Plans For A Cycling Computer

I have been meaning to get a cycling computer for quite some time. I was making do with Strava for the longer rides and the Forerunner 15 for the short ones. But both have some inadequacies. The Forerunner 15 for example, essentially a running watch, is not meant for long hours on the saddle. Its battery is not meant for that kind of application over an extended period of time. It can barely last 3/4 hours with the satellites and heart rate monitor connected (which is how I use it). A typical day of cycling on a tour would last at least six to eight hours. Therefore the Forerunner cannot be taken on a tour. It cannot  even be taken on a day long cycling ride of about 50 or 100 kms. 

Forerunner for short commute

So I used Strava to record our Darjeeling trip in 2019. 

While Strava is fine for analysing data after it has been captured, it also has serious limitations as a data capture method during a trip. First of all you are never too sure whether it will capture or is capturing the data correctly. The other day on the way back home from work, it did not capture the data at all. Then you need to remember to switch it off or "finish" the trip after you reach your destination. When I reached Ghum from Kurseong, I forgot to finish my ride and it captured all my movement in and around the station (it's an interesting maze with me going from the station to the cycle shop in front to the momo shop to the hotel and then back to the station etc) till I remembered to switch off. Also, if I am not mistaken when you are finishing the ride you need to have access to the internet.

And then Strava is as weather proof as your phone, meaning it is not weather proof at all. Therefore putting it on the handlebar for a day long ride, exposing the phone to the hot sun or rain, is a little risky. Even if you do, visibility of the data on the go will be well nigh impossible. Plus I do not like switching my phone location on. The whole world it seems wants to know my location. I am reluctant to divulge that data to the various apps on my phone. I just feel it is modern snooping in the name of making the user experience better.

Therefore I wanted to have a cycle computer (how our requirements grow compmlicated with time and available technology - as a child all I wanted was a cycle). My requirements and expectations from the computer are very basic. I do not need too many fancy data about my ride. I want a computer that will have a long battery life. It will give me basic information about the ride like time spent, speed, distance traveled - in short what my Cateye Velo 9 gives me. I do not need any navigation support. I prefer finding my own way around. This requirement might change in future but as of now I do not like the complications involved in getting navigation guidance from a machine. In fact the Velo 9 is good enough for me except that it cannot show me a map of my trip after the trip is over. I feel fascinated like a child when I see the map of my journey. I do not know why but it happens. I love looking at the details of where I had gone. This is the principal requirement for me, not so much the speed. I don't really care about my speed at all.

Now Garmin's Edge series has a very celebrated 530 model that is quite a rage with those who can afford it. Simply put I cannot afford it. And in any case I do not need to know so many different things about my ride or the ability to download routes and then follow them turn by turn. So investing so much money on a 520 or 530 was out of question. I am not using the cycle computer for monitoring my training for an Olympic gold.

So I kept looking at the various models and then I discovered these two relatively new models. The Edge 130 and Edge 25. While the later, cheaper model would have sufficed me just fine, it seemed to have serious battery limitations. I find from reviews that the Edge 130 has great battery performance. The official claim is of 15 hours but with all the sensors attached it might be about half. Since on a tour I will not add any sensor I could easily expect 10 hours on a single charge. So I made up my mind to go for it. The 25 is more suited for shorter city based rides of four to six hours. The Edge 130 has certain capabilities that will not be useful for me - for example, I do not need to know my VO2 Max - but that's fine. 

As of this evening (June 8, Monday, 2020) I spoke to Jasraj. He is sending the model to his Calcutta office. It will be mine for Rs 13800. Substantially lower than the listed price of Rs 190000.

Unanswered Questions 

As of now I have a few unanswered questions that I can find out only after actually using the unit. First, I need it to also function as an odometer where it keeps track of the total kilometre traveled. As far as I could see from available online information it probably has one but I need to see if it gets reset under any circumstances. The Forerunner, for example, does not have one.

I also need to understand how to store my trip details. Normally after a ride you come back home and download the data into your computer through Connect. On a trip that is not possible unless you are carrying a laptop. So if I am on a trip for X number of days can the unit store that much data? Online research shows it can store 100 hours of data. My Forerunner can store seven runs and then if I record an eighth run it will automatically delete the oldest one. If I was riding for ten hours a day, therefore, it can handle a ten day trip. 

I found it mentioned somewhere that you can, through your smart phone, store the data in Garmin Connect app from anywhere. If that is the case then I can go for unlimited number of days on a trip and store all the trip information on Connect. Apparently it can also upload the data on social media like facebook or Strava. Since my Connect is already synced to Strava just connecting to Connect is enough for me. 

I shall be most curious to explore these features. Most reviews don't talk about these features. They only talk about all the training things that the unit can do like calculating VO2 Max etc. Who cares? 

Possible Upgrades/Accessories 

Even before laying my hands on the main unit I am considering upgrades :-) I think I would love to have a proper Garmin mount for the unit and speed and cadence sensors. But strangely enough I cannot find them with any online store here in India. REI in the US has the sensors for $70. The mount is available on the US Garmin store. Not that these are critically important to have but they are nice to have kind of accessories.

The unit comes with a mounting system that is rather basic. You can attach it to your handle bar or the top tube. But the after market mount looks rather cool and stays a little away from the bar. It is meant to be more secure in case the cycle falls. 

The cadence sensor is useful to have while on the trainer and using Zwift. Riding at a fixed cadence of 90 or so is ideal and to train while monitoring cadence is a good thing. I could not possibly have gone to Darjeeling without training on Zwift. And that training gets more teeth if you have a dedicated cadence sensor. The speed sensor, I am not sure about but if I go for additional sensors might as well get the full bundle. Theh speed sensor measures speed through calculating rotation of the wheel through magnetic field around the wheel. I am not sure how or why they choose such a complicated method.  

I think I will have to wait for international air travel to go back to normal and then for Mezda to travel to the US to get them. For some strange reasons these do not seem to be available here in India. 

Arrival, Unboxing and Charging

Today is Saturday 13th June, 2020. I just brought home the Garmin Edge 130 from Nikita's office.