Cycling UK Forum

Advice please for a basic component that will track speed, total mileage, trip mileage and calorie use.
Thanks.

Welcome to the forum!

I think that the calorie function takes it away from "basic".
You can buy a Cateye Velo for a tenner or so, but there's no calorie function.

Does a calorie 'counter' perform any useful function though? How accurate can they be? If you do a ride one day at 14mph with a tailwind, and compare it to the next day where you still do 14mph, but have a raging headwind the calories used may be double, but can the calorie counter just return the same result for both days?

fastpedaller wrote:Does a calorie 'counter' perform any useful function though? How accurate can they be? If you do a ride one day at 14mph with a tailwind, and compare it to the next day where you still do 14mph, but have a raging headwind the calories used may be double, but can the calorie counter just return the same result for both days?

Very good point. Also, wouldn't you have to enter so many other variables for it to mean anything much at all?

Welcome to the forum. The bikes we use in Mallorca have Sigma wireless computers on them, does basic miles, average mph, distance, trip distance, current speed.
Calorie counters can be variable, at home i use a Garmin, if i have the heart rate monitor belt insitu i get a reasonably believable reading. If i forget to put it on the garmin only tracks the known variables; speed, age, sex, weight... and gives a massively high reading... ok if you want to justify overload at the cake stop...

Thanks for info regarding calorie counter, had not thought about the points you raise.

Aged 65 and after a life time of commuting cycling with some day rides, max 40 miles, I have gained 2 stone in weight.

I want to spend 2015 getting back to 40/50 mile rides and lose weight.

Ignore the age as I am fit enough to do this but obviously don't want to kill myself either by riding too hard.
At present I ride about 12 miles in one stretch so want to build that up again, but not sure where to start.
Any help much appreciated.

I am not fond of group riding, prefer, solo and with hubbie.


Thanks

It is as much time in the saddle as miles. As other point out, hilly or windy rides may take longer. If you really want to know your mileage, there are plenty of computers that are good value for money from Sigma or Cateye. If approximate is enough, don't worry about it. Just go out and enjoy the ride.

If you want to increase, just do it gradually & listen to your body. Extend your ride, or the time in the saddle every few rides, and it won't take long to get there.

I guess you know from commuting that the more often you can ride, the quicker fitness will come back.

Good luck with it & enjoy the cycling

Or, do you have a smartphone (Android or iPhone).

If you do there are quite a few (free) apps that will track your ride, plot it on a map, tell you your speed, altitude gain/loss, etc. Most, being GPS based will not be quite as accurate as a cycle computer (that uses a wheel sensor), but not far out.

Personally I use ViewRanger (available free for both iPhone and Android) and you can download OpenStreetMap or OpenCycleMap maps (both free) for plotting routes, tracks, etc. You can buy OS maps if you want (pretty cheap) but in the UK Open Street/Cycle Map is just as good (in my opinion).

There are quite a few alternative packages that do the same (or slightly different) things.

Just a thought for something you could use to start with.

Ian

if you want just a basic speedo/mile ometer you can get them for about £2.50 from Ebay - where I got mine and has so far lasted about 8 months. good enough for me - I can atlast get an idea how my chains are lasting as well as get an idea how far I can go before I get bored

Yvonned wrote:Aged 65 and after a life time of commuting cycling with some day rides, max 40 miles, I have gained 2 stone in weight.

I want to spend 2015 getting back to 40/50 mile rides and lose weight.

Ignore the age as I am fit enough to do this but obviously don't want to kill myself either by riding too hard.
At present I ride about 12 miles in one stretch so want to build that up again, but not sure where to start.
Any help much appreciated.

I am not fond of group riding, prefer, solo and with hubbie.


Thanks

similar situation to you (62) but fat due to motor cycle I ve so far lost 17 lbs in the last year.
I think it is important to take it easy & stop now and then for 5-15 mins or so & enjoy the moment ( no real hurry? )- My exploring trips around London are 12 - 20 miles. I try to do that atleast twice a week plus cycle to do the shopping ( 3 miles round trip) most days. Has been in part after dark as I tend to start late ( but places in the dark can add to the mystery?) and there has been a nip in the air ( nice) To day I just did 17 or so around Twickenham and the river Crane parks in Hounslow. I think it is important to find interesting places to explore, dont know where you are, rather than just become a mile hog ( boring) Until you have the weight down I dont see any point in straining too hard. If you cant lose weight doing 12-20 miles twice a week then your diet needs looking at? Another point, turn down the heating in your home a bit to make you body burn some fat to keep warm & put on a jumper? Ive gone down from about 18, 5 to now just hovering over 16. I want to lose another 1 stone by summer so I can do some touring without feeling challenged.

Vorpal wrote:It is as much time in the saddle as miles. As other point out, hilly or windy rides may take longer. If you really want to know your mileage, there are plenty of computers that are good value for money from Sigma or Cateye. If approximate is enough, don't worry about it. Just go out and enjoy the ride.

If you want to increase, just do it gradually & listen to your body. Extend your ride, or the time in the saddle every few rides, and it won't take long to get there.

I guess you know from commuting that the more often you can ride, the quicker fitness will come back.

Good luck with it & enjoy the cycling

I agree all the above. Strangely (although I've been cycling seriously nearly 40 years) I've always "just done it" and not thought about having to increase mileage (hope that doesn't sound elitist - not intended that way). It was only when trying to advise someone in a similar position earlier this year that I came to the same conclusion.......
If you go out twice a week, and each time you increase your ride distance by only 1 mile, then in 6 months you'll have increased by 50 miles! certainly food for thought.

Get out, enjoy your cycling is the most important bit, gradually increase your miles but also your speed. Riding a bit faster will burn calories more than long slow steady rides..... I have tried both and know what works for me.
Just do not justify cake overload at the cafe with the amount of miles you have done.... invariably you will not have burnt off as many calories as you think and those cakes have more calories than you thought.

mercalia wrote:I think it is important to find interesting places to explore, dont know where you are, rather than just become a mile hog ( boring)

I'd agree with that. I like to study a map and plan a cycle route, but then there are so many possibilities around here. However I sometimes just use a known route, to keep body parts moving , but even so I don't find that boring. It obviously depends where you live on what you can do. I'm not overweight, but even so have lost a few pounds probably mainly due to more cycling since retiring.

Tracking mileage can also add to interest.