StalkerZERO

Some people don't like flight deck. Well.....the lbs mentioned they don't like shimano's flight deck cause they said people were complaining. Can you guys tell me if this is true or not and what good bike computers are out there?
I need somethin for my brand new specialiazed roubaix comp triple (converted to ultegra 10 speed).

Elvish Legion

I have a Specialized Turbo Elite

Huffer

Cateye Enduro 8 on my MTB and Sigma Sport BC 1600 w/ cadence kit on my Roadie. Fairly basic, fairly cheap (even from my LBS), both easy to install, and both tell me what I need to know for each bike without too much squinting or button mashing.

Sometimes I think the cables for my BC1600 ugly up the Roadie a bit and they don't have a nifty cable wrap like the one that came with the Cateye, but at the end of the day I'm too busy riding to care. I only notice it when I'm washing the bike.

FWIW, I haven't ridden much in inclement weather, so I can't attest to the water resistance of either. Neither has acted up when I've been caught in brief showers.

inkdwheels

Im using the basic cateye wireless on my bike right now. Im gonna switch to the double wireless soon because i'd like to keep an eye on my cadence (im a masher).

SDRider

I have a Polar CS200 but I don't have the cadence monitor. I love it. No problems whatsoever and it's small, lightweight and wireless. Just have to get that cadence monitor...

TheKillerPenguin

I use a Sigma Sport BC1200. No cadence, but it works great. If I feel like counting off cadence I use the stop watch and count on the upstroke.

Jarery

Sigma sport BC 1600, has optional cadence, if i dont need it, I can lose a wire.

intence

I suppose it would depend on how much information you want on the computer. For me, cadence is a nice to have, but for now I just count manually using the timer.

I'm using a Vetta RT-88, small, wireless, and seems to do the job. Doesn't have the most features, but meets my needs.

StalkerZERO

I would like to keep track of my cadence. And also, I hear the flight deck system can keep track of what gear your in too as long as your shifters are compatible. Is this true? And also, what other computers out there work with the ultegra shifters, shows cadence, and gears?

urban_assault

I use Sigma BC1200 and BC800 models. Flight Deck does show your gearing but I'm not sure if there are units other than flight deck that can show that.

Can the shifters be outfitted with the optical gear display?

StalkerZERO

Dunno. I wish somebody from shimano or cateye can come here and help answer this stuff.

dahvaio

What were people complaining about? Maybe the wireless? I have a wired FlightDeck and really like it... I use it for Speed and the gearing... In addition to it, I use a Polar S725 for cadence and HR....

StalkerZERO

? Maybe the lbs just doesn't like the brand or something? And why do you use also a polar for cadence? Doesn't the flight deck show that as well?

dahvaio

I don't like the Virtual Cadence.... Had a Cateye Astrale 8 just for cadence and them moved over to the S725... I prefer real-time cadence...

TheKillerPenguin

If you spend a lot of time on one bike, you'll learn the nuances of its shifting and will be able to tell reasonably well which gear you're in. The gear indicator will become pretty much useless to you. However, if you split your time pretty evenly among different bikes, or you're not spending tons of time on your bike, it may benefit you to have the cog combo displayed for you.

cheeseflavor

Don't know about flight deck, but I use the Cateye double wireless and like it so far. You've got the same bike I do, and the sensor/transmitter is a tight fit on the Roubaix. The way the chain stays are shaped makes it kinda tricky. What size tires do you have on there?

Steve

OneTinSloth

i have a flight deck that was given to me. i like it a lot, and enjoy the fact that i can change the modes without taking my hands off the bars and fiddling about with buttons on the computer itself. the gear display is pretty nifty, but not really necessary. the virtual cadence is accurate enough for my tastes, and the speed readout works just fine.

would i ever actually pay full pop for a flight deck? No. not when there are pleny of cycling computers on the market that handle speed and cadence just as well, for much less. the convenience of the controls isn't worth it.

if i was going to spend a ton of money on a comp., i'd get one of the higher-end polars. a guy brought in his bike a few days ago who had pretty much every extension imaginable for it. cadence, speed, and! a power meter! he said the whole package ran him about $300-$400.

i'd probably go with this cateye, plus a separate HRM. or the one that also has a HRM.

StalkerZERO

Gimme a moment....Bruce Lee is on late night fist of fury . Hes beatin the crap out of some russian dude.
Ok, what was I saying. Umm I'm not sure. I think its whatever came stock with the ksyrium equipes. Specialized pro tires.
Here it is straight from the site: Specialized All Condition Pro, 700 x 25c, 120TPI, aramid bead

1955

Cat Eye Astral 8.

Yes.

ajst2duk

I use flightdeck. If they are set up properly, they are bulletproof. Most complaints seem to have roots in the setup, as the pickups in the shifters need to be fitted correctly otherwise faults will happen down the track. From what I have seen, LBS's generally don't like them because they are fiddly to fit, and if done by a novice, or a mechanic that doesn't really care, it will come back to hassle them.
I like the easy to read display, the virtual cadence (which is 100% accurate by the way if gearing & tyre sizes are input correctly) which obviously still shows a readout if I am coasting, but I know when I am not peddling - but I find it handy when on big downhills to make sure I have the right gearing for when I get back on the power.
If you ask 100 people you will get 100 different answers, but I for one find flightdeck pretty cool.

russdaz

Iv got a Polar 720 with power output sensor. is pretty good. the only downside for me is it only records power at 15second intervals, so it doesnt show short sprints as well as some other unit, there cost a lot more.

nitropowered

I've had the Sigma BC1600 and now have the Polar CS200 w/ cadance. Both are excellent computers. I replaced the sigma because I wanted to reduce the clutter on my bars and replace two things with just one.

DIVA

Cateye 3DX - very accurate (cadence, adv speed, dst, time and 4 HR zones - w/chest HRM). Oh, you can also tranfer data to your computer. I purchased this model b/c the computer can be worn as watch for "off bike" exercises. I bought it 2yrs ago, but I don't recall paying more than $200 for it.

Newberry

Same here, I use a flight deck and like the virtual cadence for the same reason. You know just when to get back on power, or if you need to shift before starting to spin after a downhill.
That said, I got mine used from ebay. I'm not sure I would spend that much for a new setup.
Mine is wired btw, and has worked perfectly so far.
I've found the gearing display to be useful, and having the buttons in the hoods is very handy.

If I didn't have the flight deck, I'd go for a cateye astrale 8 with a seperate HRM. I don't think I would want a wireless setup.

cascade168

I agree with everything said by ajst2duk. These computers are not easy to install and set up. But, if you are patient and do a good job, they are fine. I like mine alot. Also, they do have some idiosyncrasies that you have to get used to. If you ride with your hands on the brifter hoods it's very easy to reset the ride measurements in the middle of a ride(you will lose your readings for that ride, but the odometer will still update properly). This can be overcome if you make sure that you stay in a mode that the reset function will not work in. There is a learning curve to figure this type of thing out. I got a bit frustrated at first, but once I learned a routine for using the computer successfully, it's been just fine. Although I have not had this problem, I have seen where the contact connections may become "iffy" and you may get incorrect readings. This is overcome by inserting a shim (provided with the install kit) and/or cleaning the contacts. I have seen where a few people have indeed fixed that problem with them. The Flight Deck will do things with Shimano shifting systems that no other computer will do. Do your research carefully and figure out what you can and cannot live without. Installed and set up properly they are a wonderful tool and a pleasure to use.

Someone said they always know what gear they are in. I find that it's extremely useful to be able to glance down (at the computer) and verify. There are a lot of steep hills in my area and when you shift at the bottom to attack the incline it's key to be in the gear you want. One gear up or down can make a big difference. I think the Flight Deck is worth it for this alone.

I would hope that in the next generation of Flight Deck computers Shimano fixes the "inadvertent-mid-ride reset" problem. It would be very easy to do. That is my only real complaint about this product.