02-18-2004, 11:09 AM
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#2 (permalink)
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| | Re: PC Coach Cycling Software
"garde" <garde@olin.wustl.edu> wrote in message
news:c1040g$d3e$1@newsreader.wustl.edu...
> Has anyone used this and is it any good?
>
I used it a couple of years ago, but was not overly impressed. It might
have improved since then, but I found the user interface very "klunky" and
hard to use. The training plans it developed were OK (generally a mix of
harder interval work, and longer slower rides, with increasing intensity and
distances as you get closer to your goals), but nothing you couldn't develop
on your own using one of the standard training books (e.g., Friel,
Carmichael, Burke).
A couple of things I found particularly irritating were:
1) Statistics/Graphs/Reports
It is very difficult to get the answer to simple questions, like "how far
did I ride last month?", or "what was my average speed last week?". I just
re-opened my copy of PC Coach, and attempted to see some reports for rides I
did in 2001...but, I was not successful. The canned reports do not offer a
way to specify "From" and "To" dates, and the report only went back a couple
of months in time.
2) Bike Tracking
There are no provisions for tracking performance by Bicycle. So, if you
ride both mountain and road it's not easy to separate your stats by bike.
Likewise, there is no way to track bicycle maintenance (e.g., how many miles
on your chain, tires, etc.).
3) No data export feature
Whatever data you put into it is locked up in the software. There is no
provision for exporting your data to a spreadsheet so that you can analyze
it in other ways than those previously defined by the program.
4) Data Entry
Due to the clunky user interface, entering ride data takes more time than
necessary. For instance, the software requires you to enter your Average
Speed, even though you've already entered ride time and distance...it should
just compute that for you.
With a list price of $69.95, and no way to test drive it first, I feel like
it is not worth the money.
My dissatisfaction with PC Coach, and other ride logging software I've
tried, led me to create my own program - CycliStats. It is more of a
training log/diary than a "coach" (unlike PC Coach, it does not develop
training plans). Besides the basic ride data it also tracks calories,
climbing, bike maintenance, and personal health stats. If this sounds like
something you might be interested in, you can download a fully functional
trial version from the web site, and try it for free for 45 days.
--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists
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