I got a new heart rate monitor. It has a GPS built in. The free online Garmin software for it is just silly in it's radness and simpleness. I realize I'm coming way late to this party.
I'm sort of overwhelmed by the radness of it all, but let's start crunching some numbers.
Here's an easy way to start.
Dig this:
This is the data for my basic commute to work. Left column is my fast bike (747), right column is my new CX bike, the Legolas (with knobbies).
There's a lot there. But I think the highlighted bits are the most interesting.
First thing to look at is average heart rate: 155 bpm in both cases. So the engine is pretty similar on both bikes.
But average pace, moving speed, and best pace (pace is amount of time it takes to go 1 mile) show that I'm a bit faster on the 747.
This is the lightweight info. For the fun stuff, check out the mashup of map+elevation+speed+heartrate data. Here's my ride home today in fun format.
Glen says a Powertap is next, but that's really not interesting to me. In fact, I'd probably find that sort of depressing. The heart rate stuff has always been sort of interesting since I used one a few years ago to loose some weight -- it's a great forcing function to make sure you are getting good exercise on rides. Assuming you have a comfortable bike, riding 30, 40, 50 miles is not hard, but doing so at 150 bpm can be a challenge. The heart rate monitor forces that challenge.
The unit I'm using is the Garmin 110 watch. I liked the smaller women's size and it came with the HR strap. It does exactly what I want it to do: track routes, HR, and elevation. I don't care about bikey options like cadence. It cost a bit over $200.
Spring Break 2016 - part 1
8 years ago
10 comments:
I was under the impression you already had a Garmin device, maybe an Edge 305, from a picture you posted maybe a year ago mentioning that you needed to reduce your "paused" time for the upcoming Midnight Century. I guess that means it was probably 0.5 or 1.5 years ago.
I really like my Edge 305. I like to be confronted with mounds of data while I'm still riding. ;)
- Ventura
Now grab the permanently-free demo version of TopoFusion Pro! Use the "Export" feature on Garmin's site to download your ride as a GPX or TCX file, then load it in TopFusion. It can show overhead or 3D map views with your track(s) on it, like this Bluff ride:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff237/mechBgon/Rides/2-22-11_2.jpg
(the shading shows relative heart rate on that one)
You can also click Analysis > Multi-Playback to play back the ride at anything from 1x to beyond 1000x speed. Lots of fun for a GPS owner :)
OMG
I was wrong, it was a Garmin eTrex Vista:
http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/2011/07/barstow-to-benittos-numbers.html
- Ventura
nerd!
(disclaimer: i only saw the graph)
Ventura -- yes, I have a basic GPS unit for route-following and way finding. The watch doesn't have those features -- just HR, track, GPS. And the eTrex doesn't have HR. For most of the rides I took the eTrex on, I used it as a trackign device only -- to keep the track when I was done. The watch will do that now.
Tom: thanks for the tips. I'll check it out.
Pat: OMG, as in "OMG, I'm so jealous?" or "OMG, you've gone too far?"
Rory -- compared to some, *cough alexwetmorepatsprute*cough* I"m SUCH a light-wieght.
you can download any of the garmin stuff into google earth, and look at it that way. not that i condone the use of google earth, but it's sometimes a great tool.
Google owns Earth now, too?
@ anon, of course not, that's just silly. The earth is open source, but it's also very marketable and ready to be capitalized upon.
however, i am not sure about the patent laws regarding earth...
Last I heard, earth was in foreclosure, but the bank papers were funny.
Now it's delapidated and melting and full of squatters.
Post a Comment