Anybody using a computer with wireless cadence?

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merlinextraligh

I'm looking for a cycle computer with wireless cadence that will work on a tandem. The concern being that the distance will affect transmission.

Anybody have experience with this?

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uspspro

I just got a Cateye V3 for my single so I am moving the Cateye cd300 dw to the tandem. I will post back if it works ok.

swc7916

We use a Garmin 305 with wireless cadence and it works great.

sweetnsourbkr

I have a Cateye V3 for the tandem. The manual says maximum range is 5 meters. I can say that it works, at least from the left chainstay to the captain's handlebars. It actually works better than the VDO C3DS that's mounted to the stoker's handlebars. Now, the HRM on the other hand is a little quirkier. I wish they could swap the HR display with the cadence because sometimes I find it almost too small to see.

specbill

Earlier this year I bought a VDO C4DS with Cadence (everything is wireless) for my stoker with plans to replace the captain's wired Cateye Astrale (with cadence) with the same C4DS if we liked it. Well 1000 miles later I am still using my wired Cateye and the wireless VDO continues to be a source of frustration most days. On the positive side the VDO is pretty cool, it is easy to set up, directions are well written, has all kinds of fun info.....the down side is on most rides the info at the end of the ride is inaccurate. I am a detail freak and bad data drives me nuts as do components that I can not get to function consistently right. The issue with this VDO is interference causes bad data...we will be riding along and everything is fine and all of a sudden we go from 15 mph to 94 mph to 0 mph, so needless to say it is then 'good bye' to all ride data accuracy. The same happens with the cadence numbers.
We have the worst problems riding in cities and the least problems here in the country. Some days the data for the ride is completely fine (15% of our rides), often it is off just a little (50% of our rides) and some times it is way off (35%) of the time. When it works well is it is a great piece. The real time numbers are good 90 to 98% of the time so if you don't care about the accuracy of your trip totals and averages it is ok but I am not a fan of that in the least. I have fiddled with the thing for months and just don't have the talent to get it to work right. Good luck..let us know what you settle on and how it ultimately works.

Bill J.

JTGraphics

I'm using VDO C3DS units on both my single and tandem (using 2 units in one set of senders) both with cadence I haven't had problems with signal or bad data. My senders are all on my back wheel and tandem cadence on rear stoker crank.
I did find out that if you put both senders on the rear they need to be about 8" or more from each other to work good. I also use a stronger magnet on my crank for cadence to get better signal which seems to work better, how ever a magnet thats to large didn't work correctly and seemed to double the reading for some reason, not sure why but it did. The VDO units have a 12 ft range so distance is no problem.

merlinextraligh

Next question, are the heart rate straps on the VDO oor the Cateye coded?

oldacura

We have the VDO w/cadance for the stoker as well. It gives us wildly varying data & stoker doesn't like the user interface (much more complicated than Cateye).

uspspro

V3 is coded.

I tried the cd300 and it drops in and out from the captains bars.

Works fine for the Stoker.

I guess I will get an extra sensor for my V3, that way I'll have HR too.

sweetnsourbkr

Yeah, we've been getting erroneous data on the C3DS here too. I'll change the batteries (1100 miles now) and see if that helps.

JTGraphics

I'm surprised by so many having problems with their VDO C3DS units I only had those problems with my analog wireless unites I tried.
I have had problems with my VDO units after changing batteries but have learned to make sure I insert batteries in the receiver first re-enter data if needed then reinsert batteries in senders both wheel and cadence this syncs them back in again I'll spin wheel and cranks to get reading again, if I need to I'll go into the menu and tell the receiver to find senders but after this It works great maybe I'm just lucky they work good for me.

TandemGeek

I selected a Polar S720i HRM for Debbie with wireless speed / cadence sensors about 5 years back. It works just fine but needs to go back to Polar about every 2.3 years or so for a new battery / tune-up. In fact, that's where it is right now. About $12.50 last time around and two weeks down time.

merlinextraligh

we ended up putting on a Blackburn Neuro 6. It works fine. No problem picking up speed or cadence rom the rear, and every feature you could want (other than power).

I'm not totally convinced that the total climbing for the altimiter doesn't read a bit high. Still workig on checinkg that agianst a GPS unit.

mjohn

Butcher

We have a VDO C3DS on our tandem and use one set of sensors to run two different displays. Both work great. The sensors are mounted about 1 inch from each other and have not had any issues with readings. It is nice to have two displays since my son wants to know how long we have riding and I am looking at the cadence. I have checked the displays every now and then and they the one time the displays read .2 miles difference in a 50 mile ride. All the other times they have been the same.

ftsoft

I finally gave up on wireless computers on my single after several years. I got tired of replacing the batteries twice a year and having the things go crazy at every dog fence. Having said that, I'm using the wireless flight deck with virtual cadence on the tandem. We'll see.

Frank

oldacura

merlinextraligh

http://www.polardiscount.com/images/010-10644-00.jpg

mjohn

"We use a Garmin 305 with wireless cadence and it works great."

A guy here at work has a Garmin with wireless cadence as well. I asked him how this could work & he didn't know. Unless there is a pickup on the crank, how in the world can the unit know how fast you are pedaling?

I know some of the Shamino Flight Deck computers use a "Virtual" cadence by reading your speed and knowing what gear you are in.

oldacura

OK - so that's a crank sensor for the Garmin?

The guy here at work said that the only thing he attached to the bike was the Garmin head unit. It made no sense that it could know how fast one was pedaling.

machase

Hum ~ Perhaps you need to define 'cadence' for the guy.

- mac

barry.cohen

We ordered a Shimano Wireless FlightDeck (captain) and a Trek Digital Wireless unit (altimeter, temperature) for stoker for our new wheels. Will report when we get the bike in July.

Nachoman

I also use the flightdeck. I use it mostly because I have one computer head, that is compatible with multiple bikes. So all you do is put the harness or "docking station" on each bike.

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