Cyclo-computer-heartrate monitor-ma-bob

[swampyseifer]

Hey all!

So, just wanted some ideas/opinions on my next possible purchase for the bike....

Seeing as I'm using the bike to mainly get fit and also, once I manage to handle going in straight-ish lines, for a fun pasttime...I was thinking of whether to get one of these cycle computer things so I could track speed/distance and whatnot (good for tracking my fitness progress). But also, I would like to know whether I can get ones that monitor heart rate?

I also know you can get apps for phones, I'm an Android user. Are there any viable options on there maybe?

Just thought it would be good to be able to see my speeds, distance, heart rate, calories burned...etc

 

[sabian92]

You can get ones that do that but it's more a GPS than a bike computer. Garmin do ones like the Edge 500 (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=36728&ra=true) but they're quite expensive. You need to buy the cadence sensor and the heart rate sensor as well.

 

[swampyseifer]

Thanks for the info...I did do some more googling after I posted this and I found that a company called Polar do quite a few models (cs 100 and cs200 seem to be the main ones), they're around £100-120 but lots of reviews say that the sensors are solid units...as in you cant open them to change the batteries, and they're wireless, so I dont suppose the sensors last that long!

I did read about the Cateye v3, which is supposed to be very good...the main downside is that you cannot upload your data to anything, which means I can view my riding stats while on the go but cant get home and look at graphs and stuff

I had nothing to do in particular for lunch so I walked from my office at Finsbury park round to an Evans Cycles, at Stroud Green. Typically I managed to get the worker that had never used cycle computers! He said that they didnt stock the Cateye v3. He did mention the Garmin range and said that I'd have to buy the HRM separate - and that the Garmins are more expensive.

He also suggested the Polar range...saying that originally the company dealt in just HRM, but its becoming more common these days to use them in conjunction with bikes...so they have quite a range to choose from.

 

[endoman]

Bryton 50 does all you ask. Cheaper than garmin. Very happy with mine.

 

[swampyseifer]

Bryton 50 does all you ask. Cheaper than garmin. Very happy with mine.

Certainly reads like it has all the gumpf that I want...just disturbed that I might actually have to spend more on the cycle computer than I did for the actual bike I'll be attaching it to!!

edit:
Just to say as well that I've noticed the Garmin Edge 200 nearly does what I want...it doesnt use a HRM but it can show calories burned...

 

[VamP]

Certainly reads like it has all the gumpf that I want...just disturbed that I might actually have to spend more on the cycle computer than I did for the actual bike I'll be attaching it to!!

edit:
Just to say as well that I've noticed the Garmin Edge 200 nearly does what I want...it doesnt use a HRM but it can show calories burned...

The calories will be a wild overestimate. Not worth bothering with.

Garmin Edge 500 does all you want and more, I just bought one today (the performance pack with HR and cadence sensors) for 155 squids from Halfords.

More here http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/calling-garmin-users.92043/

 

[swampyseifer]

Sounds good vamp...

I was chatting to the missus and she "insisted" I should "wait until after christmas because you never know, santa may have got your some halfords vouchers"...