What Computer?

[citoyen]

John Warnock? The PDF man? You're disabused, I'm just confused...

d.

[citoyen]

I've just won a Garmin Forerunner 405CX on eBay. Hmmmm...

Which idiot left the drunk in charge of the internet?

d.

[citoyen]

OK, now that I've been and gone and done it, can anyone recommend an ANT+ speed/cadence sensor? Should I stick with Garmin's own model or choose something else?

d.

[fuaran]

You can just use the GPS for speed. So you only need a cadence sensor.
The Bontrager ANT+ cadence sensor should work. Plus it is cheaper and less likely to break than the combined Garmin sensor. http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/bontrager-antplus-digital-cadence-sensor-kit.html

Though not sure how good the Forerunner 405CX is as a bike computer. It has fairly short battery life - about 8 hours.

[citoyen]

The Bontrager ANT+ cadence sensor should work. Plus it is cheaper and less likely to break than the combined Garmin sensor. http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/bontrager-antplus-digital-cadence-sensor-kit.html

Thanks. 

Though not sure how good the Forerunner 405CX is as a bike computer. It has fairly short battery life - about 8 hours.

Yeah, not exactly a replacement for the Astrale really, but I've been meaning to get an HRM for a while, so it will be good for shorter rides (and runs, if I get a footpod). Might get a regular Strada type computer as well. Like I can afford it. 

I presume battery life can be extended by not using the HRM. And apparently you can turn GPS off too, which I expect also helps.

d.

[tom_e]

Ah, that's a subtle one.  I should work out what the Speedzone does when you lap the clock...

Well I didn't buy it for audax, thankfully, but just for the record, my specialized speedzone elite resets both time and trip distance to zero when it hits ten hours.  Difficult to think of a more stupid option, but hey ho.  It's cheap and it has temperature, which is what I was looking for.

[Kim]

Okay, that's pretty poor!

[citoyen]

I like the Speedzone but I've not used it for any very long rides yet. Luckily, a 200 usually takes less than ten hours of riding time for me these days. I'll have to think of something else next time I do a 300.

The three line display is probably the best thing about it, especially as you can configure it to show which fields you like - as long as they're not on the same line (it would be nice to be able to show both time of day and distance, but never mind).

It's good for the price though.

d.

[Kim]

Yeah, I'm quite pleased with them, not least because they seem to cope reasonably well with getting drenched.  (I tend to use a Garmin for navigational stuff on long rides, so it's mainly for realtime time/temperature/cadence and maintaining a lifetime odometer for the bikes.)