Download here: https://getcadence.app/
The best bike computers are getting incredibly expensive and the brands making them are packing in features which either seem to be unnecessary or already exist within your smartphone. So, why is it we even buy head units? In this video, Sam Gupta takes a look at Cadence, an app designed to replace your bike tracker and unlock all the functionality that exists within your phone. Cycling GPS computers are incredibly good at navigating us while out on the road, however many of us already use our phones to navigate us while driving, so it makes sense to save your money and instead just buy a robust cycling computer mount for your bike or even replace your cycling computer altogether.
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Why Buy A Bike Computer When THIS Exists?
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the best cycling computers are only going one way in price and that is up sure their functionalities are also getting more extensive but it’s almost to the point of having features for the sake of it however we all most likely own a device which is just as competent as many of the best cycling computers I am of course talking about your smartphone these things cost as much as if not more than the best cycling computers and for good reason they are packed full of tech and with it so much capability what you need are the right tools to unlock all of that capability and happily there’s an American company called Cadence that has managed to do such a thing it has created an interface that will feel familiar while including all of the same tools and features you’d expect to find on any Garmin or Wahoo device what may surprise you is just how far that functionality actually extends first off we have to speak about that interface because you can create as many customized screen layouts as you like and then of course you can swipe between them while you’re riding you can have up to 24 data points at the same time or just choose one to have full screen happily Cadence does come with multiple pre-made layouts to get you started however being be prepared to spend a bit of time getting it just right for you because there are over 100 different data points to choose from and each data field can be customized from text color to light or dark background colors and heart rate and power Zone colors too I think you get the idea though you really can make the interfaces your own and since you’re using a mobile phone you get to enjoy a fast response time when you’re interacting with the app not to forget you have a nice bright display when you’re riding during the day while a fully customizable interface is very cool it’s somewhat to be expected for an app but what may surprise you is just how compatible it is with external devices for example if you use a heart rate strap you compare that to the app and the same goes for Speed Cadence and power meter sensors too it also works for exercise bikes like the Schwin ic4 and Boflex C6 as well as IND your trainers like the Wahoo kicker and the tax Neo but once again it doesn’t even stop there because if you have a radar fitted to your bike like a Garmin varer or a brighten Guardia then even those will connect as soon as a radar is paired and connected the main screen will show how many vehicles are behind you and how fast they’re approaching just as they do on a head unit you can even set up audio alerts for added awareness there’s one fundamental tool we need a GPS computer to do and that is navigate however it’s probably quite likely you already use your phone to do a lot of navigating be it in the car or just when you’re out on foot so why not employ it for use during your rides too within Cadence you can create custom routes with turn-by-turn navigation it will work for your rides your runs and even driving directions you can save existing activities as routs or import GPX files from all the usual places like straa Kimo Garmin and of course plenty of others however if you’re already out and you just want to head to a nearby cafe then you can just enter your destination into the app and the app will take you there lastly I doubt it will come as any sort of surprise that with all of this functionality you can also make use of straa live segments while you’re out training Cadence allows you to view all nearby segments and then switch between them in a very detailed interface you can view your location in comparison to your segment efforts on both a big map and an elevation graph you can see how far ahead or behind you are and how much further you have to go and of course you can fully customize the data points on the live segment screen for your own personalized view let’s not forget once you’ve completed a ride Cadence can automatically syn your activities to stra it’s clear that Cadence has found a way to unlock all the potential your phone holds as an alternative to a head unit thanks to mounting systems like the quadlock phone mount or even more budget friendly options like the ones I have here it’s easy to secure your phone and if you want to protect it from the weather then there are plenty of waterproof cases out there too of course you will go through your phone’s battery a little more quickly so my advice would be to ensure you are either have a way to charge up at your destination or instead carry a small power bank typical battery life when using Cadence is around 10 to 20% per hour depending on device and settings but Cadence does have battery saving features like Dart mode and autoc screen dimming if you are considering buying your first head unit then I would encourage you to seriously consider using your phone as an alternative as technology has developed the limitation from even just a few years ago are actually no longer present and by going down this route instead you could stand to save hundreds of pounds Cadence is free to use however there are pro and Elite versions of the app that unlock more functionality you can compare the differences between the membership levels over on the Cadence website to which I have left a link to down below I’ve not been able to touch upon all the features that Cadence offers such as detailed Analytics IC live tracking and the Standalone Apple Watch app there’s simply too much to cover in just one video let me know your thoughts on this though would you ever consider using your phone rather than a dedicated cycling computer
37 Comments
While it is true that some cycle computers cost as much as my phone, I can also buy them for less money than the new trendy handlebar bracket system for my phone.
Prefer my Garmin
I’ve been using an old galaxy s9 phone with the Ipbike app as a cycling computer for about 6 years with zero issues. With a quad lock mount, it never comes loose. I keep it in airplane mode so battery life is fine. It’s also an emergency backup phone, I carry my regular phone in my hydration pack. I think these head units will eventually give way to phone apps. It’s the perfect use for an old phone that many people have laying around the house.
Monthly rental, no ANT support. No thank you.
I use Urban Biker, does everything I need it to, it also gives you power readings Im not sure if those are accurate since it calculates this off GPS and I have nothing to compare it to but it's good for tracking routes, speed, etc.
I use an old phone dedicated for this that way if im in a crash and it gets broken it's no big deal.
Is it possible for this app to activate push notifications from varia radar, that a car is approaching? It would be really awesome then to have a radar alerts on a non-Garmin basic smartband without ANT+. Anyone?
Lots of potholes in Pietermaritzburg that's gonna affect the screen 😢😢😢
I tried Cadence out (after I destroyed my Garmin when the mount broke). I like it. It picks up my Garmin sensors quicker than my Garmin did. It's easier to setup and maintain than the Garmin. The two drawbacks I've found is the load on the battery and navigation. I think the average phone is good for a 5-6hr ride tops before it's drained the battery. The navigation software is a bit clunky but if you use the navigation feature, the battery life is reduced to about 4hrs tops.
I used to use my phone, but on a long ride, the battery would die and also now phones are allot more expensive than a semi decent bike computer that will outlast my phone and then some, so for me I switched to a computer and leave my phone safely tucked away.
If you know hoe dangerous those spyphones are….. Just or the slaves of the system toralitair
Note that this supports bluetooth, not ANT+. Historically bike stuff worked w ANT+. For example, my power meter (vector 2). So, to use this, i'd have to upgrade my power meter, doesnt make sense.
I like the idea though, for 100 eur, you can get a very capable second hand phone with much more tech than what's in a garmin edge, for eg.
my bike computer lasts a looong day out without running out of battery, my smartphone doesn't.
Just stop using bike computers & enjoy your ride!
I would never put my phone on my handlebars lol. Crashing would not be ideal. Crashing with a small Garmin is less of a risk. Phones are $1k, a gps unit can be had for $130. Plus the batteries aren't going to last that long on a phone.
Phones are too big.
Reading through these comments (both positive and negative) I was wondering how in the world cyclists managed to get out on the road or trail and ride before all this technology existed!🤣
My smartphone would be horrible to do this. battery life would be a disaster.
I'm using my 10" tablet mounted to my bars. Not only can I see all of my cycling data clearly, but I can stream and watch episodes of my favorite series while I ride! 😉
I just got into cycling and my youtube algorithm knows that too and it suggestex this video, and maaaaan, has it changed my journey cz I used Strava for recording for a week but ut would stop in between and won't resume until I tapped it on, it was really annoying but you and Cadence saved me. Thanks. 🎉❤😊
I am currently set up and using my phone with RwGPS and If I have problems I will go back to Garmin 1040. I have had mapping route accuracy issues with the Garmin and the screen is small and low resolution. Unlike an upright bike, I ride a nice carbon recumbent Slyway ULTRA that has a slender tiller that attenuates road vibration. I will be designing and 3D-printing up some sun visor ideas to minimize direct sun on the phone. My current iPhone 14 plus has 3.46 A-hr capacity remaining but I have a 20.0 A-hr smallish brick attached to it. That should get me through any century rides. Need to keep it cool. The phone only gets 50% of the radiation an upright bike phone gets since it is at 30 deg from vertical. Bikes are too much fun.
I have been road biking for nearly 30 years. Generally iding 140 mile a week as an avg at the age of 69.
Yes the bar mounted computer were once the standard. Phones have largely them over the last 15 years or so.
Both can record specific level analytics.
Yes the phone technology and software collects a lot data for review or sharing.
However, for me, no phone on the handle bars period! Too distracting.
Seen a dozens of riders over the years bump into others.
Yeah crashing when their front will bumped into the rear wheel of who ever they were drafting.
Yeah, they own those asphalt road burns.
Being a total frigging nuisance when they drift side to side.
Pop that wallet when they bust their carbon fiber wheel in a pothole.
Price of being constantly obsessed looking down at their phone.
Their phone getting knocked loose out of the holder bringing the end of it as it strikes the payment with me running it over to liberate them.
I have a phone, it's in a back pocket where it should be
Nope not responding to call or text either during the ride.
The whole purpose of the ride, to escape!
Are you kidding? I'd much rather destroy a $300 Garmin in a bike wreck than my $1500 smart phone.
have you tried using the magene bike computer?
iPhone would overheat and turn off in California summer
The screen may not be bright enough to see it. My phone won't work. But I do have cheap computer from China. It doesn't have all the fancy features, but it works and it's good enough. I'm guessing I paid around $20 for it.
what about battery life ? especially for non-pro cyclist, hitting the road after a busy day at the office
Not free
The sun damage de screen, the battery dies 😅
Nice concept. I'll stick with the little gadget. If my phone is attached to my bicycle and there's a spill it risks the phone.
Consider? I’ve used Map My Ride for over 10 years. Looks better than other bike computers and is one less device I need to carry. With my iPhone ? Pro Max, battery life was never an issue. Downloaded Cadence, but can already see limitations compared to what I use now unless I subscribe. Plus it only seems to import from Strava. So, it’s a maybe for me.
Yeah. I want a 7" phone on my bloody bars.
Rubbish. Give me a 3" Garmin any day.
Ok saving $ is a good thing if happens… but then for those we go far and beyond ultra distance … there is a down side… charge and the sensitivity of the touch screen under the rainy conditions … that point is not considered here … and thats why have a dispositive focused on gps works better for me but I can see myself using an old phone to have that kind of advantages, and give it a try.
Tot het ging regend😮
I’ve always thought it was foolish to have your cell phone sticking out in the middle of the handlebars and my intuition came true. Couple days ago went over my handlebars and am really glad my cell phone wasn’t being used as a gps. My small bike gps survived it without a scratch. Why in the hell would I want my $1000 phone being risked?
It's actually nicer to just use your phone to talk through, or maybe even leave it at home.
No, this app is not. It's a subscription trap. Use supercycle instead.
Unless you are an athlete these just are not required. When I’m out running I don’t time myself and my submariner doesn’t update me on segments. Every time I see a person running by me and checking their watch my eyes roll. When I’m on my bike the only thing that matters is that I push myself and get about my set cadence. But if I’m going up a rocky track even that doesn’t matter.