Performance by definintion needs some means of measurement; a way to assess one instance as superior to another. If not done after the ride, poring over stats and data, then more fleetingly on the fly, catching a glimpse of top speed or power output in the midst of the melee. Bryton’s Rider range has recently stepped into the big league with a bigger screen to make those high speed screen grabs easier.
But far more impressively is the fact that they have incorporated wireless functionality to upload and download data with the release of the 530. It’s a bit of catch up as some of its rivals already have wireless, but at this pricepoint it’s a win. Also impressive is the battery life; a full charge will see 33 hours of run time, which is a class leading performance that is sure to see your longest rides and even multi day efforts fully captured.
The 530 continues to employ Ant+ sensors, to pair with existing heart rate monitor straps, cadence sensors or power meter, but now also makes use of low energy Bluetooth and WLAN capability to sync with your smartphone or available wifi network.
The smartphone links enable SMS and phone call notification as well as connection to the Bryton App which stores a load of data and provides graphical analysis of your rides and even allows sharing to social media. Many folks will appreciate the direct automatic wireless upload of their data to Strava once they complete a ride.
It’s not only about measurement though; the 530 will also tell you where to go.
Follow Track is a map application in the 530, displaying a breadcrumb trail with turn by turn directions, set up in one of three ways. You can select two points on a map in the phone app to create the route, or use a previous ride you have already stored in the unit’s history, or upload a .gpx file from a site like Strava. Granted you could just enable google maps on your smartphone and use that, but a smartphone on your bars doesn’t look right and is a fast track to damaging the more expensive of your two devices.
And having told you where to go, it’ll tell you what to do. There is a training feature wherein you can design your own heart rate or power meter based training plan to carry out on the bike, or you might follow a Bryton regime suited to your individual fitness level.
The larger screen (57mm x 39mm) has a sharp mono display, which can be backlit in the dark. The overall dimensions of the unit are just 95mm x 55mm. There are options for you to customise up to five different pages with up to 12 fields of display on the screen, populate the fields with your choice from 72 functions.
In a development and liaison that infers a lot of credibility, the Bryton 530 will soon be able to link with Shimano’s Di2 groupsets via the D-Fly sensor to show gearing combinations and battery life; an upgrade that will be retrofitted to your 530 by online download.
The Bryton Rider 530 is a very impressive unit. Its easy to drive, has all the functions that you will ever need—along with many you’ll never use. But the inclusion of wireless connectivity has really leveled the playing field, and the quite exceptional value of the 530 at just $279 has tipped the field well in its favour.
Specifications
RRP: $279.95 with out front mount (or $419 with HRM strap and speed/cadence sensor)
Runtime: 33 hours
Distributor: www.ocbicycles.com.au