Bike ‘puter (or something else?) recommendations?

[hozn]

Yeah, my Garmin 1000 shows the sender and first bit of text. (Android). It does need to be given peission to read contacts to show sender (name), if I remember right. (It should prompt for that when pairing.)

[dasgeh]

@reji 177577 wrote:

If you want a cheap alternative, you could get a Bluetooth speaker that allows you to take calls while you’re riding. Yeah, getting your texts isn’t an option and neither is capturing all your cycling data. But it’s cheap, you get to listen to music and you can take your wife’s phone calls without stopping. The Buckshot 2.0 is about $30. I haven’t tried to actually have a conversation while riding, mostly because my hearing sucks. But it has been great to know when I need to stop and take a phone call.

@Emm 177579 wrote:

I have tried to take a call on my buckshot while riding. In calm conditions, it works decently well. In any type of wind or somewhere with background noise it’s pretty tough for the person to hear you, and you end up shouting into the speaker, which can really confuse your fellow commuters or people on the sidewalk…

This is how my father-in-law crashed his tandem (with my mother-in-law on the back) — he was taking a call through speakerphone while riding. He couldn’t hear well, so leaned down toward the speaker… and rode straight into the back of a parked car. Don’t do that.

A smart watch might be an option, though you want to make sure that you can check whatever option you get SAFELY. I believe some smart watches allow you to set specific notifications for specific senders — e.g. a special buzz when you get a text from your wife.

[ian74]

These are great suggestions! After some researching, I’m thinking a Garmin/Wahoo type computer might be overkill. The only thing I think I would like about them would be turn-by-turn nav for some point in the future when I can actually go on a leisure ride. But with imminent water-breakage, I don’t think these things are happening anytime soon. I only commute, the same routes back and forth back and forth. I use Strava to connect with friends and track mileage/maintenance on my bikes.

Maybe the speaker type options, or simple smartwatch would fit best. For the people who just commute all the time, what appeals about to you about the specialized bike computers vs something else/smartphone?

[LhasaCM]

@ian74 177603 wrote:

These are great suggestions! After some researching, I’m thinking a Garmin/Wahoo type computer might be overkill. The only thing I think I would like about them would be turn-by-turn nav for some point in the future when I can actually go on a leisure ride. But with imminent water-breakage, I don’t think these things are happening anytime soon. I only commute, the same routes back and forth back and forth. I use Strava to connect with friends and track mileage/maintenance on my bikes.

Maybe the speaker type options, or simple smartwatch would fit best. For the people who just commute all the time, what appeals about to you about the specialized bike computers vs something else/smartphone?

Outside of the occasional fun ride, most of my riding is commuting or other errands where I don’t need navigational help. However, even then I like having the screen to glance down at rather than trying to look at notifications on my Android-based watch (especially in the winter when my watch is hiding under one or more layers of fabric). That’s where something like the Wahoo ELEMNT MINI may be more cost effective in your situation, since it relies on the phone for GPS/tracking and just serves as a display.

[n18]

Here is a smart watch with decent reviews for $30 that supports Text/Call alerts with ID. Make sure that it supports your phone. It doesn’t have a GPS, it uses the one in your phone.

The 4th product picture shows what a call alert looks like, and in this review, the second picture shows what a text message looks like.

Manufacturer home page: https://www.letscom.com/

P.S.: Avoid Fitbit watches, most of them are water-resistant, not water proof.

[ImaCynic]

@ian74 177562 wrote:

I have a problem and I need shopping advice. You see, I commute and I ride with my cell phone in my bag or in my jacket pocket. My wife likes to text message me with critical information, and it’s always while commuting. Things like “Proof of life??” or “Charlie pooped” and “My water broke,” Real important info. Since I’m perpetually grinding out miles with my head down invariably into a headwind, I don’t hear or feel my phone vibrating. I was wondering, what is a way to get these text notifications while riding? Do I need a bike computer? Should I get an Apple Watch? I don’t want a phone mount for my bike since I don’t have lots of room on my bars and I’m accident prone.

Usually I see all the frantic messages when I stop all my rides and count all my KOMs in Strava. What are some solutions and recommendations?

Thanks all.

I use a Lezyne SuperGPS and is quite happy with it. It works in conjunction with the phone or standalone, and has impressive battery life.

Here’s a review
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/biking/bike-computer/lezyne-super-gps-enhanced

Good luck!

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[Sunyata]

So, I have a Garmin 520, a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, and a Garmin VivoActive 3 (smart watch) currently.

All three support Bluetooth Smart and can show you incoming calls/texts. All three show who is calling/texting, and if a text, gives the first line or so of text. Both Garmins have the ability to show the whole message (unless it is a novel) if you interact with it. I have not tried to do that with my Elemnt yet, so not sure it it supports that. The Garmin 520 shows the notification until you manually clear it. The Wahoo and watch both clear the notifications on their own. So if you by chance miss the initial notification (happens with my watch ALL the time when riding because the vibration is not that strong), you will not know someone texted/called. (That being said, I have my watch set up to alert me that there are unread notifications on my phone, but it does not let me know whether they are emails, text messages, FB messages, or missed calls.) The Wahoo does beep loudly when you get a text/call, so I have not actually missed a message on that unless I happened to be away from the bike.

If your wife is due before May 25th-ish, you are more than welcome to borrow my 520 for an immediate solution while you work out your options. I just need it back before I leave for Kansas (it will be my backup GPS).

[ian74]

@Sunyata 177632 wrote:

So, I have a Garmin 520, a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, and a Garmin VivoActive 3 (smart watch) currently.

All three support Bluetooth Smart and can show you incoming calls/texts. All three show who is calling/texting, and if a text, gives the first line or so of text. Both Garmins have the ability to show the whole message (unless it is a novel) if you interact with it. I have not tried to do that with my Elemnt yet, so not sure it it supports that. The Garmin 520 shows the notification until you manually clear it. The Wahoo and watch both clear the notifications on their own. So if you by chance miss the initial notification (happens with my watch ALL the time when riding because the vibration is not that strong), you will not know someone texted/called. (That being said, I have my watch set up to alert me that there are unread notifications on my phone, but it does not let me know whether they are emails, text messages, FB messages, or missed calls.) The Wahoo does beep loudly when you get a text/call, so I have not actually missed a message on that unless I happened to be away from the bike.

If your wife is due before May 25th-ish, you are more than welcome to borrow my 520 for an immediate solution while you work out your options. I just need it back before I leave for Kansas (it will be my backup GPS).

Thanks for the offer Sunyata, I don’t need to borrow the 520. Super generous of you though. Our due date is next week!!!! I was in a panic so I just cheaped out and bought a handlebar mount for my phone. The bike computers seemed like total overkill and I research everything obsessively, especially tech purchases. Carolyn even said “get whatever you want!” and I still went for the lowest cost option. I think I’m broken.

(actually I’m saving every cent I can for a new bike…so I’m trying to not spend money elsewhere. When I get my Colnago Master/Tommasini tecno lugged steel beauty someday, I assume this will all be worth it. Maybe?)

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