Odometer Recommendations

I'm looking for a good odometer with comprehensive functions.  Preferably wireless, ideally auto-power-on.

For a year I've had a Bell F15 wireless ($20 at Target) which did basics +clock/temp/backlight +cal/fat/trip/dur/..., but the head popped off somewhere yesterday.  I'd simply replace it, but have often been annoyed by poor transducer signal (though barely 3' between sensor and display), and that it doesn't turn on automatically upon motion (I'd miss miles forgetting to hit a button after a break).

Browsing Amazon, there are too many to choose from, with large price differences.  So I'm seeking practical feedback.

What odometer do you use and love?

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Permalink Reply by Michael A on June 24, 2010 at 4:11am
Before switching to my garmin 705 I had cyclo computers on each of my bikes, 3 wireless and 2 wired. Your looking for wireless so I will not give a mini review of the wired. (even though IMO they are way more reliable and idiotproof) Unit 1 was the most expensive the CatetyeV3 http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/460($200) it has a heartrate monitor strap and does a very solid job , the auto on/off feature worked great. When the wireless units also measure cadence the sending unit is mounted on the non drive chain stay. The one sensor would work both for the rear wheel and for the cadence. This is an important feature if you ride on an indoor trainer. Unit 2 was a Cateye strada double wireless. http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/552. This is a much less expensive version but has no heartrate capabilities. This unit I had some issues with, the dual function rear sensor was very hard to position on my chainstay, You attach it with 2 wire ties but with the shape of my chainstay it was never stable and came out of alignment often, making the results less then satisfactory. This was purely a result of the odd tubing shape of my chainstay, if your chainstay is round this will not be an issue. The last unit was a ascent http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1063002_-1... this unit was the least expensive and you definitely get what you pay for. The range on this was so poor I had to position the sensor at the very top of the wheel. the sensor would then be very close to the frame when turning. I called customer service and they suggested I move the sending unit to the front of the fork, but that looks FUGLY and if it does get knocked out of alignment it will go INTO your spokes. Hope this helps
Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on June 24, 2010 at 4:16am
If it's not taking advantage of your good nature, what wired units do you like?

Michael A said:
Before switching to my garmin 705 I had cyclo computers on each of my bikes, 3 wireless and 2 wired. Your looking for wireless so I will not give a mini review of the wired. (even though IMO they are way more reliable and idiotproof)
Permalink Reply by Michael A on June 24, 2010 at 4:19am
I have an avocet 35 on my early 80's Colnago, I have replaced the battery every few yrs but it works perfectly.. I have an older wired cateye on a Gios with wired cadence, works great as well. Neither model has been on sale for 10 yrs
Permalink Reply by Joel on June 24, 2010 at 4:41am
I think any model from Cateye or Sigma will work just fine. Their websites have them sorted by cost/features, just decide how much you need and pick one. They seem to accumulate features in the same order. If you like the looks of one more than the other, or one brand is on sale, go for that one.

I have a Sigma BC1609 STS + Cadence. I found it simple to install (maybe 30 minutes in a poorly lit basement) and it has worked just fine.
Permalink Reply by Andrew Bedno on June 24, 2010 at 4:43am
I revised the intro to "preferably wireless". Wireless is mainly due to my fixie minimalism, but wired would solve half my basic complaints. Is wired also more likely to have auto power-on?

I mainly just want to know my accumulated miles, at a bargain price, so hadn't even imagined heart monitor and such, but good stuff.

Also has anyone tried replacing the stock magnet with larger, to increase the sensor spacing?
Permalink Reply by Joel on June 24, 2010 at 4:49am
It looks like every (or nearly every) modern bike computer has auto-on, and they will all tell you the miles traveled. The fanciest models only come in wireless, but it looks like some of the lower-end models have both wired and wireless versions -- the only difference is the wire and $20.

Andrew Bedno said:
I revised the intro to "preferably wireless". Wireless is mainly due to my fixie minimalism, but wired would solve half my basic complaints. Is wired also more likely to have auto power-on?

I mainly just want to know my accumulated miles, at a bargain price, so hadn't even imagined heart monitor and such, but good stuff.
Permalink Reply by Andrew Bedno on June 24, 2010 at 6:30am
I'd say "there's an app for that", but background GPS tracking, as newly available in MapMyRide for example, requires iPhone 4 for multi-tasking.

Cat Eye: http://cateye.com
Cycle Computers: http://www.cateye.com/en/product_listing/51
Product comparison: http://www.cateye.com/sites/cateye/upload/manuals/en/COMPUTER%20POS...

Sigma: http://www.sigmasport.com/us/startseite/
Bike Computers: http://www.sigmasport.com/us/produkte/bikecomputer/
Product comparison: http://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/bikecomputer/vergleichstabelle/

Newer Sigmas and CatEyes use higher frequency digital wireless which mainly advertises reduced interference and auto detection of bike change. Several Sigmas advertise temperature, and even altitude. No Cat Eye lists either. Sigma also lists PC interface in more models.

The auto-on I'm looking for is wake-up. CatEye specifically describes in manuals that you must press a button to leave power-save / sleep mode to begin recording data. Sigma manuals say the display shuts off automatically after five minutes of no signal, but not how it then resumes, and mentions "auto start/stop", but I suspect that refers to ride time calculation. An odometer should by nature ALWAYS record, as it does in a car. Without certainty, Sigma seems more likely to do so. Are most odometer user having to hit a button every time they start riding after a break (as my Bell required)?

The cheapest Sigma meeting most criteria is "BC 1609 STS" (as Joel said, thanx)
Includes temperature, PC interface (software sold separately), cadence, multi-bike, stopwatch/timer, backlight/contrast, 7 languages, etc.
>$59 digital wireless:
http://www.amazon.com/COMPUTER-SIGMA-BC1609-WIRELESS-SPEED/dp/B0039...
$29 wired:
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-bc1609-wired-unit/dp/B0030CHBM0
Permalink Reply by Joel on June 24, 2010 at 6:55am
Unless I'm doing something terribly wrong, I never have to manually do anything to make the computer start or stop on the BC 1609 STS. If the wheel doesn't move for a few minutes, it turns itself off. After the wheel starts to move (a few rotations), it turns on again. If you are only interested in the odometer part, you basically never have to press a button.

For an individual trip, you have to interact a little bit. It works like a car trip meter, you hold a button to reset it to zero. You can reset the avg. speed, avg. cadence, etc. in the same manner, or hold it a little longer and it resets all of them. I honestly don't know if stopping at a light affects the recorded trip time or not.

Be careful, there is the BC 1609 STS and the BC 1609 STS + Cadence. The computer are the same, but the later includes the sensor and magnet for cadence.
Permalink Reply by Vondo on June 24, 2010 at 9:19am
Cateye Strada Cadence. (wired) but it is auto on/off and works flawlessly for me. No HR sensor though, just time, distance, speed, avg. speed and cadence and duration. Plus its pretty cheap.

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