I love my Garmin, like the majority of modern road cyclists. The range of live information and constant nagging little beeps are excellent comapny on a solo ride (or an insidious little reminder of your lack of form on a day when you just don't have the legs). The legendary rivaly between myself and my little computer generated opponent is the stuff of legend (in my own mind) and our epic battles up Battery Hill would make a fine finale to any cycling movie.
Strava, as we all know, is the gateway drug to a good bike computer but the joy of pouring over your ride data from the comfort of your armchair is secondary to a live array of information flickering around somewhere above your front tire, spurring you on even as your back and legs have decided it's definitely time to call it a day.
With my Garmin 1000 Edge sitting on a very pretty K-Edge mount, I sometimes revert back to the days of my Falcon Pro BMX and find myself making little engine noises, faintly imagining that I'm Street Hawk as I 'hurtle' along the sea front at a very steady 25mph. If the display of the bike computer could be tweaked to resemble those very eighties digital numerics, then the illusion would be complete and I may never actually get off of my bike. If I could somehow turn Strava segments into the heads up display from the trench run of Star Wars, then I might actually die of happiness.
In short, my Garmin makes my rides fun and provides me with a bit of company as I lead my stoically one man CC out on another club run, loyally logging those miles I need to keep my Strava account looking respectable.
But owning a Garmin presents another, often unnoticed joy... Leaving home without it.
Unlike my dogs, the Garmin doesn't sit and stare forlornly out of the window as I leave the house. Nor do I worry that it will relocate the contents of the hallway to the first floor landing while I am out and, touch wood, it has never made its displeasure at being left behind known by copiously soiling the kitchen floor. You needn't feel bad about leaving it or promise solemnly to walk it when you get back, your Garmin doesn't mind.
Now, the usual reason for leaving the Garmin behind is that I am heading to the seafront to ride with the boy. He's not a slouch in the saddle by any means and has a rather fine looking road bike of his own but we are not out to log miles or hunt KOM's. We're out because he wants to ride bikes. He wants to go fast, imagine that he's whatever the modern version of Street Hawk is and stop for ice cream. He wants to just be excited to be on his bike and enjoy that unique autonomy and sense of freedom that a bike creates (as best he can with a middle aged man keeping a careful watch from a few feet behind).
These are some of my favourite rides and have a unique feel of their own. Jeans on, sunglasses on, the K-Edge distinctly lacking a bike computer and no particular point in being out other than to just ride for the sake of riding. These are the rides where cadance doesn't matter, spaghetti arms are a given and your bike becomes fun again. In a lot of ways, these are the rides where you stop being a parent for an hour and just become friends on bikes, talking crap and enjoying each other's company.
They are great rides and I suggest that you get them in while you can. The boy has already completed one small sportive and has the bug. It won't be too long before my one man CC gains another member and another Garmin (or probably a Wahoo knowing the boy... He likes to be contentious) and these idle rides slowly become quiet, goal driven runs with eyes fixed on streams of live data. At least, until I'm too old to keep up and then he will have to carry the one man CC alone with only the beeps of his bike computer for company as I get spat out of the back of our two man peleton.
Your Garmin won't mind if you leave it at home once in a while. Your love for your bike will thank you for it. Your partner in cycling crime will have a great time and there's a wealth of quality ice cream out there to sample if you're willing to cycle slowly enough.
Of course, you should leave your Strava running somewhere in your back pocket. You need the miles.
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