GSI Waterproof Multi-Function Cycling GPS Computer - Measures Directions, Distance, Altitude, Speed and Calories - LCD Display, USB Interface - Bike/Bicycle/Motorbike Mounting Kit Included Review

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(More customer reviews)Of course, the low price of this gadget makes it attractive to an adventurer. But with that low price comes some definite pitfalls.
First the good: if you're looking for an inexpensive gps logger to keep track of where you have traveled, graced with accuracy and simple operation, this unit accomplishes these tasks. Battery life seems to be good and function selection is fairly intuitive. Just don't try to operate the unit while peddling in traffic or terrain---the instructions caution against this, and so do I.
Unfortunately, the software is clunky and does not deliver as promised. It's hard to install, not very user friendly and crashes occasionally. It will allow you to convert your recorded information to something useful by using one of a variety of (free) conversion and tracking programs.
More of the not so good: I don't know who programmed the conversion from kilometers to miles, but they missed...by quite a bit. As reported, the mph displayed is way off which makes the other data wrong, too. My solution---keep it on kph and do your own conversion (the kph scale appears to be accurate).
Not sure about the algorithm for trackback either. This function might work better on foot trails as opposed to urban bike environments.
So, would I buy it again? Probably, with the understanding that this is a device that you will have to play with to get the most out of it. It delivers multiple functions and accurate gps info at about the same price (on sale) as an ordinary bike computer, but you will need time and patience to make it work.

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Advanced New All-In-One GPS Computer from GSI. Ideal for Cyclists and Bikers, it combines all necessary Functions for Exercise and Joy Biking. Comparable to other pricier models out there, it is a great and affordable buy for the outdoors Professional or Beginner.

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Sigma ROX 9.0 Triple Wireless Computer Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been using this computer for more than 3 months now and here are my observations.
PROS:
1) Overall a good value for the price paid , I think the combination of wireles monitoring of cadence,speed, HR and logging memory is unique in this price range. However, if you want a GPS capable computer then look elsewhere.
2) I like the customized view display and its layout, which is easy to read even during bumpy rides on unpaved roads.
2)The size of the computer is appropriate for its functionality and it is definitely smaller than corresponding Garmin 305 model.
3) I also like the fact that sensor batteries are standard types and can be changed by myself.
4) Accuracy of the computer is reasonable, I did not find more than 2% difference comparing the distance and elevation profiles registered by ROX with topological maps.
CONS:
1) I really don not understand why cadence is not part of logging memory. According to me, this is one of th top 3 parameters you want to monitor during a ride, together with speed and HR. It is quite ridiculous that Sigma is capable logging the air temperature but not the cadence. Was this designed for cyclists or meteorologists?
2) The sensor attachments are rather clumsy , which has been typical even for older Sigma models. Using o-ring combination with double-sticky foams is a cheap solution in this price range. Need to be frequently adjusted especially if you transport your bike in a car and take the bike wheels off.
3) This computer can be used only when attached to the bike base. Once you use it standalone, no HR can be recorded (elevation is the only variable monitored continuosly ) which makes it not usable for runners.
4) The elevation sensor is OK but since it is based on the air pressure (no GPS data calibration) it makes it very sensitive to the atmospheric pressure variation. I noticed that the elevation of my house registered by the computer varied by more than 20 m (60 ft) in a period of ~2 hours. So calibration before each ride is a must.
5) The uphill/donwhill grade measumeremnts are significantly time lagging and they show right values only if you remain at same slope at least for 15-20 s. It means that if you ride in a terrain with lots of short uphills and downhills, the computer will show +6% climb only after you passed the peak of the climb and are already on the downhill section.
Bottom line: It is a good cyclocomputer that reports all relevant variable that most people will need during rides. I find it usefull for improving my ride in terms of adjusting cadence and gear ratio to achieve optimum HR rate range and ability to log and compare my performance stats during short cycling season here in New England.

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Both on the bike and on the PC, the SIGMA ROX 9.0 answers just about all the questions you could imagine. Besides measuring altitude, inclination and temperature, the newly developed digitally encoded 3-channel wireless STS (SIGMA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM) makes it possible to use several sensors, such as pulse measurement, speed and cadence transmitter, at the same time. Using the docking station and Data Center software included in delivery, trip data can then be clearly displayed in graphic form and evaluated in detail on the PC.

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Garmin Edge 605 Bicycle Monitor with GPS Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the 605 for a couple of reasons.
First was the turn-by-turn directions.
What Garmin is vague about is that to get turn-by-turn directions, you have to buy their City Navigator Map card for another $100.
Ok, fine. Bought the map.
First attempt at getting directions - picked a destination 25 miles from home (nothing too difficult, as a test). The unit literally took 23 minutes to plot the course. 23 minutes! Unbelievable. Car navigators take seconds. Once the unit plotted the course, I noticed that it took me through the Holland Tunnel (leaving New York City) and on a freeway. Not exactly how I pictured my first bike ride with the thing.
Ok, so maybe the plotting doesn't work so well. I figured maybe I could just create routes on my computer and upload them to the device. Nope. Not possible. I took a closer look at the manual. No help whatsoever. It's a joke, actually. On-line help? Ha.
Go to Garmin's website. Download the manual. Try to find any good, specific, detailed information on how to really use the device. It's not possible.
Somewhere in the Amazon listing, Garmin also promises SPOKEN directions. Nope. Totally not a feature either.
It's really amazing how bad this thing is. It does almost nothing except tell you where you are. Which is what my $90 Garmin Geko did 4 years ago.
As for the cycle-computer functions, I got better data with my $30 Cateye. The Garmin's data is very slow to update and the altitude was always wrong. The unit doesn't come with a heart rate strap - and I didn't expect it to. But if you ever want to upgrade later and add one - forget it. You need the 705 for that. I really can't believe what a piece of junk this is.
Also, it lets you set the backlight level - nice feature, except that whenever you turn the unit off, it forgets your setting and reverts to no backlight. So everytime you turn the thing on you have to reset your backlight setting. Arg.
It is true that you can log on to Motion Based (Garmin's GPS web-community) and download other users' routes. But the unit will only hold one at a time. And there's no way to edit the routes. You can't edit your own routes on a computer either. So frustrating.
I've never been so underwhelmed over a product.
Here's all I want (Garmin, are you listening?):
-Decent turn-by-turn directions. For a BICYCLE. And instantly (or under 2 minutes).
-Ability to download routes I've ridden and edit them, then upload them back to the device.
-Ability to create a route from scratch and upload it to the device.
I'm not asking for much. This thing does NONE OF THE ABOVE.
Whatever you do, don't buy this thing. Unless you want to buy mine on eBay.

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Garmin has really upped the ante on the entire cycling computercategory with it's two new gps-enabled navigator/computers, the 705 and its younger sibling, the 605. These are true navigational aids with full-color maps and turn-by-turn directions in addition to advanced route-planning and saving capabilities. On top of that, the 705 adds heart rate and cadence monitors, a barometric altimeter, and wireless capability that lets you share routes and workout data with other riders instantly. Sleek and waterproof, with a 2.2-inch color screen that lets you customize what data you see and how you see it, these two devices help make the most of every ride.
The Power Of Location-Based Data Anyone who has used Garmin's original Edge 205 or 305 already understands the power that attaching location data to traditional measurements like distance, speed, time, calories burned, and heart rate can provide. Knowing exactly where you worked hardest, rode fastest (or most slowly) lets you tailor your workouts to improve to improve your riding skills for specific distances, conditions, and types of terrain. It gives a complete picture of how you interact with every portion of your ride.

Altitude is recorded using a barometric altimeter for the Edge 705. This accurate altitude data makes it much easier for cyclists to match their altitude profile with their speed, cadence, and heart rate during post-ride analysis. The Edge 605 gives a somewhat less precise altitude measurement via the GPS positioning system itself.
A First-Rate Bike Computer The Edge 605 automatically measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned and altitude. The 705 also track your heart rate, cadence, power (from optional ANT + Sport-enabled third-party power meters), climb and descent. Other nifty features include the following.

Virtual Partner lets you race a virtual competitor over a specified distance and speed.
Courses let you race against a previously recorded workout, so you can compare your current and past performances over the same ride.
Auto Pause pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride.
Auto Lap automatically starts a new lap each time you pass a specified location or travel a preset distance
Click stick helps users navigate through the various options.
Full-Featured Navigation No more scratch paper paper-clipped to your handlebars. In addition to their cycling computer functions, The Edge 705 and 605 provide the same robust navigation as Garmin's vehicle navigators, with turn-by-turn spoken directions (turn left in 500 yards) and a 2.2-inch (diagonal) color display that shows maps in great detail. Both devices come pre-loaded with a built-in basemap, and a MicroSD card slot you can use to load new maps or store workout, course and ride data. Garmin has lots of street and topographic maps available for purchase and you can download courses and rides from Garmin or other riders at the Garmin Connect website. Both feature a high-sensitivity receiver that holds a signal under trees and near tall buildings and have a click stick for easy screen navigation.
Connectivity and "ANT + Sport" One of Garmin's most ambitious decisions has been to approach fitness devices as a total platform with their "ANT + Sport" connectivity system. All of Garmin's new fitness devices, including the Edge 605 and 705, the Forerunner 50 heart rate monitor watches, will interface wirelessly with any devices that are compatible wiht the "ANT + Sport" protocol, including devices from other manufacturers. Currently, Garmin the devices will pair with power meter from SRM or Quarq to measure power – torque and cadence for each leg at the pedals – which is often cited as a true indicator of an efficient ride. It's unclear what other manufacturers will buy into the ANT + Sport platform, but this kind of open connectivity with products from other companies offers a great deal of potential flexibility.

The wireless function also makes it easy to connect one Edge unit to another to share rides, courses and workout data.


Heart Rate and Cadence Monitors The Edge 705 heart rate monitor uses a robust wireless technology that eliminates cross-talk and interference and delivers real-time heart rate data exclusively to the user\'s device. This data is stored with each track point for post-workout analysis. The Edge 705 with speed/cadence sensor incorporates a self-calibrating, wireless speed/cadence sensor that mounts to the rear chain stay of the bicycle.

Be Part of A Community In 2007, Garmin acquired Motion-based, the largest shared repository of customer-generated gps-based routes, courses and maps. This was a significant move for Garmin to support the gps user community and bring a wealth of route options to gps users. With a simple connection to your computer, you can join a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts through Garmin Connect our new, one-stop site for data analysis an sharing.

You can also upload to optional Garmin Training Center software for further analysis. Garmin Training Center stores large quanities of workout and ride data. Some of the things you can do are

Review your workout data, including pace/speed, distance, time, calories burned; and if available, heart rate, cadence and detailed elevation.
View a detailed graph of your workout data, plotted over time or distance.
View a map of your workout that shows the exact path you traveled.
Categorize your workout history according to type of activity.
Review previous workouts, which are saved by day and week.
Create customized workouts with specific goals and rest intervals. Then send them to your fitness device.*
Schedule workouts for a specific day with calendar.
Get custom workout templates designed by the experts at TrainingPeaks.com

What's In The Box Edge 605 GPS-enabled cycling computer, bike mounts, AC charger, USB cable, owner's manual on CD-ROM, quick reference guide

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Garmin Edge 305 Waterproof Cycling GPS With Speed/Cadence Review

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(More customer reviews)Garmin, with the Edge 305 heart rate/cadence, has set the standard and literally eliminated the competition. The only thing the others can do at this point is to copy in attempt to duplicate. We have (2) with HR and CAD. Both have been used on the flats of Los Angeles County to the hills of Orange/San Diego County. The GPS has never failed to work. Actually nothing on the Edge 305 has failed to work with about 1000 miles on each. You can program the screen to display multiple items and with a glance see all of your desired information. I monitor Speed, Distance, Elapsed ride time, Time of day, HR, CAD and Calories. Heck, The Edge 305 is better than the bike! The training software is also outstanding.
The only negatives have nothing to do with actual computer performance and in my opinion include:
*Price-This toy aint cheap.
*Size-Relatively big for a bike computer, but very light.
*Battery-Our units both are safe from four (4) to six (6)
hours.

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Whether you're prepping for your next century ride or want a more accurate way to measure your performance on the trails, take your training to the edge with the Garmin Edge 305CAD GPS-enabled Personal Trainer and Cycle Computer. The Edge 305CAD is easy to use, requires no calibration, and features customizable screens and data fields to meet your needs. Measuring speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb, descent, and more, the 305CAD will help you to always know where you are and how far you've gone.
The Edge 305CAD goes a step beyond its little brother--the Edge 205--with a built-in barometric altimeter and speed/cadence monitor. The altimeter delivers extremely accurate elevation readings, and a self-calibrating wireless sensor delivers speed and cadence data to the Edge 305CAD. The sensor mounts to your bike's rear chain stay. A wheel magnet mounts to the rear wheel to deliver speed data, while a cadence magnet attaches to the crank arm to deliver pace data. In addition, the Edge 305CAD is compatible with the Garmin Heart Rate Monitor. This optional monitor delivers heart rate data via a chest strap equipped with a robust wireless transmission.
The Edge 305CAD is easy to use. Simply take it out of the box, snap it into the included bike mount, and hit the road. The high-sensitivity GPS receiver knows your position in tree cover and canyons, making the Edge 305CAD an extremely reliable navigation device. And with the customizable cycle computer, you can select from up to eight different data fields for continuous feedback. Garmin goes well beyond typical cycle computers by integrating GPS technology for basic navigation. In addition, the Edge 305CAD gives you the ability to overlay your ride data onto a course map and even "race" a virtual partner that makes training fun and helps push you toward your goals.
The included PC-based Training Center software gives you the tools to create workouts, manage and download courses, and create a detailed post-ride analysis that charts your performance and measures your speed, distance, climb, descent, and heart rate data against varying terrain, elevation, and other conditions. And with the Edge 305CAD's built-in USB interface, it's quick and easy to upload and download the information you need.
The virtual partner screen depicts a digital cyclist (representing your desired speed) in relation to your real-time speed. From this set of data the icons will show how far ahead or behind you are from your digital competitor. The Courses feature allows you race against a recorded course to try and match previously set speeds at every point along the way.
Training in urban areas can be tricky, and undesirable traffic can skew training data. To help remedy this problem, Garmin has included an auto-pause function that pauses the training timer when you slow down below a specified speed and resumes when you speed up again so you can focus on your ride, not on your data collection. And with the auto lap function, this smart little device automatically triggers a lap every time you pass a specified location or travel a preset distance.
With its sleek, waterproof design (the Edge 305CAD meets IEC 60529 IPX7 standards, which means that its components can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes), the Edge 305CAD is the perfect companion on any bike, and it attaches to either the stem or handlebars. This lightweight device (88 grams) is powered by an 800mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery and delivers an average of 12 hours of use per charge. The rugged case frames an easy-to-read, large, backlit display that makes it a breeze to view the data fields. So whether you're racing against your virtual partner, fighting to shave precious seconds off your old record, or training for the next big race, the Edge 305CAD will help to monitor your progress and make you a better cyclist.
What's in the Box Edge 305 with speed/cadence sensor, bike mount, Training Center CD, A/C charger, USB PC interface cable, Quick reference guide, and owner's manual.

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