Hoggle

I'm mostly a casual rider...meaning mostly riding on weekends due to busy workweek schedule. (I drive a garbage truck, so I am usually dead tired during the week). I would like to either use an iPhone app on a ride, or if it would be much better to get a garmin. Being a casual rider, I'm not sure if a garmin would be worth the high price; on the other hand, I have heard the cycling apps burn through the battery life during a ride. I really like the idea of having a GPS map on rides, which again leads me to apps such as Strava, Endomondo, or Cyclemeter...(I'm sure there are also others).

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

PedalingFool

I would say maybe give the app a try for a while to see if it works for you...
If not then invest in a Garmin.

jdfriesen

This is what I'm doing, being new to road biking (I'm using Strava right now). However, I now know that I want a Garmin! Won't be any time soon though, as there are definitely higher priority expenditures in my future.

Velo Dog

I use my phone (after a couple of years with a TomTom) in the car, but I just can't warm up to electronic navigation on the bike. Paper maps are so cool and reliable and easy to use, and for me the annoyance factor of the phone (which I carry in the first place only because I ride in remote areas and my wife insists) outweighs any possible convenience. I can see how it might be useful if you're mileage sensitive, so you want to know you rode 23.76 miles instead of "about 24," but otherwise, meh.
If you're a AAA member, or know one, they have maps of a scale that's perfect for cycling. They'll fold down to fit in a handlebar map holder or jersey pocket, and the exposed portion then covers a couple of hours of riding for me.

here2day

Use the free Strava app on your phone. If you're a casual rider you may find this is all you need. You can't beat free and it's actually a great app.

kenji666

Make sure your phone is fully charged when you start your ride. If your riding time depletes your battery completely, then you're riding enough to be serious about it and probably time to upgrade to Garmin.

Brian Ratliff

As far as battery life goes, Strava for iPhone has gotten much better. For me, the battery lasts well longer than 3 hours and I've never run the phone down to critical levels. If you already have a smart phone, go download it and see if it works for you. Myself, I've given up on cycling computers. If I really want info from a ride, I turn on the Strava app. It's kind of fun, and if you are on an unfamiliar ride, or if you are like me and don't know where you are or where you are going half the time on a group ride, it is nice to record the ride for future posterity using the app.

I've never used it, but I've heard good things about the MapMyRide app too.

Dudelsack 

Another vote for iPhone. I have both iPhone and Garmin, but if I started with iPhone 5 and Strava, that's all I would use.

Big Lebowski

I use mapmyride. Works well. Plus, I'm cheap, so free is the best price.

grolby

The Strava iPhone app has made huge strides in battery life in the last year. A full charge on your phone now is a pretty safe bet to last four hours plus. Try that first. I have a Mophie Juice Pack Air for really long rides. That's still cheaper than a Garmin.

Bacciagalupe

I'd consider the Garmin Edge 200.

The 200 is relatively cheap, decent battery life, purpose-built for cycling, small, easy. If you're basically a casual rider, you won't be put out by the lack of ANT+.

pjdizzy

I use Strava and it does exactly what I need it to do! Just give me estimates on my ride, so I can quasi track my progress.

As long as my iPhone 4 has more than 35% battery life I can listen to music and get an hour ride in no problem.

cplager

You can buy an external battery for smart phone that helps a lot. (Make sure your screen is off in any case.)

PatrickGSR94

Another vote for Strava on iPhone, especially the iPhone 5. I've been out on 4 hour rides with Strava running and my iPhone 5 battery only dropped maybe 30% in that time. I've been highly impressed with it.

Also I have noticed that on other people's rides on Strava who use Garmin devices, it appears that the GPS point frequency is much less than that of Strava on iPhone, i.e. the iPhone app seems to gather location data much more often than the Garmin devices do, so the map and elevation profiles *seem* to be a bit more accurate. But who knows.

bonz50

is there a cadence or heart rate monitor available that works with strava on iphone??

PatrickGSR94

I believe you can use bluetooth-enabled monitors for that data, such as this: https://www.wahoofitness.com/Products...nce-Sensor.asp

Or if you have an iPhone 4/4S with 30-pin dock connector, you can use the Wahoo ANT+ key to connect to any ANT+ sensor.

pjdizzy

Yes, but from what I've researched it would be a pain in the butt.... You'd need to mount your phone to your bike and get a cadence meter (https://strava.wahoofitness.com/store...ce-Sensor.aspx). I think that strava doesn't show your cadence while you're riding, only if you upgrade to premium (dont quote me on that), but there are others that would track it for you. Also, you'd need to continually turn your phone on to see your cadence which would kill the battery life.

rant over.... if you find a good solution let me know.... i gave up....

bonz50

sounds like even for casual riders that want cadence and heart rate the garmin may still be the better solution.

Brian Ratliff

Put the phone in your pocket and only look at it when you need to see something?

I've been computerless for a few years now. I don't miss any of that information.

gregbj8

I am a casual rider and use Cyclemeter which is all I need. It logs and displays time, speed, ave speed, plus maps the route. It also documents each ride by email if you want it and posts it to a calendar. Battery life in hour plus rides has not been an issue on my iPhone 4.

PatrickGSR94

If you want to see the data continuously, then yea the Garmin. I don't rely on my iPhone for instantaneous speed/distance numbers. I use a small wired computer for that. The computer also keeps track of total bike miles. But when I ride I just start Strava, lock the screen, stick the phone in my jersey pocket and be on my way. Then when finished (or stopping for extended periods) I'll stop/save the ride or pause it. That method has been very good on phone battery life so far.

pihb

my vote is with garmin. i have the 310xt and like how it logs everything on my garmin site and 30hrs battery life rocks

Sdjclevland

I just use mapmyride. I am not familiar with the Garmin but the mapmyride does great for me. Gives me average speed and split times for each mile and everything else. Battery lasts fine for me