kcirick

Hi,

I'm looking to upgrade my cycling computer. Right now I have Cateye Strada which I am happy with, but it has neither cadence nor hr monitor. I want to start actually training and have a work out regime.

The question is, is it necessary to have cadence AND HR, or just Cadence, or just HR? I read some training books that say "keep at x RPM for y min" and some say "keep at HR of x BMP for y min". Which is better to have?

I was looking at Polar CS200, Cateye V3, and Garmin Edge 200. So far Polar seems to be a bad buy. Anything wrong with the other two?

mattm

If I had to choose one I'd go with HR.

383

technically your computer doesnt need HR - you can get a separate HR monitor for that and just wear the watch on your hand. might be cheaper. you definitely want cadence, though, as you get more serious in your training.

DScott

Both.

coasting 

my legs are my cadence meter.

actually i like having both. it gives a fuller picture of how much effort you are exerting.

Danielle

I disagree. The cadence is a great thing to have. I have the Cateye V3 and love it. It has cadence and heart rate. Wonderful computer that will not break the bank........Many times your cadence is much lower than you perceive.

agarose2000

Off the bike trainer, cadence sucks. Who the heck cares if you're pedaling 50 rpm or 120, so long as you're hauling it? Anyone who tells you it's somehow magically easier to pedal up a 5% hill at cadence 100 vs cadence 70 full of it - keep your speed the same, and you'll find out that cadence doesn't give you anything for free - it'll hurt equally bad at either cadence.



The main reason to have a cadence-worthy speedo in my opinion, is if you have a bike trainer and rear-wheel mount the cadence sensor so you can get mph estimates on the bike trainer. That is analogous to a poor man's Powermeter, and is excellent for training, with speed subbing for power.

The HRM is useful. On intervals and/or long sustained climbs, you can get a good sense of how hard you're working at any point with that number.

383

wow, that's pretty bad advice. you can injure your knees easily by "hauling it" up hills at low cadences. and it IS easier to move faster on flats and hills when your cadence is higher due to more efficient performance of work. have you even seen the pro peloton? cadences are high and smooth.

lovestoride

i would say get a computer with both cadence and heart rate. you'd bbe surprised how useful cadence can actually be, and of course heart rate is really useful.

Phil85207

You can get a Garmin watch type for cheep. and it does all of that and more. I have the forerunner 305 and love it. You can download your rides and check out your ride data. You can add your own input to the ride, and share it with others too. just a thought. good luck.