Spring is coming to the Northeast, which means it's time for me to start pretending that I'm a serious cyclist. Serious is relative of course, but I try to get out about four times a week for twenty to forty mile rides. In the past, when I've gotten to the end of my rides, I went into Microsoft MapPoint and plotted my route, jotting down speed and distance info from my bike's computer.

This is why I was so excited at DEMO last month to see Bones in Motion's BiM Active service. BiM Active is a free service that lets you map your route, capturing factors like speed (including splits), distance and calories. You can enter the data manually or upload it from a GPS data file. Or, if you have certain GPS-enabled cell phones, you'll be able to see and post your data in real-time. The real-time aspect carries with it a $9.99 monthly fee. Yes, it's yet another monthly fee, but it's pretty reasonable.

Next month, a company called Motion Lingo is going to introduce the Adeo Fitness Companion, that takes a different approach to tracking workouts. The GPS-equipped Adeo looks like a small portable audio player. Plug-in headphones and Adeo will speak to you with real-time reports on your progress. You can also hook the device into your iPod or MP3 player and it will intersperse the reports with your music.

When you get back to your PC, you'll be able to download your workout data off of the Adeo, add comments, and track things like weather conditions and even shoe mileage. Adeo will cost $149.99 and, unlike BiM Active, it appears that there won't be any monthly fee. I would like to see community features with Adeo like BiM Active's ability to share routes with other runners and riders.

Despite the fact that I saw Lance Armstrong on an Outdoor Life Network special last year using his iPod while training on California roads, it's not a very good idea to cycle in traffic while wearing headphones. (Lance had coaches keeping an ear out for motor vehicles.) You're better off using something like a Garmin Forerunner GPS. But if you're a runner or workout off-road, the Adeo Fitness Companion looks like it could be a great addition to your routine. Hopefully we'll get a unit in soon to test out.