Bike Computers Review

Bike computers are an extra dimension to cycling and add some interesting data to your enjoyment of the bike. You don’t have to be a full on racer to enjoy the benefits of a cycle computer. It’s often interesting to see how many miles you cover on an average ride, how fast you’re going, or even how many pedal revolutions per minute you can achieve.

You can of course use them as a training aid to improve performance or to attain certain goals, but they can be used in a more relaxed way too. Calculating time over distance, or just distance is a great way to gauge a ride, your fitness or just how many miles you have to cycle to work. The Polar heart rate monitor keeps track of your heart rate throughout your ride. Timex monitors work similarly. By having this information available, you have a baseline for improving your fitness, an idea of how much carbon you’re saving, or how it compares to your friends.

If you’re shopping for a bike electronics and accessories, there are a few things you should know first. The first consideration should be ease of use. If you’re going to be using it while on the move, it needs to be simple and straightforward. The buttons need to be big enough to be manipulated by gloved fingers and the screen large, and clear enough to be seen in different lights.

Ease of Use

The last thing you want to be doing is fiddling with awkward menus while cycling along the road. You need a simple menu that only need a button press or two to get what you want. Planet Bike computers are designed to be very user-friendly.

Wired or wireless

Wireless computers are relatively new and slightly more expensive but are easier to set up and use. Battery life might be compromised but there will be no wires to worry about when installing it. The Powertap wireless cyclocomputer comes with wireless mounts, so it is easy to maintain.

Mounting

The mount should be simple and quick to use. You need to be able to quickly remove the computer when you park the bike somewhere. It should be strong enough to not come loose or wobble when riding over rough terrain either. You may want to pair a Garmin computer with a Garmin handlebar mount. SImilarly, the Sigma mount is made for the Sigma computer.

Display

A large, clear display that shows the information you want at a glance. You don’t want to be riding along squinting at the screen. The screen also needs to be bright enough to be seen in different light. Some can be illuminated to be read in the dark.

Functions

This depends a lot on what you want from it. They can be simple for those who are more curious than serious or more advanced from those in training. Select the right one for your needs. Vetta computers have been common in the cycling community for years.

That’s about as much detail as you need to make an informed choice. The suitability of the different models depends a lot on what kind of rider you are and what you want to achieve. As with most things, do some research, talk to some people and have a clear idea of what you want to use it for before parting with your money. You may want to view popular brands like Knog computers and Mavic.

Models

Pricing

For a decent Cat Eye computer system you’re looking at spending around $25 for the base model, or up to $200 for its flagship Triple Wireless. There are many other manufacturers to choose from like Garmin GPS, but the prices will vary.