We like to ride our bikes a lot. And when we ride we have a need for a lot of input. That input helps fufill our needs of safety, planning, fitness and my compulsive need of data collection.
A short list of some equipment we currently use to meet our needs:

• Take a look mirrors are a small square mirror that fits on the glasses. Essential for monitoring traffic and what is going on behine you without taking your attention away from what is going on in front of you.
• Polar heart rate monitors keep us informed on our levels of exertion and fitness.
• Any simple cyclometer for data such as mileage, speed, times, etc. Honey likes the ones from Planet Bike. The larger display is easy to read in low light conditions, the “no buttons” design is easy to use. Plus it has a thermometer, which she delights in calling out on those days that may be bitterly cold, or blazing hot.
• The Shimano STI shifters are simple, dependable and easy to use. But you still have to look back down to the chain rings to verify positioning, especially if you shift as much as I do.
• We carry handlebar bags, for many gadgets like phone, camera, bars, etc. These bags also have a clear plastic pouch Honey likes to use for a map. She prefers to have clear and accurate data available to her about where she is and where she is going. I have developed a simpler and cheaper solution. A paper binder clip you can find on just about anyones desk, secured to the handlebar stem with a plastic zip tie, is a cheap, durable and dependable map holder.

Alright, these are all good things. Fairly cheap and simple.

But then again, I could get rid of all those things and go the route of the Cerevellum. Lets see, it is one cyclometer unit with plug in modues with the following features:

• 3.5 inch LCD display
• Hindsight – rear view digital camera with bar end or seat post mounted lens
• 32 mg ram – to calculate and store data
• GPS mapping – to map out any course, and allow me to wander aimleslly, while Honey keeps track of where we are.
• Power Meter – to monitor and track your exertion and power output levels
• Flight Deck shifting integration – to electronically shift and display gearing, without having to look behind you to confirm gearing.
• Hear rate monitor to track fitness and exertion levels.
• All the usual Cyclometer data

This thing basically has all our input/output needs covered in one handy little unit!
Hmmm, it is almost Chrismas………

via Bike Commuters