Quote Originally Posted by indysteel View Post
If it works for you, then great, but I still just don't think it's necessary to know the grade of a hill as you're climbing it. I don't use a cadence meter either. I don't even have a computer on my bike anymore. So far, so good.

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It works for you. Just saying though, that lots of cyclists use GPS bike computers with heart rate function, average speed function, grade and elevation function, and cadence function, and such bike computers are an effective training tool for them. I went on a group ride a few weeks ago and everyone in the lead pack had a GPS computer whereas the cyclists who took a half hour longer to do the 2 mile climb didn't have such computers. If such bike computers work for so many thousands and thousands of cyclists, perhaps it might work for Catrin too becasue she seems pretty serious about wanting to turn herself into a distance cyclist and is training hard to do so. Just because you don't use a computer doesn't mean that it would not be a good idea for Catrin to use one, particularly as she expressed her intent to travel to different areas to bike. She should probably get clipless pedals and cycling shoes first though, if she is prioritizing expenditures.