tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737851275453020904.post3703266954402628087..comments2024-03-08T14:27:48.599-08:00Comments on albertnet: BiketronicsDana Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13488621586586091954noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737851275453020904.post-43884039690617142082016-08-09T18:09:01.656-07:002016-08-09T18:09:01.656-07:00Bry, you might consider checking out this blog pos...Bry, you might consider checking out this blog post about whether exercise can damage your heart:<br />http://www.albertnet.us/2015/08/can-too-much-exercise-damage-your-heart.htmlDana Alberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13488621586586091954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737851275453020904.post-59990689431689156722010-02-05T23:33:32.603-08:002010-02-05T23:33:32.603-08:00"Don't let our speed drop below thirty!&q..."Don't let our speed drop below thirty!" That is so true, I can just hear Pete's voice yelling it! Man that's funny. Sometimes these electronics hurt us. <br /><br />I know that if it weren't for the electronics, though, including some sort of music making device, I could not ride the trainer. In fact, if I lose my precious heart rate datas, as the Germans call them, I just can't go on. Either there's no point to it or it's just too depressing, I can't tell which. I've even been known to change a battery while still breathing hard, min workout, trying not to sweat into the device. <br /><br />On the other hand, sometimes I wonder if all this instrumentation is really good for us. Are our hearts really designed to be run like a machine? Is it really good for that quivering, messy mass of muscle to be duped into performing at a certain level, no matter what? I have all manner of tricks to keep my heart rate up in the right zone and sometimes it just doesn't feel natural. I wonder if the poor thing might just cry uncle one day. We sure depend on them, and I'd hate to see mine go, that's for sure. I guess I would get to monitor the action on my mighty Ciclosport HAC-4, though of course I'd doubt the instrument first, and my last thoughts might just be, "The HAC was right after all!"Bryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06470419755805088234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737851275453020904.post-40866678805246994922010-02-05T12:19:07.382-08:002010-02-05T12:19:07.382-08:00Ah, gear; a topic near and dear to me. Why? I wi...Ah, gear; a topic near and dear to me. Why? I wish I knew. Heaven knows it doesn't make me any better and as a matter of fact I often chastize myself for continuing to "invest" copius amounts of money on this technology, all in the name of more speed.<br /><br />I train with an HR monitor of course but then had to add a GPS unit so I could more precisely measure my variance between laps (usually to find out where I am losing so much speed as opposed to where I am getting so much faster). Lately the arsenal has expanded yet again to include a Power Tap. So, now I go out on training rides with my Power Tap, HR Monitor and GPS unit because I can't seem to get ALL the information of just one of them. to his credit and riding buddy really did nail home a good point recently. Spending so much cash and time on all this "technology" is ridiculous. It's all just a history lesson.<br /><br />Oh God, something has just occured to me-the ridiculous money I have spent on my bikes to shave precious grams has been more than offset by the added weight of my gizmos. Only one way to find out-get out my super sensitive digital gram scale and weigh it all. Maybe they make lighter gizmos!! <br /><br />Loved the read DanaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737851275453020904.post-86336703171799335802010-01-26T16:08:14.331-08:002010-01-26T16:08:14.331-08:00John, may I commend you on your close reading. I ...John, may I commend you on your close reading. I had (obviously) not noticed the 60%/54% discrepancy. After some investigation, I can explain: to the question "do you use these devices" only 13 people said "I don't use these," whereas to the question "do you upload data to a PC?" I got 16 people saying "I don't use these devices" and one person who didn't answer. Why the inconsistency? Were they quibbling about "device"? Were these perhaps Apple purists who wouldn't dare insinuate that they use PCs? Anyway, glad you liked the post! And I agree ... cool toys are really helpful when you're riding solo. "Internal narrative" is exactly right.Dana Alberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13488621586586091954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737851275453020904.post-4000734476332062262010-01-25T17:40:07.305-08:002010-01-25T17:40:07.305-08:00One of the main things about electronics for me is...One of the main things about electronics for me is that they make solo rides less boring. I like the data and I like comparing one ride to the next, but it never seems important if I'm riding with friends (though I'll check the numbers at the end of the ride just to see if my legs agree with the data). But when I'm riding alone, I get really bored. That's where the LCD displays come in. "My HR is good for this hill. Oh, man, I just set a new max speed on that downhill. Ok, that's 1 hour down." If it weren't for this internal narrative, I think it would be hard to get out for solo rides.<br /><br />I'm also a nerd for numbers. To wit: at one point you refer to 21 respondents who use electronics as being 60%, and just 3 paragraphs later, 21 riders who use electronics are 54%. How's that? I need a Venn diagram for the first bar graph, showing the overlapping device usage... <br /><br />Great piece, Dana. I remember the Avocet 20 (I want to say I had one on my Miyata 912, but I probably just made that up). The Avocet 20 was iMac-like in it's simplicity and user-friendly design. I don't remember the display pooling with sweat, but that's probably because I never rode hard enough to sweat back in those days (not to mention that sweating enough to drip off your face was a real feat in arid Boulder). Honestly, I was lazy. Needed more data devices to push me faster...Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18213958108392539464noreply@blogger.com