using gps to measure speed

hurricane said:

What are your thoughts on using a GPS to measure speed? I cannot afford one of those nice speedometers (I mean cycling computers that come with other fancythings), but right now I could use a GPS more for other thinsg than cycling too. Anyone have any experience using a GPS for measuring speed on cycle?

I've got a Garmin Etrex that works fine for speed on the bike. Believe they are accurate to within 0.1 mph. I rarely carry it on the bike, but it's great for exploring backroads when you want confidence you'll find your way home.

But, you can put a cycling computer on the handlebar for around $20; would say they are very worthwhile on a bike rather than carrying the GPS around. Also, GPS would eat battery power at a relatively high rate...expensive way to get a speedometer.

Agree with dhk. Even the cheapie cyclocomputers will automatically stop counting time when the bike stops (for accurate average riding speed), give you an odometer for training/maintenance purposes, and will last for a long time on a single watch battery.

GPS is great for navigating, and there are certainly times when that is useful on a bike, but I'd scrape together another $20 before I tried to manipulate a GPS unit while trying to ride.

hurricane said:

What are your thoughts on using a GPS to measure speed? I cannot afford one of those nice speedometers (I mean cycling computers that come with other fancythings), but right now I could use a GPS more for other thinsg than cycling too. Anyone have any experience using a GPS for measuring speed on cycle?

I agree with the other 2 replies; though, if you already have a GPS, get a handlebar mount (if it's an ETrex, they're easy to find) and rechargeables, and you'll get pretty accurate readings from the GPS.