Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Trouble in paradise--Wireless computer adds miles

I have had a VDO MC1.0+ wireless computer for the past 1000 miles which I really like. However, a few weeks ago I was passed by a flock of bicycles and afterwards looked down to find that about 10 miles had been added to my trip! Yesterday, I stopped for drinks at a cafe way out in the country and when I went to get back on the bike I noted that the cyclometer was reading about 50mph and it had added about 15 miles to the reading. Moving the bike slightly stopped the spurious readings.

Anyway, since I like the style of the VDO I am thinking about switching over to the wired version MC1.0 (no +).

I am just wondering if others are having problems with their wireless cyclometers and if there is a wireless alternative that is robust against spurious pickup.

So, no one has a wireless cyclometer which works flawlessly as designed?

I have a cateye wireless computer. I haven't noticed it adding distance while stopped, but sometimes (especially at the beach), I'll notice the speedometer thinks I'm traveling at some ridiculous speed. Or i'll check stats for a trip and it'll say the max speed I hit was 78 mph. Annoying.

as far as the incorrect speed, wireless computers can get interference from numerous things on the street, and it will always happen at the same exact location every time you ride that particular route...

as far as the incorrect distance, i've never personally heard of that happening because of interference, but it sounds like that's what happened to you because you say it ceased when you moved...

if you want this to stop happening, get a wired computer, and your problem will be solved...

A buddy of mine has a cat-eye wireless which gave similar problems. We stopped at a Walgreens for some water, he looked down and was FLYING at 80 somthin' mph. moved the bike a couple feet and it stopped. No one else on the ride was moving, or had a wireless computer.
I'll stick with wired... even if it is a pain to move from bike to bike.

I have the vdo mc1.0+ and it has both added miles and also starts showing ridiculous rates of climb (43%) while climbing 3-5% grades. Have contacted customer service. What a joke! They have never answered any of my 6 e-mails. I guess the 5 year warranty is only in effect while the computer is in their hands. After they ship it it's to bad for you.

as far as the incorrect speed, wireless computers can get interference from numerous things on the street, and it will always happen at the same exact location every time you ride that particular route...

as far as the incorrect distance, i've never personally heard of that happening because of interference, but it sounds like that's what happened to you because you say it ceased when you moved...

if you want this to stop happening, get a wired computer, and your problem will be solved...

um, if the speed is incorrect the distance will by definition be incorrect.

speed = distance/time

that is unless time is also incorrect :twitchy:

I had wireless computer to this too. It registered 17 kmh when stopped. Took me a while to figure out it was my flashing LED lamp. Gave the wireless computer away and got a wired one.

Where I see this is:

-Ultrasonic alarm systems - tripping the periphery of an alarmed location causes high spurious speeds.
-Ultrasonic dog fences where if the dog leaves the periphery they get shocked by a collar.
-Other periphery detecting systems that use ultrasonics.

A friend rode to work and forgot his light so I went on a night ride with my lights to go pick him
up so he wouldn't be run over by some motorist somewhere, I rode my bike thru a sensor that
detects when vehicles are leaving the area so a basement garage vehicle door closes.

I know my bike looks fast standing still but it said I was going 78 miles an hour poking along at
2 miles an hour.

Leaning my bike up against a subway restaurant window caused this too, the alarm system
was apparently doing this.

Anyway, I've learned what to avoid now and also ride with a GPS so I get a more accurate
reading for mileage in case this happens.

I have not had any trouble with my Garmin Edge 305/CAD&HR. I ran a wired Strada Cadence beside it for about 1000 miles. I'll be moving my Edge 305 to a new bike next week and see no reason to continue with the Strada. The Garmin is right on the money... as long as I remember to hit the start button!

So, no one has a wireless cyclometer which works flawlessly as designed?

Nope. Go back to wired.

Wired here, and after reading this thread, looks like I'll stay that way.

Newer wireless computers (e.g., the Cateye V series) have transitioned to 2.4GHz to avoid interference problems like you describe.

I have had similar problems, though not as severe as you describe. Sometimes my speed will drop to zero (always in the same short section of my commute). And if I roll my bike inside my office, the building alarm system causes it to think I'm travelling at 50+ mph for a few seconds.

I put up with it, because I enjoy the flexibility and clean looks of wireless. And, with the newer wireless models, it should be a non-issue.

Specialized - wireless "comp". Works perfectly - just ran 102.6 miles in HH100 here in TX.

Wow! This thread was still going a year later. I ended up getting the wired VDO MC1.0 and that solved the problem. I also got a Garmin Edge 305 GPS and the two track distance to better than 1 part in 1000 (which is about as close as you can set them without driving yourself even more crazy). The Garmin also has wireless heartrate, cadence and back-up speed indicator and there is never a problem with them.

I notice that VDO has come out with the Z-series of digital wireless which has the same features as the MC 1.0 (and more)...Since I now have a bike with S&S Couplers that I can take apart and put in a suitcase I am thinking about changing over to the wireless again because the wires turn out to be a pain for this. Hope the new version is reliable...If it's not I will report back. BTW, as posted elsewhere in the thread and also from the experience of friends the Cateye digital wireless systems also seem reliable. (The reason I don't go with Cateye is they don't have altitude which I have come to rely on.)

i have had the same problem with mine..............my little grundig radio i carry with me......if i pass the radio close to the wireless while in movement it will tell me i am going 75 mph or some other rate of speed that i would like to be able to achieve ............in this life time..........i just reset it ........

Look for one of the VDO DS series wireless cyclolmeters. I have used them and they just work.

torgrot

Well, I got sucked into buying a Nite Rider Rebel 8.0 which has Altitude and wireless Cadence and Heartrate. It works as advertised but has a major showstopper that you really only find out about after riding with it. This major flaw is that it times out when you stop riding and when you start riding again it will not be paired until you manually restart.

There seem to be two different modes to this time out. The first is after 15 minutes at which point the display goes into power saving mode and displays the time-of-day and the word "SLEEP". If you push a button and then start riding within 15 seconds then it will pair up and start working.

The second mode is more opaque. If you stop riding for some duration less than 15 minutes (but greater than some time like 5 minutes...don't know exactly) then the Rebel will simply unpair without warning. When you start riding it will not be registering and it requires considerable fiddling to get it into the pairing sequence and back indicating again.

Sorry, but this is unacceptable to me...I put up routes and lead local rides and need to have accurate, fiddle-free mileage indications. So, back to getting the VDO Z series which supposedly does not have this problem (but I can't be sure until I actually try it).

I have been looking for a nice wireless computer, and think I found one that has the features I want. The Planet Bike Protege 9.0 Wireless (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/8003.html).

After reading this thread, I tried to find out which frequency the computer uses, but had no luck. Can anyone with this model comment on whether they have had interference issues with the computer, or which frequency it uses?

Thanks

Just a follow-up on the VDO Z! digital wireless: I found out from the manual that it also needs to be paired up with the sensors every 15 inactive minutes. It seems a little more predictable than the Rebel but...Well, I'm going back to the wired VDO MC 1.0.

i have one of the new Sigma computers..bought it in June for about $120 and it works flawlessly. The ONLY problem i have seen is early in rides my heart rate monitor will read impossible PBM's, but i think that is only because i have not worked enough sweat to get a good contact with my skin and the monitor...if i used a gel or wet my skin before putting it on it would prob read perfect right when i hop on the bike