help deciding on cyclocomputer

[Naku]

Hello, new member around here. My birthday is just coming up and im looking for a cyclocomputer all-in-one kind of thing, I want it with heart rate monitoring and cadence, i've read a lot over the internet but can not decide for one, either because of the reviews or that is just not what im looking for. So could someone please advice me about a reliable cyclocomputer with hrm and cad. My last choice is the garmin edge 305 but i didn't want to spend that much. thanks for any help.

 

[rschleicher]

I think the issue you will run up against is that the relatively lower cost cyclocomputers tend to offer either cadence OR heart-rate, but not both. They are basically two-sensor devices, and in addition to the basic speed sensing, you only get one additional sensor.

I looked pretty closely at offerings from Cateye, VDO, and Vetta, and I believe it was the case for all of those brands that you had to pick between cadence and HRM. (In my own situation I opted for a VDO unit with both wireless speed and wireless cadence, which I'm very happy with.)

Since you've already checked out Garmin, try looking at Polar, since they tend to sell higher-end computers. In fact, a quick scan at www.peformancebike.com (who have a broad range of computer and wrist-version products) shows a Polar CS200 model that claims to have speed, cadence, and heart-rate, all wireless, for about $160.

Of course, at that price, another option might be to get a less expensive speed/cadence computer to mount on your handlebar, plus a separate (and cheaper) HRM to wear on your wrist (since no matter what you do, something has to be worn for the heart-rate sensing). Total cost might be well under the do-it-all product.

 

[Bigbananabike]

Hi.

If you're just getting into roadcycling getting HRM & Cadence may be overkill.

Having had both I took the Polar S150 off my bike(I had both together) and stuck with my totally reliable Cateye Astrale8(I've imported and sold over 30 of them here in NZ) so I had Cadence/speed etc

I have a Polar CS200(the sensor had to be replaced too!) that has both HRM & Cadence that I was going to fit to another bike but I've not done that as for me - all I really want now is Cadence.
It's far more practical(unless you want to get into complicated stuff with HRM books/logs etc) that a HRM

My 2 cents worth. Paul

 

[Hoover F14]

Hello, new member around here. My birthday is just coming up and im looking for a cyclocomputer all-in-one kind of thing, I want it with heart rate monitoring and cadence, i've read a lot over the internet but can not decide for one, either because of the reviews or that is just not what im looking for. So could someone please advice me about a reliable cyclocomputer with hrm and cad. My last choice is the garmin edge 305 but i didn't want to spend that much. thanks for any help.

I would recommend spending the money and getting the Garmin edge 305, I just got mine about 3 weeks ago and IT ROCKS. Wireless speed/cadence/HRM, got rid of those nasty wires tangled up throughout the lower portion of the bike. All the toys it comes with provide excellent post ride stats. Most of the time the saying holds true, "you get what you pay for!" I really love the stem mount bracket, very easy to remove/clip on and operate even with winter gloves. the only down side, is when you step outside to ride you have to wait 1-5 minutes for satellite reception. You can customize multiple displays to your liking, like my first display is MPH/HR/Cad, second page, MPH/%grade/Elevation/ToT time. But over to the individual, I have it set this way because I hit alot of hills here in japan.

 

[Hoover F14]

Hello, new member around here. My birthday is just coming up and im looking for a cyclocomputer all-in-one kind of thing, I want it with heart rate monitoring and cadence, i've read a lot over the internet but can not decide for one, either because of the reviews or that is just not what im looking for. So could someone please advice me about a reliable cyclocomputer with hrm and cad. My last choice is the garmin edge 305 but i didn't want to spend that much. thanks for any help.

Another Note on Price. I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305 and Edge 305 from www.thetwistergroup.com they have the best prices and delivery was FAST! went through Nextag and Bizrate for price search, and they are highly recognized and reliable. Again, GREAT Prices!

 

[rschleicher]

Another Note on Price. I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305 and Edge 305 from www.thetwistergroup.com they have the best prices and delivery was FAST! went through Nextag and Bizrate for price search, and they are highly recognized and reliable. Again, GREAT Prices!

It's not necessarily what the original poster said they needed, but another cool thing about getting a GPS-equipped cyclocomputer is that you can post ride summaries, based on downloaded coordinates. I think I have seen somewhere that these can be combined with satellite imagery (such as from Google) to create visual ride descriptions and maps that can be shared with others. Yet another advantage is you get a lot of data on elevation changes, percent grade, etc., that some other cyclcomputers try to do by measuring barometric pressure changes (which have to be baselined at the start of each ride, and are subject to error caused by weather change during the course of a ride.

The GPS units like Garmin do sound like the ultimate to me, although in my own case I was too cheap and got a much more basic wireless speed and cadence unit. (Then again my bike is 27 years old, so I should probably be using one of those old mechanical bike odometers and paper and pencil, if I wanted to be consistent!)

 

[PinarelloRob]

Another Note on Price. I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305 and Edge 305 from www.thetwistergroup.com they have the best prices and delivery was FAST! went through Nextag and Bizrate for price search, and they are highly recognized and reliable. Again, GREAT Prices!

I'm trying to decide whether to get the Forerunner or the Edge. I've been looking all over to see if there are any significant differences aside from the barometric altimeter on the Edge and its larger screen. Have you found any other differences? What would you recommend?
Thanks in advance

 

[rwinthenorth]

Hello, new member around here. My birthday is just coming up and im looking for a cyclocomputer all-in-one kind of thing, I want it with heart rate monitoring and cadence, i've read a lot over the internet but can not decide for one, either because of the reviews or that is just not what im looking for. So could someone please advice me about a reliable cyclocomputer with hrm and cad. My last choice is the garmin edge 305 but i didn't want to spend that much. thanks for any help.

The Garmin Edge is great! I just used it today for the first time and love this thing. Also my birthday present from my wife. Geoman.com is a great place to buy from and rock bottom price and fast shipping if your in the U.S. Just my thought.

 

[jcthomasjr]

Hello, new member around here. My birthday is just coming up and im looking for a cyclocomputer all-in-one kind of thing, I want it with heart rate monitoring and cadence, i've read a lot over the internet but can not decide for one, either because of the reviews or that is just not what im looking for. So could someone please advice me about a reliable cyclocomputer with hrm and cad. My last choice is the garmin edge 305 but i didn't want to spend that much. thanks for any help.

I have owned Avocet, Cateye, and VDO computers and must say I like the Avocet and Cateye better than the VDO (which is my newest, most current, and most expensive). The VDO does not mount as securely and the face is scratched already. Both my Avocet (10+ years) and Cateye (5+ years) have had thousands of miles put on them and the Cateye is now on my Mountain bike while the Avocet finally gave in after an extremely hard fall.