nice with others
• I use Cyclemeter, but am not a big fan of it. Strava has nicer UI.
• Gloves don't play nice with touch screens, though there are solutions.
• Garmin does power and HR/cadence without having to get a BlueTooth dongle.

99Klein 

Why not just get a 200?

seymour1910

he wants cadence....I have the 200 because that was not important to me....I love my 200

Gatorfreak

I have an android phone, with external battery pack (for long rides) that is contained in a small water proof bag. I use Zephyr HxM for my HRM. Strava logs my rides with the HR data. It doesn't include my cadence but I don't really care about that. I also have a standard bike computer with speed and cadence so I can look and see that info while I'm riding. I don't keep the phone's display on.

For navigation I use Osmand. You can map your route on RideWithGPS.com, download a gpx file, put it on your phone and Osmand will give you voice navigation to follow the route. It's a little flaky sometimes though.

So yes, you absolutely can do it. However, if I had the money to burn I'd get a Garmin 800.

TrojanHorse

I used to use a cateye and used my phone for tracking, but phone GPS seems to be a lot flakier than garmin GPS and a few times, I'd pull my phone out to check something and it would be totally dead. I like having my phone available for emergency use and my garmin on all the time, but that's me. I got lucky and found a garmin 500 bundle for under $230 last year, I imagine that it'll be easier to find a bargain now that the 510 is out. Go look at somebody's ride data when they used an iphone and the track usually looks wonky.

FWIW, the edge 500 works really, really well at what it does.

Andyz

Yeah, I'm scouring eBay looking for a deal on a bundle. So you don't think the incremental functions of the 510 are worth it? I thought things like live tracking would be cool but perhaps Strava and others give you that anyway. Some reviews also found the color screen to be harder to read in sunlight.

terrymorse 

It will be hard to find a bargain price on the 500, or any other Garmin bike model, as Garmin has established a minimum retail price and threatens to cut off any dealer who sells below that price.

This type of price fixing used to be illegal in the USA, but in 2007 the Supreme Court struck down a 100-year precedent and ruled that it sometimes was okay to price fix. The Bush administration successfully argued that price fixing was sometimes good for consumers. Elections have consequences.

wjclint

Cateye is coming out with a GPS enabled computer soon - the CatEye Stealth 50. I have seen comments that it will be out in March and you can find it advertised already for $135, so pretty cheap. So if you are the early adopter type that is another option coming up.

RedNose44

I love my 500. I have mounts on both of my road bikes, and also on my hybrid. The battery life is very good, and you can use the garmin site to track your rides.

Andyz

Wow for $135 that's a really good entry price for GPS. Wonder if the various sites like Strava will support.

YOJiMBO20

I currently use a Cateye to display current speed, cadence, and all that good stuff.

I do want to get a Garmin to be able to save my phone battery. And that's exactly how I'm going to propose the idea to my wife.

jwible

Just bought a 510. If you don't train with power I don't really see the need for anything like a 510 or similar. The whole beauty for me on the 510 is what it offers while training with power in terms of metrics on the fly and also the ability to link with a phone. The big phone thing I like is that my wife can trace me or see where I've ridden as long as I have the phone and 510 paired. Great peace of mind and safety net -- as long as I ride where there is phone service.

The power features such as showing some previously unavailable metrics while riding is great as far as I'm concerned. Phones don't do that and I don't want a phone screen on for 3+ hours at a time. If I need directions I'll turn to the phone or ask someone.

TrojanHorse

As for live tracking, you can get an app for any smart phone out there that will do the same thing (I use Life360 but there are tons) and yes, I got it precisely to allay my wife's concerns when I disappear for 6-8 hours on the bike.

The 500/510 also do HR & Cadence, if you value those, and it does rudimentary turn by turn directions (you have to set it up on a computer ahead of time - i typically only do it for really long rides where I"m not completely familiar with the route, like a new century or something.). It works reasonably well for that.

I personally couldn't care less about wifi uploading or live tracking but I can see how that would be appealing to somebody who doesn't own either one.

carl_h

Garmin, hands down

billydonn

+1

Bacciagalupe

I don't train with power, and I do well with a 500. I like the turn-by-turn data, mapping out my routes, customizing the display, and so forth.

Andyz

Has anyone used the Wahoo RFLKT device? If you always have an iphone on you, this may be a good idea.

terrymorse 

What kind of navigation assistance can you get on the 500? The 800 allows you to display maps, load courses, and get turn-by-turn directions, very much like an in-car Garmin. Is there anything on the 500 that does something similar?

TrojanHorse

You have to preload your course - there's no interactive feature that allows you to do it while riding (you need a computer). So.... for all that, it's useful on a long ride through unfamiliar terrain. You get a little page with a cue sheet (R in 1.1 mi, L in 2.5 mi) etc, and you can see a bad LCD rendition of your overall upcoming track (kind of like playing snake on an old nokia phone) but again, it's very helpful when you're on unfamiliar ground.

It's not pretty though.