There’s no denying that in recent years, cycling has become a bit of a numbers game. That which is measured improves, the saying goes, so as the fastest in the sport look to get faster, everything is measured.
That means there’s not much that today’s best bike computers can’t measure. With GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, even most of the best budget cycling computers know exactly where you are in the world, accurate to within a few metres, at all time. With this, they know how fast you’re travelling, how far you’ve been, how long it took, and more. They can also tell you your elevation, and by pairing to additional sensors, they can even display what power you’re producing at any given moment, what your heart rate is doing, what your core body temperature is and what your blood glucose concentration is. That’s all real-time. It’s a wild ride of numbers, data, metrics and information, and that’s before we get into the post-ride analysis.
But how much do you actually need all that information? And by proxy of that, do you actually need a bike computer at all? Some say they’re much better off having ditched the computer, while others would baulk at the idea of going without.
Here at Cyclingnews, we have people on both sides of the argument, so what better way to answer the question than by getting them both to answer the question?
You don’t need a cycling computer
A former competitive racer whose enjoyment of the sport nowadays goes beyond the numbers.
I’ll admit that in the world of cycling, particularly in the more performance-facing realms of this collective hobby, deliberately choosing to eschew a cycling computer is something of a rarity. You hear of pros like Dan Martin riding the Tour on feel, or using a heart rate monitor but not a power meter, but seeing any pro, semi-pro, or even an enthusiastic amateur rolling out without an Edge, Karoo or Elemnt jutting proudly ahead of their bars like a digital figurehead on a carbon fibre galleon is noteworthy if you ever do see it.
I do not avoid using a cycling computer at all costs. I’m happy to admit that they have their uses, and for many, may well add to the general enjoyment on offer by zipping about on two wheels. I do though, wherever possible, keep my bars free from a digital taskmaster, and I’m going to try my best to convince you that I’m not some loom-smashing Luddite and that you might also benefit from going computer free every now and then.
Why do you ride a bike?
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