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Is the FitBit Versa Good for Cycling?

05.09.2018 by Scott Jangro // 2 Comments

I’m sporting a new FitBit Versa smartwatch. While I didn’t get it for tracking cycling (because I have a dedicated cycling computer), here’s my experience with it as a fitness watch.

Cycling Tracking

First of all, it doesn’t have GPS like the FitBit Ionic. It needs your Android or iOS smartphone to connect with for the entire ride. This could put strain on your smartphone’s battery, but otherwise I suspect most of us take our phones with us. It acts as a decent screen so you don’t need to have your phone out with the display on, which puts even more strain on your phone’s battery.

It does have a cycling mode in the Exercise app and will do a great job tracking your ride, or run, or swim. Hello Triathletes.

Real Time Cycling Stats

The Versa activates automatically when you turn your wrist, which isn’t an ideal action when you’re pedaling, and it tracks a number of stats for you like speed, distance, average speed, and heartrate but due to the small screen you need to swipe through them to see the different stats. You can probably find a screen that has the information that you use most and leave it there.

If you’re a stats junky while you’re riding, you may not be satisfied with the form factor of a watch, but if you’re ok with set it and go and see what happened at the end, it’s great. For in-ride visuals, you’ll get so much more out of a dedicated cycling computer like the Wahoo Elemnt or Garmin Edge.

A nice feature is that it will optionally automatically detect a workout and start it for you. How many times have you forgotten to start your ride on other apps?

The watch will track your route, heartrate, and all the stats and store it to the FitBit app like any other tracking app.

Syncing with other apps

Plain and simple, FitBit doesn’t link very well to other third party apps. Though it does automatically sync with Strava, so that’s a relief for me. Otherwise, it seems FitBit isn’t interested in playing nice with others. I didn’t think about this much before purchasing and it was a bit of a surprise.

Not only does it not sync with many apps, it doesn’t work directly with other smartphone apps that may use the heartrate monitor.

And most frustrating is that it does not support the iPhone Health app as a source, which just seems to be another business decision that FitBit has made as there’s no technical reason why it isn’t possible.

However, there are many iPhone apps in the app store that will sync your fitbit data with the iOS Health app, though even those have limitations as FitBit doesn’t make intraday data available. There are free and paid options, and currently myFitnessSync seems to be the most liked. Though it’s pricey at $4.99.

For syncing to other web-based apps, I’ve essentially been using Strava as an intermediary. Strava will pick up workouts automatically, and the other apps I use will pick up workouts from Strava. The delays can be anywhere from minutes to hours.

The good news here is that the FitBit iOS app is very robust and has all the tracking that you could really want. I primarily got it for the sleep tracking, which I’ll write about separately. The community features are great too, which can have you competing with your friends on steps.

Battery Life

The FitBit Versa has very good battery life. I’ve used it for a few days without a recharge, and it feels like it’ll go the advertised 4-5 days. This was one thing that kept me from pulling the trigger on an apple watch, as I felt like I’d have it charging when I wanted to be wearing it (like to track sleep AND workouts).

This is a pretty big deal. There’s nothing that kills my motivation for a long ride or run like one of my battery powered devices being low on juice.

Price

I’ve struggled for a long time with the decision to get a smart watch, and while the apple watch is finally there with features that make me want one, the price is a bit much. The FitBit Versa goes for $199 most places, like here at Amazon (that’s an affiliate link) and you may be able to find it on sale if you’re patient. Unlike me.

 

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Categories // fitness, Review, Technology

Doc’s All-Natural Chamois Cream–A Review

12.20.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

What do you use down there? Guest poster Jeff Hemmel has some stuff you might not have heard of.

I used to ride sans anything slippery in my shorts, then followed my local bike shop owner’s suggestion to try chamois cream as I began to put in more and more miles. Now, spending a LOT of time in the saddle every month, I’m a believer in that weird glop known as chamois cream.

I’ve tried quite a few, even did a little “chamois cream shootout” for this blog a year or two back. But my new favorite is a lesser-known brand dubbed Doc’s All-Natural Chamois Cream (www.docscycling.com).

All you Texans will probably appreciate the fact that Doc’s is actually made in the Lone Star State, but what I liked about it is that Doc’s is made by, you guessed it, an actual doctor. A practicing physician who is also a Cat 2 racer, this Doc wasn’t thrilled by the price and questionable effectiveness of chamois creams he found on the market, so he decided to whip up his own. Doc’s All Natural Chamois Cream lists no artificial or petroleum-based ingredients like so many chamois creams, but instead relies on stuff like Witch Hazel and a strong concentration of Tea Tree Oil to fight grunge, and Aloe and Coconut Oil to prevent chafe and keep your skin happy.

I found Doc’s while looking for a product similar to Dave Zabriskie’s DZnuts, which I like but find too expensive for regular use. Doc’s follows a similar all-natural route, but gives you an 8-ounce jar for about $20, less than half the price of DZnuts and on par with bike shop standbys like Chamois Butt’r. At first glance Doc’s product seemed just a tiny bit thinner in consistency than some lubes, but after months of use I’ve had no problems with saddle sores, even at the height of the summer, so guess I’m a believer.

Yes, I realize there are cheaper alternatives, from Bag Balm to Aquaphor. But I like the natural ingredient idea, particularly on something I use often, and appreciate that Doc’s appears to wash cleanly out of my shorts. A jar has also lasted me quite a while, so my “cost-per-ride” has been pretty cheap.

Currently the product seems to be available at a few Texas bike shops. If you can’t find it, there are plenty to try out at Amazon.

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Categories // Accessories, Review Tags // chamois cream, Review

Review: The Jersey Bin

10.11.2011 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

Guest poster Jeff Hemmel likes to review things, and he’s found something he likes.

Noob or not, cyclists like their baggies. I’m a little nutty about losing one particular worn, zip-style bag that’s just a little bigger than my iPhone. Inside I tuck my phone, a credit card, ID, and some cash. The small bag fits perfectly in my jersey pocket and keeps things — namely my phone — safe and dry.

Or at least, kept things safe and dry in the past tense. As handy as baggies are, they’re ridiculously thin. After repeated use, mine features multiple tears that no longer allow it to get the job done. And while I’m sure there are people who will now jump in and remind me that baggies are cheap (a whole box for a few dollars!), I like my small, pocket-sized baggie, not some oversize sandwich bag that I have to fold up in my pocket. And even if I didn’t mind the excess, it just seems kind of silly to keep going through sandwich bags repeatedly, let alone trust them to save your pricey smart phone from rain and sweat.

What I’ve really wanted is a heavier duty zip-lock bag little bigger than the contents I wanted to carry in it. That’s when I spotted a tweet from pro rider Ted King featuring that exact thing — a thick, tough, phone-sized, zip-style bag with a Strava logo. Turns out it was a privately labeled “Jersey Bin.”

Like a Ziploc on steroids, the Jersey Bin (www.jerseybin.com) is made from a 10-gauge vinyl that resists the pokes or tears that would bring a standard baggie to its knees. A sturdy zip closure seals everything up inside. Better yet, that “zipper” runs lengthwise. No more trying to cram my phone, and its grippy rubber case, down through the slim widthwise opening of the bag or struggling to extract some cash at a convenience store. The sideways zipper provides easy access. Sizes include mini, trim, and big. The mini nicely fits my iPhone, cash and cards, without excess. Go bigger if you’re the type who wants to carry more.

I’ve ridden with the Jersey Bin for about a week now. Positive marks include the fact that everything within has stayed absolutely dry. You can also easily use a touchscreen phone interface right through the vinyl (in fact, it seems to work better than my old thin baggie), you can make and receive calls with the phone still in the bag, and the bins — available in three sizes — all seem to fit comfortably in a jersey pocket. An unexpected side benefit is that the stiffer bag lays flat against your lower back; my old-school baggie often let items “sag” to the bottom of my pocket.

Downsides? They’re few. Personally I like the suppler feel of the frosted vinyl version, but the clear is easier when you want to view your phone’s screen. And yes, critics will bring up that whole “box o’ baggies” cost issue, but at only about $6 (including First Class or Priority Mail shipping), that’s kind of a silly argument.

A simple idea? Certainly. But one I’ve been looking for a long time…

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Categories // guest post, Review Tags // guest post, Hemmel, Review

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