goagain

I am waiting on a BS to get in a bike in my size, probably a Giant Cypress ST W or possibly Sedona ST W for just casual riding.

I would appreciate recommendations for a bike computer, simple--just want distance, and speed would be interesting, no HR, cadence, etc. I think I'd rather not have extra wires, but I know nothing about these, so is wireless better? What's a good model or brand?

Also, and this may not be the right forum but I couldn't find a better one, I'd like recommendations for a relatively inexpensive car carrier--not a rooftop one. Or, could I just put the bike in my car trunk, on its left side, and tie the lid down? (Camry, good sized trunk) I don't anticipate having to transport it very often, but I'll have to get it home when I buy it and might at some point want to take it somewhere else to ride. I will have to be able to use the carrier without help, hubby has physical limitations. It will also have to work with a women's bike; I've read that some carriers only work for men's bikes. I'm not very mechanically inclined!

Thanks!

goagain

No one has a favorite basic bike computer or car carrier? Any recommendations for either? Thanks

Knale

I had a Cateye Strada wireless bike computer that I liked just fine but stepped up to a Garmin Edge 500. Bike rack I use is a Thule Speedway 961XT. Thule sells an adapter for mounting womens bikes onto the carrier.

Torgrot

I am using a Kuat Sherpa hitch rack and have used a Saris Bones with a Bike Beam for my wife Trek Navigator.

ItsJustMe

I prefer wired; its simpler and there's less to go wrong and fewer battery changes. I use a Planet Bike Protege 9.0, though the simpler ones are good too. They're rugged as heck and straightforward.

EsoxLucius

What about a simple, inexpensive bike computer with cadence?

rawhite1969

I use a CatEye Micro Wireless. Simple and reliable.

Bike rack: I have a hitch mounted one. Was worth paying for the hitch for our VW, as it means the rack isn't on the car, the bike isn't being lifted over the car. Or they go in the back of my Tundra, where I have quick release mounts on the tailgate.

SurlyLaika

I use a Cateye Strada Cadence...with a wire. The wire really isn't bothersome, at all. I totally forget it's there. Also I read the wireless can get interference from other electric items in the area. Cadence isn't a bad thing, to have. Only a $10 difference on the Cateye models. It's fairly easy to understand, too. Go ahead and spend that little bit of extra money. It really isn't fancy to have cadence on a bike computer. I think it's the most useful feature, actually.

PaulRivers

Wired vs wireless bike computers is a contentious point of debate for some people. I prefer the wired version -
1. You have to replace the battery on the wireless versions every 2 years or so (or so people have said), and it's a weird shaped battery you have to order. The battery on a wired version lasts nearly forever, so it's less maintenance.
2. If you install the wired computer yourself you can have issues with the wire catching on stuff and breaking. If you have the bike shop do it (or you are experienced yourself with how to install them) this isn't an issue, they have some tricks to installing the wire.
3. With wireless there's the potential for interference - where the computer will stop recording, or start recording obviously bogus values (going 99mph is something people run across). Some are better than others, but wired computers don't have this problem.
4. The cost of wireless + installing yourself vs wired + bike shop install is about the same.

The wired versions are just less ongoing maintenance so I always stick with them.

I used a Saris "bones" rack to carry my bikes on my last car. Reliable, and if you watch craigslist they often show up fairly cheap. It worked well.

When I bought a new car (a hatchback) it didn't fit, unfortunately, and I bought a hitch rack. If you're only carrying your bikes occasionally the racks with straps are definitely cheaper and work just as well if not better.

For carrying a women's bike with no top tube, or a full suspension mountain bike which also has no top tube, you have two options -

1. Buy an adapter thing that creates a temporary top tube for holding. The Saris Bike Beam is one example of one -
https://saris.com/bike-racks/vehicle-...category_id=10

2. Buy a "hold by the wheel" style rack. Most of these are hitch racks, and very expensive, though.

There are two I know of that don't require a hitch:
- Saris has a newer "Gran Frondo" rack that they only sell in Europe
- Thule just came out with a new "9003 Raceway Platform 2 Bike" rack that straps on but holds the bike by the wheels -
https://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/...02%20Bike.aspx

However, the cheapest and easiest option is probably to buy a regular trunk rack that attaches with straps, like the Saris Bones, and an adapter for a women's bike for carrying that.

goagain

Thanks, everyone!

goagain

I could never find the Giant in my size so I wound up buying a Trek 7100 WSD. I bought a bike computer, the Bonrager 2, at the bike shop because they would install it at n/c. I'm sure I could have gotten one cheaper but I preferred them to install it. It's wired and doesn't look too bad. I wish the wire was white like my cable covers, but it's OK. The unit is small but easy to read.
I didn't get a car carrier. They managed to get the bike into my trunk, with the back seats folded down. I'll wait to see if I actually need to transport the bike anywhere else. The BS recommended the Bones carrier, which I liked, and also showed me a less expensive one.
Thanks, all!

Bob Nichols

I have a Sigma BC906 that works great. I think it is $15 at Amazon.

zoste

+1 on the Saris Bones rack. I have toted my ride, literally, thousands of miles on a Bones. My GF/wife's beach cruiser also goes on the Bones without an adapter.

Last year I moved from Philadelphia, PA to Tucson, AZ, with my bike on the Bones. 2700 miles at highway speed, some at 85 mph without a worry.

Here we are in Las Cruces, NM on the last day of the move

goagain

Thanks, everyone!
Wow on the Bones. I'll definitely keep that one in mind for later. The BS guy liked it too.

hopperja

You are calling a bike rack (American English) a carrier, which means you're likely from Europe. Europe has many, many racks that are equal to or better than what is available in the US. All of the major Thule, Yakima, etc. US-available products you can get in Europe. However, in Europe, you can also get a lot of other racks that aren't available in the US. For example, there's an entire class of racks that clamp to a hitch-ball, such as Thule Express Towball Carrier. These are not available in the US to my knowledge.

In deciding a rack, you should:
1- consider your mounting options: roof rack, trunk rack, hitch rack, towball rack. There is no receiver hitch available for my main driver (91 Civic), only a ball mount. This means a roof rack, trunk rack, or ball mount would work. In the US, there are no feasible ball mount options, leaving only roof and trunk rack options for me.
2- consider where you want to mount the rack: on top, behind, or in the bed of a truck. You'll get better MPG if it's mounted behind and you'll have better overhead clearance, but you may have reduced rearward visibility and your vehicle will be longer. I wanted to mount my bicycles behind so I can safely drive into my carport.
3- consider how you want to mount the bicycle(s): held by the frame (downtube or top tube), wheels, or a combination. I wanted one held by the wheels because they're more secure. I've had a frame mount fail before.
4- what's left when you consider what you want? I needed a trunk rack that holds bicycles by the wheels. There was only one option in the US: a Thule Platform Raceway 9003. Had I been in Europe, I would have also had various towball mount options, such as the Thule Ride On 2 Bike Carrier.

I considered the Saris Bones, but I wanted a tray rack. I sometimes dabble in trials (it develops my balance for mountain biking), carry children's bikes, or carry bikes with unusual top tubes (my Raleigh 20 for example). I have the aforementioned frame adapter, but it's a poor compromise at best. A tray rack has no compromises. I believe it's only a matter of time until Saris makes a tray version to compete with the Raceway 9003. Given Saris' reputation, I'm sure it'll be a great rack if/when it comes out.

goagain

Thanks for all the info! I haven't been on this section of the forums in awhile and am surprised to see this thread still so near the top.

I'm not from Europe; I'm just a newbie who doesn't know the correct terminology. LOL I would want an inexpensive but safe trunk rack for my car. I receive a rebate at the end of a year from the bike shop and may use that to help purchase one then. I don't plan to upgrade or accessorize my bike at present; I like it as it is so a rack would probably be the best use of the rebate.

So far, I haven't needed to transport my bike, but my bike computer isn't working correctly so I started a new thread for that. I hope I can get it fixed without going back to the bike shop. Please check out my new thread, thanks.

waynesworld

+whatever on the Saris Bones. Check their site to see if it fits your car.

I'm surprised by the person who said the Bones wouldn't fit their hatchback. I have a 1999 Saab 9-3 hatchback, with a spoiler, and it works great. Very simple, quick to install, and secure. The guy I bought it from said it even worked on his minivan.

goagain

The bike shop guy liked the Bones, too. He said I would have to buy a bar thing for it because my bike has a step-through frame, though. The website says it will fit a Camry.

To the person who posted the picture: Is the beach cruiser a step-through? How did you put it on the rack? Thanks-

BTW, I got the bike computer working again. I had to angle the magnet in a little toward the spokes.

noglider 

Basic bike computers have been made for so long that there are no patents, and they know how to make them cheaply. I've bought $15 no-name computers from Nashbar and been entirely satisfied.

I've even bought $6 computers from DealExtreme.com and put them on bikes for other people. They even tell you the temperature! And they work! Free shipping from DealExtreme, but it takes about two weeks.

You can't go wrong with CatEye, though. They've always made good stuff, and you can get support if you need it. That's worth something.

You can also get Schwinn or Bell brand computers at department stores. They work, but I hear the Schwinn mount has a tendency to fail.

Maybe a $20 or $30 CatEye is the best bet, overall.