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Bike Computer?

ongd

Cruising
Aug 28, 2009
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Which bike computer do you use? Do you have any recommendations? I just want one that can tell me my speed, distance, and cadence. GPS, altitude, HR are pretty important but optional I guess. The Trek store new my place sells a CatEye V2 and V3 which are both wireless. Is wireless ok? One of my cycling friends told me to stay away from wireless because it's not accurate.
 
I think in Tokyo it will be fine to use wireless. I was in HK before and the wireless interference are painfully high. I am using old Polar S725 now and quite fine, but do have occasionally interference.

Will you consider the heart rate also? For my personal experience for cycling training, the heart rate is one of the very important figure. It is not only let you know how well you are doing right now, but protect you being hurt.

I have past experience using a wired cycling computer with speed and cadence. It is cateye. The reading is very good and no interference at all, but end up with the cable accidentally went into the crankset area and destroyed. So if you plan to use the wired one give more attention to the cable routing.
 
The only places I experience wireless interference are certain spots along the Tama River - under some pretty hefty pylons and cables.
 
CatEye V2

I have several CatEye wireless computers which I have used over many years and just recently bought the V2. I have found them all reliable and accurate. I have never found the wireless an issue, (many years ago I used wired and found that to be a real pain) but was a little concerned about the V2 because it is rear mounted, meaning the distance over which the signal has to travel is much greater and there is more chance of interference, I had thought. However, those fears were unfounded as it seems to work well. I did research the unit before buying it, and the reviews at BikeRadar and Cycling Weekly (if my memory serves me correctly) were very positive. Hope that helps :)

The Trek store new my place sells a CatEye V2 and V3 which are both wireless. Is wireless ok? One of my cycling friends told me to stay away from wireless because it's not accurate.[/QUOTE]
 
Calorie consumption on the V3 is way off and i mean WAAAAAAAAY off! Its basically just a guestimate as you aren't able to put in the Gender, Age, Height, Weight and Bike weight in to the system.

If you are looking for something for serious training then the V3 isn't the way to go. If you are looking for a computer to log rides and the likes then go for the V2

As for the accuracy of wireless...... don't worry the connectivity on new generation computers is excellent
and the only time I've ever had issues was when i passed a wireless/RF base station.
 
Interference

In some spots I get interference on my Polar S610 wireless system:

  • Under or very close to high-voltage power lines
  • Alongside major electric railroads (e.g. R1 between Kanagawa Sta. and Yokohama Sta.)
  • While waiting at level crossings for a train to pass (the advance signal pulses can give erroneous readings of 253kph and 220 bpm!) Can usually avoid this by sitting waiting two or three meters back from the barrier.
  • Under some sections of elevated expressway. No idea why. Particularly annoying, because it's on my commute, is a 300m section on outbound R246 going down the hill toward Yoga 1-chome.
I understand that some dynamo hubs can also interfere with wireless cyclometers. This has reminded me fondly of the odometer on my Raleigh Arena ca. 1982! Can't find a picture now but it was gloriously simple; fitted on the front fork, where my wireless speed sensor now goes. On each revolution a spoke-mounted spike would advance a 5-pointed cog, translating eventually into a readout of miles and tenths of miles. Simple. Effective. As waterproof as a teabag...

--Mike--
 
I have the Polar CAD200 which is pretty good but now I'm just using the Garmin Edge 705 which is very good.

Both are wireless and I've never had any trouble with interference on either of them.

I'd compare prices overseas before buying something from Japan. There's often a considerable mark-up for the domestic market.
 
Which bike computer do you use? Do you have any recommendations? I just want one that can tell me my speed, distance, and cadence. GPS, altitude, HR are pretty important but optional I guess. The Trek store new my place sells a CatEye V2 and V3 which are both wireless. Is wireless ok? One of my cycling friends told me to stay away from wireless because it's not accurate.

Both my road bikes have a Shimano Flight Deck
NP08884.jpg


This offers all the features you list as requirements. It also has a nice gear indicator on screen at all times. The cadence is back calculated from your current speed and the gear you're in at the time, so it only needs one sensor.
I have found both my units to be very reliable and resistant to interference. Obviously, you need compatible shifters to use this system, and the set up is a bit more complicated than other cyclo-computers. You also need to pull and re-wrap the grip tape from your bars to install the gear position transmitters in both shifters. Once it is installed it is very easy to use and you can change the displayed information using the buttons built into the brake hoods, so no need to remove your hand from the bars. My only complaints are that 1) the display update is much slower than a Cateye and 2) the Average Speed is in the secondary set of displays, so takes a few moments to access.

If you want the optional features, I think the Garmin Edge 705 is the way to go.
cf-lg.jpg

Many of us are now GPS-enabled which can be very useful on the back roads and rindos, and gives you many options for downloading and sharing routes that others have done. The 705 can connect wirelessly to a heart-rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor (and a power meter, if you're so equipped) to give a full set of data. It should be very resistant to interference since it pairs itself with a particular set of transmitters (like a bluetooth phone) and should reject any signals not coming from its paired sensors.
 
Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I am looking for a bike comp.

I need Sat Nav as my sense of direction is appalling.

Is the Garmin Edge 705 still the best option when it comes to GPS, or are there better things out there?

Thanks in advance.

Owen
 
James,

Garmin 705 is probably the most feature-packed device out there.
But I don't think it's suitable for everyday use as a bike comp -

- battery life - 1-2 rides, you need to recharge it all the time, so unless you're a man of habit it can be bothersome. You also have to take it off your bike and re-mount it every time to charge it or upload routes, which leads to another problem -
- mount. The plastic band (the thing that you have to press everytime to release your unit from the mount) is poorly designed and breaks quite often, which can lead to losing your unit or damaging it when riding on a rough road. And of course - you'll need a bunch of spare mounts, which are not very cheap.

Garmin 500 seems like a better option - both battery life and mount type. But there are some software problems with it (search for Tom's "review" on the forum) and it does not have a pretty and colorful map - only the route which you have to upload from your PC

There's also an option to use an iPhone as your bike comp, and there are some neat-looking mounts to attach it to the handlebar, not sure if it's a good option for a bike comp.
 
Took me a year to get used to my 705 and was using the Polar 720si which I used to like better.

Now I'm addicted to the Garmin and it is a habit to take it off after every ride and plug it into the USB and upload the ride data. Leave it plugged in until my next ride which also ensures a full battery.
Don't leave home with out it. Great at night too with the 3 settings of brightness... it even lights up the front of my jersey/face a bit which helps with oncoming traffic...
 
Great info.

I will heed your advice.

Cheers.

Any more info would be ace. I really want a GPS device for my bike, as at least once per ride I anger other members of the gang by getting lost.

Info on what is out there, and will work in Japan would be great.

:D
 
Is the Garmin Edge 705 still the best option when it comes to GPS, or are there better things out there?

Depends what you want to use the GPS for. I use just a simple GPS tracker separately from my cycling computer. This has the advantage that the cycling computer never runs out of power, and together they are lighter than GPS cycling computers. And a lot cheaper.
 
The battery thing is one of the biggest reasons I haven't sprung for a 705, or something similar. During my winter overhaul I had them change the batteries in my CatEye wireless gizmo, and I fully expect them to last the whole season. (And the durability of the 705 mount/attachment also makes me nervous.) Also, even the flight deck system has always seemed a little too techie for me--I prefer to just listen, and glance down now and then as needed.

Being a creature of habit (and having been riding in the same area for 22+ years) getting lost is not a problem--instead it's more like refreshing. It'd be great to have a 705 to record some of the rides I do, which would then be useful for folks who might be coming thru this area. But once they'd been pegged and uploaded I wouldn't have much further use for the unit. So if I could like borrow one for a month or two, great, but after that....
 
Printed maps are still the way to go. And a bit of prep using googlemaps and/or mapmyride.
Maybe for some. It depends on your riding/touring style.

I love having a color GPS navigation system. I use a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, alongside my Polar cycle computer. The Garmin takes two AA batteries which last up to 20 h if I don't use the backlight. When they expire, I can just replace them. And I can easily use the same unit for hiking, in the car, on my motorbike, or on a plane!

I plan new routes with Bikely or MapMyFitness, follow them (or not), and then compare before and after on my Mac using MacGPS Pro. This eTrex is bulky and heavy. But so am I! The battery life is great and there are no problems with the mount.

When the Polar packs up, I'll probably start using a Garmin Edge 705 to combine the mapping and HRM/cycle computer functions, and get an external power source to supplement the 7 h battery life.

electronicslinedup.jpg


--HF Mike--
 
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