If rider A rides 30kph toward rider B who is riding 22kmp, at what time with they lay down The V?
I think the most exciting Christmas present I ever received as a child was an Avocet 30 in what must have been 1989. Being in Minnesota and it being December, it meant my bike was going nowhere near the road any time soon, so I kept the silver dollar-sized computer in my pocket wherever I went, just so I could look at it, touch it, and imagine how much I was going to look like Greg LeMond now that I had this computer. My heart broke a little bit that next summer when I realized he had abandoned the Avocet in favor of a Ciclomaster CM34 with a built in gradient meter and altimeter. Perhaps this signalled the beginning of the end of my love affair with data on my bike; it faded almost as soon as it had begun.
I have a Garmin 810 which I use primarily on rides with whose routes I’m unfamiliar, or on any gravel ride in the mountains for safety reasons. It makes me feel like I’m riding with my iPhone on my handlebars. It probably has Facebook on it. While riding, it serves as a constant distraction; how much have I climbed, how much longer is the climb, where is the next turn. Even when I know a turn is coming up and precisely where it is, I still find myself distracted by the little changes on the screen as the directions flicker across.
The background noise serves as constant static between me and the sanctity of the ride, always there simmering just below the surface. What bothers me about it is that these questions are raised by the availability of the data, not by a need to have the questions answered. Brad Wiggins reportedly crashed out of the Giro d’Italia because he was staring at his power meter data, wondering if it was accurate. This was not a relevant question to be asking when descending a mountain pass in the rain.
Riding is one of the few opportunities we have where we can escape the internet, data, and the noise of our daily lives. Data has its place in Cycling, but there is an undeniable liberation in untethering and riding just for the sake of riding.
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@RedRanger
Nah.Lezyne sac with all I need in left pocket, sundry scoff in right, ALWAYS phone plus card in middle. If I load them any other way the ride ain't going to feel right.
@Velodeluded
interesting. I keep my wallet and my keys on the left, mini pump and tool in the middle and my phone and a couple of gels on the right. that way I can grab them while I ride.
@RedRanger
I keep a point and shoot camera in the right hand pocket to be ready to mobilize rapidly for selfie shots during the ride.
The stupid piece of shit camera in my flip phone always makes my face look too fat
@RedRanger
Whole wallet?
Ziploc with door key, phone, debit card, driver's licence and insurance (in case of accident) in middle pocket. Spare tube and snacks in right pocket. Hand pump, tire levers, multi tool in left pocket. Balance in the Force.
I mounted my Sigma underneath the handlebars so even if I wanted, I couldn't look at it while I rode. Just like texting and driving, it's just not a smart move while out thrashing the pave. I never needed a computer to tell me just how bad I'm sucking at that particular moment, I can feel it and immediately apply more V. Just cool to see if I set a PR for the route at the end of the ride, and what my top speed was. If I ever signed up for Strava I suppose it'd do the same thing, but then I might feel the need to Cat 6 everyone...naaah, I'll just stay with the stupid computer.
Pro tip: slide your ID and credit card under your bibs on your left leg - stays there all ride and won't fall out accidentally when you grab that last gel shot out of your jersey pocket. Plus you don't have to look like a dorktastic contortionist as you try to extricate said credit card from your back pocket at the cafe for your espresso.
I took my computer off years ago. Felt I was riding for the numbers, distracting my attention from the joy of the ride. What a liberating feeling! Don't plan to go back. All that's on the bike now is a Timex watch (no bands) stuck to the top tube (or the stem) to tell time of day and remind me when to drink (every 10 min or so). Never ride w/a cell phone, either. On return I trace my ride on MapMyRide and log the distance. That's all I need. I'm free to focus on the ride, body mechanics, breathing, pedal stroke, position, form, etc. And I'll claim my cycling has improved a lot since going sans computer.
My cross bike and mountain bike don't have a computer on them and I feel so liberated on them (perhaps its also because I can ride over a lot of crap that I can't with my S5). When I race, I only have the screen listing speed, distance and time on my computer. Seeing my heart rate has freaked me out in the past and affected my riding and not in a good way.
Data reviewing is for after the ride. FFS was Wiggins really doing that when he crashed? It's less embarrassing to admit to that than saying you're a descending pansy?
I don't need some fucking device to tell me I'm slow as shit.
@Neil
you just described the only 4 fields my Garmin 500 displays...
To go in the complete opposite direction as the article, one of these has me intrigued as I look to replace the Garmin 500 that is becoming less & less accurate.
http://www.lezyne.com/product-gps-powergps.php#.VnjE6PmqpBc
What has me sold beyond the dual satellite system, is the pairing to the phone for texts & phone calls. As someone who is prone to not feeling the phone buzz in my back pocket, the ability to see when the poop has hit the paddles with the Velominippers at home & my presence is required elsewhere is attractive.