Summary of functions you want in a cyclocomputer

Cycling

Cycling on a cycling course is a ride that can be enjoyed even without a bicycle control system.

However, it is useful to know your speed to avoid going too fast on hills, etc., and to know how far you have ridden to give you a sense of accomplishment. A navigation function would be useful, but if you are not concerned about riding fast, a smartphone is cheaper and more convenient.

A $20 cyclocomputer is going to be a lot of fun in cycling.

Bicycle Camping

Bicycle camping is a way to enjoy camping by riding to a campground with a tent and other equipment on your bicycle. Bicycle camping is a double enjoyment: riding to the campsite and camping after you arrive.

Riding is an extension of cycling, but you have to carry more luggage because you have to carry camping equipment, and it can be a hassle to take out your smartphone every time to look at a route guide.

In such cases, the navigation function of the cyclocomputer is very convenient because it always provides route guidance on the handlebars.

Bicycle Diet

For a bicycle diet, the function you definitely want in a cyclocomputer is a heart rate monitor.

In the bicycle diet, the shortcut to weight loss is to increase the ratio of aerobic exercise and train for a long time, but if you are just riding, there is no way to check “how much heart rate (load) am I at? If you are just running, there is no way to check your heart rate (load).

If you add a heart rate sensor to your cyclocomputer, you can measure your heart rate in real time and adjust the load according to your heart rate.

Few products can measure heart rate on the cyclocomputer itself, but if your cyclocomputer supports Bluetooth and ANT+, you can add heart rate measurement to your cyclocomputer by using an external sensor.

Bicycle Training

If you are training on a bicycle, either for exercise or to practice for a road race, you can improve the quality of your training by obtaining as many indicators as possible.

In addition to basic information such as speed and distance, the following three measurement data can help you adjust the load during training and find the pedaling and gears that are right for you.

1. heart rate monitor (load monitoring)
2. cadence (to monitor pedaling)
3. power (pedaling monitoring)

It is difficult to find a power meter because they are not affordable, but heart rate and cadence sensors are relatively affordable and would be a great feature to add.

Bicycle Racing

Bicycle racing is the same as bicycle training, but if you are competing in a serious race, a power meter is useful if you are at a level where you are competing at the top of your game, because you can see in real time how much power you have left. If you are a serious competitor, a power meter will be useful if you are at a level where you are competing for the top.

A cyclocomputer that provides real-time LED notifications of power and other information, such as Wahoo’s cyclocomputer, is a powerful ally in races.

Summary Comparison

Finally, here is a summary comparison of the cyclocomputer features you want for each application.

In this way, we can see that, unless you are obsessive about it, you can cover any purpose as long as you know only speed and distance, so it is convenient to have at least one cyclocomputer costing about $20 or so.

Although modern cyclocomputers tend to have enhanced navigation functions, the navigation function is not used for that many purposes.

As for the functions of a cyclocomputer, it is best to choose a cyclocomputer that has the functions you want, since each person has his or her own needs for what functions he or she wants. Please refer to the examples given here and try to find a cyclocomputer that suits your purpose.