HRM, cadence etc - much use if just really commuting

[samsbike]

You can tell I dont get out much, and I don't train.

Is there much use in the HRM and cadence features. I use strava on the phone its purely to record mileage and get a sense of my speed.

I dont do weekend rides or anything as I just dont have the time with the kids. My commute is about 36 miles rt, so after doing it a couple of times a week I am knackered.

Other than simply having the data, is there much use for it for someone like me? I cycle to lose weight (or not put it on and because I enjoy it.)

The reason I ask, is that I would like to venture further than the roads I know and with the chalfonts/ chilterns on my doorstep I really should and I am considering some sort of gps device.

thanks

PS I realise that it maybe that because I am asking the question, then thats the answer ie. no but would appreciate a more informed opinion.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Absolutely no point

 

[snorri]

You have enough stress with work and kids, why not just relax and enjoy the surroundings on your odd weekend ride without worrying if your heartbeat is slower/faster than the last time you were on that particular bit of road.
Would you really need gps? An Ordnance Survey paper contains more information and offers the bonus of a short rest every time you stop to unfold it for a look.

 

[fossyant]

Not much point, but cadence might be useful if you haven't a clue how fast/slow your are pedalling. Ideal cadence is 80-110 on the flat (big range).

 

[fossyant]

If you can't hit 80, then you are mashing it, and making life harder.

 

[ianrauk]

You don't need HRM or CadenceM to help lose weight by cycling.
Keep the cycling going, try to up the amount of days you are commuting (I commute 35 mile round trip 5 days a week) eat healthy and cut back on the booze. The weight will then drop off you like nobody's business,

If you want a GPS. Get a Garmin 200, plat a route/course on Bike Hike or RideWithGPS, upload to the Garmin and follow.

 

[rb58]

A simple bike computer does me these days. I do on't even bother with the GPS any more unless I'm heading into unknown parts. It's quite liberating - means I enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the ride without obsessing about the data.

 

[fossyant]

The Garmin 200 is great for commuting. I also have a 705, but use the 200 every day. Press go and forget it, as it records the data.

 

[HLaB]

I miss a decent clock on the 200, if it had one I'd say it was near perfect. The thermometer on other garmins is good too. When I worked in the city Id use the 200 but now I work in a town and have a long country commute I use the 800. I record hr but mainly as a nice to know but the cadence monitor is switched off.

 

[samsbike]

I think I just may get a mount for a cheap phone and a bigger battery pack. Does anyone know if the iphone 3gs works well as a gps device or do I need to have data ie. sim enabled?

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I think I just may get a mount for a cheap phone and a bigger battery pack. Does anyone know if the iphone 3gs works well as a gps device or do I need to have data ie. sim enabled?

I've never used my phone for GPS but I can't see it working as well as a GPS unit, after all, thats what a GPS unit's job is. Battery life on a phone would be a concern for me amongst other things. I'd miss my 800 if I rode without it. If you're thinking about buying a mount and another battery pack then instead just bite the bullet and buy a Garmin. You'll buy one eventually when you get sick of your phone dying anyway... save yourself some cash now .

 

[KneesUp]

Not much point, but cadence might be useful if you haven't a clue how fast/slow your are pedalling. Ideal cadence is 80-110 on the flat (big range).

I have sensors for this alone.

Knees hurt = too slow
Knees don't hurt = good
Feet feel like they might fly off - too fast

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I run a standard bike computer on the Sirrus, and one that does cadence on the Synapse. I have a Garmin Touring+ that swaps between the two and have recently added an HRM for that.

The Sirrus does the brunt of the commuting, the Synapse was the 'summer' Ride London bike and so I wanted more information while I was riding to train for that. At present I'm not set up to give HRM feedback on the go and I generally ignore the Cadence if I'm on the Synapse, I went through a phase of riding to 90 as much as possible, which did speed me up a bit (and probably helped weight loss and all of that) but I'm not so diligent now.

I like collecting the data, I look to see where I was on the HRM when I upload to MapMyRide and it's nice to see the miles tot up. I'm not bothered about beating my times, but it's interesting to see how much slower I was on a particular day (or be surprised that I was quick).

All of the data does nothing to add to my commute, nor to the route choice of my leisure riding, it's all post ride stuff. If you are doing the odd ride out at the weekend, then maps (OS or print out some pages, www.streetview.co.uk is OS maps at the right zoom level) are sufficient, although having the GPS to assist is nice if you live somewhere with a lot of wiggly lanes (yay for Kent). If you don't mind getting lost the first few times, you'll work out routes you can follow quickly enough though.

 

[samsbike]

Cheers, for that. I did have a bryton 50 or something but I dont really get the time to analyse my data post ride so never collected it.

I am intrigued that you got the touring version that does HRM, as I cant understand why someone touring would want to measure HR, cadence yes but not HRM. I guess its just data to analyse.

 

[John the Monkey]

Not much point, but cadence might be useful if you haven't a clue how fast/slow your are pedalling. Ideal cadence is 80-110 on the flat (big range).

I've not missed it since my sensor broke on the LHT, but for me, cadence was a good (additional) indicator of whether I was struggling in a particular week (or not).

As for HRM, it would depend on the length of your commute, and how amenable it is to maintaining zones - I can't imagine doing zone 2 training on my commute (f'rinstance) but the op might have a longer, less frantic route with fewer idiot motorists.

As for phones, they're probably reasonably suited to a commuting length GPS task - battery life would be less of an issue, although you'd still have to watch the heat build up and weatherproofing. You could well find that you're a long way to the cost of a dedicated GPS once you've added in battery packs, extra sensors and a robust and weatherproof bar/stem mount. GPS accuracy is often touted, but most of the folk who've actually tested (whose articles I've seen) don't see enough of a difference for it to be a factor.

For me, the crucial factors were mounting a phone securely to the bike (and weatherproofing it) and heat build up - I bought a Garmin 800, and love it to bits, although it's used for more than commuting. If you're looking for a device to enable you to follow routes, the 800 works great for me.