# Smartphones vs Cycle Computer



## EHietpas (Feb 9, 2012)

Let me make this clear, I am a NEW roadie but I have been riding mtb bikes for many years.

I have an older Cateye Cycle Computer that still works well that I have been contemplating putting on my new road bike. My question to you all is it worth using my old cycle computer or upgraded to using a smart phone mount with APPs (something like $24.95)? I do have a Garmin 305 that I can use to do most of the information the cycle computer can do as well. I am not looking to invest a lot of money.


Please when stating your reply give me some insight as to why or why not and if possible include photos of your setup. 

Thank you


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## shearwater (Aug 25, 2011)

I have previously used Cateye.
I now use my iPhone4 mounted with a waterproof case (Ultimate Addons-UK). I find the Apps very good.I use B.icycle, but I also have Cyclemeter.

Pros: If you have a smartphone the only cost is the apps
You are likely to have your phone with you anyway

Cons: Battery life on phone poor (I have an additional battery with a small carrying pouch)
The phone mount and battery pouch can look a bit big on a road bike


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## desertgeezer (Aug 28, 2011)

I have a mount for my IPhone. I use the Bike Brain app which was free. Works flawlessly every time.

Don't use Map My Ride. Terrible app. Nothing is accurate. Completely undependable.

All you have to do to save the battery is to close the screen. I can leave the house with a 100% battery, ride 25 miles and return home with a 90% battery. Screen graphics eats up your battery life. Turn it off.


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## Firefly911 (Aug 31, 2011)

I actually use both. I have a Cateye mounted on my handlebars and I have my Iphone in my back pocket. I use a free app (Sports Tracker )to track my route, averages etc. I can save the info to Sports Tracker website and check out my workout and compare it to old workouts etc. My screen is not on so battery life has been fairly good. (did a a 3 hour ride last weekend with Sports Tracker running and had about 60 percent battery left.) 

My husband uses the ST app with his Iphone only (with a handlebar mount) but it is pretty big and bulky IMO. He keeps the display off most of the time which really (for me) really defeats the purpose if that's the only thing you are using.


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## Elpimpo (Jan 16, 2012)

I LOVE mapmyride but desert geezer is right, totally inaccurate.
Like, "I'm really going 10mph but the screen reads 34mph" inaccurate.
You CAN import data from other (garmin etc) gadgets and use the site but then you're trying to save money.

I say just use the cateye.

BTW I've used a bio logic iPhone case for a year. The first one fell apart on a ride causing me to buy a new phone. the second one kept flipping open ALL THE TIME causing me to have to use a rubber band or zip tie as insurance until last week when it just plain fell off its own mount. DO NOT USE BIOLOGIC IPHONE CASES!!!

Now i just ride minus data.


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## alf1096 (Feb 7, 2008)

I use both. My cat eye for speed and on the go data and my phone in my pocket with strava running. I use that data to keep track of routes and analyzing segments.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Um, what?

Depends what you're using it for. I've been getting a kick out of strava.com lately. I have the app on my smartphone. I turn it on, stick it in a ziploc bag in my jersey pocket, and don't think about it again until I'm done.

I'll use a cycle computer if I want to have my speed, elapsed time, or the current time right in front of me. I only have a computer on one of my four bikes, though; in general I don't feel like I need to know, and when the information is in front of me, I tend to modify my behavior - trying to maintain a certain speed, for example - and frequently in ways that are counter productive or at least cause me to enjoy my ride less.

I have a fancier computer I've been meaning to put on my road bike. I want to train at a lower cadence for a few weeks before 'cross season this year.

So to my mind, it really depends on what I'm trying to do. If there's some piece of data that my computer will tell me and I actually care about, sure, I'll use it. I really only use saddle time as a training metric most of the time, and I don't need more clutter on my bike to do that.

Is APPs an acronym I don't know, or did you just feel a need to capitalize "app?"


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## heybrady (Jul 3, 2011)

Both.

I use a computer with cadence on my stem and have a Blackberry in my pocket with AllSportGPS runnning. I like the simplicity of the computer for any ride info, while at the same time having a log of all my rides avialable on the web.


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## tuck (Oct 4, 2011)

I use a Bontrager Node1 Computer. Tried the phone (HTC Thunderbolt), but it takes up waaaaayyyyyyyyy to much battery life, so I just stick with the computer. IF i get out and get lost, I can always pull up my phone's GPS at that point and find my way back.


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## EHietpas (Feb 9, 2012)

Tuck,

I like your idea. I'll stick with just using the Cateye that I have and dig out my Droid if I do get lost. 

Thank you all for your input. :thumbsup:


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## Jpeconsult (Sep 28, 2011)

I also use the Bontrager Node1, but I also have my iPhone4 in the RAM low-profile handlebar mount (RAM-HOL-AP9U and RAP-274U). I use the Node1 for basic functions, and use my phone for iMapMyRide for new/unchartered territory. The phone is also to view important texts (from wife & daughters) with the understanding I can view them, but not send them.

Also, the ram mount quickly disconnects, if I want to remove it for group rides or scheduled rides/race weekends.


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## velocanman (Jul 15, 2011)

I use a Bontrager/Trek computer on my road and MTB. I only really use speed, time, and distance during the ride. If I want to track a route I can do it with the Android in my pocket with the screen off and inside a plastic bag. 

Using my HTC Incredible as a bike computer would not work for me since the GPS and screen would kill my battery before the 100 mile ride was over.


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## tystevens (Jul 10, 2008)

velocanman said:


> I use a Bontrager/Trek computer on my road and MTB. I only really use speed, time, and distance during the ride. If I want to track a route I can do it with the Android in my pocket with the screen off and inside a plastic bag.
> 
> Using my HTC Incredible as a bike computer would not work for me since the GPS and screen would kill my battery before the 100 mile ride was over.


This is what I do, too. My phone battery (Samsung Galaxy S on Verizon) barely lasts 3 hours w/ the screen off in my pocket if I've got the GPS on and an app running; I'm sure if I were constantly using it for speed, etc. on my bars, it wouldn't make it very far. I have used Mytracks, which has been more or less accurate for tracking my road riding stats(distance, elevation gain, incline), not so much for mtb rides in far-away places like Moab. I just use a cheap wired computer, speed, distance, ride time, etc. on the bars.


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## heybrady (Jul 3, 2011)

As mentoined above, the key is battery life. Using a phone as a primary computer with the screen on will killl you, but leaving it in a pocket with the screen off will get you 4 or 5 hours battery likely.


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## robc in wi (Sep 8, 2011)

Do any of these "apps" do cadence? Didn't think so. I use my Sigma wired computer w/cadence and take my $19.99 Samsung phone for emergencies. My work Blackberry stays at home. The day I need a $500 phone and GPS to ride my bike is the day I give it up.


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## 251 (Nov 2, 2009)

I rode with a computer for years. A year or so ago I took the computers off of all of my bikes, and it's great-- fewer distractions and clean bars.

Before I get dismissed as a Luddite, I do use My Tracks on my phone to track my ride, which is then uploaded to Strava. I put the phone in a bag in my jersey pocket and don't see it again until the ride is over. 

Battery life can be an issue with the phone on long rides. I took it on an all-day ride last month and brought a spare battery (eBay, $3), and then used GPXmerge to combine the multiple GPX files into one.



robc in wi said:


> Do any of these "apps" do cadence? Didn't think so.


You can capture cadence with many apps (including My Tracks) using an ANT+ receiver and cadence sensor, though it's a bit of a kludge with the all of the extra hardware.


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## robc in wi (Sep 8, 2011)

251 said:


> You can capture cadence with many apps (including My Tracks) using an ANT+ receiver and cadence sensor, though it's a bit of a kludge with the all of the extra hardware.


I stand corrected.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

FWIW, I got my smart phone free with the service. I don't think I've ever paid more than $20 for a cycling computer. Strava is also free if you don't subscribe to the additional service that's pointless without putting a bunch of extra telemetry on my bike anyway.

So you can't shoot down phones on not being cheapskate-compliant.


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## EWT (Jul 3, 2011)

The battery on an iPhone lasts longer than the Android phones mentioned above. I've never run mine to exhaustion, but still have significant battery life (40%+) after 3+ hours if I keep the screen off most of the time, so it is probably capable of 5+ hours. I've stuck with the phone so far because it does everything I need via ANT+ sensors, uploads things easily and painlessly (from the Wahoo Fitness app), and is one less electronic device to buy/have problems with. I can see the arguments for a dedicated computer as well, but I'm happy with the iPhone as cyclometer so far.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

heybrady said:


> As mentoined above, the key is battery life. Using a phone as a primary computer with the screen on will killl you, but leaving it in a pocket with the screen off will get you 4 or 5 hours battery likely.


The longest ride I've recorded with my phone was 5h42. I don't remember how much battery I had left afterward. I think it was pretty low, but enough to IM my girlfriend that I finished, and better than anticipated.


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## rkdvsm (Jul 15, 2006)

Firefly911 said:


> My screen is not on so battery life has been fairly good. (did a a 3 hour ride last weekend with Sports Tracker running and had about 60 percent battery left.)


I was planning to use an iphone with cyclemeter. If I turn the phone off, will cyclemeter still run and record the data? I didn't know it could do that with the phone off.


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## 251 (Nov 2, 2009)

I needed two batteries for my Nexus S for this 8.5 hour ride, with the first battery making it six hours before I swapped it out. You can do extended rides with an iPhone and a relatively inexpensive external pack. 

On a similar note, the 18-hour battery life on a Garmin 500 can also be extended with an external pack. I've done some 6 and 8 hour enduros on my MTB and have an eye on doing a 12 or 24 hour. If I opt for a 24-hour race I could just get a handful of batteries for the phone, but I'll probably just get a Garmin and the external battery.


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## rkdvsm (Jul 15, 2006)

Does anyone know if I can transfer data collected using cyclemeter into my computer. Basically, if I get a new iphone can I keep my old data?


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## AHP (Feb 14, 2012)

EWT said:


> The battery on an iPhone lasts longer than the Android phones mentioned above. I've never run mine to exhaustion, but still have significant battery life (40%+) after 3+ hours if I keep the screen off most of the time, so it is probably capable of 5+ hours. I've stuck with the phone so far because it does everything I need via ANT+ sensors, uploads things easily and painlessly (from the Wahoo Fitness app), and is one less electronic device to buy/have problems with. I can see the arguments for a dedicated computer as well, but I'm happy with the iPhone as cyclometer so far.


I don't want to get into which phone is better, but I can tell you what my HTC Evo 4G is able to hold battery life for over 7hrs with the screen off. I have rooted my phone and also use an app called SetCPU, this allows me to control to amount of power my phone uses while the screen is off thus saving battery life. 
Right now as I look at my phone without an app running I can get 7hr 54min with 92% battery. 

As for which is better Smartphone or Cycle. I use both. Smartphone to track my route and allows me to save my workouts. (App Used Sports Tracker, free). But use the cycle computer to get instance info.


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## atxrider (Feb 16, 2012)

smartphones all the way!


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## jpick915 (May 7, 2006)

I used Cyclometer etc. on my iPhone, with the screen turned off and the phone in my back pocket in combination with at Cateye Strada for several years. I frequently do rides in excess of 5 or 6 hours so battery life is an issue. Recently purchased a Garmin 500 and really prefer the Garmin over the phone apps. I can set up for use on 3 bikes (only 2 short of my 5 total), and have no concerns over battery life (seems to be good for a minimum of 18 or 20 hours of ride time). If I get lost, I have my phone in my pocket with downloaded maps in a separate GPS application (MotionX GPS), because if you are out in the boonies you may not have cell service.


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## PCCharger (Feb 28, 2011)

Computer----Blackburn Atom Wireless
Phone--------Virgin Mobile LG Optimus V
Apps----------MapMyRide and Pandora 

My phone is always in the saddle bag and I have MapMyRide set at 10 min intervals to tell me the current stats in my headphones. The app plays nice with Pandora and is very accurate when checked with my bike computer. I have never checked the stats on my phone while riding but the audio updates and stats at the end of my ride are accurate. After a 30 mile ride there is no more than a half mile difference between app and bike computer. I think this difference is because of the gps signal jumping around. Battery life is very good for my needs. Rode for an hour this morning with a full battery and was still at 90% afterwords.

Tip: When using an app with gps, got to *location and security* in your settings and turn off *use wireless networks* for better accuracy.:thumbsup:


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

I must say that the Wahoo Bike Pack for iPhone with the Blue* Heart Rate Strap for iPhone 4s looks interesting. I bring my phone along anyway, and use the Cyclemeter app from time to time, so...
Enormous box on top of the stem, though!

*Uses Bluetooth Smart, same as the new Look Keo Power. Gee, I might ditch Speedplay!


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## bezog (Feb 20, 2012)

Wow. I am completely new to road cycling. I never even considered using my smartphone to keep track of stuff.


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## LennartBendfeldt (Feb 21, 2012)

Im just getting into biking and i find a Droid 3 smartphone good enough.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

bezog said:


> Wow. I am completely new to road cycling. I never even considered using my smartphone to keep track of stuff.


don't panic... plenty of very experienced riders have nothing on their bars except handlebar tape.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

When I ride, all I want to know is how fast I'm going, my cadence (on my road bike, anyway, but not on my commuter), and my mileage.

The bike computer does this so well, and so effortlessly, with batteries that last for many months ... I don't want to bother setting up the phone, getting the apps, sweating out the battery life, etc.

Give me my Cateye!


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## 1bamafan14 (Jan 24, 2012)

I use a gps app on my smart phone for mapping. I use a cycle computer for speed, pace and distance.


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## Jumpo (Feb 29, 2012)

Unless one uses the phone as a data recorder, nothing beats a bike computer like a Cateye which is purpose-built to accurately display the usual stats with minimum fuss. One typical CR2032 battery can last 6 months or more. Compare that to daily charging a smartphone. Size-wise, the smartphone is usually too bulky and unwieldy to mount on the handlebars.


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## igotyofire (Nov 27, 2011)

i use strava on my cellphone.....works flawless....after 1 hour the battery usually doesn't budge on a full charge...I need to see if the app still works with GPS in airplane mode because that will make the battery last even longer...If your phone dies fast try turning off wifi & mobile data......those will eat way more battery searching for signals. My phone is a samsung galaxy S droid on verizon.....not sure what the other persons problem is...Also certain apps will ruin battery life as well .......could be something else completely unrelated


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## mojo2011 (Feb 8, 2012)

Hi Everyone, new to the world of cycling here. 

Do you think a computer provides any benefits to a newbie?


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

Yeah. If you get one with cadence, it's helpful for working on pedaling technique.

You don't need it, certainly, but it's much more convenient than other ways of quantifying how fast you're pedaling. And quantifying it means you can actually compare it to recommendations and discuss it with others. "Really fast" or "kinda slow" are useless phrases, IMHO.


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## Canyon139 (Mar 3, 2012)

I use my android phone, running the endomondo app which has worked fine for me so far and it uploads all the data to the endomondo website so you can look at it and analyse it online. I have the free version but you can pay for it and get a few extra features. You can use this app to track almost all sports. But I also have a cheap cycle computer on my bike and leave my phone in my pocket so that I can see my speed and the time but I think it tracks distance and speed more accurately. I am a newb too and this set up works fine for me!


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## cheapmods (Feb 27, 2012)

I'm a newbie as well. So far I'm pretty satisfied with my setup. I use a Cateye Velo 8 on the bars and BB Bold w/Endomondo app. I usually just toss my phone in my jersey pocket and it gives me audio lap times updates every mile. 

I like this setup because 
1. redundancy - If the GPS skips out on my phone, I have backup data. 
2. Realtime data on the velo8
3. ability to review and compare data from my workouts

My only issue is that I want to add a HRM. I'd really like to get a bluetooth HRM so that I can link it to my phone and also have this data logged on Endo. (this will also help solve the calorie discrepancies since endo recently updated their calorie calcs to take into account HR). However, if I go with bluetooth I wont have visual real-time data. Are there any BT HRM's that connect to a watch as well? I see Polar has a HRM with BT but its sold individually

Thanks


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## MonstaMatt (Mar 27, 2012)

anybody got any reviews about the Wahoo Fitness Bike Pack For Iphone?


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## EWT (Jul 3, 2011)

MonstaMatt said:


> anybody got any reviews about the Wahoo Fitness Bike Pack For Iphone?


No experience with the case, but the cadence/speed sensor works well with the Ant+ dongle.


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## mtnbikerfred (Jan 2, 2008)

If you want to be accurate, I'd get the speed/cadence sensor for your 305. in my phone, I use Endomondo (free) if I want to be tracked while on my ride as it seems to be the best for power consumption and doesn't use much mobile data. For mapping I use Everytrail (pro version). It lets you down load maps ahead of time, so you don't use mobile data to navigate.


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## pmpski_1 (Oct 7, 2009)

I used Endomondo once and the total distance was waaay off. Like 10 miles off. I had it in a pocket and looked at it after the ride so I don't know how it got so off. Maybe it's my phone or service, but that along with the drain on the battery put me off.

Now I just use my HRM and a Garmin 60csx that I have for other two wheeled adventures. The Garmin is huge though, so I may get a simple computer when I get a new bike. I don't have anything for cadence and I'd like to track it, something that I can't do with a smartphone.


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## mac4095 (Mar 29, 2012)

Cheap computer on bike sports tracker running on phone in pocket.


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## mtnbikerfred (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't trust any "GPS only" device for measuring distance. The Garmin speed/cadence sensor takes care of that. Endomondo (and others) have web-tracking features I like for letting my family/friends know where I am "real-time". If I'm trying to share online (Strava, etc.), I just manually upload my Garmin data.


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## D0rk (Jan 4, 2012)

I've used both. Strava app on my phone, Cateye Wireless on my mountain bike and a Shimano FlightDeck on my road bike. I don't think any of them are perfect, but they get the job done enough to let me know the vitals when I need it. 

Personally I think the GPS on my phone drains the battery too much unless i'm at 100% when I set off. Even then, when I start getting into longer rides i'd rather save the phone for emergencies and entertainment while waiting for the rare occurrence where I might get stranded.


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## epicus07 (Aug 3, 2009)

how to keep it dry though?


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## bonknkrash (Jun 17, 2011)

I need to streamline.

I use a cat eye computer with cadence, I love the cadence, plus its accurate on distance.

I use my droid in my jersey pocket running map my ride, hate it. way too often I get to the end of a ride only to discover somewhere along the way it lost its signal, and map my ride quite mapping my ride....grrr

I use my old bow flex chest strap for a HR monitor with the wrist watch on the handlebars. 

I really like to the ability to track my heart rate and my cadence.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

epicus07 said:


> how to keep it dry though?


Zip loc. I have no problem with the touch screen through a zip loc, even in full-fingered gloves.

There are also cycling specific zip loc baggies if you need that.


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## GabooN85 (Mar 7, 2012)

I have been using my iPhone 3GS to track my rides with endomondo, and more recently strava. It has been great so far. However, today I went for a 68 km ride, my longest ride since getting the bike last August. When I got home my batter was less than 10%. If I continue to push my rides the battery won't last. I plan to get a new phone next fall when my contract is up but that is a while off still. 

I've been entertaining the idea of a gps unit such as the Edge 500 or Timex Cycle Trainer 2.0. It is tough to justify the cost though. I had to scrape up the money to buy my bike last summer, as a form of fitness. I just have a Jamis Ventura Sport. Low end bike but has got me out there riding and I've caut the bug. But between pedals and shoes and clothes etc this spring I have spent another few hundred $$. Add the price of a gps and I've pretty much surpassed the cost of my bike lol.

I do figure though that I wouldn't be in the market for a new bike for at least another year or two, as I build up my bike fitness level and just enjoy my current bike. I do know I enjoy the tracking aspect of the gps by using my phone. I just don't like that I would have a dead phone if I ever needed to make a call or look at a map at some point. 

I wish there was more info on the Timex unit. MEC sells it for $200 Canadian and includes a HRM. The price is attractive and it has all the same features of the garmin unit that I would use. I would just want to know if the were any glaring problems before buying. MEC has them on preorder so I wouldn't be getting it until well into May. 

I love that I can use my iPhone to track, and in general I am someone who gets full usage out of my smartphones capabilities well beyond just texting and Facebook like a lot of people tend to do. But if the battery won't last because it's an older phone it's not really serving the purpose very well in this case.


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## mac4095 (Mar 29, 2012)

Evo with sports tracker running.


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## geekjimmy (Mar 26, 2012)

I track rides with Endomondo on my Galaxy S2. I use a Scosche BM01 to carry the phone. I use a 1/4" wide rubber band to wrap around the phone and the mount just for peace of mind, though. I snagged an extended battery to make sure it handles the bluetooth HRM and workout tracking.


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## scorchedearth (Mar 22, 2012)

I've been using Runkeeper on my iPhone 3G for close to a year now. It generally works well as long as I am not making any short turns through switchbacks like I do when mountain biking.

Straight lines are usually fine with a 10% or so margin of error.


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## bocksta (Mar 22, 2008)

I have a simple 40 dollar computer on the bars and my iphone 4 running strava in my pocket. The free strava app is nice for keeping track of my road and mtb rides. 
I dont think i would invest the money on a dedicated iphone mount. I like the idea but the size an possibility of damaging the phone are the turn off. Im am leaning towards buying a Garmin 500 or Bontrager node 1.1 for the ant+ wireless HR/cadence features.


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## mikeny278 (May 14, 2012)

I am looking for a computer to measure cadence, distance, time and heart rate. Looking for a good value. Does anyone use the Nodes? Those seem to have everything that I need. How do they compare to Garmin or Cateye? Based on earlier feedback I think I would favor using a computer over my iPhone, but am open to hearing other opinions.


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## bocksta (Mar 22, 2008)

The node looks like a good buy at 70 bucks but if your looking to download your ride data then the garmin is the way to go.


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## joshhan (Jan 9, 2012)

Been using a variety of apps on my phone. Strava, endomondo, mapmyride and My Tracks. They all seem to be close to each but still have variances in total distance. All of them seem to match up with my bike computer for the 1st mile exactly and then after that, it's +/- .2 miles.

Edit: I should say +/- .2 miles every mile, so the longer I ride, the worse it gets.


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## geekjimmy (Mar 26, 2012)

A couple of weeks after my last post, I picked up a refurbished Garmin Edge 800 on Amazon, along with a HRM and cadence sensor (separately).

bikeroutetoaster.com + Garmin BaseCamp + openstreetmap = turn-by-turn nav, excellent battery life, and all the info I would ever use. 

Now my phone stays in my jersey pocket.


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