Electronic devices

[Zoc]

Hi wanted to Start a new topic,
Any recommondation for smart watches, bike Computers or gps Tools.

[carbonazza]

Here are my current tools:

Strava(subscriber) has a great route generation tool on mobile.
Strava have their heatmap, all tracks/roads people went to. A gold mine.

But then I send them to Komoot, for review/rework.
Komoot has precises terrain info and types. eg: avoid main roads, cobbles, or maximize single tracks for MTB(but manual), etc.
And start to have many points of interest referenced by the community.
If they had the quick finger mapping of Strava, I would just ditch out Strava.

I then use the Karoo 2 to record my rides and navigation.
After using the Wahoo Bolt for a few years.
Karoo has a neater navigation, touchscreen, real colors.

Unfortunately they just compete with other bike computers.
Same poor in-ride interface, with ungraphical pages with numbers.
They could do real breakthrough interfaces with such hardware.
It is Android below, we are in 2021...
It has only ~7h autonomy, with bluetooth off and minimal lightning to be visible a sunny day.

It has some other quirks:
rerouting is pitiful
the karoo connects to wifi, but you need to go through an odd web page to load a track
the powermeter is lost when you pause

BUT... I love it.
Their support is amazing.
For instance they are currently fixing the power meter issue, and I'm sure it will come soon in one of their regular update.

[Schumo]

I'll start.

GPS Bike Computer

Xoss G+
https://www.xoss.co/pages/xoss-g.html
http://aliexpress.com/item/4000971650483.html
For around 35€ a nice simple bike computer with ANT+ and Bluetooth. Supports Speed/Cadence/Heartrate Sensor.
GPS connection is okay, the GPS fix takes sometimes a bit longer (could be the place where I live), and sometimes it loses the connection while riding in the forest.

iGPSport iGS520
https://www.igpsport.com/igs520
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005001338284700.html
I bought it because I was very curious how good/bad the cheapest GPS bike computer with Navigation is. The price was around 70€.
The computer itself works great, you can connect your Powermeter, configure which data you want to see on the pages, both things the Xoss can't do.
Compared to a friends Wahoo it was also pretty accurate. 
Now to the Navigation part. I only tried it with the first Firmware 1.05 (?), the current one is 1.10, which might have some improvements.
The iGS520 has no internal maps, so it only shows you the route and gives you directions when to turn, which is fine for me as I usually ride in my home area.
Route planning is done via the iGPSport app. And it sucks. You can set the waypoints on a Google Maps map, but you can't edit/move the already set waypoints anymore. It's also more road riding orientated, planning a MTB route is even worse. Last time I tried to transfer the route to the iGS520 the App went into a loop where it starts at 0% again after the upload was at 100%.
You can log into the iGPSport Website and import .gpx-Files and also create routes for your Routebook there. But if you try to upload one of these routes the app will give you an error and won't even start uploading then.
-> The navigation feature is absolutely useless. (for now?)

Edit: With Firmware 1.10 (1.20 should be coming soon?) you can at least the routes you created online or in the app, upload to the iGS 520 also works now, but on longer routes it's quite slow.

Edit again: Firmware 1.31 is now available. It has a workout mode if you have a powermeter and also has a indoor cycling feature now. Haven't tried both of them. But, and that's much important: .gpx-Import seems finally to work!

Sensors

Magene Speed/Cadence Sensor
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001096008233.html
Xoss Speed/Cadence/Heartrate Sensors
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001157509389.html
I have the Xoss Heartrate Sensor, 2 Xoss Speed/Cadence Sensors and 3 Magene Speed/Cadence Sensors.
They all work unremarkable.
The Xoss sensors have the better mounting with 2 1 thicker O-Rings, while the Magene only has one. The smaller one Magane delivers is also too small to use.
The Magene on the other hand has the better battery cap, which needs no coin to open, and is easier to put back in.

[Zoc]

thanks a lot for your feedback

[carbonazza]

I forgot the sensors:

Magene Heart Rate Monitor
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mMap9bz

And the Sigeyi Axo powermeter:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOSSbLN
Wich was much cheaper before 

Both work great.

[cyclemadkiwi]

Ive been using the Bryton Rider 420. Israel Start-Up Nation Pro cycling Team used them last year and there is a great review on them on Youtube.

Ive been using mine for over a year and it's brilliant, cheap and feature packed including linking to my power pedals ( I use Garmin Vector 3 Duals) I use on the track, road and mountain bikes. It is the best bang for buck if you want a pro level computer. Just get the head unit, then get a magene HR Belt and speed/cadence sensors. The App is ok, but only has setups for 2 bikes, but it's simple enough to manage.

Bryton Rider 420 Head Unit
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000071366030.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dZANTEF

Magene HR, Speed/Cadence Sensors
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32853534009.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4dZANTEF

The Bryton Rider 750 is now the flagship and looks real smart, not found on aliexpress yet.

[tripleDot]

I'm using...

IGPSport IGS50E
https://www.igpsport.com/bike-computers
I've used this for about 2 years now. I'm not exactly someone who uses the data to plot out some scheduling for rides or to monitor my exercise or something. So this is simple and more than sufficient for my use.

And Magene H64 Heart Rate Monitor
Only been using this since Sep or Oct. 2020. I only use it as a warning device not to hit a certain heart rate. If I see I'm approaching that figure, I simply shift down to an easier gear or take a rest.

Both devices connects seamlessly with each other.

How accurate are they? To be honest, I don't know. The IGPSport is consistently recording shorter distances (just a small fraction) compared to my Sony Experia cp running Relive. But viewing all those YouTube videos reviews or bikepackers about their cyclocomputers and cp apps, everyone is saying none of their apps/devices showed the same data. Suppose to be I can choose to connect Relive with a cyclocomputer but I just never tried to. No particular reasons, I just use them simultaneously but independently. My phone (with Relive app) is usually in my pocket. The iGPSport is visible on the handlebar. Here's a sample data of both device, same trip. These are the key differences.

                        iGPSport     Relive
Distance          16.9km      17.3km
Max Speed      29.4kph     38.2kph
Ave. Speed      15.3kph     12.1kph
AST                   52m           283m
Time                 moving      trip duration

Distance: iGPSport always came shorter than Relive. It doesn't bother me much.

Speed: This really bugged me. The difference is quite significant. During rides, I follow iGPSport but when sharing my rides on FB it's the Relive video I use.

Elevation: iGPSport is the right one, I calibrated it but I never did calibrated my cellphone for elevation. So I'm inclined to believe that my Relive Speed might be affected (although unfounded).

I didn't bother with the time as they record it differently. The iGPSport records only moving time, while Relive records the entire trip (from pressing Start to pressing Finish button, I didn't set it to auto-pause). I do like to have both info.

[Nickk2000]

xoss cadence and speed sensor (a single sensor can do speed OR cadence, just need to take battery out and in once (red is speed blue is cadence light iirc) and i have the g+, kind of wish i went the extra $35 and got the gps sensor. would help for my long solo rides.

i have a wahoo tickr heart rate monitor, it was $25 in like new condition off mercari so it was the same price as magene, xoss ect, figured if it is more accurate, same price.

[Schumo]

Updated my last post about the iGS520.

Smart Trainer & Accessorys

Magene ANT+ Receiver
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/4001203907500.html
Works well, but mine looked used. 

Thinkrider X5 Neo
http://www.thinkrider.com/?page_id=3471
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Wholesale-Fitness-Equipment-Portable-Direct-Drive_1600166464905.html?spm=a2756.order-detail-ta-bn-b.0.0.32762fc2ouw8pj
I bought mine for around 420€ on AliBaba. From Order to delivery it took a whole 2 months, while shipping alone was 7 weeks. I also got a 10%/42€ AliBaba coupon, because the seller didn't ship it in a week.
Packaging was alright, but some of the polystyrene crumbled, so I had to vacuum the trainer after unboxing it.
The build quality could be a bit better, the plastic of the housing is rather on the cheap side, the metal foot had some scratches/isn't that well polished. The handle is also unclean made.
That are just optical flaws and shouldn't affect riding. And it's afair the cheapest Direct-Mount Smart-Trainer available.
Other negative points:
- No power switch
- Power cable could be longer (1.2m from wall plug to power supply + 1.2m from power supply to the trainer)
- Adapters for Thru-Axles not included (12€ shipped on AliX)
Riding on it is absolutely okay, the foot flexes how it's supposed to do. On really hard out-of-the-saddle one foot might lift sometimes.
I've done around 50 km on it now, and power numbers also seem to be okay.

[1Sigma]

Updated my last post about the iGS520.

Smart Trainer & Accessorys

Magene ANT+ Receiver
https://de.aliexpress.com/item/4001203907500.html
Works well, but mine looked used. 

Thinkrider X5 Neo
http://www.thinkrider.com/?page_id=3471
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Wholesale-Fitness-Equipment-Portable-Direct-Drive_1600166464905.html?spm=a2756.order-detail-ta-bn-b.0.0.32762fc2ouw8pj
I bought mine for around 420€ on AliBaba. From Order to delivery it took a whole 2 months, while shipping alone was 7 weeks. I also got a 10%/42€ AliBaba coupon, because the seller didn't ship it in a week.
Packaging was alright, but some of the polystyrene crumbled, so I had to vacuum the trainer after unboxing it.
The build quality could be a bit better, the plastic of the housing is rather on the cheap side, the metal foot had some scratches/isn't that well polished. The handle is also unclean made.
That are just optical flaws and shouldn't affect riding. And it's afair the cheapest Direct-Mount Smart-Trainer available.
Other negative points:
- No power switch
- Power cable could be longer (1.2m from wall plug to power supply + 1.2m from power supply to the trainer)
- Adapters for Thru-Axles not included (12€ shipped on AliX)
Riding on it is absolutely okay, the foot flexes how it's supposed to do. On really hard out-of-the-saddle one foot might lift sometimes.
I've done around 50 km on it now, and power numbers also seem to be okay.

Hi Schumo,
Any further feedback on the X5 Neo?

[Schumo]

Around 300km on it now, can't complain about it.

[ChinerVirus]

I'm about to finish my gravel build and my plan is to use a cheap android phone as an ad hoc bike computer. I have no idea if this will work, but if it does, I will have a full featured computer for a fraction of the cost.

Samsung Galaxy phones (generally) have ANT+ antennas, in addition to (of course) GPS and Bluetooth. I picked up a used Galaxy J7 for $50 which has the added bonus of removable batteries. I plan to mount this to a Garmin stem mount using an adhesive-backed adapter on the phone.

My idea is to try various apps that support maps/navigation with sensor overlays for speed, cadence, and heartrate. I'm looking at RideWithGPS and Strava on Android. Both of these seem to support sensors/overlays and even appear to integrate with the Garmin Varia bike radar (haven't pulled the trigger on that but it looks cool AF).

I own an ANT+ heartrate monitor already and have a couple XOSS ANT+ speed/cadence sensors on the way from aliexpress -- these supposedly support Bluetooth and ANT+. I'm hoping to get everything together in the next couple of weeks and will report back if I got it all working, and what the app experience is like.

[ChinerVirus]

Unrelated to bike computers, but definitely electronic -- I was considering picking up a new GoPro for my mountain bike, and I came across the CamPark v40.
https://www.campark.net/products/campark-v40-4k-30fps-wifi-action-camera-20mp-touch-screen-40m-waterproof-camera

This is a true 4k waterproof action cam that can be found for around $100 USD. They have other 4k models as well that are even slightly cheaper. I watched a couple reviews on Youtube and its quite impressive. I think the v40 even has optical image stabilization which is ridiculous for the price.

I might just buy one of these to put on my gravel bike, as a kind of "dash cam" for road rides.

[RDY]

Here are my current tools:

Strava(subscriber) has a great route generation tool on mobile.
Strava have their heatmap, all tracks/roads people went to. A gold mine.

But then I send them to Komoot, for review/rework.
Komoot has precises terrain info and types. eg: avoid main roads, cobbles, or maximize single tracks for MTB(but manual), etc.
And start to have many points of interest referenced by the community.
If they had the quick finger mapping of Strava, I would just ditch out Strava.

I then use the Karoo 2 to record my rides and navigation.
After using the Wahoo Bolt for a few years.
Karoo has a neater navigation, touchscreen, real colors.

Unfortunately they just compete with other bike computers.
Same poor in-ride interface, with ungraphical pages with numbers.
They could do real breakthrough interfaces with such hardware.
It is Android below, we are in 2021...
It has only ~7h autonomy, with bluetooth off and minimal lightning to be visible a sunny day.

It has some other quirks:
rerouting is pitiful
the karoo connects to wifi, but you need to go through an odd web page to load a track
the powermeter is lost when you pause

BUT... I love it.
Their support is amazing.
For instance they are currently fixing the power meter issue, and I'm sure it will come soon in one of their regular update.

What are your thoughts now on the Karoo 2?  There have been a lot of updates, but seemingly still quite a few disgruntled users, and almost universally reported still-poor battery life?

How many of the bugs and spoilers you listed have been patched up?

[Snacks]

I'm about to finish my gravel build and my plan is to use a cheap android phone as an ad hoc bike computer. I have no idea if this will work, but if it does, I will have a full featured computer for a fraction of the cost.

Samsung Galaxy phones (generally) have ANT+ antennas, in addition to (of course) GPS and Bluetooth. I picked up a used Galaxy J7 for $50 which has the added bonus of removable batteries. I plan to mount this to a Garmin stem mount using an adhesive-backed adapter on the phone.

I tried this with an s5 and it works alright for short rides. My issue was that the battery only lasted an hour and a half to two hours at most if you have the screen on the whole time whilst using GPS and strava. The wahoo app worked better with all the sensors than strava did for me and if I didn't use GPS I'd get another hour out of the battery. This was after swapping in a new battery.

The other big issue I had with the s5 in particular was that the back cover was removable and when the road got bumpy the phone would separate from the cover (which was attached to the garmin mount) and going flying off . I tried fixing this by super gluing the back cover onto the phone but it just ripped apart a couple rides later.

So now I have a cycling computer, igpsport 620