Road Cycling - Any Campy Ergo Brain Computer Users Out There?

I've been thinking about replacing my 12 year old Avocet 45tt with one of the Ergo Brain units. I am using new Record 10 speed. Is it a wireless unit? If so, does it respond quckly? Does it have auto start and stop? How well do the little switch buttons work on the insides of the hoods?

Well I am not an owner myself but I had an oppertunity to ride a bike with Ergo Brain this weekend for 3 days.
1) no not wireless
2) responds quickly
3) the buttons work great actually...I thought it was a gimick before I used it but the ability to change functions without taking your hands off the bars was pretty nice.

I think it could be a very nice unit if it was wireless.

I have s Shimano Flitedeck (it's wireless) and I love it. Best feature for me is the pictograph showing what gear combo you are in regardles of the function menu. Ergobrain is the same. Ergobrain is also backlight if you ride at night or on low light levels.

I love never having to look down and/or back to see what gear combo you are in.

The only reason I did not go Ergobrain is it is not wireless.... :(

Once that happens, I'll be on one :)

I've had two and they both no longer work. The first broke due to a crash and the second quit working on its own will. Both times I would have had to replace the mounting unit with cables but after the second went with a Vetta. Besides having to release the bar the Vetta is better as it is wireless.

I love never having to look down and/or back to see what gear combo you are in.

Shouldn't your legs be able to tell you if you are in the right gear or not?;)

Shouldn't your legs be able to tell you if you are in the right gear or not?;)
I was thinking exact same thing. I got bike a week ago, and still having trouble telling on what gear I am (never had that problem with previous, but this one has few more ). There's no way I can afford $70-100 shimano computer at this point. I just hope i will be able to tell what gear i am on sooner or later without looking down there.

I have an Ergobrain on the Look and a Flight Deck on the Trek. I'm converting the Trek to Campagnolo, so I'm also having an Ergobrain installed on the Trek.

The Flight Deck is the better computer - it is wireless, provides cadence without having a rear sensor, the shifter buttons work without fail and the whole unit has worked flawlessly.

The Ergobrain is like something designed by the Italian parliament. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It has more wires than a home theatre system, especially if you want the cadence sensor. Personally, I don't have much use for the cadence sensor (I know when I am pedalling fast or slow) and prefer not to have the rear wire, which is unattractive and messy (which is a good thing, because the cadence sensor didn't actually work on my unit anyway). The front wire tends to be a bit too long, and I have had to tape it down inside the fork so it doesn't flap against the spokes. The shifter buttons sometimes work, sometimes don't. One LBS flat out refused to connect the shifter buttons, saying they never work. Another connected them, but gave no guarantees. They didn't work for a while, but now they have decided to work - we'll see how long it lasts. Fortunately you don't really need the shifter buttons, since the buttons on the side of the computer work fine.

The only real advantage of the Ergobrain is the gear display. If this isn't a necessity, I would suggest buying something simpler and cheaper. Personally, I find the gear display indispensable. I don't like looking back at the cassette, especially in a fast moving bunch or on a descent, and even if I do I can't normally see exactly gear I am in, just whether it is near the top or bottom of the cassette. I always ike to know exactly what gear I am in, what gears I have in reserve for the terrain ahead and whether I am cross-chaining. So, for me, gear display is a necessity, which is why I persevere with the Ergobrain. For most people gear display is a non-issue.

Perhaps I am being a little harsh on the Ergobrain. It works (at least everything but the cadence sensor), but it is temperamental, has wires which are too long and is expensive. Apart from that, it's great.

I have one with a chorus setup, and I think it is awesome, don't even use my HRM much anymore b/c it has so much data.
I didn't install it or anything, and it looks like it might require some patience, there's a lot of wires. The buttons in the hood work so well, that I have no idea how to use the buttons that are actually on the unit anymore! It does ride to ride data, cumulative data. So I know that my all time high speed is 54.5 without going thru all the data, the ergo brain knows for me, it is pretty sweet. it fits dead center of the bars by the stem, ride time, mileage, gear distance, speed, cadence. display of multiple items. there's more for sure.
Some one above posted that you should know what gear you are in, I am still getting used to these gigantic 10 speed cassettes. I can just look at the display and it is there. Sometimes you are feeling raggedy and an easier gear feels jharder, sometimes the opposite.
If you like to microanalyze your bike riding like most of the other geeks on this forum, then you will like it.

Thanks for the feedback folks. I will probably pick one up within a few months. Colorado Cyclist sells them for about $130 which is not too bad. It's what I paid for my Polar HRM and that thing drives me nuts. Probably the most non intuitive menu system ever. But, hey, it's designed by Fins.

Shouldn't your legs be able to tell you if you are in the right gear or not?;)

Being in the right gear does not necessarily mean you've got the right chainline. I like the graphical gear display for helping me visualise my chainline.

I have an Ergobrain on the Look and a Flight Deck on the Trek. I'm converting the Trek to Campagnolo, so I'm also having an Ergobrain installed on the Trek.

The Flight Deck is the better computer - it is wireless, provides cadence without having a rear sensor, the shifter buttons work without fail and the whole unit has worked flawlessly.

The Ergobrain is like something designed by the Italian parliament. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It has more wires than a home theatre system, especially if you want the cadence sensor. Personally, I don't have much use for the cadence sensor (I know when I am pedalling fast or slow) and prefer not to have the rear wire, which is unattractive and messy (which is a good thing, because the cadence sensor didn't actually work on my unit anyway). The front wire tends to be a bit too long, and I have had to tape it down inside the fork so it doesn't flap against the spokes. The shifter buttons sometimes work, sometimes don't. One LBS flat out refused to connect the shifter buttons, saying they never work. Another connected them, but gave no guarantees. They didn't work for a while, but now they have decided to work - we'll see how long it lasts. Fortunately you don't really need the shifter buttons, since the buttons on the side of the computer work fine.

The only real advantage of the Ergobrain is the gear display. If this isn't a necessity, I would suggest buying something simpler and cheaper. Personally, I find the gear display indispensable. I don't like looking back at the cassette, especially in a fast moving bunch or on a descent, and even if I do I can't normally see exactly gear I am in, just whether it is near the top or bottom of the cassette. I always ike to know exactly what gear I am in, what gears I have in reserve for the terrain ahead and whether I am cross-chaining. So, for me, gear display is a necessity, which is why I persevere with the Ergobrain. For most people gear display is a non-issue.

Perhaps I am being a little harsh on the Ergobrain. It works (at least everything but the cadence sensor), but it is temperamental, has wires which are too long and is expensive. Apart from that, it's great.
TO me the funny part of this is that both computers are actually made by Cateye.

TO me the funny part of this is that both computers are actually made by Cateye.

Is that right? I knew the Ergobrain was made by Cateye, but I thought somebody else made Shimano's. Even if true, it doesn't surprise me. Campag probably added some Italian unpredictability to their design spec.

Shouldn't your legs be able to tell you if you are in the right gear or not?;)


Yes, but your legs might not be able to tell you how many cogs you have left, and help plan how you'll shift to make best use of them. Some people can look at their cassette easily, but in traffic on a bumpy road its too disorienting for me to look at the cassette, and too difficult in the dark.

I have Ergo stuff but haven't put the computer on yet or the wheel magnets, what am i waiting for? A six hour block of time to read the directions for one thing. Besides, I need the cadence / pedal magnet, it has gone missing, I think any magnet would do.. will let you know later..