mighty_mouf89

Hello all-

Getting a 2017 Giant Escape 1 with the hydraulic disc brakes and just thinking abt accessories I'll need. Definitely getting a couple water bottle cages installed and maybe one of those small pouches that hooks around the back of the seat, nothing big at all.


I'm looking into a mileage/speed tracker. I knw Specialized makes one that's around $40. If I'm not mistaken that's the most common one b/c there are a lot of them and come in different colors. Does anyone else know of any others out there? Giant makes one that does that & also checks temp, altitude and other things as well. Didn't know if someone had any experience with this one. I think it's $120. Your thoughts?

corrado33

There are HUNDREDS/THOUSANDS of designs of bike computers out there (which is what you want.) I'm partial to the cateye brand, they've always served me well. A $20 amazon bike computer will track speed/distance just fine.

practical

You can find inexpensive ones that work fine at most department stores.

indyfabz

I would not buy one of these unless you live where it never rains:


https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/co...computer-black


I ended up with one and it did not stand up to the elements well.

Juan Foote

I had a little cheap Avocet computer that outlasted my ability to put it in a bike, as the mount no longer worked....lol. Cateye makes some nice cheap models, I mean, really for the price the Bell you can get at Wal Mart will work fine.

I would even bet that your smart phone has an app.....8)

rgconner

Use your smart phone and an app.

Not as accurate, but free!

Maelochs

I would suggest anything wired. I have a bunch of wireless computers which work fine but their sending units quit. I used a cheap Nashbar for a while without issue, and a cheap sigma ... if they have wires they are less attractive but last for years. Wireless ... not so much.

I use an app and my phone in a $5 waterproof mount nowadays. I figure it is all relative anyway .... if it said 14 mph yesterday, says 15 mph today and 16 tomorrow, who cares if it is 13.9, 15.05 and 16.1? I can still see the increase.

morfeeis

I'll second the Cateye support, i had one for a while and it was awesome. i "upgraded" to a more expensive one and miss my cateye.

Seattle Forrest

I use my wrist watch. If you have a smart phone, then you already have a GPS.

jefnvk

If you just want speed/distance, as others have said any LBS or even department store who sells bikes will have models for $15 or less. Bells work just fine, Cateyes are a bit nicer. I've got both.

If you want actual GPS tracking, use your phone, as special GPS bike computers are spendy and require frequent charging.

EDIT: as others have mentioned, I prefer wired over wireless. My wired computers work, period, the few wireless I've tried can be very finnicky.

GuyWood

If you want hassle-free fit and forget, you sound like a perfect candidate for a Garmin Edge 20. I bought one after my Edge 200 died and absolutely love it.

Cyclist0084

^^This.

Also, wireless bike computers can be susceptible to interference from other devices that may be mounted on your handlebars.

I had a wireless computer a few years ago that worked fine in the daytime, but the minute it got dark and I turned on my (admittedly cheap) light, the computer went totally bonkers. I'd be tooling along at about 13mph and the computer would show me doing 40+ mph. Heck, I don't even go that fast in my dreams. LOL!!

Phil_gretz

- What kind of bike rider are you trying to become?
- How important are these bits of information after the ride is finished? After a month? After a year?


- What are the considerations that are non-negotiable?
-- functionality - what must the device do?
-- reliability - how much maintenance/repair am I willing to tolerate? All weather or fair weather only?
-- cost - what is this worth to me?
-- risk - can damage or loss of this device be a factor to me?


To answer the first part, there are three or four types of riders on these boards with regard to data:
(1) don't care - use a limited cyclometer to aid in following maps or cue sheets
(2) don't care - ride familiar routes and don't really use the data at all, other than in the instant
(3) trying to track riding activity - interested from an archive/improvement perspective, want to know trends and accomplishments
(4) data-driven - seeking performance data - does post-ride and seasonal analyses, looking for improvements, often accompanied by physiological (HR), power, and other meta data. These are serious riders.


So, which type are you?

mstateglfr 

Yeah...just use MapMyRide on your phone. Its free. Its GPS. It tracks as well as multiple Garmin devices I have seen used.
The only downside is battery suck, but that probably wont be an issue until you ride over 40mi at a time.

jefnvk

I used mine all day on tours. Biggest thing is to keep the screen turned off, battery life isn't so horrible that way. It is when you've got it clamped on the handlebars with the brightness turned up to see in the sun that kills it.

mighty_mouf89

Hi Phil, I appreciate that breakdown. Lol! Based of that I think I'm totally fine with just something basic and tracking my mileage and speed. I do however prefer wireless just b/c I like to keep a nice clean and sleek look to the overall bike.

So something basic that records mostly those two factors and witless. Any suggestions on that? I may just go with the Specialized unit. I would prefer Giant but to my knowledge they don't carry a lot of accessories. I think they're starting to get more into it. But my LBS has all Specialized units. Even when it comes to the water bottle cages, helmets.. everything.

Juan Foote

I see that you are on the internet to post here.....the internet carries any brand you might wish to have and will bring it to your front door.

bikejrff

I use the older version Cateye Enduro 8 on all my bikes. The wire is heavy duty thick, never had a problem with any of them; going on 93,000 miles total. I buy them on ebay, new and used, usually for $15-25; usually have a couple extra for when I get a new bike. Here's what they look like... https://www.texascyclesport.com/cate...ro-8-computer/ I don't like the new Enduro 8 model.

kevindsingleton 

Search for bicycle computers on Amazon, and decide which meets your needs, best. Consider larger displays for important data (current speed, distance, or time), so it's easy to see what you really need to know when sweat is dripping from your face and you're sucking wind on a climb. I have several wireless computers, including Cateye, and Bontrager. The only real downside to wireless computers, in my opinion, is the sending unit, which requires its own battery, and the electronics to do the "sending". I hate the wire on my one (Sigma?) wired computer, since it's too long, and has to be stored by either wrapping it around a brake cable housing, or tied up to the handlebars, neither solution providing a clean appearance.

These days, a bike computer doesn't need to be much more than a clock, speedometer, and odometer. Everything else can be captured by your phone, for later dissection. The info you need, while riding, is actually pretty limited, so nearly any simple bike computer will do the job.

gsindela

If you're carrying your smart phone anyway, I don't understand why anyone would also get a computer. I use the following and it is fantastic...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

kevindsingleton 

Fred,

I like to see how fast I'm going, how far I've ridden, and how long I've been at it. I, also, hate when my phone battery runs out. So, I launch Strava, put the phone somewhere safe (with the display turned off), and occasionally glance at the cheap computer mounted on the handlebars.

That's why I do it, anyway.

hagak

So I started off as a phone user and it worked great for me until I started going longer distances and using more features. Cyclometer on the iphone works great and even pairs with wahoo bluetooth speed and cadence sensors. Downside I had with the phone is:
1. It is big more so if you have a plus sized phone which can take up a good bit of room.
2. Display is difficult to read in sunlight, have to crank the brightness which kills the battery and still not great to see
3. Battery life is too short if you ride longer distances, sure you can turn the display off but that defeats parts of its usefulness. Also i want to know when I am 75 miles from home and have an emergency I have a charged phone to use.
4. UI - phone touch screens suck when you are biking, and if you drip sweat on it you might trigger things like pause by accident and not notice for 40 miles!
5. Durability - phones are the greatest for falls and water compared to bike computers.

CasualInSoCal

It really depends on what you want out of the computer and what your budget is.

I started out with a simple $20 Cateye Velo 9. Only does speed/distance/elapsed time.

Then I got more serious into cycling, and wanted turn-by-turn navigation. Agonized over it for months but finally got a $400 Garmin Edge 1000. Have been using it for a month, does everything I ask. I ride more, and do more "adventure" rides now due to the navigation.

Before buying the Garmin I also tried out a few iOS cycling apps, and to make the long story short : each app lacked some critical feature or did something wrong that really bugged me. so I gave up on using the phone as a bike computer.

DomaneS5

I use MapMyRide app (MVP subscription) with Android phone for my main device for stats. Cateye wireless bike computers work great for me except when I use my Niterider lights. The headlight interferes with the signal going from the bike computer to the sensor. I tried to wrap the light with foil, but that didn't help.

I use the Cateye computers for backup. I have two road bikes, both with the Cateye Micro MC100W model. I use Cateye Strada CC-RD300W for my gravel bike and 29er. The Strada is the more accurate of the two. It's very close to the MapMyRide GPS stats even on long rides. The Micro is a good computer too, but it's usually off from the GPS (after the ride is done) by about a couple of tenths of a mile on short rides under 20 miles... several tenths/mile on long rides. I may need to re-calibrate my wheel settings on the Cateye Micros. I went by the 700 x 25c settings provided by Cateye and I think they are off a little.

jefnvk

I use both. My cycle computer is there for quick glances at time, distance, speed. My phone app is running in a pocket for route/stats logging and easy YTD calculations over multiple bikes. Leaving a phone running with the screen on bright enough to see in the sun kills the battery quickly, and my phone is not waterproof to leave exposed like my computer.

FWIW, my cycle computers and GPS are generally within 1% of each other on distance. It is nice to verify against one another.