Cadence monitor?

[nafula]

My husband needs a new computer/hrm. Polar makes the CS100 that has the optionaly cadence monitor, or the CS200 that comes with the cadence monitor.

I've never used anything with cadence before, so is it worth the extra money? Does it benefit your training enough to make it valuable?

[indysteel]

I have a computer with cadence on my road bike, and I really like having it. As a newbie rider, it has given me a sense of what gear I should be in to spin in a good "zone." As I gain experience, I find myself referring to it less and less on the flats, but I still use it for climbing. I use a Sigma "double wireless" computer, meaning that both the speed and cadence features are wireless.
IMO, it's a good computer and reasonably priced. Here's a link: http://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/bikecomputer/topline_wireless/bc1606ldts_cadence/?punkt=features

I also have a Cateye Astrale 8 on my hybrid that has wired cadence. I prefer the Sigma as it gives me less trouble. The sensor on the Cateye gets out of place easily.

[Bad JuJu]

I have never used a cadence monitor before, but I just got a Polar CS200cad. I wasn't going to get it with the cadence feature, but it was only $10 more so I figured, what the hekc. I installed it on my bike yesterday but haven't had a chance to ride with it yet.

I'm thinking that the cadence info will be one more way, along with the heart rate, to keep myself focused--if I don't have a definite workout plan in mind, I have a tendency to just twiddle along, enjoying the scenery. Twiddling is nice, but not always the best thing for my fitness.

[maryellen]

altho i'm currently not riding while i recover from a crash, i do love the cadence function on my bike computer.

at first i used it mostly to get my cadence up, then to get my cadence steady, then to encourage me to improve my hill climbing by watching my cadence drop precipitiously on inclines!

i have a cat-eye double wireless. don't know that i would recommend my model in particular as it seems to get interfernce from my polar heart rate monitor, but the cadence function is both fun and useful.

[makbike]

It's a great function and well worth the money. I love my old Cateye Solar II computer with the cadence feature. It is a huge plus when training. I also have a Trek Incite 9i which does not have cadence and I dislike it and plan on asking Santa for a computer with cadence on it to replace this one.

[nafula]

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and order the cadence with the heart rate monitor. It was $30 more. Seemed worth it, especially if everyone likes it.

[Mimosa]

Although I don't have a cadence monitor it would be better if I got me one. Many bike improvement/training programs give you candence instructions. In my training it says that I should drive at least one training each week with a cadence of 100 (and that's really fast stuff) combined with a certain heart rate region. Look at lance what he was able to achieve with cycling at a high cadence.

I now have only a heartrate wristwatch mounted on my bike (a simple sigma). I tried to add a bike computer which measures speed but I hated it. I felt like keeping my current speed was more important then my heartrate, while it should be the other way around. And I was allways messing with the magnet to get it to measure something and when it did measure something it gave a ticking noise when climbing ... so after 2 weeks I removed the damned thing.

Maybe in time I will get the polar cs100 since it mounts so nicely on the steeringpen and I then got it all in one.

[crazycanuck]

HI,

I've been looking at purchasing the Polar CS200cad and am wondering if anyone else uses one.

Please let me know.

Off to wander around the Polar site.

c

[Offthegrid]

I've been on the fence about this for several weeks. I want to get a heart rate monitor, and at first I just wanted it to be simple and easy to use.

But then I realized I really should have a computer on my commuter for fun statistics purposes ;) , so then I could put my road bike computer on the commuter, leaving me able to buy a really cool computer with cadence for the road bike. Which means, why not also buy one that has heart rate?

Way too many choices.