Three Good Options for Adding GPS to Bike
Posted by The GPS Advisor in GPS Bike Computers
You Don’t Have to Spend Big Bucks on Bike GPS
You actually don’t have to buy a dedicated bicycle GPS computer to get the benefits of using GPS technology with your road or mountain biking. Although bike GPS devices provide the most functionality, there are some cheaper and multi-purpose solutions as well.
For your road or mountain bike, there are basically three good options for you in today’s market. You can carry a handheld GPS in your pocket, strap on a GPS watch, or go all the way with a dedicated bicycle GPS receiver. There are advantages and disadvantages to each selection, and we will go over this in the following sections.
Option 1: Buying A Handheld GPS Unit Instead
The first option, you can go out and buy a handheld GPS unit and strap it to your body while you are riding your bike. This will give you all of the functionality that is available to hikers and car drivers, but does not integrate with your bike and fitness plans. I personally like this option for my needs, as I love to hike, bike and run around the mountains of Colorado.
The downside of using a GPS fitness watch instead of a dedicated cycling GPS device is that the GPS unit is completely independent of the bicycle - leaving you with no integrated bike features like cadence tracking. This is why the serious cyclists prefer option #3.
Option 2: Buying a GPS Fitness Watch Instead
The second option is to buy a GPS watch unit that has most of the sophisticated GPS navigation features combined with heart rate monitoring and other fitness monitoring features.
We would suggest looking at these GPS watches if you want multiple usage out of your GPS device and need a hands-free GPS unit for running, swimming, cycling, climbing, etc. Although they are a little big on the wrist, you get great functionality without having to tie up one of your hands.
Option 3: Buying a Dedicated Cycling GPS Receiver Unit
This option (if you have the cash) is the best option for the maximum features and for getting the absolute most out of your GPS navigation and mapping experience - combined with having a virtual personal fitness trainer.
If you are a cycling road warrior or a back country serious mountain bike explorer, we think a dedicated bike GPS reciever unit is the preferred choice to take advantage of all these excellent features
Assess your Needs, then Shop for the Right Bike GPS Solution
These ideas will help you focus on your personal needs when adding GPS to your cycling regimen. Now, get out there and shop!
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