Best way to time intervals on a bike?
08-29-15, 02:57 PM
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Best way to time intervals on a bike?
My HRM is dead, my watch has a dead battery (and no interval timer) and my road bike has a computer - but not a timer. But I still need a way to time intervals, having recently joined the Church of Friel.
I remember the Gym Boss from my Crossfit days - but I'd have to zip ties it to the bike. I'll be replacing the HRM and putting a new computer on my new road bike, but that's a few months down the road, and i need something in the interim.
Is there an inexpensiveish watch that has a function I can use- like an Ironman? I'm not comfortable strapping my phone to the bike, so that option is out for now. ( if I break it I could lose all my important science photos and documentary movies stored on it.)
So what are my options?
I remember the Gym Boss from my Crossfit days - but I'd have to zip ties it to the bike. I'll be replacing the HRM and putting a new computer on my new road bike, but that's a few months down the road, and i need something in the interim.
Is there an inexpensiveish watch that has a function I can use- like an Ironman? I'm not comfortable strapping my phone to the bike, so that option is out for now. ( if I break it I could lose all my important science photos and documentary movies stored on it.)
So what are my options?
Last edited by RetroDork; 08-29-15 at 09:54 PM.
08-29-15, 03:25 PM
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Do not time intervals as such. Count your cadence and increase the time you spin faster. I normally ride high 80's so increasing the cadence for say 100 times or 200. Find a measure loop of maybe 1 mile and go for it.
08-29-15, 04:31 PM
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Smartphone app that beeps and or vibrates, keep it in your back pocket or use single ear piece.
08-29-15, 04:34 PM
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Some of technology used is more expensive than others and some of the less expensive approaches seem pretty smart (e.g., building it into the pedals) but, that's what you need to incorporate into the program --> watts.
Last edited by McBTC; 08-29-15 at 06:49 PM.
08-29-15, 04:44 PM
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1/2 as far in 2x the time
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That is elegant looking. Did you make/modify it or are they for sale. I would like to follow your example, having finished restoring my bike. They even sell my exact old stopwatch on ebay. about $20...
BITD I used black electricians tape to hold my stopwatch, I thought it might help with shock absorbsion, and the watch case was black (a Meylan) wd-40 took residue off in a snap.
BITD I used black electricians tape to hold my stopwatch, I thought it might help with shock absorbsion, and the watch case was black (a Meylan) wd-40 took residue off in a snap.
08-29-15, 05:24 PM
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https://www.amazon.com/CASIO-F91W-1-Casual-Sport-Watch/dp/B00006I551/ref=pd_sim_sbs_107_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0AYBWXWPA4EJZEWXRQQW&dpSrc=sims&dpST=_AC_UL160_SR132%2C160_
08-29-15, 06:11 PM
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I'd worry that the road shock would hurt a mechanical watch's innards.
I think we need a side view of that bike
I think we need a side view of that bike
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08-29-15, 06:21 PM
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Yeah, that Heuer stopwatch mount cannot be real, because that thing wouldn't last a day.
08-29-15, 09:52 PM
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Do the Polar HRM's come with timers?
edit to add:
Did find this $20 Casio that has 9 countdown timers, so I may grab one of these in the interim.
https://www.amazon.com/Casio-Mens-W75...ountdown+timer
Last edited by RetroDork; 08-29-15 at 10:10 PM.
08-29-15, 09:59 PM
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08-29-15, 10:41 PM
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These have been my standard wristwatches for decades:
Amazon.com: Timex Men's T5K6089J Ironman Traditional 10 Lap Watch: Timex: Watches
Mount it or similar on one of these:
Amazon.com : Polar Universal Bike Mount, Black : Bike Brake Mounts And Adapters : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com: Timex Men's T5K6089J Ironman Traditional 10 Lap Watch: Timex: Watches
Mount it or similar on one of these:
Amazon.com : Polar Universal Bike Mount, Black : Bike Brake Mounts And Adapters : Sports & Outdoors
08-29-15, 11:12 PM
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Do you want it for real-time, or post analysis?
You could program your course into Strava. Then you'll create a record of your activities.
I think it even allows comparisons of speed over time.
I have a $10 Bell cyclecomputer. Not the best in the world, but it has basic stop, start, reset, speed, distance, time functions.
Actually, it doesn't have a pause activity function, but sometimes I'll just yank it out of the cradle which effectively pauses it.
You could program your course into Strava. Then you'll create a record of your activities.
I think it even allows comparisons of speed over time.I have a $10 Bell cyclecomputer. Not the best in the world, but it has basic stop, start, reset, speed, distance, time functions.
Actually, it doesn't have a pause activity function, but sometimes I'll just yank it out of the cradle which effectively pauses it.
08-30-15, 03:46 AM
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Way back in the old days before bike computers, hill repeats worked, and on flats, one just chose a telephone pole, tree, or mailbox up the road to wind it up.
08-30-15, 05:13 AM
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That is elegant looking. Did you make/modify it or are they for sale. I would like to follow your example, having finished restoring my bike. They even sell my exact old stopwatch on ebay. about $20...
BITD I used black electricians tape to hold my stopwatch, I thought it might help with shock absorbsion, and the watch case was black (a Meylan) wd-40 took residue off in a snap.
BITD I used black electricians tape to hold my stopwatch, I thought it might help with shock absorbsion, and the watch case was black (a Meylan) wd-40 took residue off in a snap.
Time trialists used analog stopwatches for decades; the Classic and Vintage forum probably has more sources for them and their mounting hardware.
Here's one on eBay: Vintage Retro Style Time Trial Stopwatch Pocket Watch Bicycle Clip L'Eroica | eBay
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08-30-15, 07:06 AM
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Check out this thread: DIY Terrys Stopwatch Holder | Retrobike
Time trialists used analog stopwatches for decades; the Classic and Vintage forum probably has more sources for them and their mounting hardware.
Here's one on eBay: Vintage Retro Style Time Trial Stopwatch Pocket Watch Bicycle Clip L'Eroica | eBay
Time trialists used analog stopwatches for decades; the Classic and Vintage forum probably has more sources for them and their mounting hardware.
Here's one on eBay: Vintage Retro Style Time Trial Stopwatch Pocket Watch Bicycle Clip L'Eroica | eBay
And which decades are we talking about?
Please, do disabuse me of my notions, because I admittedly don't pay any attention to stopwatches at all, so perhaps theres a whole branch of horology that I'm just ignorant of.
08-30-15, 07:42 AM
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Terry's stop-watch clip
Condor cycle
1953 Condor
I don't have any idea how shock resistant their stopwatches were; only that you see them on a lot of time trial bikes, particularly British ones, from the 30' through the 60's. Mass road races were illegal in Britain for a long time so the cycling clubs held clandestine time trials. They used their stop watches to check their intervals while the race officials kept race times.
Condor cycle
1953 Condor
I don't have any idea how shock resistant their stopwatches were; only that you see them on a lot of time trial bikes, particularly British ones, from the 30' through the 60's. Mass road races were illegal in Britain for a long time so the cycling clubs held clandestine time trials. They used their stop watches to check their intervals while the race officials kept race times.
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08-30-15, 08:02 AM
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Still works
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08-30-15, 08:37 AM
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@bbattle Thanks for the additional info and putting me right. I guess I didn't know what I thought I did.
08-30-15, 09:14 AM
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True. Even though I have a garmin that can be programmed to give me count downs and alarms, I just write my workout on a piece of tape stuck to the stem and look at the elapsed time. For sprints I still use traffic signs or trees.
