Spring Cycling

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The weather is relatively cold but the sun is out so the time for spring cycling has come. Spring cycling is like other forms of cycling, but you want to dress warm enough to be comfortable, but not so warm as to overheat. You also want to find routes that are short enough so that if it is cold you can get home without being cold for too long.

The conditions were mild today. The thermometer showed about 12°c so acceptable for cycling. For years I was cycling with Suunto devices but now I am playing with the Garmin instinct and the Garmin Speed Sensor 2 and Cadence sensor. I switched over to the Garmin Instinct Solar because I am curious to see how it copes this summer, and I got the speed sensor 2 and cadence sensor 2 because the Suunto device has finally failed, and I saw them offered at a good price so I decided to test them. So far I haven’t had to worry about them. They just work, no need to make sure the sensors are in the right place or anything else.

The speed sensor is self-calibrating so spend a few seconds attaching it to a wheel hub, and then pair it. Once that is done it will self-calibrate during rides. The cadence centre is easy to set up too. Strap it onto a pedal and you’re ready to go for a bike ride.

In the mobile application you can see the battery status for the sensors, so when the batteries are low you will know. With the Suunto device you would go for a ride and half way through stop getting data due to the battery dying without warning.

Eventually I may try to use these sensors in connection with Zwift. For two years now I haven’t used Zwift because my sensor failed and I didn’t want to spend hundreds of francs on a new indoor trainer. This is an affordable solution that I am happy with.