what cycling computer to get?

[Tourista829]

I agree with Paddleboy17, I like knowing my cadence. When it is at the end of the day, and my cadence drops to 60, I drop down a gear or two and protect my knees and keep on going. An average cadence of 80 is good and climb cadence between 90-110.
If I may make a suggestion about knowing your temperature when cycling. INCREDIBELL THERMOBELL
http://www.mirrycle.com/thermobell.php I like this site because they have a good selection of bells and you can actually hear the sound of every bell they have. Some may say, a bell, who cares, but bells do come in handy and the THERMOBELL will accomplish two functions. If you don't have room, on your handlebar, you could use a Minoura Lt-50 or swing grip extender. As mentioned before, I like Cat-Eye but wish the Strada Cadence came with a back light. Is there a CAT-EYE trip computer with cadence that has a back light?There are times, I start very early to beat the heat and would like to view my trip computer. 

[staehpj1]

I agree with Paddleboy17, I like knowing my cadence.

Just another perspective on that...  I find it kind of like my heart rate monitor.  It was interesting for a few weeks and then I pretty much knew what each heart rate felt like.  Similarly I can pretty closely guess my cadence.  I do use it sometimes on my road bike, but I don't think I have ever bothered to switch to a mode that displays cadence when on tour.

So if you use a cadence meter religiously when training or performance riding you may like one on your touring bike too, otherwise there is a good chance you may not wind up using it much or at all

[10speed]

     Cadence? not really something I have ever cared about personally, could take or leave it.   
     Two Bikes? no, a feature I do not want. Would prob end in me getting way confused.

At some point in your life you are going to want have cadence.  Cadence is your guide to when you are cranking in an efficient zone.  A cadence of less than 80 and you are abusing your knees.  A cadence of more than 99, and you probably need to change gears.  When you are young, you probably don't care what kind of abuse you subject your knees to, but at some point you will care.

I'm 26 years old, I ride a 1x7 in town with 26" tires with a 46 ring. Also I ride SS mountain bikes. I never spin above 60 rpm...

[whittierider]

I find it kind of like my heart rate monitor.  It was interesting for a few weeks and then I pretty much knew what each heart rate felt like.  Similarly I can pretty closely guess my cadence.

+1, on both the HRM and the cadence.  I've never had a computer with cadence, but being strong in math, I can quickly calculate between gear, mph, and cadence-- not that I do it on the bike, but it's easy to do it at my desk and remember key match-ups of gears and speeds.

I'm 26 years old, I ride a 1x7 in town with 26" tires with a 46 ring.  Also I ride SS mountain bikes.  I never spin above 60 rpm...

Ahem-- 60 is not spinning.  I strongly recommend getting that up.  Otherwise you'll have more muscle soreness on (and after) long rides, you'll never have much power, and your knees will suffer as you get older.  I used to maintain twice that cadence (120rpm) for 100-mile rides, but riding the tandem with my wife put an end to that.  I still feel very lugged down if I get under 100 or so though, unless I'm climbing.  (The pedaling dynamics change when you climb.)  Many people find that when they train to increase their natural cadence, it opens up a whole new world to them.

[waynemyer]

Does anyone know of a wired unit with cadence, temp, backlight, and overall average/moving average?

[Tourista829]

Come to think of it, possibly Polar Electro, who make the heart rate monitors. I think it is the CS 200cad. $189.95. www.polarusa.com.

[rvklassen]

after 5 minutes on the Cateye website, armed with all the input you guys provided I think the Enduro 8 or Strada will be best for me. They have the same functions but the Enduro 8 is marketed to be more durable. I do think temp would have been a useful/novelty function but only comes on the crazy computers. Either way I'll figure it out.

Thanks Guys.

We had temperature on whatever computer I took off the tandem in frustration this summer.  It was entertaining, and at some point I had planned on calibrating it.  I'm sure there was a relationship between the readout and the temperature.  I just don't yet know what it was...

[DaveB]

[We had temperature on whatever computer I took off the tandem in frustration this summer.  It was entertaining, and at some point I had planned on calibrating it.  I'm sure there was a relationship between the readout and the temperature.  I just don't yet know what it was...

I don't see how a cyclometer can give an accurate temperature.  If it sits in the sun, the case will heat up and give an erroneously high reading. 

[litespeed]

I've always used Cateye Mity. Aside from occasionally having to clean the contacts with my penknife they have worked fine for me. I use the odometer to keep track of my trip. Every night I mark the total mileage in my road atlas right at my location on the map.

[Pat Lamb]

FWIW, I've got Cateye Astrales on my bikes. 

Never had a problem with a leak on a Cateye.  Maybe there are other brands that can say the same, but once I found Cateye really knows how to keep the water out, my brand pilgramage stopped.  Sometimes the contacts short out in heavy rains, but this can be mitigated with Vaseline or Chapstick on the contacts.

Cadence, useful two ways.  First, make sure you're not busting your knees by keeping the cadence up, especially as the day wears on and the road turns up.  Second, set the display to cadence and distance.  One is meaningless (except as noted above), the other is useful for following directions but changes so slowly you don't watch it.  Seeing my speed while riding was usually depressing, and I could always check the max speed later after a downhill -- it takes too much concentration to stay up and on the road when you're over 35 mph to watch the speed display.  That gives you a chance to see the scenery, and watch for traffic, since the electronic gadget isn't really all that interesting.

Wired, so there's only one battery to worry about, and it'll usually last me 18-24 months.

[pptouring]

To heck with all the HR & Cadence monitor crap if you're touring!! It's fine if your training for races, but touring? Go buy a small GPS unit and mount it on your handlebar and enjoy the ride. On my Merlin I have a Polar 720i with all the bells and whistles and it's awesome, but on my NorWester Tour, I have a Garmin HCx Vista and I'm cool with that. Enjoy the tour! 

[staehpj1]

Go buy a small GPS unit and mount it on your handlebar and enjoy the ride. On my Merlin I have a Polar 720i with all the bells and whistles and it's awesome, but on my NorWester Tour, I have a Garmin HCx Vista and I'm cool with that. Enjoy the tour! 

Different strokes, but I'd rather not use something that battery hungry.  It would take about 60 AA batteries (give or take) to do the Trans America.  My Cateye still has the original batteries in it after 3 years including the TA and two other fairly major tours.

[pptouring]

Go buy a small GPS unit and mount it on your handlebar and enjoy the ride. On my Merlin I have a Polar 720i with all the bells and whistles and it's awesome, but on my NorWester Tour, I have a Garmin HCx Vista and I'm cool with that. Enjoy the tour! 

Different strokes, but I'd rather not use something that battery hungry.  It would take about 60 AA batteries (give or take) to do the Trans America.  My Cateye still has the original batteries in it after 3 years including the TA and two other fairly major tours.

Hahaa! Not if you have one of these bad buys eWerk by Busch & Mueller mounted on your bike. 

... but you're right, they [GPS] will go through some batteries!

[DaveB]

Sometimes the contacts short out in heavy rains, but this can be mitigated with Vaseline or Chapstick on the contacts.

The best thing for this problem is silicone grease and you can get it at almost any hardware store  or home center with a plumbing department.  I have a 1/2 oz plastic container that will last for years.  Like the old Brylcream ad, "A little dab will do ya."

[paddleboy17]

I'm 26 years old, I ride a 1x7 in town with 26" tires with a 46 ring. Also I ride SS mountain bikes. I never spin above 60 rpm...

Please check back with us in 10 years and let us know if you can still walk.

If I put my engineer's hat on for a second (my wife wonders if I take that hat off)...

As an engine, your body is capable of producing torque in a pretty narrow band.  You bike has all those gear combinations to allow you to ride in a broad range of conditions, despite your bodies pathetic torque output.  At your age, you body will tolerate all sorts of abuse that you will someday regret putting your body through.  It really is in your best interest to develop a riding style with a higher cadience.

Yes you can learn what good cadience feel like, but you should check you cadience periodically anyways so that you can remind yourself.  It is sort of like driving a car.  We all think we know what driving at 35MPH and 45MPH feel like, but you still need to check the speedometer once a while anyways.