# New Gadget



## Chris Hobson (Mar 29, 2020)

*New Gadget*

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wahoo-Cycl...r&qid=1585475384&sprefix=wahoo,aps,320&sr=8-4

I have a stationary bike set up on a very basic turbo trainer so that I can keep up my cycle training during the winter. Up to now I have been using a cheap as chips cycle computer to measure how many imaginary miles I have been doing. I had one of these die on me and, after trying a new button battery, I replaced it. The new one didn’t last very long before it started randomly switching into setup mode and forgetting what it was doing. So I decided to push the boat out and get something a bit more techie.

The Wahoo device clamps to the left hand bottom stay on the frame near the rear wheel. It has a magnet on the rear wheel and one on the left hand pedal so that the speed and cadence are transmitted to my phone and my Garmin watch. It was very quick and easy to fit it to the bike, it has a quick release rubber strappy thing to hold it on and also comes with cable ties for a more permanent fix. I had to pop to Halfords to get a handlebar mount for the phone. The cadence sensor is slightly superfluous as it is a single speed bike, it also has a feature for a heart rate monitor but I have one on my watch so I don’t use that. The device also has a GPS feature which would create a map of my route if I actually went anywhere. I only just found out that it has a setting for indoor cycling which deactivates this. As you can imagine the maps of my route aren’t very interesting. Now when I ride standing still, I can record it on my Garmin app as well as on the Wahoo app. I could just use the watch on its own but the display on the phone is really good and the numbers are nice and big for my fuzzy close up eyesight.

It was slightly the wrong time to buy a new indoor cycling gadget as I am starting to cycle outdoors more now. The weather was pretty crappy this morning so I was using it today. Altogether I’m pretty pleased with it, I was particularly happy that I managed to get it to talk to my Garmin watch. I can’t give a more long term report yet but I’ll maybe add an update when I’ve had it a while. So far it gets a thumbs up.


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## SB2015 (Mar 29, 2020)

Chris Hobson said:


> *New Gadget*
> 
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wahoo-Cycling-Cadence-Sensor-Bluetooth/dp/B00NW882KM/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3INALRRGBHFY4&dchild=1&keywords=wahoo+speed+and+cadence+sensor&qid=1585475384&sprefix=wahoo,aps,320&sr=8-4
> 
> ...


A good alternative for those wetter days, but I suspect that you might be out whatever the weather.


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## Chris Hobson (Mar 29, 2020)

I've done cycling and motorcycling in all weathers in the past. Sometimes out of necessity, sometimes when I had cycled to work on a fine morning and got rained on coming home. Nowadays I avoid the bad weather if I can, even though indoor cycling can be a bit boring.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 29, 2020)

Sounds like it could come in very handy Chris, especially if they need to restrict movement further later in the year.


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## Chris Hobson (Mar 29, 2020)

Oh yes, I don't want to go spreading disease by cycling completely alone around the Holderness back roads.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Mar 29, 2020)

Chris Hobson said:


> Oh yes, I don't want to go spreading disease by cycling completely alone around the Holderness back roads.


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## TrevA (Mar 30, 2020)

I got something very similar, made by Garmin, as part of the Performance bundle that came with my GPS computer - heart rate strap, cadence sensor and speed sensor. I don’t really use them for outside cycling but them come in very useful on the turbo.


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## mark king (Mar 30, 2020)

I have been watching the recent advert on the TV about going for a digital ride/race.  Has anybody had any experience of this.
I know it's not cheap but set against a new bike and being in wobble mode fighting the 40 tonner trucks on the road it might be a good deal.

Ref the not cheap bit.  
Costs are about £2000 per spin bike unit complete but then there is a £40/ month charge for the joining in live for a digital ride/race.  I think those costings are just too steep.

Best


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## TrevA (Apr 6, 2020)

Mark

I guess you are talking about the Peleton Spin Bike? 

There’s a cheaper way. If you already have a bike, you can use a turbo trainer (ideally a smart interactive one) to ride in the virtual world in Zwift. There are group rides and races or you can just ride along on your own. The trainer reacts so that if the game shows you going up a hill in the virtual world, the resistance increases to simulate climbing the hill. You can use a dumb turbo trainer and a speed sensor but it won’t simulate the hills. An interactive turbo trainer costs a couple of hundred pounds and a subscription to Zwift about £13 a month - you do get a 7 day free trial. There are other software packages such as Rouvy, RGT, Kinomap but they are all fairly similar.


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## Chris Hobson (Apr 7, 2020)

My wife Liz has a Tacx set up which appears to be very similar to the Zwift one. She can ride courses all over the world and the image on the phone can be displayed on the telly in the gym.


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## mark king (Apr 26, 2020)

Sorry I haven't replied to here sooner but I have been a little unwell - not the corvid 19 stuff thankfully. 

Thanks for the tips on similar and CHEAPER alternatives I'll go and check them out.

Best


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## mark king (Jul 8, 2020)

I finally bought an ebike a Cube Acid not done a lot of riding but it is great fun and good exercise.  The ebike is pedal assist so I put some effort out the electronics detects that and the electric motor adds some too. I can switch between ECO, TOUR, TURBO  which add 100% 150% and 300% energy which really helps to go up hills and distance.
Best


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jul 9, 2020)

Sounds great @mark king - should gove you just the boost you need, when you need it!

Hope it works out well for you


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## Goldiebrowse (Jul 11, 2020)

I’ve recently got into cycling (just short of a 1000 miles now) and am looking at gadgets to track miles when I’m using my training bike - following with interest ☺️


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## SB2015 (Jul 12, 2020)

mark king said:


> I finally bought an ebike a Cube Acid not done a lot of riding but it is great fun and good exercise.  The ebike is pedal assist so I put some effort out the electronics detects that and the electric motor adds some too. I can switch between ECO, TOUR, TURBO  which add 100% 150% and 300% energy which really helps to go up hills and distance.
> Best


That sounds like an excellent motivations to get out and about.
Friends who have bought ebikes say that they simply enjoy cycling now and don’t have to think too much about how hilly a route is.  They just make sure that it is not beyond their battery and off they go.  They are doing so much more than before.


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## mark king (Jul 14, 2020)

Yes deffo a good investment not yet done your mileage *Goldie* but as *SB* says it is a lot of fun without the need to worry about hills just have to keep an eye on the distance so the battery doesn't run out.  Fortunately the onboard computer gives you all that info and updates as you go.
Thinking about getting another battery to add in if I should run low but a battery cost is quite chunky and there is a weight penalty to be had in carrying it around with me.
The bike will do 70+ miles in eco mode but will drop down to 30 miles in turbo mode, I tend to only drop into turbo when I just want to speed by something.
All good fun, I ride CUBE.


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## Goldiebrowse (Jul 14, 2020)

mark king said:


> Yes deffo a good investment not yet done your mileage *Goldie* but as *SB* says it is a lot of fun without the need to worry about hills just have to keep an eye on the distance so the battery doesn't run out.  Fortunately the onboard computer gives you all that info and updates as you go.
> Thinking about getting another battery to add in if I should run low but a battery cost is quite chunky and there is a weight penalty to be had in carrying it around with me.
> The bike will do 70+ miles in eco mode but will drop down to 30 miles in turbo mode, I tend to only drop into turbo when I just want to speed by something.
> All good fun, I ride CUBE.


The miles are now clocking up, all pedal power but got to admit also being a motorbiker some of the e-bikes do look fun.


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