Technology Illiterate - GPS

Go here:

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/08/my-2010-athletic-gps-device.html

Ray provides tons of detailed information on the vast majority of training GPS gadgets out there.

OK- so, basically, you want a Garmin product.

Do you want to be able to wear it on your wrist?  and have it look like a watch?  If strictly for cycling, then get a Garmin Edge. 

Edge 200- basic and simple.

Edge 500- pretty fully featured.

Edge 800- bigger, and will actually display the map, whereas the others let you upload the file to your computer and then you'll get to see where you rode.

they all do heart rate, speed, distance, and pretty much everything else you can think of.

For a watch style GPS:

Garmin Forerunner 210:  Great packaging.  Simple.

Garmin Forerunner 305:  big and ugly, but fully featured and dirt cheap.

Garmin 410:  nicely packaged.  touch bezel like an ipod.  fully featured.

Garmin 610:  touch screen.  beautifully packaged.  Getting pricey.

Garmin 310xt:  A triathlon watch.  Fully waterproof, long lasting battery, fully featured. 

May I suggest that, if this is really all you want to do, get an app like SportyPal for your phone and use that.  It's free or very, very cheap; does exactly what you want, and I would think that you are carrying your phone with you on rides anyway.  Some apps will do the HRM, but if you are buying a HRM strap anyway, you may as well get an entry level GPS/HRM watch.  If you can live with just distance map track and speed type data then I would go with a phone app.

Even though I'm only 32, I am a more into machinery than technology, hence the title of the post.  In fact, I don't even feel embarrassed saying I don't have a smart phone.  Instead I have a basic flip phone with few features and less apps.  This quest made me wonder if I needed to upgrade, but I feared that I would pay a lot each month in usage fees for a lot of cool features I would never use.

sounds like you want a Garmin Forerunner 210 then. 

But the rest of us will want the new Garmin 910xt, just announced today.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/10/garmin-forerunner-910xt-in-depth-review.html

I have an Android that I use on my rides, downloading them to strava.com (free) which calculates everything.  I use Virgin Mobile -- $25/month for unlimited text & web & 300 minutes talking.  You can get the same plus unlimited talking for $45 I think.  Only downside is it only works on digital -- which was only a problem when we went to Laramie Wyoming.

For running I prefer my garmin forerunner 305.  I used to also use it for riding but it doesn't last long enough for some of our long rides. 

I figure I have to take my phone on a ride so I might as well also have music and track my ride all in one.