GET MD60 LOG Tool

Lap times, lap times, lap times…they are oh so important. How consistent was I? What was my best or my worst? If you don’t have someone to hold a stopwatch, there are timers you can mount on your bike but typically you either have to set up a transponder as a “finish line” or remember to push a button on the bar every lap at the exact same moment. Well, if these options are not up your alley, GET has a solution for you: the MD60 LOG

In the box you will find the MD60 LOG, a USB to micro USB cable (to connect the logger to your computer), a soft carrying bag, a pair of AA batteries, and a disc with GET’s Gatelite software to analyze the info on the logger. Separately, you can buy a bar pad mount with a clear top so you can view the MD60 while riding.

So what is it exactly? Running off GPS satellites to track your activity, the MD60 LOG is one of the most advanced MX lap timers on the market, with the ability to set up multiple split segment times, hold hours worth of data, provide real-time information, and more.

Let’s start off with the basics: lap times. After turning on the logger and giving it a minute or two to secure a satellite signal, you can create a new track to begin logging times or pick from a track you’ve already saved. Although the GET unit is a little challenging to learn at first, creating a new track is actually quite simple once you get the hang of it. The essential part is selecting your finish/start line for where the MD60 should mark each individual lap.

Once you get rolling, a quick look down at the screen will show your current lap time, current speed, number of laps completed, best time, and battery life. The first time I approached the jump face that had been set as my finish line, I was a little skeptical of how accurately the MD60 would mark each lap. However, while airborne I peeked down to see if the device was working and the screen was, in fact, already displaying my new lap. With each passing lap, I would take a look to see if the MD60 was keeping marking my times only find that it was spot on!

Although there is a PC program (sorry Apple users, it is PC specific) that comes with the MD60, you can also view your timing reports from the logger’s main menu. The MD60 will hold up to ten sessions, with each session holding as many as 99 laps.

There are quite a few options and they are worth digging through to personalize your setup. For example, you can change what is shown on the main display, how long the screen will display your last lap time, lighting, mph versus km/h, and so on. The button layout is very simple (only two buttons, with one mainly for scrolling and the other for selecting functions) and is easy to use even when mounted on the bike once you get the hang of the menu screens.

Once I got the hang of the functionality of the MD60, I decided to step up and take advantage of the option for the split sections. Rolling around the track I set up my four segments to click off on two jumps and two corners that were evenly spread out. Once again, just as it had before with full lap times, the MD60 worked quite well and was able to pick up each segment every lap.

(note: If riding on a tight track with sections close together to set the “line” in the center of the track, in one instance I set a line on the left edge of the track that had a section within about 2 feet of it. After a few laps I came down the far side of that was against the other section and it clicked off that segment incorrectly, since it senses within a few feet to each side of the line you set. If I set in the center of a lane I did not run into this problem again.)

Once you have downloaded the Gatelite software from the disc and plug the logger into your laptop you can download any new tracks you have created, the lap time charts (which appear in a text-based format) showing your best times, each individual lap or split times, and any other info from your logged sessions.

Beyond this you can get even more advanced and run the MD60 in Data Logging mode in which the unit will constantly log your actions (based on acceleration, de-acceleration, changing direction, ect.) so it can create a digital analysis showing where and how hard you were accelerating and braking based on times. The software will also show a digital line depicting the track, which you can save in your track library so that you can see your consistency (or lack thereof) lap by lap and section by section. The downside of Data Logging mode is that it eats up battery life far faster than on the regular setting.

So far I can say that I am impressed with the functions, consistency, and capabilities of the GET MD60 LOG. The little Italian device is, by far, the most in depth way I have found to keep track of lap times. On the downside, it can be a bit complicated to figure out at first. However, once you’ve taken the time to sit down and play around with the functions, setup at a new track becomes second nature.

I highly recommend reading the manuals to understand how the data logging function works and how to run the Gatelite program before trying it the for first time. The $399 price tag can also seem a bit steep, but you get a lot of functionality for what you pay.

For more information on the MD60 LOG visit: www.getdata.it

-Michael Lindsay