I've been toying with the idea of picking up a bike computer for a while to save the battery on my phone and be able to have something on the bars I can see but I'm absolutely clueless with what to look at.
Budget is literally as cheap as possible, all I'm after is GPS tracking and uploads that don't require connecting to a laptop. Anything extra like breadcrumb trails etc. would be a bonus as I could plan rides on Komoot to explore new places I don't know the way.
What should I be looking at??
Sounds like you should consider a Lezyne. Does all that, controlled through a mobile phone app rather than a computer. Dunno if the little Garmins do the same.
Edit - you need some kind of data connection for uploading, don't know of any truly standalone ones, that would require a SIM card and you definitely won't find that in a cheaper one.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194055427997
It connects to a phone via bluetooth and then uploads the data to Strava,etc via an app.
I don't know if it counts as cheap, but I bought a Garmin Edge 130 when it was £99 at Halfords, and absolutely love it. Tiny, it's basically the same width as my stem; very readable with all the details I need. The app is a bit idiosyncratic, but once it's set up it'll automatically upload to Strava etc.
Edge 130 looks perfect thanks!
Now to find a bargain!
Plenty of second hand Garmins out there.
@Gribs do you have any experience of using that? For that kind of money I wouldn't expect there to be any components in it. Much like a dummy phone. Not being facetious, just curious.
Edge 130 is a lovely little computer, with a great screen - beautifully clear and easy to read even in bright sunlight. Breadcrumb navigation is what it is, if that's sufficient for your needs...
Only possible issue is battery life: if you hook up a HR monitor that's not a problem, but if you start to connect more things (I had a power meter + Varia also connected) then you start to run into battery problems if you go over 4-5hours. Assuming you're not going OTT on Ant+ like I did you'll be fine.
@Gribs do you have any experience of using that? For that kind of money I wouldn’t expect there to be any components in it. Much like a dummy phone. Not being facetious, just curious.
I've got a Xoss G+. It was about £25 when I bought it last year to replace a Bryton that died in the usual way they do. It works as well as any other GPS tracker I've tried, connects perfectly to a hrm and cadence sensor, and the phone app works reliably. Imo the only reason to spend more is if you want proper mapping as to me the breadcrumb style stuff on the low end Garmins is useless.
