A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a Bryton Rider 50T from Next Destination and now that I have had sufficient time to play with it I thought I’d share my thoughts with all of you. Before I get into that I’d firstly like to take this opportunity to thank Next Destination (www.nextdestination.com.au), the Australian distributor of Bryton GPS bike computers and secondly Bryton (www.brytonsport.com) for their support and assistance. Bryton will be my official GPS Bike Computer for the year and I am very much looking forward to working with them to improve my performance and reach my triathlon goals.
Bryton make two main types of GPS bike computers. Firstly is the Rider 30 GPS Cycling Computer, available as the 30T that retails for $299 and includes heart rate monitor, cadence sensor and the ability to wirelessly link with power meters or the 30E that retails for $199 and doesn’t come with the above features but they can be purchased at a later date. Secondly is the Rider 50 GPS Cycling Computer also available in the 50T with heart rate, cadence and power meter capability and 50E models retailing $499 and $399 respectively. The Rider 30 models are smaller and lighter than the Rider 50 models and don’t have the colour maps or mapping capabilities of the Rider 50 and would perhaps be more suited to those looking to save a bit of weight and don’t require the mapping features. There is also a feature on the Rider 30 in the latest Triathlon Multisport Magazine on page 119 so be sure to check that out for some more information but for the remainder of this review I’ll be focusing on the Rider 50T that I’ve been using.
I wasn’t able to find much information on the internet about the Rider 50T in terms of reviews but from what I was able to research I was happy in knowing that I was getting one of the very best products available. Hopefully this review will allow people to have a better understanding of the computer and even influence people that it is the right product for them.
The box contains everything you need to get started and includes heart rate monitor, cadence sensor, instruction manual, USB cable and two different mounting brackets with plenty of zip ties and rubber bands to attach them. To go with the instruction manual included in the box there is also a more detailed manual available in the software that has helped me out on several occasions. Not being the most technology savvy person and with so many features to navigate through this has been a necessity!
Once charged and mounted on your bike the computer is very simple to get started and with every ride I have been discovering more that I can do with the computer. There is the option of displaying up to six different information values on the one screen and three different screens that can be customized as well as a GPS map of where you are. I am yet to explore the full extent of the mapping features but the maps have been very useful in finding my way home on a few unfamiliar training routes already. Rather than going through every piece of information that is available literally at the touch of a button I’ll share some of my favourites so far:
- The sheer amount of information that can be displayed; being able to display six values per screen on three screens is sure to please even the most scientific athlete.
- The clarity and accuracy of the maps is amazing and being able to pre-plan a ride then follow the on-screen instructions is very cool and something I can’t wait to use!
- Being able to check out the slope and altitude of some of our regular training loops has been very useful.
- And perhaps my favourite feature is the ability to pair the computer with most wireless power meters, although I am yet to be able to test this out because I don’t have a power meter readily available but am always looking J
If you haven’t already figured I am extremely impressed with what the Bryton Rider 50T can do and as if that wasn’t enough I was opened up to a whole new world once I plugged it in to my computer after a few rides. The Rider 50T is loaded with the Bryton Bridge software that not only uploads your rides to your computer once it is connected but also uploads selected files straight onto the internet on the Bryton Sport website where they are stored in an online community with other Bryton user’s. This is easily the most useful idea in terms of monitoring training because no matter where I am I can upload rides in a matter of minutes for anyone who has access to the internet to view. As well as providing a map of the ride and graphs displaying the values it also gives you a summary of all the information gathered during the ride in a very simple to understand way. Between myself and my coach there is a solid amount of travelling involved and with this software he can view every ride I do no matter where each of us are and plan training accordingly.
It is suffice to say that the Bryton Rider 50T is hard to fault. When paired with the heart rate monitor and the speed/cadence sensor there is a plethora of training information available. And that is just from what I have discovered so far, from reading the manuals I still have a lot to learn! Sharing this information through the Bryton Bridge
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