From: daavid@bohra.cpg.oz.au (Daavid Turnbull)
Newsgroups: aus.bicycle
Subject: Re: Bicycle computers, the low down and what I ended up with
Date: 25 Jul 92 12:37:14 GMT
Organization: Computer Power Software




In aus.bicycles I wrote...
>In the meantime I am trying to determine the potemtial difference between
>the $40 and $140.  I ride to work as often as I can.  I want to know how
>far it is.  Whether I am late or not? (Probably not that important) and
>whether or not I am improving my performance in the round trip.  (my guess
>at the round trip, based on automotive odometer is about 30K)  I have a
>Shoegun (spelling ??) mountain bike fitted with hybrid tyres which seems
>to match the mostly cycle path routes I take.   A lot of my homewards
>journeys seem to be at night these days (:-().

These are some of the replies I recieved:

I bought a mountain bike to tour around NZ in January, and got one of
the cheaper computers for it - NZ$70 (~45 AUD, at the time). What
annoyed me about this one?
	- no clock - sounds trivial, but it is my biggest complaint. I
	wasn't *EVER* trying to get anywhere by a particular time (the
	joys of touring by yourself!) but it would have been nice to
	have some idea, occasionally.
	- no auto-start - again, sounds trivial, but I tended to turn
	the thing off when I stopped, and then (of course :-) forget
	to turn it on until I was 20 km down the road.
	- no way to change the setup without zeroing the odometer.
	This wasn't such a big problem, but it would be nice to
	be able to do this if, say, I swap tires and have a different
	tire circumference.
Overall, if I was to buy another, I'd definitely go for one with the
first two features I mentioned above, while the third would be nice,
but certainly not essential. Basically, if you're going to buy one,
buy one that does a little bit more than you need right now, 'cos
you'll regret it the moment you do anything else...

jon

>

Someone sent me a cheapie one of these from the states a while back;
it's a huffy, and I suppose it falls into the $40 range.  I *love* it.
It doesn't have a clock, and doesn't do max speed, which seems to be
about the biggest difference from the catseye (mighty II?) that I just
installed for a friend.

I used to commute 25kms each way, along some pretty boring (though
beautiful) rural roads, and I found it stimulating to challenge myself
on the various segments.  Now it's only 15kms each way (I moved!)
and I guess much less demanding; I don't find myself obsessing
over the dial anymore :-)  Still I watch my elapsed time/ avg speed an
try to improve each run.

As I mentioned, I just installed a Catseye.  My catalog of U.S.
prices lists it at about $35, but I think it's about twice that
here.  Anyway, they both use a magnet fixed in the spokes and a reed
switch sensor mounted on the forks.  A black two-core wire runs up to the
handle-bar mounted computer, which is as you describe - wrist watch sized
and shaped.  Both offer current speed, average speed, elapsed time,
trip distance, cumulative distance.  The catseye has some other goodies
too: 12 hour clock which oddly ranges from 0:00 to 11:59, maximum
speed.  The mounting equipment is a little flasher too.
The Huffy (what a name) doesn't use time while stopped to figure
average speed, and the Catseye has the option to work either way.

I have seen a cordless version advertised.  Now *that* might be worth
$140!

Good luck,
Guy.
>

Yonks ago I bought a SANYO cyclometer ('89 I thinks) and had all the mod-cons
except for cadence (it was an early model). It was great for commuting,
relaxing rides & was easy to install 'cos it only had one sensor.

Then my bicycle collection grew & I decided I needed a cyclometer for each
bike (I was rich & single then :-) and went for the works with cadence ('cos I
was a bit more serious about my cycling now). The only problem was the new
cyclometer didn't have a clock in it like my cheaper one <insert *really*
anoyed mood here>. I really missed the clock 'cos I never used to wear a watch.

I guess you never miss what you never had but if you can afford the extra
dollars, get a cyclometer with the works 'cos you can't re-configure a
cyclometer as easily as a VAX (or can you :-().

Also, if your a real commuter (i.e. rides rain, hail or shine - hi Huw :-)
a better quality cyclometer might keep out the water better. I've heard the
cheaper ones don't like water much...

Gareth.

p.s. by the way Huw, I don't commute rain, hail or shine anymore 'cos I have to 
	chauffer (sp?) Kylie to work everyday (well that's my excuse & I'm 
	sticking to it :-)


>
[.. chit chat deleted]
Now, back to cycle computers. After much advise from Gareth, I purchased
a wireless cycle computer. It's got lots of features (so many in fact
that the manual is bigger than the device :-) I've found that all I use
are distance and the current time although it's cute to see what the
average speed was (somthing to look at while trying to recover....).

If I was buying one now, I think I'd go for cadence as well even though
installation would be harder (I guess I'd get Gareth to install it :-)

I don't commute rain, hail or shine anymore 'cos it's quicker to walk!

Huw
>

Like Gareth I too used to be rich and single...  :-) And now
don't ride as much as I used to.  :-( I got one of those
basic little Avocet models.  It just has a single display of
speed, elapsed time, trip distance and total distance, which
you cycled through by pressing one of two rubberized buttons
(the other button was used for things like resetting/
starting/stopping the elapsed time).  It doesn't have
cadence -- nor time-of-day, but I kludged that by resetting
and starting the elapsed time exactly at noon or midnight.
(The time has a 12-hour wrap-around, so it works almost like
a normal digital clock, except for the first minute, when
it's counting off seconds.)  Small, so it's easy to slip off
your bike and carry loosely in your pocket as a watch (so
long as you don't squeeze the buttons and stop the timer).
Some funny protocol with the buttons so you can get into
calibration mode for your-size wheels, and choose mph or
km/h.  A single magnetic pickup.

    I never had any real problems with it.  It held up fine
during three years of almost daily commuting in all weathers
(well in Perth, so I can say nothing about how it stands up
to freezing...).  Battery would last about a year or
eighteen months -- $4 watch battery.  Still works fine now,
just doesn't get used much (must be around somewhere...).
Once or twice I had to clean the contacts between the
cyclometer body and its holder.  Once I thought the display
was giving out, turning black -- gave me a shock.  But then
I realised it was just the effect of my polarized sunglasses
crossing the polarized LCD from certain viewing angles.

    I bought it in '87, for around $70.  I'm sure by now you
can get a Connection Machine in the same package.  But it
did the job for me.


					Hope this helps,
					Les.
>
> 
> I bought a "Cateye ATC" computer.  It cost about $80 ansd was reduced from
> a rrp of about $120.  It is a special model designed for mountain bikes.
> (It is also black and orange, which matches my orange Shogun ATB)
> It doesnot measure cadence but will measure speed, average speed, max speed,
> tell you the time, it has an 8 memory function that allows you to record all
> of these things on seperate legs of a trip and it will function in auto or
> manual mode, auto meaning it just starts recording when you start riding and 
> manual means you have to start it.  In addition it has an oddometer reading,
> a cummulative mileage (kilometerage, it measures either) which keeps telling
> you how far you have travelled untill you change batteries or press the 
> recessed little reset button on the ventral surface of the thing.  It works
> very well in wet, bumpy and muddy conditions.  Its cable is heavier duty than
> those designed for road bikes.  A great device.
> 
> Michael Venning				prmgv@ntx.city.unisa.edu.au

>------------------<

Armed with this good advice I went to my local bike shop to check out
what was on offer. (Not having the predicted $40 cash minimum required
I was purely window shopping.)

I bought an Avocet cyclometer 30.  It has 6 basic features, Speed, trip
distance, distance since new battery, timer, clock, maximum speed.  It
did not do average speed, so auto stop start etc was not a factor, nor
did it do cadence.

Any color you like as long as it is HOT PINK, $25.... At worst I could
paint it... so I bought it... not knowing if I would ever be able to
purchase a device at $40 plus.  It had been marked down from $85 to $55
to $25.

It came with a little magnetic ring that clips to the wheel hub, cables,
show mount, pickup and destuctions.  Apart from the the color, a tidy
understated unit.

They had a wireless model at ~$55 (marked down from $100+) and some flashy 
looking ones in the $100 dollar range.  These were bigger and while more
subtly toned did not appeal to me in style.

Thank-you for all the good advice, I feel that I have put it to good use
even though I did not follow all of it.

regards daavid
-- 
	Daavid Turnbull
	daavid@bohra.cpg.oz   +61 3 823 0222    (fax) +61 3 824 8068
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