Recommend a bike computer.

[Mitford]

I've got a basic Halfords cycle computer, it shows speed, distance, time, odometer and maximum speed. I'm going to give that one to the boy and get a new one. I go out for a 25 mile road ride two or three evenings a week and sometimes a bit longer at weekends, have vague plans to give time trialling a go.

What fun and/or useful features should I look for on the new 'puter, and would you like to recommend any particular model?

 

[Crackle]

I don't have a model in mind but I've always used Cateye, had one of them for 18 years or so, as well as a newer one.

 

[Arsen Gere]

I moved on from a clicky wheel rotation counter to a wired Peugeot one in 1986. This had distance, current speed, max speed and average speed. To be honest you don't need much more. I do like to have cadence too.
If you are going to use a turbo trainer in the winter, make sure you get a sensor that fits the back wheel.

I use one of the cateye ones on my work bike and turbo sessions. I use a garmin 705 for other rides. I use the 705 because on a TT I can load it up on the garmin connect web page and see where I was slowest. A good TT is about raising your average speed. The wheel sensor type is more accurate than the garmin as it follows all your twists and turns and does not skip corners. The garnin measures altitude too so you know why some rides felt harder than others. It can also record cadence and heart rate if you get the additional bits.

The garmin cost more than my work bike so I guess it comes down to your budget. The cycleops one is dead easy to use and it's fit and forget. You don't need to worry about charging it like the garmin, I've turned up to races with a flat battery before. The basic garmin maps are not very good, see other threads for recommended alternatives.

So its horses for courses as they say in french restaurants.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I use a Cateye Strada Cadence on my Peugeot winter bike, and a Bryton Ryder 35 on my CAAD10. The Strada is a fantastic little computer, I've had the standard version and the double wireless version too, and they've all been great, but I find they can rattle a bit in the mount.

The Rider 35 does more than you could ever really need, and for a reasonable price compared to other GPS units. I like it as it's still a pretty compact unit compared to something like a Garmin 800

 

[Mitford]

That's useful Arsen, if only to narrow down the choice. I suppose my budget is around £50, so I'm not in the market for a Garmin 705! But I'd pay a bit more than £50 if I was going to get a lot more for the extra money.

 

[Mitford]

The Rider 30 looks like a possibility Smokeysmoo, £120-something.

 

[derrick]

Cateye works for me , tried the halfords one first did one ride and it froze, so that went straight back, i then bought the cateye fron my LBS. does all you need.

 

[jayonabike]

Another vote for cateye computers, I have 3 of em, 1 velo and 2 strada's

 

[albion]

I've decided I need a cadence computer to better manage knee pain.I'm giving the cheap £12.50 RSP rutlandcycling one on ebay a try so will report back soon.

 

[oldfatfool]

I picked up a wireless crivit from Lidl for £6.99 does speed + avg, distance + cumulative, time, total time, cals etc etc just not cadence, HRM or Power. For the money it can't be beat.

Now looking for a sat nav unit, most likely a Bryton, if anyone could comment between the 35 and the 50, like the actual maps on the 50 but like the battery life of the 35!!

 

[Herzog]

Another vote for Cateye Strada

 

[Simba]

I've got a basic Halfords cycle computer, it shows speed, distance, time, odometer and maximum speed. I'm going to give that one to the boy and get a new one. I go out for a 25 mile road ride two or three evenings a week and sometimes a bit longer at weekends, have vague plans to give time trialling a go.

What fun and/or useful features should I look for on the new 'puter, and would you like to recommend any particular model?

Garmin Edge 605

But, if you don't wish to pay that much. A Cateye Strada Wireless.

 

[smokeysmoo]

The Rider 30 looks like a possibility Smokeysmoo, £120-something.

You can pick it around that price on it's own, but it's more if you want the he belt and cadence sensor.

Got mine from Merlin for about £135 with everything, but they've been out of stock since, Evans have got them HERE

 

[VamP]

I got the Strada wireless too. Simple, reliable, and all the functions that you reasonably need. Am in process of buying another one for my cyclocross racer.

 

[Mitford]

Well that was really great, thanks everybody, I have ordered a Strada wireless, I wanted a green jersey one but they are discontinued, so it's a black one. It was £34.99, from J E James, so a good price too.