Wyoguy

My last cyclo computer was pre smart phone. I used Edomondo or howerver it is spelled when I did some riding in the past few years, and am familiar with Strada. I am just getting back into cycling so not sure I want to drop the $100s for a Garmin. If I ride as much as I hope this summer, roads won't be ice free for 3 months, but I just got a new to me gravel bike.

Features I would like is something that can record
Daily miles
Current Seed
HRM
total miles

I would like it to be able to synch with a phone or computer to keep a log, monitor my progress. Also it would be nice if it worked with my bike currently on a trainer.

What are my options nowadays?

Seattle Forrest

Those aren't difficult or expensive requirements, almost any bike computer will meet them. There are very inexpensive Garmins, they have competition now, and a lot of people are happily using smart watches.

Wyoguy

Thanks,
I do have a smart watch but also have old eyes, getting older each year. 3 years ago when I rode a little more often a smart watch would work but now need bigger numbers. My old computer was a Polar from research it was Protrainer XT. Both my bikes have speed sensors for it on them and one has a cadence sensor. I also have the HRM strap.

Would these sensors work on the newer Polars computers? I will also look at the lesser Garmins. If i go that way I will have the on bike sensors if I upgrade later.

Iride01 

I've got old eyes too. I wear bifocal safety glasses that allow me to use the distant vision I still have and magnifiers for the close up stuff, like reading my Garmin or any other device less than an arms length away from me.

https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/bif...afety-glasses/

I have darkly tinted glasses for really bright sun, lightly tinted for not so bright days and clear for night time use. Though night time was when I sailed a lot and needed something to read the depth markings on the chart plotter. But I'd imagine they work great for bike riding at night.

Cheap enough to buy by the gross and you won't care if you drop them and run over them.

Otherwise, I'll be on the side of a device that mounts on your bars. GPS or non-GPS. When I'm riding, there are times I want to see a particular stat, and that many times isn't when it's the best moment to take a hand off the bars. Actually it's not the best of times to be wanting to focus on something mounted to the bars either. So I'm hoping that heads up displays get a little better and less expensive. My son has the discontinued Garmin Varia Vision and he uses it every time he rides. I wish that I too had gotten one when I had the opportunity.

Wyoguy

Up till 50 I had better than normal eyes, the last 4 years has been bad for my near vision. I can still read the paper and computer without glasses so think a cyclo-computer on the bars should work at least for this summer. I got into shooting this last summer and do woodworking so have a ton of different bifocals looking to fix what time has broken. I have also tried stick on bifocals, will add those if I have trouble seeing the computer.

I realized my previous computer was a Polar s725. I would guess it is in storage and will be found as soon as i buy a replacement. It has all the features I am looking for except for the last century download technology.

rlmalisz

I may be mistaken, but don't think Polar sensors are going to work with anything but Polar devices. And vice versa. The HRM strap may. And newer Polars may not work with older sensors. I had a V900, which required me to replace all the old sesnors with the newer WIND guys some time back. Got fed up with the whole proprietary system, how ridiculously slow thei V900 GPS acquisition was, how the WIND sensors had (supposedly) non-replaceable batteries, and dumped it all and went to a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. And now am on a Roam. I would say you'll be better off in the long term (and probably in the near term) moving to something that talks ANT+ and BLE to devices. Any of the Garmins. Any of the Wahoos. Many others. But personally, I chose to drop-kick Polar out of my life after more than a decade of use. I do not miss it.

--Richard

Seattle Forrest

I think a lot of them work like this, but Garmin units let you set up what you want them to show you. So you can have 10 different pieces of data showing at once, or only one. Or anything between. If you only show one it gets most of the screen and is very big. You can have several screens so even you want to switch from HR to speed it's easy to do.

Canker

There or tons of cheapo GPS computers out there now that will do everything you want. Think the $35 XOSS G over on Amazon does it all including bluetooth. If you want a more known brand Bryton and Lezyne both have $100 or less computers that do it all and you might still get firmware updates and support. I'm running a Lezyne super pro myself.

Wyoguy

Thanks all for getting me updated on current options/ technology. I ended up with a Coospo can't post a link not enough posts yet.
For $60 I got the computer and a combo speed and cadence sensors, added a Garmin HRM strap for another $60. I am now invested in current ANT + technology and can keep track of my winter training.
I plan to set a mileage and fitness goal. If I can meet the goal by April when the ice is melting, I will consider a high end Garmin or similar.
For those who chose to go non Garmin, why?