On Rule #74: Going Unplugged
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.
Recently purchased a Garmin Edge 25. It’s small, wireless, cheap ($100ish) and tells me everything I need to know and nothing I don’t (speed and distance). It’s perfect. Except for the battery life, a mere 8 hours and you can’t recharge on the go.
What I want are less features and more battery life. If I get hopelessly lost, I can pull out my phone.
I just took delivery of a new Edge 500. It already has way more data options than I will ever need and I’ll make darn sure it makes no sound. That said, I’m excited to start using it and trying to figure out what all that data means post ride. I may even ride with it in my jersey pocket if that will work.
Time, clock, distance, speed. Anything else is superfluous.
I admit I ride with my garmin alot when training. But when it’s a big all day ride and especially somewhere new I either leave it at home or throw it in my back pocket because I do like seeing where I rode on a map once I get home.
I love riding on the motions and the emotions from the variables while out, being weather, scenery or gasbagging with mates.
@frank I ride harder and faster with my Garmin 800 on my bike, BUT, I have more fun and less stress and enjoy the ride more without.
Says it all I think
I sure miss working out the best way to wrap, attach, and/or hire computer wires on a bike, said no one. Mounting a computer that included cadence was always a total PITA back in the day. Instead of just one wire to the sensor you had two. The only winner was the zip-tie companies ’cause dozens, hundreds died for the cause. Garmin is our friend, right?
I, for one, welcome our new computer overlords.
@RedRanger
@Ben
I’m a dedicated 500 user and have chewed up and spit out a bunch of ’em. And awfully tempted to go to the 25. I can’t see the damn things nowadays anyways when I’m riding. Cheers
Motorola running android..check
Strava app on said moto…check
Space in middle back pocket…check
Job done…all the data I could need, no frickin strava beeps to contend with (hence my love of solo rides) and none of the data viewed until home, bike cleaned and relaxing with a post ride recovery ale.
@Velodeluded
shouldn’t that space be reserved for a mini pump and a small multi tool?
I’ve been dedicated to uploading every ride to TrainingPeaks/WKO for years so if I’m going to be away from home base for more than a day I take several Garmins just in case.
@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.
@Ben
That is insane to me, a computer with less than an eight hour battery life. Every true Cyclist should be expected to routinely ride more than 8 hours a in a day.
@RedRanger
You wrapped your bar tape backwards, and did you really put a RED Garmin on a V-painted bike?? So close. So far.
@Neil
V, V, V. You know it when it happens. That is all you need to know.
Ditched the computer two years ago. iPhone in the middle back pocket logs my ride on Strava. I’m good…except for one thing: gauging the group speed when it’s my turn at the front of the pace line. Thinking about a RFLKT or something else that works with my phone to display speed. My bike has ANT+ so that’s another possibility. Am I going to hell?
The sleeper here is Suunto’s Ambit line. I have the 2. #3 is current model. There is no equal, except maybe Garmin’s Fenix, for customization and minimalist rules-compliant aesthetic. Most of the time the only thing on my screen is navigation.
Nothing ruins a good bike ride as much as power meter going wacky.
@Mikael Liddy
So happy I’m retired, single, and have no friends = I really don’t have to deal with incoming calls.
@Velodeluded
So funny. Pump, sealant, and allen in the middle along with ziploc with cards/cash. Phone in right, house key and – if I’m riding from home – garage door opener in left.
Longer rides, some food gets spread out along with it, but no food or keys in middle pocket with money; if circumstances dictate that I need to get into my middle pocket, circumstances allow that I make sure I hold onto the valuables.
I never carry any more gear than that. If I am on a remote enough ride to merit a tire, it gets toe-strapped to the saddle.
@Barracuda
This brings up my major problem with Strava, heart rate monitors, and power meters in the hands of people without the background or discipline to understand how to use them. (I’m not saying you’re one of them, but I’m also not saying you’re not!)
Strava and the segments and KOM’s (which are widely misused as a term to describe more than just having the fastest time up a hill, FFS) promote rampant overuse of high intensity, never allowing for an easy ride up a climb without trying to go for a PR or KOM. It settles in and grabs hold of your competitive spirit.
HR and power are the same, so long as you don’t have a good coach who can really help you understand your maximum and your thresholds, and then it all focuses on discipline and true – genuine – training. Which is a very cool, rewarding process and some of us have experienced it to great satisfaction.
But training is its own liberation; the liberty of riding untethered is something else entirely. The freedom to go butt-ass slow, or to lay down the five up a monster grinder just because the legs have a little Merckx in them that day.
@Chipomarc
FFS. We are very far apart on this!
@Bruce Lee
I have OCD, so I liked getting the cables perfect. Greg LeMond did not have OCD, and was happy to have his all fuqed up.
@Major VVald
There is so much beauty in this, I don’t know where to start, apart from suggesting that a credit card under the bibs seems wildly uncomfortable. I will try it.
@uptitus
I like this guy. The V is strong with him. (I only assume a male gender due to the use of the name ‘uptitus’; a female would obviously be ‘uptitae’. If that assumption is wrong, I apologize and also you should learn fake latin.)
@Ccos
This.
Even after the ride, it can be very bad unless you are doing it according to a very well-informed plan. Viewing after the fact, you’ll still be pushing too hard during the ride knowing it’s being recorded.
@Chipomarc
Oh, this explains loads.
@Mikael Liddy
No nippers or poop to contend with, but work does call while I’m on the road (when did work turn into a 24-hour clock?) and I thought the Apple Watch would do the trick. Nope. hate that fucking thing. I can miss a phone call from time to time.
@freddy
Yes.
When you go to the front of the line, just keep the rhythm. The pressure in your legs will be different but it is the same as riding on a flat and maintaining speed up a false flat; you just apply some more pressure to the pedals and keep the legs turning over as they were.
The data in this case is really just the result – train your body to feel what it takes to shift between an incline or taking the wind on the shoulder. It can become very intuitive.
On the old bike I only have time and current speed on the computer, but you can cheat by wearing a Garmin Forerunner on your wrist.
In market there is many gadgets available for cyclist but while you are professional cyclist so you do not cheat while ride on cycle. Play with honesty and sportsmanship which defines professional cyclist and that is what i believe.
@frank
My bike doesn’t have a computer, logging things via Strava on my phone in my (jersey middle) pocket is enough for me too. Rides are usually either short or long and the time can be checked at the turnaround/coffee stop if need be.
I rode with some very good track riders on the road once, man those guys were intuitive.
First post, been vouyering a long while (is that a word)
Over 20 years have used many varieties of speed, cadence, HR etc etc, even a heads up unit.
In the end I figured I dont need any of it. If I cant remember a ride I will go back n do it again. Alhzeimers is wonderfull, I go new places n have a new wife everday. No racing anymore so not trying to prove my V commitment.
I abide by most of the rules and try hard everyday to do better.
Cheers one n all
@Chipomarc
So happy I’m old enough to remember times pre mobile phones and the need to be constantly on line. The world never came to a standstill without me for a few hours back then and won’t now.
@frank
I wrapped my bars the same way I’ve always wrapped them. The way Fizik has posted in their YouTube site.
As for the Garmin, sadly the color options for a 500 are limited. And the grey 500 wasn’t a smoking deal and it didn’t come with the sensors I wanted. I have been trying to find a black or orange cover. So if you see one on the nets let me know.
@frank
The tape is totally the right way.
@frank
I thought that but wasn’t going to say it.
I’m very torn about this…I’d love to just ride free of data the whole time, no Garmin, no HRM, no Strava…
But I count myself a time-starved cyclist so don’t really have time for long, slow ‘fun’ rides. Every ride needs to be a training ride to some extent. This means making sure I’m pushing as hard as I need to and to KNOW that my HRM gets used to check.
What I am noticing is that by using HR I’m learning how it feels to be in different training zones – I can feel it my legs when I am on threshold and can feel it when I go into the red…this is good. Means less time looking at the monitor.
Also use my Garmin 500 for navigation, which is a major distraction but I also fucking hate getting lost (don’t have time for it!).
And lastly, fuck it, I like data. I like watching my progress on Strava and knowing I am getting fitter and faster.
A question for the more experienced racers; does data while racing help or hinder? I’m thinking TT’s, Crits and possibly road races. I’m thinking for TT’s I’d like to know my HR and how much of the course is left (i.e distance/time). Crits I want to know time of the race left. Is there standard practice for using data during races?
@RedRanger
Tons of them on eBay…………
@Teocalli
Hadn’t even thought about eBay.
@RobSandy
Just me, but only time, speed and distance displayed on my Garmin. I quit watching heart rate ’cause way I see it, you’re either at the front or you’re not regardless of HR. And I’ve not been willing to spend the $$ for a power meter. And that might mean that I don’t take racing and training too seriously. Which is true. Or I’d quit drinking beer, wine and whiskey. Which I won’t. Cheers
@Mikael Liddy
For me there is nothing worse than someone calling or texting me when I’m riding and breaking my meditative state – how could they be so inconsiderate!?
I use the Garmin Fenix 2 for stats tracking which has a feature to display calls / messages but I have never used it, it’s a horrible idea.
@Oli
Word.
That said, I use a Soleus Draft GPS. Pretty sure it’s no longer made as it wasn’t all that popular (I got two with Bar Fly mounts for me and my wife for less than the price of one without a Bar Fly). It’s pretty basic and tells me what I want/need to know when I’m riding: distance/speed/time of day. Downloads to Strava. And it’s compact (not much bigger than a standard Cateye or Sigma that runs off a magnet on you wheel).
@freddy
I have a friend who also just uses his smartphone to log his ride data. I see two “problems” with doing that. The first you mentioned and that’s an important one. Nothing worse than someone on a group ride who doesn’t know what speed the group is riding (even if the group is just two or three of you) and tries to do it based on “feel.” Sorry, but you can’t “feel” speed. You need some sort of device to tell you how fast you’re going. The second is that it can really drain your battery. If you’re out for a 5-6 hour ride, there’s a good chance your battery will be single digit towards/at the end. But what if you actually needed to use your phone while you’re out riding? If your battery is low and you’re in a low signal strength area, you could be SOL.
@frank
Spare tube, tire levers, CO2, patches, and mini pump in my left pocket. Phone, plastic, and $$$ in a neoprene case in my right. Keys and anything else I might be carrying in the middle.
@frank
I’ve only on a few occasions intentionally ridden a Strava segment KOM hunting (and actually managed to do it a few times). But I ride as fast or as slow as I feel like riding, even when I’m in a group. Sometimes I feel good/competitive and will go hard up a climb just to see how well I can do — particularly relative to my fellow old fart riders and to see if it’s possible to dust a youngster every now and again. And I have more fun coming from behind and passing people. But I have absolutely no problem with going slow because I feel like it or (in a lot of cases) to help/pace someone who isn’t as fast so they don’t get totally dropped. Since I don’t race anymore and don’t do the super fast (and sometimes too crazy/unsafe) racer rides, my motto is “leave no rider behind.”