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Got out for some climbing intervals this evening and finished up at 6000' elevation.
Got out for some climbing intervals this evening and finished up at 6000' elevation. Here's a pic from the top.
Here's a good web site that allows you to map out your routes and determine mileage and elevation/total ascent:www.mapmyride.com
I'm pretty sure you can use your Garmin 500 with MapMyRide.com as well... They also have an iPhone app that will do what the Garmin stuff does (albeit not as well, and the battery life on the iPhone won't help you on a long ride)....I've definitely been thinking about getting a Garmin unit. 3 of the guys in my riding group have them (2 have the 705, one has the 500), and they all really like it. Am trying to decide which one I would want to get...the mapping features on the 705 are pretty cool, but I'm not sure if I want to get something that distracts me too much from enjoying the ride. Also, the 500 is a newer unit and reported has more accurate altitude/climb measuring.Am going to wait to see if Garmin introduces any new products at Interbike in September before deciding....
Josh, Congrats on getting the bike out for a longer ride. Bigger wheel bikes (like your 29") are faster rolling but with a higher center of gravity, more difficult to ride a wheely compared to a 26" mtb or a smaller BMX bike. It's a tradeoff but a good one because the larger wheel bike will be easier to ride longer distances. Sorry to hear about the wallet. I have several bike computers (Cateye wireless, Cateye with cadence, etc.) and absolutely love my Garmin Edge 500. It measures HR, cadence, temp, altitude (has barometric altimeter built in), HR zones, moving average speed, and is compatible with Ant+ devices, i.e., Powertap, and is a GPS. Best of all, you just plug it in to your computer after a ride and it downloads data and tracks it on the Garmin site. I picked mine up at Probikekit.com for $249 with wireless cadence upgrade and HR monitor but you can get the one without HR and cadence for under $200 at PBK. It will work with most existing HR monitors and you can always get the cadence function separately at a later date if you wish. It also tracks your speed via GPS and shows a map of everywhere you ride. All you have to do is plug it in and hit the "Upload" button to upload data. You can even see a sattelite view on Google Maps of where you traveled. Here is my training ride from last night. Too much traffice slowing us down but the readout should give you an idea as to what the little Garmin can do. I love the Edge 500!http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42119744Bike WNC, WOW! Beautiful pictures. You are lucky to live in such a beautiful area with lots of challenging hills. Where I live, it is flat as a pancake but very windy. My elevation at the end of a long ride is a joke. Unfortunately, I don't have anything that measures wind and don't have a powertap to measure watts (yet!). Thanks for sharing the pictures!Jack
I have this cadence debate with some of my cycling buddies. I used to have a cadence monitor on my old bike computer, but when that computer broke, I replaced it with one that didn't have cadence on it. My rational was that after riding as much as I have, I feel like I've got a pretty good sense of what my cadence is...and that every time I would look at my cadence monitor, it would usually be within +/-3 of what I expect it to be. In general, I am able to get into a very nice rhythm at about an 85rpm cadence and know pretty much how that feels, adjusting my gearing accordingly to get me into that rhythm on various gradients. So I thought "why spend the extra money for cadence if everytime I look at it, it's around the same number that I would expect it to be?" My buddies think that it's important to have the cadence number as a guide/target, and that my "+/-3rpms" isn't accurate enough...I suspect that if I ever got a power meter, I'd be more interested in cadence...but I'm not sure if I want to invest in the $2K+ that a power meter costs, let alone change my wheel or cranks to power meter-compatible products. That said, using power meter and heart rate for training is probably the most useful set of tools for improving performance without a doubt. Maybe if I was younger and racing I could justify it...
I've been using cateye products on my mountain and road bikes. I could never justify spending the money on a GPS. After seeing your post though, I think I might get one. Leaning toward the forerunner 305.
The Forerunner 305 is great if you bike and run. The 500 is bike specific and not useful for runners. I have a Forerunner 305 in perfect condition on loan from a friend who just picked up a 500. It might be for sale if you are interested (need to check with my friend first). It has HR strap, charger, and everything it came with. I've had it for months and used it once. I'll check with my friend to see if he wants to sell it if anyone is interested.
Have you seen this power meter?http://www.ibikesports.com/They say it's accurate to within 10% of a PowerTap, but it's less than $500...have heard of durability issues, tho...still, a very cool idea/take on power meter devices...
I don't run much, but I ride dirtbikes and fourwheelers in addition to mountain and road bikes. It seems like the 305 with the quick release strap and bike mounts would be easiest for me.
