Road Cycling - wireless computers

I am looking into replacing my old Sigma with a wireless computer. I did some forum searching and I couldn't seem to find any adverse effects when using wireless but I still am curious if there are any problems experienced with wireless compaired to a wired link. Problems such as accuracy, update speed etc. So far I am looking at the Cateye Cordless 7 anyone own this unit?

Thanks in advance , Matt

Just be careful where you leave your bike, i left it at the doors of a supermarket, it has the automatic doors (infra red) so it caused some interference with my computer, it wouldnt shut off, and was at a constant 13mph, might wanna think about that kinda stuff. Other than that i cant honestly think of any other problems.

I own an Oktos F18 Team, its nice and small, and has the features i need, plus you can position it right over the stem, incase you use aero bars. Nice computer.

Some of the newer digitally coded wireless units are less prone to interference/side-effects from RF sources. I ended up not using wireless on my MTB because my shocks have electronic damping (piezoelectric valves) that send spurious RF signals which will confuse wireless computer sensors at close range. I do run wireless on my roadbike but have gotten hit by the occasional traffic sensor and throwing out stray RF.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/visual_tao_of_cycling/FlightyDeck.jpg

Not a bad top end!

so when you all do experience interference with wireless computers, do the side effects last only as long as the interference is still present? or does your computer usually keep messing up after the interference is gone?

Originally posted by djgustashaw
so when you all do experience interference with wireless computers, do the side effects last only as long as the interference is still present? or does your computer usually keep messing up after the interference is gone?

Well... the direct effects only last as long as the interference is present. However, as you can see, things like max speed and avg may be effected as well as any kind of recorded/accumulating readings as a result of erroneous data points. That said, the effects are short lived over the course of a longer ride and thus for more important things like avg speed will probably not be effected much as the spikes will get lost in the noise.

I got a Cateye Cordless to go with my new bike. Next year I will go back to Planet Bike.

I've got the CatEye Wireless 7 on my bike and have not had any experiences with interference that I am aware of. I've ridden several times around signals, etc. and haven't seen anything unusual other than one instance where my Max speed read 98 mph. (No, I wasn't holding on to a speeding car on the freeway!)

I have the Cateye Cordless 2 and I have not had any problems with mine except when the temperture gets below 40 degrees the sending unit starts sending erratic speed signals to the computer then if the temperture drops further to around 35 the computer will not even work. But I am not concerned about that since I rarely experience those conditions where I live.

But the computer itself so far seems very rugged, it has taken the very rough streets around where I live without blinking, it survived a surprise rainstorm without hiccups, and I never notice it behaving oddly near auto doors.

I had heard that batteries were shortlived but that has not been my experience. I did have to replace the sending unit battery after just 2 months but the replacement bat has now lasted over 2 years, and the computer battery has never died-yet.

The main reason why I tried the wireless unit was to do away with the wire and to see if these things work good, so far I'm happy.

That said, the effects are short lived over the course of a longer ride and thus for more important things like avg speed will probably not be effected much as the spikes will get lost in the noise.

I know what you mean, after my crash the other day, apparently i had a new top speed of 110mph, lol dont remember going that fast.

you know what... if you think about it.... all those random weird signals will eventually add up on your odometer.... making you think you've ridden longer and faster than you really have. food for thought when thinking of going wireles...

Originally posted by tokus
So far I am looking at the Cateye Cordless 7 anyone own this unit?

I have been using the cateye cordless 7 for a little over a month and it seems to work great. I live near some major powerlines and haven't seemed to have any interference. Of course this is on my road bike and I am not sitting at many intersections or taking it to the grocery store so I don't have any experience with these forms of interference.

The wireless sounds good then. I'm mostly out in the country so the RF interference shouldn't be much of a problem. Thanks again.