The Chainlink

Looking for bike computer

I am looking for a bike computer with the following features:

Must have:
solar power or rechargeable batteries

Would prefer:
wired connection, but will consider wireless. 

Would be nice:
if it tracked data for two bikes
had a back-light

Any suggestions?  I've done some on-line searching and have not found many rechargeable or solar-powered.  I don't understand why not -- who wants to deal with expensive, hard-to-find, single-use batteries?

Thanks,
KM


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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 27, 2010 at 11:15am
http://www.suntekstore.com/Black-Solar-Bicycle-LCD-Odometer.html

I'd be a little suspicious of this due to the low, low price and the features you want, but it looks to be what you're looking for.
Permalink Reply by Bicycle Poet on May 27, 2010 at 11:23am
Thanks.

I found this one as well. It is the only solar-powered bike computer that I have been able to find. It looks cheap and I suspect it would break/malfunction within short time.

I am guessing that since battery-backup is important for data and settings to be stored, a solar-power feature has not been a popular additional feature to bike computers. Still, solar with battery would solve that issue. And even better, a rechargeable battery option would be solve it without the need for solar technology.

Or, am I over-concerned with battery life? Do modern, quality bike computers utilize their battery power very efficiently, and therefore run for long periods without a need for replacing the battery?

-KM
Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on May 27, 2010 at 11:30am
Lots of bike computers use the CR2032...why not just buy a rechargeable CR2032?

http://www.batteryspace.com/li-ionrechargeable2032buttoncells2pcslr...


Also note that you don't have to replace the batteries very often. It's something you might have to buy a few times a year, if that.

I use a cheapo-nashbar computer that I just installed last week. It cost something like $20, is wired, measures cadence and also has a setting for doing two bikes, though I suppose you'd have to buy another set to install and just use the same computer for both bikes.
Permalink Reply by Bicycle Poet on May 27, 2010 at 11:33am
I hadn't thought of using rechargeable CR2032, and did not know that was a popular battery style used in many computers. Thanks jamimaria!
Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on May 27, 2010 at 4:29pm
1. Where can I get a charger for a rechargeable Li-ion 2032. 2 Does this battery work with the Planet Bike 8-function computer I use? I'd probably want to keep an alkaline as backup. Any time I have to change batteries, I have to do a total reset on my computer.

jamimaria said:
Lots of bike computers use the CR2032...why not just buy a rechargeable CR2032?

http://www.batteryspace.com/li-ionrechargeable2032buttoncells2pcslr...


Also note that you don't have to replace the batteries very often. It's something you might have to buy a few times a year, if that.

I use a cheapo-nashbar computer that I just installed last week. It cost something like $20, is wired, measures cadence and also has a setting for doing two bikes, though I suppose you'd have to buy another set to install and just use the same computer for both bikes.
Permalink Reply by Bicycle Poet on May 27, 2010 at 4:35pm
You can find a charger for CR2032 batteries from the same on-line retailer who sells the rechargeable batteries: http://www.batteryspace.com/smartchargerfordualli-ionbuttoncells36v...

Very inexpensive!

-Kevin

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