My life is a bit complicated, so my chances to get out on my real love (MTB DH/Trails) are very limited.
I’m trying to do some indoor training on a road bike and rollers as part of a push to make sure that what little time I do have on the MTB isn’t restrained too much by fatigue, so am trying to put together a cheapish solution to help me train.

What I’d like to be able to monitor is:
– Cadence
– Heart Rate (from my wrist)
– Speed would be nice
– Logging GPS rides for STRAAAAAAAVVVAAAAAAAAA.

Would be nice to be able to display this on a phone/PC, as well as a head unit on bike, and in future integrate with a Tacx Flow (seeing how I get on with my cheap-from-a-friend rollers first) for Zwift/TR type stuff.

Budget is pretty strict, but I don’t want unuseable junk so will pay where it’s needed!
I’m an IT geek buy day so have some skill in that respect, but can’t be arsed to fettle continuously once setup is done.

So, what can I get that’s cheapish, and reliable, and does the above? I don’t want/need stuff like turn by turn nav.

I’m thinking:

– Some sort of HRM watch (Had looked at the Mio Velo but no display, and won’t record any data – I’d quite like something with a display so I don’t have to wear it as well as a watch). Can you get ones that do ANT+ AND BT?
– 15 quid from Decathlon ANT+ Speed/Cadence sensor
– Something like a Cateye Velo

Would that work? Have I missed something?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is all new stuff to me!
Ta 🙂

I’ve just recently setup my uber ghetto budget zwift training area using the following:

Road bike
‘dumb trainer’ Elite Volare Mag Speed (£30 second hand)
Bluetooth speed/candence sensor (£10) https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EQTR2NI
Bluetooth HRM chest strap from ALDI (£10)
Floor standing fan from Argos (£15?)
Yoga Mat
Zwift running on iPad

The above works just fine. My Zwift workouts get uploaded to Strava, which in turn also sends it to MyFitnessPal (to my delight)

The above will allow you to see speed/cadence and approx wattage based from them two. HRM gives you heart rate obviously.

Its not fancy, and its not going to be super accurate, but it works fine and gets me training!

Cheapest would be bluetooth as you can use your current devices (although personally I’d recommend going to ANT+ or at least dual compatibility devices). Speed/cadence sensor for 20-30 quid, HRM for about the same. Then use your phone/computer to display/record.

If you want to avoid having your phone mounted on the stem during rides, consider either a “proper” bike computer or a Wahoo Reflkt.

Cheapest is probably a garmin speed/cadence sensor and a garmin ANT+ usb stick with a TR/Zwift/Sufferest subscription. I think there are issues with getting the decathlon sensors to talk with the USB stick, but they may have been fixed. You don’t need a head unit for TR, it’s all done on the PC/phone/tablet. I usualy set up next to a shelf so I can have the laptop on the shelf to set it up whislt spinning through a warmup, and acable running to the TV (although you could probably chromecast it now)

Once you’ve got TR setup it really is as simple as popping the bike on the rollers and booting up the PC.

TBH if you have some sort of (virtual) power measurement, heart rate becomes meaningless, all it does on TR is show you how long it really takes to reach an equilibrium HR during threshold intervals ~(a good 7-10 minutes for me at FTP). Nice to have though.

One thing to be aware of, is normal rollers don’t provide much resistance, they’re designed for track riders to spin on to warm up. For training you need a model with more resistance or a turbo.

Ta 🙂 I may be missing something, but I thought BT was a 1:1 interface? So If you had a BT HRM and a BT Speed/Cadence sensor, they couldn’t both be paired with a phone at the same time?

I’m trying to avoid a HRM strap if possible as I hate them!

REFLKT looks good, looks like it uses the phone as the master, which is OK, but depends on the answer to my multiple device question!

Regarding rollers/Trainer – grand plan is to move to a trainer, but I don’t want to spend too much (that could be spending on the main bike :D) if I find out I don’t use it. I’m going to borrow a ‘dumb’ trainer from a friend iminently as well 🙂

Main issue at the moment is no iPad/PC too rubbish to run Zwift 😀 Hence seeing what I can get through the phone 🙂

Nope. I don’t know how it degrades with loads of devices active but I’m currently paired with BT headphones, keyboard and touchpad on my mac. My phone has pairings to my Garmin watch, Edge 1000 and another pair of BT headphones with no real problem apart from battery use.

Regarding rollers/Trainer – grand plan is to move to a trainer, but I don’t want to spend too much (that could be spending on the main bike :D) if I find out I don’t use it. I’m going to borrow a ‘dumb’ trainer from a friend iminently as well

Below the level of computrainers and their ilk which adjust the resistance to mach your speed or the virtual incline I don’t really see the point of smart trainers. Most are just integrating speed/cadence/virtual power into the unit and charging £150 more for the privilege. TR/sufferfest/zwift are only going to get cheaper with time, I’m surprised TR hasn’t worked out how to make a free version with adverts yet given it’s captive audience (of people who probably spend a lot of money on bikes and other toys).

Ta I may be missing something, but I thought BT was a 1:1 interface? So If you had a BT HRM and a BT Speed/Cadence sensor, they couldn’t both be paired with a phone at the same time?

Bluetooth low energy stuff is different.

Check your phone if Android, many have an ANT receiver built in.

Cheers y’all 🙂 Answers a lot of questions.

Unfortunately I have a peasant phone (Moto G4) so no ANT+ stuff in that.

The rollers are only a temporary thing to see how I get on with the idea of actually ‘training’ without investing too much. I’m after a smart turbo at some point with a view to making it more interesting. I’m not bothered about power outputs etc, but I’m using the rollers to do intervals and keep up certain levels for certain periods.

so, I think I’ve sussed out most for the questions (thanks again) but the main sticking point now is the watch/HRM device.
So I think I need something that can:
– Transmit live data to a phone via BT
– Store HRM stuff over a period of time
– A display would be a bonus

Any suggestions?

Sounds like you’ll be looking at some sort of fitness band that does HRM, one of the £100+ FibBit bands or equivilent.

I don’t know of any cheap fitness bands that do HRM and bluetooth.

https://thesufferfest.com/ (free for first month, you can then get a free month of TR and a free month of zwift, and probably just setup a new e-mail next winter and do it all again)

https://www.evanscycles.com/garmin-usb-ant-stick-EV165973 (£32, you can get them for £5 on ebay, but I’ve no idea how compatible they are)

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/garmin-speed-cadence-sensor/rp-prod134821 (£45, but again you can get them far cheaper with other/no brands but no guarantee of compatibility)

You’re overthinking it,
1) install software of your choice onto laptop and place infront of bike
2) stick speed sensor to bike
3) stick bike on trainer/rollers
4) suffer

If you buy a garmin ant+ HRM (others may work, same caveats as before) it’ll connect to TR/sufferfect/zwift too. TR/sufferfest/zwift will all record your data and export to strava, or training peaks, or golden cheetah, or anything else you like. No need for head units, watches, lots of ££, messing about, connectivity issues, sweat destroying phones, etc.

A far more important investment is a F****** big fan.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ge-45-18-high-velocity-floor-fan-220-240v/2824k

****** F clearly stands for floorstanding 😛

so, I think I’ve sussed out most for the questions (thanks again) but the main sticking point now is the watch/HRM device.
So I think I need something that can:
– Transmit live data to a phone via BT
– Store HRM stuff over a period of time
– A display would be a bonus

Look at the Mio Fuse, it should do all that. It transmits heart rate as both Bluetooth Smart and Ant+.
Yes, it can record the heart rate on the Fuse. Then you can download it into the Mio app. Though this app is a bit crap, it doesn’t let you do much with the data.

Or the Mio Slice is the newer version, not sure how it compares.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/ge-45-18-high-velocity-floor-fan-220-240v/2824k

****** F clearly stands for floorstanding I have that fan, it’s mental, well worth the money. Gonna get another soon so I can have air front & back at the same time!