Bike Computers

long-time -

Yes. Pretty much all the time. The obvious long term use is to record distances and average speeds. The short term use (for me anyhow) is to measure how fast I can go up certain hills as a training marker. Also have a tendency to lose count of laps in racing, so computer distance tells me how much more pain we have to go.

I used to use wireless ones (slightly easier to fit), but they break down a lot. Now I use wired Sigma BC1200 computers on all my bikes. About £20 each - and the fitting allows you to put it on the stem instead of the handlebars, which I prefer. Cheaper computers from Sigma and Cateye are often more robust and certainly easier to use than flashy, expensive things...

PS Hey admin - time for a section of the forum devoted to cycling?

Tim

I use a Shimano Flightdeck non-cordless. It is excellent and its functions can be controlled from the buttons on my right brake lever (albeit sometimes when I don't want to change the function). It shows all the usual stuff plus cadence the gear I'm in (which I know anyway) and gear ratio. It also fits over the stem.

I've also used a Cateye cordless on my mountain bike and I think its rubbish - can't get the damned thing to work consistently. And I've used a Specialized cordless without any probs - would be using it at the moment if I could get a spare sensor from somewhere. The Spec. has a backlight too which is suprisingly useful.

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Originally posted by Dobbin

I've also used a Cateye cordless on my mountain bike and I think its rubbish - can't get the damned thing to work consistently.

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I have a hardwired Cateye that's only a few months old that is also working inconsistently. I need to sort this out as I like it's functions and thought it was nice to keep track of total miles ridden and all.

John

I've got a Shimano Flighdeck on my road bike, a cordless Toppeak Panoram (wonderful but expensive at £50!) on my Cotic and cheap (£9 in the sales) Halfords cordless computers on my other two mountain bikes.

I've also got a wired Cateye on my enduro motorbike and it's survived some horrible abuse.

John,

I can't seem the get the cateye adjusted correctly. The unit sometines receives a signal sometimes doesn't - I wonder if it is a line of site issue. My LBS have commented they can be hard to setup. I'm going to try once more and then complain.

LTD,

I used to use a computer with cadence when I started getting back into biking. They do teach you to keep you cadence up in the 90-100 rpm range. After a while it becomes natural and you don't need check on it. Later, I quit using distance and speed as a training measure and used time + average heart rate. So I ditched the computer and mounted my watch to the bars with a Polar do-dad. I was training out of Friel's book that just used time in each heart rate zone as a measure. My HRM had time in/above/below a range I set, which worked OK. Nowadays, you can get them with multiple zones. The advantage of this system is you can get a consistent workout no matter the terrain or wind conditions. Trying to sustain 40 kph for 30 minutes depends a lot on conditions, but 95% of lactate threshold is always the same. The only time I wish I had a computer was on stage races where I didnt know the course, and wanted to know how far to the finish, and when to expect hills. That meant having a little course map on the bars or in my pocket. However, typically I was more concerned with staying with the main pack. In crits the races are usually fixed time + 2 laps or just fixed laps. And you see the lap counter each time you cross the finish.

So what would be the name of the new cycling section?

Dan

or velodrone?

You know, I second a bike section as well. Given that one of the moderators has started a bike thread, I don't think it is out of the question, no?

Judd

The more all-singing all-dancing your compy, the more of a pain it tends to be in use. The Flightdeck is good because it displays several things at once, but the wireless one eats batteries...

Dan - I'm usually too blurred out to notice the lap counter....

Tim (back on the bike tonight!)

Thanks for all the input.

I think the hard and fast of it is that they are either too complex or unreliable !

I think I will look at a simple mileage/timer/speed version to start with.

I am just getting back into the saddle and going to buy my first bike in 20 years very soon (decided it will be a Bianchi SL3 Veloce) so I am planning my shopping list for accessories......

I'll let you all know which one I get and my thoughts in due course.

Thanks !!

Of course we Freeriders/Urban Playbikers have no need for computers.

I've used a Cateye cordless for seven years and it's never failed. It's important to set it up accurately in the first place.

Set up accurately......

Now where have we heard that before ?????????

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Originally posted by count.d:
I've used a Cateye cordless for seven years and it's never failed. It's important to set it up accurately in the first place.

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I pulled the battery from mine and started over from scratch. The Cateye I have can be used on more than one bike so has a A and B setting. They said to program using B if you have a MTB, I was using A. I programed it for B, put it on the bike, took a short ride and it seems to be working flawlessly. We'll see how it goes, the manual says the B setting is set up to handle speed changes better.

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Originally posted by long-time-dead:
Thanks for all the input.

I think the hard and fast of it is that they are either too complex or unreliable.

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The Toppeak Panoram isn't. It displays pretty mich everything you need to know (clock, speed, distance, ride time) all at the same time so you don't need to fiddle with pressing buttons. I've had mine for about 18 months and it's now been on about 5 different bikes, survived loads of crashes and is still working perfectly and on the original set of batteries.

I have recently got the Polar S710 which has all the bike function you could dream of and a serious amount of HRM functionality. If you training this is very useful bit of kit, I got mine for £170 so I guess out of the range you are think of. You can get cadenace and power addons which again cost a lot. However, if you run etc as well then it has other uses.

Matthew

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Originally posted by John Gilleran:

quote:

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Originally posted by count.d:
I've used a Cateye cordless for seven years and it's never failed. It's important to set it up accurately in the first place.

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I pulled the battery from mine and started over from scratch. The Cateye I have can be used on more than one bike so has a A and B setting. They said to program using B if you have a MTB, I was using A. I programed it for B, put it on the bike, took a short ride and it seems to be working flawlessly. We'll see how it goes, the manual says the B setting is set up to handle speed changes better.

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Interesting... I use a Cateye Cordless 2 on mine, and I was getting erratic readings when hitting 20mph and above (Topsham Road is a barren track full of potholes and rough bits, and the bike takes a beating on these). I fiddled around with the sensor and it seems to be MUCH better now...

...but it does indeed have A and B settings; is there NO way of retaining my mileometer reading to set it up for bike B? I know when the batt goes it'll lose the data, but until then...

I had a £4.99 Argos wired special on my old bike which also seemed to work OK Cheap ain't always rubbish...

What's cadance, btw???

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I'm just another victim of your highrise fantasy!

I've used my GPS on a handlebar mount on the bike but to be honest it seems like overkill except when I'm using the bike on the approach for hillwalking trips.

Time to update !!

My initial plan to buy the Bianchi Veloce changed and I bought a Trek 2300 instead as it was comfier to ride and more "immediate".

Also bought a Cateye Cordless 7 computer and found set-up and operation a doddle. Line of site is vital for consistent operation as is the proximity of the sensor to the spoke magnet.

I'm certainly finding it useful but there is nothing like your body for telling you how far you have gone or how far there is to go.

Seriously enjoying my cycling now that I am through the initial "Hell and back" phase. Now I return tired and sweaty but focused for the next time !

FWIW - improved muscle tone, posture, lower resting heart rate and clearer skin are just a few of the immediate benefits I have noticed.