Cycling computers

[Erdefen]

I'm looking for info on the above, I would like to have something I can
clip on to the handlebars and with readouts big enough to read without
using my reading glasses.
I would like it to have 2 readouts one to give info on the bike, eg,
instantaneous speed, ave speed etc, the other display to give info on my
body eg instantaneous heart rate, memory of heart rate with maximums
etc.

Does such a thing exist? Does anyone have experience of using such a
device with ref to reliability, accuracy, price etc. Recommendations
and/or constructive criticism would be appreciated.
Is there a website I can consult?
As I am new to biking and of advancing years I feel I need to be
reassured by the info that this type of device might give me and might
enable me to increase my fitness level safely
Regards
Erdefen

--
(Antispam, drop pants to EMail)
All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton.

[Simon Mason]

"Erdefen" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking for info on the above, I would like to have something I can
> clip on to the handlebars and with readouts big enough to read without
> using my reading glasses.
> I would like it to have 2 readouts one to give info on the bike, eg,
> instantaneous speed, ave speed etc, the other display to give info on my
> body eg instantaneous heart rate, memory of heart rate with maximums
> etc.
>
> Does such a thing exist? Does anyone have experience of using such a
> device with ref to reliability, accuracy, price etc. Recommendations
> and/or constructive criticism would be appreciated.
> Is there a website I can consult?

This might fit the bill.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300003349


--
Simon Mason
Anlaby
East Yorkshire.
53°44'N 0°26'W
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

[Dave]

"Erdefen" > wrote in message
...
> I'm looking for info on the above, I would like to have something I can
> clip on to the handlebars and with readouts big enough to read without
> using my reading glasses.
> I would like it to have 2 readouts one to give info on the bike, eg,
> instantaneous speed, ave speed etc, the other display to give info on my
> body eg instantaneous heart rate, memory of heart rate with maximums
> etc.
>
> Does such a thing exist? Does anyone have experience of using such a
> device with ref to reliability, accuracy, price etc. Recommendations
> and/or constructive criticism would be appreciated.
> Is there a website I can consult?
> As I am new to biking and of advancing years I feel I need to be
> reassured by the info that this type of device might give me and might
> enable me to increase my fitness level safely
> Regards
> Erdefen
>
> --
Erdefen,
Can't help with the computer stuff, I'm afraid, but would be interested to
know what you ended up doing about buying a bike. Did you go for
new?...which model did you get?...Did you use your LBS or Half*rds ?
Cheers,
Dave.

[Michael MacClancy]

In message >, Erdefen
> writes
>I'm looking for info on the above, I would like to have something I can
>clip on to the handlebars and with readouts big enough to read without
>using my reading glasses.
>I would like it to have 2 readouts one to give info on the bike, eg,
>instantaneous speed, ave speed etc, the other display to give info on my
>body eg instantaneous heart rate, memory of heart rate with maximums
>etc.
>
>Does such a thing exist? Does anyone have experience of using such a
>device with ref to reliability, accuracy, price etc. Recommendations
>and/or constructive criticism would be appreciated.
>Is there a website I can consult?
>As I am new to biking and of advancing years I feel I need to be
>reassured by the info that this type of device might give me and might
>enable me to increase my fitness level safely
>Regards
>Erdefen
>
>--
>(Antispam, drop pants to EMail)
>All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton.
>
>

Look at Polar (www.polar.fi) There's a selection of cyclist specific
HRMs, none of them cheap!
--
Michael MacClancy

[Erdefen]

Dave wrote:

> Can't help with the computer stuff, I'm afraid, but would be interested to
> know what you ended up doing about buying a bike. Did you go for
> new?...which model did you get?...Did you use your LBS or Half*rds ?
> Cheers,
> Dave.

I'm afraid I went for a Halford Raleigh P4000 at 250 Pds, it seems OK but it's
early days yet, I bought it yesterday morning and did approx15 Miles on it,
feeling the strain today so given it a rest, will try 20Miles tomorrow and see
how I get on, thanks for your interest.
Cheers
Erdefen



--
(Antispam, drop pants to EMail)
All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton.

[Erdefen]

> I'm sure such a device exists, and I'm sure it's very expensive!
>
> As an old git with a heart problem who mustn't exceed a certain amount
> of exertion I have the same problem. But the problem with HRMs is that
> my problems (angina, atherosclerosis) are only loosely linked to heart
> rate. For example, generally speaking, it would be dangerous for me to
> exceed 150bpm, risky to exceed 140bpm for some time, and perfectly
> safe to trudge along at 130bpm for hours. Except that sometimes my
> heart is a bit wobbly, and exceeding 100bpm feels pretty unpleasant,
> and I need to sit down and rest. And usually 140bpm feels strenuous,
> but on a good day it feels fine. According to my cardiologist, what it
> feels like is more important then numerical bpm, which seems sensible
> to me.
>
> However, I bought a cheap HRM (low end Polar), and wore it everywhere
> for a while. As a consequence I learned to be able to guess my heart
> rate to within plus or minus 5 bpm. Now I only wear the thing
> ocassionally, just to check that I'm still guessing right, or to do
> specific tests to see if the ticker is getting better, e.g.,
> recovering faster, or doing same work at lower bpm.
>
> A cheap cycle computer plus a cheap HRM with a handlebar mount for the
> HRM "watch" will give you the displays you want quite
> cheaply. Immediate figures are only a rough guide to what you really
> want to know, confused by all sorts of noise factors such as wind,
> temperature, humidity, fatigue, last meal, etc.. Long term trends are
> much more useful, but for that you don't want more expensive devices
> on your handlebars, you want a proper computer with spreadsheet etc..
>
> --
> Chris Malcolm +44 (0)131 650 3085 DoD #205
> School of Informatics, Edinburgh University, 5 Forrest Hill,
> Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK. [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/ ]

Many thanks for that, yes, I know the problem I also have angina although it
doesn't sound as severe as yours, that's one of the reasons I needed to get
fit again as I am overweight, enjoy all the wrong foods and have generally
let myself go in the last few years.
I was in the south of France in June, my wife and I had arrived at a small
hotel in a place called La Coquille, the temp was 28 deg or thereabouts and
as we were sitting outside having a cool beer under an umbrella a couple of
old boys came wobbling in on touring bikes, I would have put their ages at
over 75 they were drenched in sweat, pale and gasping for breath but looked
lean and tanned, after 20 mins they were out, recovered, showered, a change
of clothes, greeted us with a bonsoir, sat at the table next to us, ordered
a chilled bottle of white wine which they proceeded to demolish in short
order.
I had a great feeling of guilt and envy for these chaps and felt ashamed to
be slobbing about in a comfortable car when I knew that I should be doing
this kind of thing, so I determined to get myself a bike again and build up
my fitness etc in the hope one day to emulate these wonderful old boys.
Cheers

Erdefen



--
(Antispam, drop pants to EMail)
All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton.

[MSA]

"Erdefen" > wrote in message
...
> > I'm sure such a device exists, and I'm sure it's very expensive!
> >
> > As an old git with a heart problem who mustn't exceed a certain amount
> > of exertion I have the same problem. But the problem with HRMs is that
> > my problems (angina, atherosclerosis) are only loosely linked to heart
> > rate. For example, generally speaking, it would be dangerous for me to
> > exceed 150bpm, risky to exceed 140bpm for some time, and perfectly
> > safe to trudge along at 130bpm for hours. Except that sometimes my
> > heart is a bit wobbly, and exceeding 100bpm feels pretty unpleasant,
> > and I need to sit down and rest. And usually 140bpm feels strenuous,
> > but on a good day it feels fine. According to my cardiologist, what it
> > feels like is more important then numerical bpm, which seems sensible
> > to me.
> >
> > However, I bought a cheap HRM (low end Polar), and wore it everywhere
> > for a while. As a consequence I learned to be able to guess my heart
> > rate to within plus or minus 5 bpm. Now I only wear the thing
> > ocassionally, just to check that I'm still guessing right, or to do
> > specific tests to see if the ticker is getting better, e.g.,
> > recovering faster, or doing same work at lower bpm.
> >
> > A cheap cycle computer plus a cheap HRM with a handlebar mount for the
> > HRM "watch" will give you the displays you want quite
> > cheaply. Immediate figures are only a rough guide to what you really
> > want to know, confused by all sorts of noise factors such as wind,
> > temperature, humidity, fatigue, last meal, etc.. Long term trends are
> > much more useful, but for that you don't want more expensive devices
> > on your handlebars, you want a proper computer with spreadsheet etc..
> >
> > --
> > Chris Malcolm +44 (0)131 650 3085 DoD #205
> > School of Informatics, Edinburgh University, 5 Forrest Hill,
> > Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK. [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/ ]
>
> Many thanks for that, yes, I know the problem I also have angina although
it
> doesn't sound as severe as yours, that's one of the reasons I needed to
get
> fit again as I am overweight, enjoy all the wrong foods and have generally
> let myself go in the last few years.
> I was in the south of France in June, my wife and I had arrived at a small
> hotel in a place called La Coquille, the temp was 28 deg or thereabouts
and
> as we were sitting outside having a cool beer under an umbrella a couple
of
> old boys came wobbling in on touring bikes, I would have put their ages at
> over 75 they were drenched in sweat, pale and gasping for breath but
looked
> lean and tanned, after 20 mins they were out, recovered, showered, a
change
> of clothes, greeted us with a bonsoir, sat at the table next to us,
ordered
> a chilled bottle of white wine which they proceeded to demolish in short
> order.
> I had a great feeling of guilt and envy for these chaps and felt ashamed
to
> be slobbing about in a comfortable car when I knew that I should be doing
> this kind of thing, so I determined to get myself a bike again and build
up
> my fitness etc in the hope one day to emulate these wonderful old boys.
> Cheers
>
> Erdefen
>
>
>
> --
> (Antispam, drop pants to EMail)
> All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton.
>
>

I swear by my Polar S710 and it will do all you want and more...but at a
price. Do a Google on this group and you will find plenty of info that
others and myself have written over the past 12 months. Any specific
questions...ask away!


--
Mark

"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear
bright until you hear them speak"

[John Hearns]

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 08:43:56 +0100, Erdefen wrote:

> I'm looking for info on the above, I would like to have something I can
> clip on to the handlebars and with readouts big enough to read without
> using my reading glasses.

Can't help with heart rate.
But this Palm Pilot based software might have a big enough display:
http://www.bikebrain.com/