Are wireless cycle computers any good?
Discussion
As you may have seen on another thread I am re-commissioning my Cougar race bike from the mid 90s for road use. The old computer (speed & cadence) was on it's last legs and some of the functions had stopped so I stripped it all off. I like the look of the bike without all the wires so am considering replacing it with a wireless one but I' e heard they don't work too well. Anyone here got any experiences?
I have this one & it works perfectly well & I have not touched it since the day I fitted it (about 6 months ago)
There are cheaper versions which also do a good enough job but "cateye" are brilliant.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...
There are cheaper versions which also do a good enough job but "cateye" are brilliant.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...
I have a couple of Cateye Strada wireless computers - fit and forget really. I've never had a problem with signals being dropped or any interference.
The Strada is a clever design which allows you to use the whole unit as a rocker switch to move between information displays - no tiny buttons to struggle with when you're wearing gloves.
The only problem was the badly-designed mount which caused the computer to rattle and drove me mad. Wrapping an elastic band around the stem and computer solved it easily enough though.
The Strada is a clever design which allows you to use the whole unit as a rocker switch to move between information displays - no tiny buttons to struggle with when you're wearing gloves.
The only problem was the badly-designed mount which caused the computer to rattle and drove me mad. Wrapping an elastic band around the stem and computer solved it easily enough though.
Edited by option click on Thursday 19th January 15:45
option click said:
I have a couple of Cateye Strada wireless computers - fit and forget really.
Its a clever design which allows you to use the whole unit as a rocker switch to move between information displays - no tiny buttons to struggle with when you're wearing gloves.
The only problem was the badly-designed mount which caused the computer to rattle and drove me mad. Wrapping an elastic band around the stem and computer solved it easily enough though.
Same problem with my 25 quid cateye wireless. Stuck a little bit of card behind it in the clip, seemed to do the trick, although it can fly off without pressing the catch now.Its a clever design which allows you to use the whole unit as a rocker switch to move between information displays - no tiny buttons to struggle with when you're wearing gloves.
The only problem was the badly-designed mount which caused the computer to rattle and drove me mad. Wrapping an elastic band around the stem and computer solved it easily enough though.
http://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/bikecomputer...
I used one of these for about 3 years. Does cadence and you can also buy another sender and mount that works on a different frequency so can change from MTB to Roads bike without having to change any settings for wheel size once you have initially programmed it.
I used one of these for about 3 years. Does cadence and you can also buy another sender and mount that works on a different frequency so can change from MTB to Roads bike without having to change any settings for wheel size once you have initially programmed it.
Oddly I used to love having my computer on my bike at all times.
I since have lost the wheel magnet, and actually now all I use mine for is the time, I quiet like riding without it
I do have strava on to track my miles though, but I prefer strava for its ranking and the analsysis it can offer.
I since have lost the wheel magnet, and actually now all I use mine for is the time, I quiet like riding without it
I do have strava on to track my miles though, but I prefer strava for its ranking and the analsysis it can offer.
Its an app that not only tracks where you go and at what speed like all the others, but it also ranks you against other people who have done the same routes.
Often you'll find hills are listed as segments, so Box Hill for instance is a segment, and when you go up there it will time you from where the segment has been created and stop timing when you finish, and it will break down your ride with all these segments that are usually hills or points of interest, sprints, or whatever and rank you against all the other riders who have done the same segments as you.
See here, this is a segment someone has created in Richmond park, its been ridden 408 times by 65 different people since creation. I'm currently the fastest on there, as it happens, but this is why its a good fun app
http://app.strava.com/segments/799593
Often you'll find hills are listed as segments, so Box Hill for instance is a segment, and when you go up there it will time you from where the segment has been created and stop timing when you finish, and it will break down your ride with all these segments that are usually hills or points of interest, sprints, or whatever and rank you against all the other riders who have done the same segments as you.
See here, this is a segment someone has created in Richmond park, its been ridden 408 times by 65 different people since creation. I'm currently the fastest on there, as it happens, but this is why its a good fun app
http://app.strava.com/segments/799593
okgo said:
Its an app that not only tracks where you go and at what speed like all the others, but it also ranks you against other people who have done the same routes.
Often you'll find hills are listed as segments, so Box Hill for instance is a segment, and when you go up there it will time you from where the segment has been created and stop timing when you finish, and it will break down your ride with all these segments that are usually hills or points of interest, sprints, or whatever and rank you against all the other riders who have done the same segments as you.
See here, this is a segment someone has created in Richmond park, its been ridden 408 times by 65 different people since creation. I'm currently the fastest on there, as it happens, but this is why its a good fun app
http://app.strava.com/segments/799593
Looks pretty sweet that, might try it out on my commute. Real men go round the bottom up Kingston hill though Often you'll find hills are listed as segments, so Box Hill for instance is a segment, and when you go up there it will time you from where the segment has been created and stop timing when you finish, and it will break down your ride with all these segments that are usually hills or points of interest, sprints, or whatever and rank you against all the other riders who have done the same segments as you.
See here, this is a segment someone has created in Richmond park, its been ridden 408 times by 65 different people since creation. I'm currently the fastest on there, as it happens, but this is why its a good fun app
http://app.strava.com/segments/799593
Going to have to check out whitedown and crocknorth...
Edited by BMWBen on Thursday 19th January 18:46
Been looking at the Cateye ones myself, doesnt appear to be much difference between the Strada and the cheaper Velo. Quick question, on the Strada, is there 3 very small buttons on the front or 1 big one? Looks like 3 tiny ones on the pic below which would be hard to use with gloves
http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-RD300W...
http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-RD300W...
wilbo83 said:
Been looking at the Cateye ones myself, doesnt appear to be much difference between the Strada and the cheaper Velo. Quick question, on the Strada, is there 3 very small buttons on the front or 1 big one? Looks like 3 tiny ones on the pic below which would be hard to use with gloves
http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-RD300W...
Them's not buttons - just a tactile surface feature to prevent your finger slipping.http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-RD300W...
As someone mentined above, there are no buttons - the whole unit acts as a rocker, and you push on the 3 raised lumps and it clicks and moves to the next display - time, elapsed time, trip distance, total distance, avg speed etc
Very neat.
And to the OP, Ive read something recently that if you have HID lights on the bike, the electromagnetic field that they kick out will interfere with the wireless computer signals - but easy enough to get nice bright, safe, non HID lights I think.
wilbo83 said:
Been looking at the Cateye ones myself, doesnt appear to be much difference between the Strada and the cheaper Velo. Quick question, on the Strada, is there 3 very small buttons on the front or 1 big one? Looks like 3 tiny ones on the pic below which would be hard to use with gloves
http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-RD300W...
Them's not buttons - just a tactile surface feature to prevent your finger slipping.http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-RD300W...
As someone mentined above, there are no buttons - the whole unit acts as a rocker, and you push on the 3 raised lumps and it clicks and moves to the next display - time, elapsed time, trip distance, total distance, avg speed etc
Very neat.
And to the OP, Ive read something recently that if you have HID lights on the bike, the electromagnetic field that they kick out will interfere with the wireless computer signals - but easy enough to get nice bright, safe, non HID lights I think.
My only gripe with the cateye (strada) is the lack of ability to turn the arrow at the side off. Means that, in practise, I'm reminded of average speed even when I don't want to be - making 'gentle rides' difficult. Maybe I should duct tape over it. Otherwise, pretty good
The cycle computer I had that malfunctioned was a (cheap, nasty) wired one, it refused to consistently register any speed above 12 for the first 6 months...
The cycle computer I had that malfunctioned was a (cheap, nasty) wired one, it refused to consistently register any speed above 12 for the first 6 months...
Another +1 for the Cateye kit (in general, both computers and lights), I've had a Micro Wireless for close on 5 years, absolutely perfect bit of kit.
I'm tempted to try a strada double wireless at some point after the imminent bike change, reckon I'll just hold out and see how long the Micro Wireles manages to keep working.
I'm tempted to try a strada double wireless at some point after the imminent bike change, reckon I'll just hold out and see how long the Micro Wireles manages to keep working.
BMWBen said:
Looks pretty sweet that, might try it out on my commute. Real men go round the bottom up Kingston hill though
Going to have to check out whitedown and crocknorth...
Yeh its good, try it.Going to have to check out whitedown and crocknorth...
Edited by BMWBen on Thursday 19th January 18:46
ha, not when I have to do it every day, I prefer to save my legs a little bit! Although I did a decent run up that the other day. Not fastest up there though (well I am in my weight category)some seriously fast people have done that hill!
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