PTW

Time for a few technical questions:

Bike computers seem to come in about N different types:

1. Wired speed only
2. Wired speed and cadence
3. Wireless speed only
4. Wireless speed and cadence

with or without heart-rate monitoring.

Q: I'm not planning to measure heart-rate, but even if I did surely a heart-rate monitor is best as a separate device on your wrist? (Assuming that is you're not into heavily structured training that involves plotting graphs of heart-rate versus altitude, etc. which I'm not.)

Q: Who wouldn't want to go wireless? Cycling Plus mentions possible unreliability of some models, particularly one that registered 74mph when passing within 10m of a substation. It seems especially hard to have wireless cadence, but there is at least one model that does here although Cycling Plus only gave it 7/10 (joint last out of 12!) saying that it was poor value for money, which seemed quite unfair since it was the only one that offered wireless cadence. What's the downside? Seems to me you'll have 3 sets of batteries to run out.

Q: Is monitoring cadence worth the expense? As someone who is continually advised to increase my cadence, it seems that I should at least start measuring it. But can you actually use the reading productively?

Right, over to you lot. What does all the collective experience of the Wheelers have to say about bike computers?

For my touring bike I bought the cheapest effort Halfords had for sale. The battery lasted just 4 months, and when I put the new one in it had forgotten how many miles I had done and what size wheels I had. However, I think it's standard practice to ship them with batteries that are only just strong enough to get them out of the store, so I'm not reading too much into that. I think it should remember its settings, though. I lost about 600 miles

Incidentally, I've started maintaining an 'Activity Log' at Everyday Cycling, which is an offshoot of British Cycling. I guess it will be my new on-line odometer, and hopefully its batteries won't run out!

Sorry I don't understand this cadence thingy either Bill,but wot I can gather it's learning to turn a small gear faster rather than turning a big gear will eventually get you to turn a big gear faster.Anyway the point I'm particularly interested in is that of the computer loosing it's memory when the battery run out,can this also be said of the everyday bathroom scales 'coz as you all know I need to loose a few pounds.Fingers crossed aye!.

I'm done for. Our bathroom scales doesn't have any batteries

I don't use one at the moment but I did use a Cateye Cordless last year and it was ace. Can't remember what model it was though but I might stick it back on soon (if I can find the little bleeder).

The perfect bike on which to use a computer...



(From the CTC Newsletter.)

Bill - I used a Polar HRM with wireless computer with no problems. It was very neat and looked tres cool.
As for cadence, I don't think you need to worry about it, or at least, there is no need to buy extra equipment to monitor it. (unless you are training for the Olympics etc)

So, with these wireless non-cadence computers, are there batteries in the wireless sending unit, or does it manage to send the signal without using them? A lot of these websites can be less than clear about this, merely concentrating on what it does, not on what it requires to keep it doing it.

Also, as regards wired computers, they are certainly not perfect in my experience. The computer is always removable of course, to give thieves less to nick, but that means that the vital metal contacts can rust.

After spending many weeks periodically reading 0.0mph on my previous bike, especially in wet weather, I eventually took a piece of sand-paper to the contacts. Big mistake. Thereafter it said 0.0mph unless you sanded the contacts before every ride. Useless piece of crap!

I can only speak about the cateye cordless,it being the only one I've owned.The batteries are in both units and I've not had any problems with the contacts, but take a bit of advice from someone who has spent good money on something, which in the cold light of day is just a money making gimmick LEAVE THEM WHERE THEY ARE!. Take a minute and think what actual use are they unless you're doing a point to point over open ground with a map and compass. Most road signs will tell you how far it is there and back and as for speed do you really want to know how slow you're going up hill,coz I found it quite unnerving to look down and find I was doing 46mph down the treherbet side of the Rhigos.Now me computer is collecting dust in the tool box.

best bet to keep the contacts clean is a bit of copper grease, it's pretty waterproof and helps keep the contact, and normally pretty expensive as well, so it's better if u borrow some !