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FROM THE SUMMIT What electronic devices do you use to monitor your cycling and fitness? Many of us have cyclometers on our bikes. The basic ones display current time, temperature, miles ridden, riding time, average speed and maximum speed. More advanced models also measure pedaling cadence, altitude, feet of climbing, etc. An increasing number of cyclists use GPS devices on their bikes. These devices offer many of the same features as cyclometers and more. GPS technology can help you plan and stay on a route. It also may help you find an alternative route when you encounter an unexpected road closure or obstacle. Some cyclists like to wear heart rate monitors. These show current heart rate and give the user a good idea when to go harder and when to back off a little. All of these devices we might use on the bike can help us. They provide useful as well as interesting information. They help us monitor our progress toward goals and give us an idea how much we are improving. They can also distract us. It’s important to pay attention to the road ahead, other cyclists, motor vehicles, pedestrians, animals, etc. If you pay too much attention to your electronic devices, you could crash. In addition to on-bike devices, some of us also use other devices, such as fitbit or Nike Fuel products, to monitor our fitness. Different models offer different features. These give us an idea how many steps or miles we have walked, hiked or run and how much we have climbed. They give a breakdown of the times of day when we were most and least active. Some also can be used a sleep monitors. Some of us are more enthusiastic about these devices than others. Some of us are faster to adopt new technologies than others. Some new products are pricey when they are introduced and become more affordable later on. All of these products can provide interesting information and help you compare your current performance to past performance. It’s great to see such a full ride calendar. The Progressive, Less Aggressive Progressive and Cinderella Training Rides series offer a variety of weekend rides to choose from. And that’s in addition to the Calaveras, Tuesday Hills on Saturday, Portola Valley and Calaveras Counterclockwise rides on the first, second, third and fourth Saturdays respectively. On top of all that, we have a number of ride leaders offering other weekend rides. With all the choices we have, it’s no wonder that so many members are showing up for rides. Thank you to all the ride leaders for giving us so many rides to pick from. I’ll see you on a ride soon.
Gary |
