Opinion: Cycle computers – no data, no pressure

300 kilometres, 6,000 metres of elevation gain. During the Dust and Distance ultracycling event, there were plenty of opportunities to glance at the cycle computer. How far to go? How far have I covered? How many metres of elevation gain are left? This time, I’d decided not to let the cycle computer answer these questions every time I looked at it. Only the map was visible on my main screen.

That wasn’t meant to be an experiment. I usually ride a Garmin Edge 1050. For the long journey, I spontaneously opted for the Garmin Edge 840 Solar It’s a real treat to be able to choose between two devices.

I did, however, have a power bank with me for recharging – and I did use it. Thanks to a software glitch, the battery level indicator remained at 100 per cent throughout. So I couldn’t rely on that figure. I didn’t want to risk restarting the device whilst on the move, partly because I was worried about the recording that was in progress. So I wasn’t entirely indifferent to the data.

Usually, the figures motivate me

My usual screen layout is clear and straightforward: the map at the top, the distance in the bottom left-hand corner, and power in watts on the right. When it comes to the distance, I sometimes change my perspective. Sometimes I want to see how far I’ve cycled already. Other times, the distance to the finish line helps me. When it’s not that far to go, the decreasing number motivates me.

I sometimes change the view whilst driving, because one perspective is more helpful to me at that moment than the other. Whether I’ve already done it or still have to drive it: the same route can be viewed in very different ways.

However, one figure was missing from the outset in ‘Dust and Distance’. I usually ride with a power metre fitted to my own bike. The bike I used for the event didn’t have a power metre, so there wouldn’t be any wattage readings.

So I decided to remove the distance reading from the main screen as well. If I’m not going to have the wattage, then just the map. That also gives a better overview of the map on the small display.

The data was there, but it wasn’t always in plain sight

I didn’t delete all the data pages. If I wanted to know how far I’d got, I just had to switch to the next page. There, I could also check the elevation gain and remaining elevation gain, as well as other figures.

The difference was small, but I could still feel it: glancing at the sat-nav didn’t automatically give me an update on my progress. The remaining distance didn’t constantly remind me of how far I still had to go. That took the pressure off. I didn’t have to think about how much was left to do every time I looked at the display.

Every now and then I found myself wishing I’d had the wattage figures – just out of curiosity. I would have liked to know how much power I was generating at any given moment and, afterwards, what my average power output was. So the lack of power data didn’t put me off power metres. But I liked being able to follow the line without constantly having to check the figures.

The information, apart from the wattage figures, was just one screen away. I could have brought it up, but I didn’t need to.

A number can quickly become a target

I realised just how much a display can spur me on this week on my way home. I had a different sat-nav mounted on my handlebars – it showed me the maximum speed I’d reached during my ride. And straight away, I was motivated to beat that figure.

One moment it was just a piece of information; the next, it was a goal. I didn’t even need to have set myself any specific goals before setting off. The number on the display was enough. That can be motivating. That’s exactly why I like my data. But numbers can also have the opposite effect. I know that from my own experience too. Not from Dust and Distance, but from another event.

When figures come at the wrong time

I’d set it up on a data screen so that I could see both the total elapsed time and the pure active time. The aim was for the active time to be as close as possible to the total time – in other words, as few breaks as possible. When a minor glitch occurred, the two figures began to diverge. I could see exactly how far I was from my target. That got to me more than it should have.

I wasn’t in the best of spirits at the time anyway – that was the real reason. Otherwise, the difference on the display wouldn’t have made me question everything straight away. But the figures reinforced what might otherwise have been nothing more than a shrug.

Compare less

Compare less – that’s the point. On the way home, my own top speed immediately became the next benchmark. With ‘Dust and Distance’, on the other hand, I was simply able to follow the line without constantly checking how far I’d got and how far I still had to go.

To me, ‘No data, no pressure’ doesn’t mean stopping recording data altogether. It means not constantly using the figures as the yardstick for my ride. Sometimes, all I need on the main screen is the line I want to follow.

What does your sat-nav show you whilst you’re driving? Have a go and leave a comment.