PaulRivers

- Sensor can give you a little more accurate ride stats than gps
- Bike computer could be a few grams lighter than your phone

If you have unlimited time and money to throw into it, I those are the only 2 small drawbacks of a phone.

I wrote a really long response then realized it was silly to write something that long.

Basically, if you have these two things:
1. Plenty of money to throw into it, making sure you have a good case, good phone, etc.
2. You need more than barebones functionality, more than just time, speed, distance, etc.

Then a phone seems like the way to go sure.

But I would point out that:
1. You own a Samsung Galaxy Note the most expensive phone you can buy. $1,000 for the current model and $1,200 I think for the newly announced one.
2. It also has a top notch screen which most phones do not have. My phone cost $450 and the screen is visible in daylight but a bit dim even at max output.
3. It has a top notch size battery which most phones do not have. My google pixel 1 was not a cheap phone at all, but it's battery died between 6pm and 8pm every day. (Screen was also only ok in bright sunlight).

I think for you going the phone route definitely makes the most sense because you already own a top notch very expensive phone. But for some other people the cost is rather large.

noglider 

One drawback to using phones is that the touch screen is hard to use while the bike is in motion. To touch an icon, you have to put your finger on it without moving it side to side or up and down, and then release. The vibrations and movement make me move my finger, so it loses or misinterprets a lot of my presses. Bike computers are better in this respect.

Seattle Forrest

Can you use radar with a phone, to be alerted to the traffic behind you?

Seattle Forrest

Can any phone apps display your NP and TSS in real time while you ride?

HerrKaLeun

Some people here assume someone would have to buy a phone to use on the bike. Obviously that wouldn't compare well to a bike computer. But if you have a good phone already, it is a free unused resource.
I'm sure you can get a "last year" good smartphone that will work well.

If the touchscreen is a problem depends on the usage. I never use my phone, just start the app and stop it at the end of the ride. i don't need the average speed or other statistics while riding (would be too distracting anyway). All I need to see is instant speed, cadence and HR... no need to touch while riding.

Wilmingtech

1. I am assuming that you mean a speed/cadence sensor (is there another?) which I do use on both bikes. And that speed sensor is definitely more accurate than GPS.
2. But if you ride with your phone and your bike computer.... I am saving the weight of the bike computer. I think if I was racing it would definitely be bike computer only but if you are going to have a phone in your pocket and a computer on your bike.... why not go to just one device?


You have made some good points but I have to disagree. And here is why -
If you type "Note 8" into google shopping, the average price is about $600.00 new (no contract, unlocked phone). If you type "Garmin 1030" into google shopping - Guess what? $600.00 new. So for top model phone or top model bike computer price is the same. If you need a phone anyway why not get a better phone and ditch the bike computer? Granted the new latest greatest Note Phones are listed at 1000.00 or 1200.00 but go with last years flagship model and save a few dollars.

I think if you are looking at a cheap bike computer or cell phone, lets say for 100$. You can still get a note 5 brand new unlocked with no contract. Cheaper than most bike computers with GPS.

When I bought my wife and I the note8 they were brand new listed for 1200.00 each. I got them on a buy one get one free special so they were 600 each and work pays for them. So in essence its a free phone and bike computer.

Wilmingtech

I agree with this. I hardly ever touch the screen while riding. And if you have to touch the screen it tends to be app dependent.

For example - If I tried to text while riding the bike. I would struggle. If I could event send a text while pedaling it would hardly be legible to the person I sent it to.
But if I use Strava while riding its one big button to push. Same with Urban Biker, there are big easy to touch areas on the app that make touching the interface easy and useful.

Wilmingtech

This is a great question. I do not have a power meter so I cannot say. I do know that Urban Biker does have the capability of capturing and displaying data from a power meter. There may be better apps that do show this information in real time. Would love to know if anyone else has used one.

Information from Urban Biker Here

Seattle Forrest

Garmin's pricing has become crazy. (Maybe it always was.)

I had one of their bike computers, an Edge 800, for almost a decade. I'm sure it still works, it was attached to the bike when it was stolen. I never replaced it with another bike computer.

Skipjacks

Urban Biker does have the ability to capture data from all kinds of sensors. It's also VERY customization to what metrics you want to display while riding.

I love it and it's the only app I use for my bike phone/computer.

wphamilton

Apples and oranges. If I want to run an app, including ride tracking, I start it up on my phone, secure in my pocket. The cheap bike computer is more accurate, easier to use and see, and never requires charging, updates or any other maintenance beyond replacing the battery every 10-15000 miles. That's the "pro's and con's" in a nutshell.

Skipjacks

Where the Android fails is when you lose a solid GPS signal.

I rode to the doctor's yesterday. I brought my bike inside with me.

Inside the building it no longer has a solid GPS lock. It was intermittent through the windows. So for the 30 minutes I was inside, with the bike leaning against the wall in the waiting room, I apparently rode a mile in an erratic pattern around the building about 20 times....according to the map of my course.

But this is rare. Usually it just looses the signal altogether.

And it's easily prevented by just pausing the GPS while I'm inside (1 button, right on the app, and I didn't press it)

PaulRivers

Being a bit pendantic here, but I think you mean it's where gps (not android or cell) fails right? That's a good point, when you go inside, through a tunnel, etc that's one of the places that gps gets wonky but a wheel-sensor computer works fine.

noglider 

I think a lot of the apps will work with both GPS and a wheel sensor. The wheel sensor sends over bluetooth or ANT+.

Skipjacks

Yes. That is a bit pedantic.