Two handicaps with smartphones
Smartphones are increasingly becoming all-rounders. With the help of apps, they become GPS devices or take over all the functions of conventional bike computers. There are only two handicaps that the phones have not yet mastered. The display on the handlebars is difficult to read in sunlight and many cyclists are reluctant to mount the expensive device on the handlebars without protection.
A new generation of bike computers is bridging the gap here. Using Bluetooth, they connect to the phone and mirror information to the handlebars. The advantage: only a small, inexpensive control centre sits on the handlebars. The expensive smartphone in your pocket, on the other hand, collects all kinds of information. This can then be analysed at your leisure or even passed on wirelessly to various online communities.
Cateye Strada Smart also works without a connection to the phone
The Cateye Strada Smart is one such representative of the new smart slaves, which at first glance hardly differ from conventional bike computers. The handy, ultra-light mini computer also works without a connection to the phone. However, it then needs sensors on the bike. Speed, cadence, power and heart rate can be linked up to now. The GPS sensor in the smartphone also provides the route and altitude profile and records the tour on a map.
It is surprisingly easy to set up. Clear instructions on the Internet explain all the steps and the bike computer and smartphone are paired in just a few minutes. There is little new on the bike tour itself. Just like on a conventional bike computer, you can keep an eye on the data collected on the small display. The smartphone rests in your pocket in energy-saving mode with the display switched off. However, the Bluetooth, app and GPS module suck up a lot of battery power on the move. A fully charged mobile phone is absolutely essential for a day trip. In addition to the tour data, the Strada reports a call or an incoming text message via an icon on the display. Practical for those who want to stay in touch. The Strada Smart does not yet transmit navigation information.
Data collection made easy
The big moment for the new couple comes at the end of the tour. It has never been easier to collect and view data. The direct upload to platforms such as Cateye Atlas, Strava or Training Peaks works directly from the smartphone. This allows you to create precise statistics with all performance data or document your cycling holiday on a map down to the last metre without having to go through a computer. As data can only be collected using a smartphone without a bike computer, training routes can also be easily recorded and supplemented using a second bike. However, speed measurement without a corresponding sensor is sometimes quite erratic depending on the GPS signal reception.
Cateye Strada Smart, available in three versions with and without sensors,
Price from 74.99 euros, www.paul-lange.de
