Cyclometers & GPS

Cyclometers and bike GPS's characteristics

Cyclometers are becoming more and more advanced over the years. Depending on the type of cyclist, however, it is not always necessary to have the latest bike creep. Here are some of the basic features to know in order to find the bike you need.

The characteristics of the basic cyclometer

If you are looking for an entry-level cyclometer with data collection such as: speed, distance traveled and time, a basic cyclometer such as the Cat Eye Velo 7 would be enough. This type of cyclometer, however, has a wired connection. This implies a more careful installation in order to prevent the wire wear quickly. For an entry-level, easy-to-install entry-level cyclometer, check out Cat Eye's Urban Wireless. This one offers the same features, in addition to telling you the number of calories burned.

Performance-oriented cyclometers

During training, knowing your heart rate, pace and power can really regulate your efforts. Knowing your power and heart rate makes it possible to deploy a constant effort throughout your bike ride. This data also allows you to train at intervals by setting a target heart rate to reach before slowing down. A cyclometer that displays your pace allows you to pedal at a good pace and keep it throughout your trip. Too low a pace will cause a great muscular effort while rolling on a too small plateau, you will work too hard your cardiorespiratory abilities. That's why it's important to strike a balance.

Usually, we aim for a cadence around 90 revolutions per minute. In addition, we know that the best performance is due to a constant pace of pedaling. It is with the help of a cyclometer that gives you your pace that you will keep this consistency! We have cyclometers that, in addition to giving you basic cyclometer data, tell you your pace and heart rate, such as the Cat Eye Strada Wireless Triple. Then, the more you go up in the prices, the more information you have: you can have a cyclometer that gives you your pace, cadence and heart rate or the latter two in addition to your power and even the altitude.

GPS for performance-oriented bike and workouts

The bike GPS is the most high-end cyclometer you can find! The cheapest GPS gives you the same information as a basic cyclometer, but the data is provided by geolocation. The advantage of GPS is that it allows you to synchronize your data with your phone thanks to Bluetooth or ANT +. For the most upscale, there are GPS cyclometers with navigation systems. These allow you to follow the routes you have selected. The highest-end GPS is tactile, like the Garmin Edge 1030. These allow you to create your tracks directly on the GPS.

Finally, to maximize your performance, with these three ranges of GPS for bike, you have that are compatible with different sensors. The higher you go, the more GPS will give you more data. These can include your pace, heart rate, climbing time and power for each foot. In addition, Garmin GPS offers the ability to compare to other cyclists by recording your data on Garmin Connect. Otherwise, all GPS can be synchronized with applications like Strava. It is also possible to compare different segments with others with this type of applications.