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Plans:
Updates:
Issues of interest in bicycle computers:
What I'd like to see in bicycle computers:
What I don't want to see is superfluous functions. I have never used the following functions and they just cost me time to switch past them, or to work around them:
I've not seen any bicycle computer that I really liked. For that happen it must have: a good screen with plenty of information on the screen, good buttons, no useless functions, reliable, background lighting, nice design, not too many buttons, not having to press too many times to show certain functions.
2016-1-17: For an optimal simple bike computer. I would like to see:
1. Wired speed sensor, so that there is only 1 battery, and this should be a very common format, i.e. CR2032. [ the uncommon CR2016 is what I dislike about the Cateye Strada and Mity 2 ]
2. Required functions: speed, trip distance (displayed in metres), trip time, trip average speed, total distance, time/date, temperature (slightly gimmicky due to the bike computer heating up from sunshine, but when you are moving it is still working fine and thus still useful and interesting).
3. Screen: for a good overview: Speed, trip distance, trip time should be at the same time visible, so a 3 line screen [ the Padrone digital that I'm trying out now has this ], and then 1 value, say trip time could be switchable to the other values of time/date, temperature and total distance. This means only 1 button is needed to switch between displayed functions.
4. Screen should have background lighting. [ The Padrone digital doesn't have this. ]
5. Screen should be large enough so that with background lighting at night, all values can be easily read (this is not the case with the Cateye Commuter for example, some values are in too small digits)
6. Proper mounting method as with old bike computers (fixed with screws) or Cateye's flextight or something similar.
7. Simple reset. [ not the crap method that Sigma uses ]
2011-10-1: I've had this view for a long time, and I wanted to share it: There has been very little real progress in bicycle computers since the early 1990s. More functions have been added, heart rate monitors are included in many of them, but compared to other digital equipment the features are not impressive for the price you pay. What's even worse is the abysmal mounting methods that are used, the abysmal user interface and the abysmal button quality. The use of applications on mobile phones as a bike computer and route planner could make bicycle computers obsolete within one's own country (this is generally dependant on internet use, which is expensive unless you have flat rate, and it's always expensive outside of one's own country). Bike navigation systems through GPS are the way forward but there's always a use for simple bike computers with just speed/time/distance/average speed/cadence. So what will happen is a division into 2 classes of bike computers: simple bike computers and navigation systems. Simple bike computers should cost very little but be fully reliable. The navigation systems can be 100 euro or more. As I said, I don't really like any bike computer I used, they are to be honest all pathetic. I don't see a future for bike computers of 80 euro or more that do not have navigation...
The old method with which bicycle computers were fastened (plastic mount with a bolt and rubber inserts, see for example the Cateye Mity 2) worked perfectly. Why do we have these crap mounting methods with tie wraps and rubber bands? For sensor mounting a rubber band works reasonably well, but not for bicycle computers themselves. I didn't like Cateye's flextight bracket in the Strada, but in the Commuter it's better due to better threads, and this is a reasonable alternative to the old method.
As with bicycle lighting I often wonder whether manufacturers do any real testing! Surely the people at Sigma know that chrome (it's not really chrome, but you know what I mean) layers are gone quickly!? And then why make products with it? Surely they must feel the wish/need to move a bike computer? E.g. for viewing angle, or when using a new handlebar, or when putting something else on the handlebar for which the bike computer must be moved. What then with that double sided sticky tape? (You can get the sticky tape loose with methylic spirit, or better yet lighter fuel which is similar to the Dutch 'wasbenzine'. In German: Wasbenzin, French: Essence de nettoyer. 'Wasbenzine' does not seem to be used much or known in UK/USA; 'Wasbenzine' is a great degreaser and loosens sticky tape etc. without affecting the materials that methylic spirit/alcohol eats at , but it takes work to keep the sticky tape intact) Also, in lots of rain the glue layer can lose its stickiness which happened to the BC1609 once, it just revolved around the handlebar when I wanted to press a button.
Cateye: Design through the years varies from ugly to nice. In the current line up (when writing this section down, in 2010) this varies in the same way, so it's not a fashion phenomenon where an old device appears dated.
Sigma: These all look modern and good, the variations in nice/not so nice over the years is more a question of 'fashion' (so what you liked then, you may like less so today, not because the design itself is ugly but because it's from another time).
VDO: These cycle computers, now and in the past, almost all look ugly (exception: VDO Z1/Z2/Z3). What's up with the VDO designers?
Ciclosport: ?
Trelock: Round bicycle computers don't appeal to me. I don't see the point of that shape either...
Cateye: These bike computers usually have the required functions and hardly pointless ones. Controls are straightforward.
Sigma: Feature creep (increasing number of functions since the early 1990s that you rarely need/use). The reset is always the same moronic method of pressing a button for about 3 seconds to reset the shown value, then keeping it pressed for another 3 seconds to reset the trip (all values except total distance). What do you need to reset a single value for? (such as distance, time, average speed) I never felt the need for that in all the years I used various bike computers. Then there are silly things such as not being able to switch the display to show 'total distance' while riding, at least on the ones I tried such as the BC1600 and BC 2006MHR. This is an interface inconsistency and this is (psychologically) bad as you will try the various buttons and then think 'I can't find total distance! Why?' until you realise at home reading the manual that this function is hidden while riding. This is not intuitive). I can go on about such things. In conclusion: Sigma bike computers have an incredibly badly designed way to control and select their functions.
VDO: ??
Cateye: good.
Sigma: Good.
VDO: ?? [ I haven't used any of this brand ]
Ciclosport: ?? [ I haven't used any of this brand ]
Trelock: ?? [ I haven't used any of this brand ]
O-synce: I had some serious issues with the one I tried, and it's only 1 type but still the issues (bike computer fitting poorly into the mount and making bad contact with the connector, no indication which sensor was the cadence and which the speed) were pretty bad, so I rate this: Poor.
I used a few from 1992-2008, at which time I decided to start trying out a few more. The reviews even of the old ones serve as examples of what is good and bad in bicycle compuyters and which brands are likely to have stupid stuff such as inane reset procedures (especially Sigma).
Note: if the link is in square brackets then it is no longer available new.
This uses a magnet ring for both determining the speed and to charge an internal battery. I had to open it once a few years ago as it seemed stuck, but after that it still works perfectly. Never a new battery required even after 25 years...
Specifications:
Functions: Time, speed, ride distance, ride time, ride average speed, total distance.
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My old one didn't work properly any more after 15 years of service (1992 to 2007), but in 2010 I bought a second hand one again as shown in the above pictures, and it was a relief to use this computer after the awful Sigma's and others. The simple reset is fantastic although for long trips where you don't want to risk resetting the computer inadvertently, a different type of reset might be useful in a bike computer.
Rating: 6
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time. I lost the bike computer on a ride, so no pictures... |
Rating: 4
Specifications:
Functions: he usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time, + altitude (via air pressure) + heart rate functions (max, average). 2nd bike kit optional (which I bought but never used).
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Tested since: 2007
Rating: 4
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time.
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Tested since: 2009
Rating: Old version with CR2016 battery: 6 2
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time.
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Tested since: 2006
Rating: 5
Specifications:
Functions:The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time, + cadence.
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Tested since: May 2011
Rating: 0 [ due to unreliability, computer not making proper contact with the mount's contact points ]
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time.
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Tested since: 8 Dec. 2011
I really didn't want to test any more Sigma bicycle computers, but it seems there are no non-crappy low end bicycle computers. In any event, I needed a replacement for the awful O-synce mini save cad, and my Mity 2 was broken in a fall on an icy road, end of 2010.
So, I said the chrome layer would wear off quickly, well, after just 9 days, I took the BC1609 off the bike, wanted to wipe off water and noticed some ripples on the side (see pictures above). Optical distortion from water droplets? Well, wiping the water off then made the chrome layer come off! It's still on the buttons, but elsewhere it's mostly gone. What an unbelievably stupid design by Sigma! I knew the chrome would come off, but I didn't expect it this quickly, Sigma should know this as well. Do they test their own products? Oh yes, and the bits of chrome keep sticking to the BC1609 in lots of places (see the picture above), which is really annoying.
Another thing is the fogging up of the screen from the inside. I left this computer on a bike that I leave outside for testing purposes so gets plenty of rain, well, it's not watertight enough....
Rating reduced from 4 to 3...
Rating: 3
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time + temperature.
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Tested since: 21 May 2012
I had this on my list of bicycle computers I wanted to test for a long time. The recommended retail price of about €80,- was a bit high compared to e.g. the Sigma BC2006MHR, BC2009MHR, and others such as now the Polar CS100. But I've seen it sold for about €40-€60 and then it's an option for those who do not need an altitude meter, cadence, nor heart rate functions.
When I first got it I thought: 'It's big!', and, 'oh no, it's got chrome on the bottom of the sides :('
I didn't like the flextight bracket of the Strada, it was like putting a nut with badly cut threads onto a bolt with differently badly cut threads. I gave the Strada to my sister and the cable broke after not a long time. Not sure if the cable is weak or that she treated it badly, but I had to take it off the bike and getting the bracket off was a nuisance and I cut the thread off mostly as it was going too slowly. Here it's different, it works. But I still prefer a standard bolt as Cateye used in the 1990s.
2013-7-23: Forgot to note that the sensor is mounted with stupid tie-wraps. Thus the sensor often gets rotated or shifted when something like a front pannier touches it, or even when the bike falls due to wind. This sucks! Give us back the proper mounting methods with a bolt instead of this rubbish!
I like the screen, though it glares a bit in the sun, perhaps a curved surface as on the Sigma 1609 would be better...
It shows a lot at once, it's very well readable, and it shows what I want it to show: Time (as I never wear a watch), temperature, speed and another function you can select (time, distance, average speed, maximum speed, ETA). The whole bike computer acts as a switch, just as with the Strada. There are a few more buttons on the back, for resetting, light. The initial procedure to set date/circumference etc. is not comfortable due to the buttons being on the back and small. The light switch at the back is ok, still need to test it while riding, with gloves this will be impossible to activate I suspect. Reset is simple: Keep the computer pressed for 2 seconds. 5 button presses gets you to all functions: average speed, maximum speed, distance, ride time, ETA (estimated time of arrival). So a reasonable number of keypresses, a big plus. I think 5 presses to get back to the originally displayed function is the maximum to keep the interface comfortable; I felt 7 as in the Strada is too many. So for more functions you need another button. The Commuter has an extra button, but a very small one on the back...
2013-7-23: Values on screen are updated quickly, except for the average speed which is updated once every 5 seconds. That's too slow!
At the moment I'm still evaluating it, but this is the first bike computer since the Cateye Mity 2 that I like... Let's see if it stays that way :)
I tested to see if the lighting can be activated with gloves and that, surprisingly, works very well. Just keep the top right corner of the bicycle computer between your thumb and your index finger and squeeze... De background lighting is (just) good enough for the top 2 lines, but the time and temperature are quite small and it takes some effort to read using the background lighting. Perhaps that would be easier with stronger background lighting.
Keeping the light button pressed for about 4 seconds makes the bike computer go into night mode, so that each keypress lights up the display. I think the way Sigma does it makes more sense: Light on means night mode, which then goes off only when the bike computer goes into sleep from no-activity for a long time, or when you press the light button again.
Distance in km is shown in 2 decimal places. This is good though in metres (3 decimal places) would be nicer.
Total distance (and total time) is only shown using the button on the back. I don't mind it's not quickly accessible (esp. total time doesn't interest me in the least) but the small rear button is a nuisance, also for setting up the computer, so the Commuter should have had a reasonably sized button at the rear and not a miniscule button on the bottom. Or it should have had 2 buttons on the bottom, both activated by pushing on the bike computer, one by pushing on the bottom and the other by pushing on the top (similar to some bike computers by Polar with which you press on the left- or right hand side to activate buttons on the bottom left/right.
2013-7-23: Finally an update on my experiences with the ETA function: It works, but the ETA time is not very useful. Let's face it, if you are late and need to catch a train, or be at an appointment, then the ETA function is not going to help. There's no way you can make up any good time by cycling faster on relatively short distances, and on long distances wind is such a big factor, that riding faster than normal is only an option if you have a tailwind. So what's the point of the ETA function? It's a gimmick and one that wastes your time on a simple bike computer. Total distance was the function that should have been directly accessible in its place. More complex functions are for use with more complex systems, esp. navigation systems (dedicated or on a phone/tablet).
2016-1-17: I still use it and the only real problem I have is that some values cannot be read well at night due to too small digits... Well, and it's annoying that total distance can only be viewed using the button on the back.
2021-9-23:From 2019 the backlight no longer works. The edges showed something, the middle nothing. Unreadable at night. In 2021 I found that reading the LCD in sunlight is pretty bad in some angles, I never saw it this bad before. Perhaps the display has degraded.
In the end it also became unreliable, not picking up about half of the trip distances, draining the bike computer's memory very quickly, so I used another one since then.
Main bad point: Total distance cannot be read without using the rear button.
Rating: 6
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time. |
Used from: Sept 2021.
I don't like the mount with tie wraps though you could use it with a flex tight bracket.
It is working fine, no useless functions, but also no backlight, no temperature, no cadence. This is basic, with a simple interface of just pressing 1 button, keeping it pressed for 3 seconds to reset the trip. Not much to say other than that it works well so far.
Rating: 7
Specifications:
Functions: The usual functions of speed, trip distance, trip time, total distance, average speed, clock time, 2nd bike distance, cadence (current, max, average). Optional: Bluetooth heart rate monitor. See also: https://www.cateye.com/intl/products/computers/CC-PA400B/ Sensor: Bluetooth, on the rear wheel (note the difference in circumference with the front wheel, for example in my case with a 47-559 this is ca. 197 cm rear wheel vs 199 cm front wheel, at ca. 3 bar tyre pressure).
Batteries: 1x CR2032 |
Used from: 2023-1-18
I wanted a bike computer for the van Nicholas pioneer with Rohloff hub that I bought middle of 2022 (review of that hub to come) and though I repaired my Cateye Strada for that purpose (this is the one with which I had to cut grooves into the tiny screws to open the battery compartment, and from the 4 screws I later lost 2, hmmm...) as the wire to the sensor was cut, but I also had a look for a replacement and saw this Padrone digital offered cheaply 2nd hand. So I am using both at the same time now to compare them.
It uses a bluetooth speed/cadence sensor on the rear wheel and can be set up with bluetooth connection to your phone. I use a Samsung A52S running android 13 which works fine. I read some comments in the amazon reviews that it won't connect to some smart phones so beware.
It can be configured with bluetooth on your phone using the Cateye cycling app which is quite useful. It also has functions to share data to Cateye Atlas, Strava and "TrainingPeaks" but not to your phone in raw form (such as a text file), only to these sites which I don't use, or to your phone but for use on the app only to see ride date, time, duration, averages of speed, cadence, maximums of speed and cadence. This is nice but I'd like the raw data to export to my PC.
It is working fine so far, no dropped connection as I had with the Sigma BC2006MHR which gave me such problems when riding past e.g. mains transformer boxes. It can be configured in which functions to display, it has no useless functions, but also no backlight, no temperature which would have been nice. This is a fairly basic bike computer despite the high price, with a simple interface of just pressing 1 button, keeping it pressed for 3 seconds to reset the trip. Not much to say other than that it works well so far.
2023-1-28: A small issue that I noticed especially because of running 2 bike computers (Padrone digital + Strada wired) at the same time: I went to buy some groceries, switched on the Padrone (from the sleep state) by pressing on it, then rode off. It takes a while to connect again to the speed/cadence sensor I suppose, as it didn't record the first 30 metres. This is not much but it indicates why wireless bike computers are NOT superior to wired ones: You need to get the bike computer out of the sleep mode before it records anything, then it searches for the wireless signal which can take a bit of time. A wired computer just switches on automatically from sleep (that would drain the battery too much with a wireless bike computer), and it records each pulse. It is simple and reliable. There is of course the advantage of not having a wire but is that such a big plus point? For a bike computer with cadence sensor (which needs to be at the crank) it is more so than with one that only records speed.
2023-2-28: The screen can be managed in what it displays in the 3 lines and I set up:
To come:
Update speed of the screen for speed, distance etc., but especially average speed (which is sometimes slower to save battery).
Rating: To come.
Expensive bicycle computers never seemed useful to me and too limited, also in how you must wade through all the functions with a few buttons. With the rise of good navigation for smart phones I also don't see the use of bicycle navigation computers. They are too limited and not as versatile as a mobile phone. Or even tablet, though tablets are a bit big and mounting on the bike is an issue. More on this to come.
So, what I have felt for years and what I wrote in 2011 as being the future of bicycle computers (see above the section dated 2011-10-1), I feel even stronger now (2012). It seems to me that the future is as I thought: Only simple bike computers (which must be cheap), or navigation systems. But dedicated bike navigation is becoming obsolete by the time they are finally getting to a point where they are good enough and reasonably cheap, by way of mobile phones. The only issue is phones/tablets not being waterproof which I think will change in future models, or a mount with cover should be used, possibly with bluetooth button device outside it. 2014-5-2: I saw that O-synce produced something along those lines of what I suggested in 2012, to use (control) a phone with bluetooth connection, apparently introduced in 2013. It also sends back data to this device with LCD screen to save the battery on the phone (the screen is the biggest energy hog on phones).
I've got a Samsung Tab2 10 and a Tab2 7 3G. I used the Tab2 10 on a trip to Ukraine which was very useful as entertainment in the hotel (movies) and for web browsing, booking hotel rooms etc. Almost all hotels and restaurants in Ukraine have WiFi, even low budget hotels, cool :) It's very useful to book hotels on the way, get airplane tickets etc. For navigation even within the city an offline navigation is really needed due to cost of mobile network use. So I've been experimenting a bit with navigation systems. I tried Copilot live and this didn't appeal to me, unintuitive and ugly interface on my Tab2 10. It should look better on smaller screens. Another program I tried recently is Osmand and it's quite useful, so much so that it seems to me any specialised bike navigation system is already superfluous. Just get an Android phone and install it with some maps. A recent phone with a lot of internal storage (or ability to add micro sd card) will give a system that's more versatile than bike navigation systems.
What can other navigation systems offer that's really worth getting a dedicated bike navigation for?
For the Netherlands there's an interesting program called 'Bikenode' which shows bike nodes, i.e. points which show where to go which allow you to make your own routes. Just select your points and follow the directions to the points you want.
This system came originally from Belgium and in the south of NL this system was introduced before it was introduced in western NL, where I live.
I even used this system simply to get to a destination (instead of the original purpose of these bike nodes, which is to make a bike trip just for fun to some points and back again). In 2006 I made a trip of about 120 km in a day and about halfway, when I saw this system on a summary point (near Gorinchem), instead of using a (paper!) map and selecting roads and choosing which cities/villages to go through, I wrote down all the points that were needed to get to close to my destination. I didn't need to do much looking on the map to check for the right roads etc. and it worked quite well. However, now (this was in 2012) with navigation systems on mobile phones these bike nodes may become obsolete quite soon. What do you think?
Update 2016-1-17: I suppose it's useful to have a backup which doesn't need electricity, just in case :) But for such cases you would need to go see a summary point with map first if you don't have a paper map with nodes indicated, and the old style navigation of a normal map and then following city name signs and directions also still works.
A reader gave an answer to my question, of why you would want to buy a specific bike navigation system. Well, they are better than a mobile phone (or tablet), for the following reasons, which are valid though I have some comments about some of them:
This reader's view is that: his Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, although it has a poor screen resolution and horrible UI, it works better as a GPS device than his iphone, and the price is reasonable by not using the Garmin maps but OSM (open street maps) instead.
But I still have doubts about navigation systems. I think they are doomed as mobile phones will get waterproof (it's absolutely ridiculous that they are not waterproof, since you want to able to use them anywhere and any time!) and readability in sunlight depends a lot on the type of screen used. Standard LCD or paperwhite screens as in ebook readers are indeed much better than the screens used in high end mobile phones at the moment. The power consumption of the LCD screens of navigation systems is a large factor in the battery life, which is absolutely dreadful in many high end phones, but as I said, when using a USB charger via dynamo hub this is barely an issue.
I've used a Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Y for bike navigation quite a bit since August 2013, and the Galaxy Y is good because of lower power consumption, otherwise the S2 is superior in speed, stability (osmand crashes from time to time on the Y, not enough memory I suppose), voice directions don't work on the Galaxy Y, and I have to put osmand on the internal phone memory otherwise from time to time it just disappears from the applications on the phone... Here's a picture:
The waterproof phones that are available make some of the issues above irrelevant. E.g. the Sony Z series, the Samsung S5, S5 mini. Readability in daylight is good enough in most cases, I wouldn't want to use a low resolution navigation system even if it is better readable. I can put my hand over the screen if really needed. I've been using a Sony Xperia Z that I got from a family member and compared it to the Samsung S2, Y and others. The screen is horrible for viewing pictures (cool colour, gives the same loss of depth perception in pictures as I've shown on my bike lighting page that cool light gives when illuminating the garden), and the screen is horribly bad when looking at it from an angle, but in sunlight for navigation it's much better than the S2, the screen is very high resolution, for navigation it's great. GPS has also improved, I think from Glonass satellites, the Z shows more of them than the S2 and Y. Battery is a problem, GPS and screen usage drains the batteries quickly. Switching the screen off is most important, switch it on only when really needed, or use audio for guidance.
You can use Oruxmaps and Locus also with vector openstreet maps. You can use the program "Map downloader" from the application store, or go with your mobile device to the website http://openandromaps.org/, go to download, click on + to select which you want to load of the versions (for Locus or Oruxmaps or other programs) and it will download within the program. With Map downloader, selecting to install on both didn't work, it was only installed on 1 of them. Btw., Map downloader used different maps than from openandromaps.org, when I tried it.
Because Oruxmaps and Locus use the same format for the maps, I put the maps into a shared directory 'openstreetmap' on my SD card so both programs can use the same map files.
This is quite preliminary, and I will add screenshots and more experiences, but already here are some issues and notes on improvements of newer vs. older versions of Osmand:
Being waterproof is quite common these days, and I used the following phones in the rain and in bright sunlight: Samsung S6 (since 2016), Sony Experia XZ from a relative, since 2022, Samsung A52S since 2022.
The GPS position acquisition is faster with each new generation. With the experia Z and especially the Samsung S2 it could take quite a while if leaving my hotel before getting the GPS position that is helped with the wifi position (A-GPS = assisted GPS). With the S6 that I used from 2016 it was already a lot faster, with the XZ a bit better and the A52S is very fast.
The screen: Each generation becomes better in direct sunlight. The S2 is almost unreadable in direct sunlight. The S6 is a lot better, the Sony xperia Z has a worse screen for most purposes but it is better readable in direct sunlight than the S6. The XZ is pretty good in direct sunlight but the A52S is the best, however, there is an issue with overheating. I used the A52S on my trip in 2022 in Poland and Ukraine. In Poland I used it on many long bicycle trips (I bicycled 250 km in the area of Wroclaw, then 250 km from Bialystok where I visited pannier manufacturer Crosso, then to Siedlce). The issue I had on my trips when it was very hot (it was 37 C on one of my trips) was that the screen was well readable for a while, then it was becoming quickly worse so I switched off the screen then when I turned it on again a while later it was much more readable again. The phone turned down the brightness fairly quickly to avoid overheating...
In the rain a problem is that it is impossible to control the phone until you wipe off the rain drops. It sometimes even starts to change screen resolution in Osmand 'thinking' I placed 2 fingers on the screen to change size...
A different problem not really related to navigation is that I have especially with cycling is that if I keep my phone in my bike shirt in the back pocket, with screen switched off, it will start to sleep telephone (I suppose the 'on' button was pressed somehow). I've had this happen multiple times...
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Last modified: 2015-7-12 CEST
