My GPS Debut

Automatic mapping is just one of many features now available to me.

I received an Amazon gift card as a Christmas gift and then spent a few months debating how to use it.  From the start, there was no question that I would get something new for my cycling addiction.  I’m still in the market for wheels—probably pretty soon for the road bike and probably not until next spring for the mountain bike—but I have better options for those.  From Amazon I wanted something … accessory-ish, a known quantity that would be easy to return if it arrived damaged.  A GPS-enabled Garmin bike computer eventually emerged as the best choice.

I can see why people don’t like the rubber band mounting system but aside from that soon-to-be-addressed concern I was very pleased with the performance of the device on its maiden voyage today.  And the Garmin Connect website is going to make it very easy for me to catalog my rides in several statistical dimensions, some of which have been difficult or even impossible for me to use before.  I can’t tell you how many times I have screwed around with websites like MapMyRide or Bike Route Toaster to produce a map or to determine elevation.  Now I can just connect the USB cable at the end of the ride and upload all of my data.  So cool!