guadzilla

I have reasonably good cyclocomputers on all my bikes (Polar on the MTB, wired Powertap Comp on the road bike) but would like to get an inexpensive altimeter that gives me current elevation, grade and total climbing done per trip.

I'd prefer not to buy another computer and clutter up my bike with more wires, zipties, etc, so ideally, altimeter only. Any recommendations?

Worst case, if I have to get a full cyclocomputer with altimeter, anyone know whether the altimeter function will work if I do not install any of the speed/cadence stuff?

TIA,
V.

tkn0spdr

https://www.ultracycling.com/equipment/altimeters.html

guadzilla

Yep, already found that site while doing a google search yesterday. At $250 and $300 for the 2 choices, not exactly what I'm looking for. It'd be cheaper to get a VDO at $120 or so... which is my worst-case option, but I'm holding out hope of a simple, inexpensive stand-alone unit.

V.

gsteinb

I long for my old avocet 50

tkn0spdr

Well, the Niterider 5.0 computer has an altimeter, but it's a full computer (although it's pretty nice, I have the 3.0). It goes for $150.

deepakvrao

For you, with multiple bikes, why not a Garmin. Altitude works regardless of the cadence sensor and you could think of the 705 and upgrade to wireless power? Or stick with what you have and get the 305. Without cadence I think you could get it for 150.

Flash

At present I use the altimeter on my Casio Protrek watch. Casio has a long history with this technology and my particular model, the PRG-80L, is known to have one of the more accurate altimeters.

Link to the module in my watch below, however note that you can get a Casio protrek/pathfinder model with barometric altimeter for cheaper if you take the time to learn about the line. Lots of other useful features on the watch like compass, barometer, countdown timer, multiple alarms and recording feature that logs your climbs at various intervals.

https://ftp.casio.co.jp/pub/world_man.../en/qw2894.pdf

dendawg

You could get a watch with an altimeter for under $100. Some will keep track of your total ascent.

prathmann

Note that to get the grade percentage the unit would need to know distance traveled in addition to altitude so you'd need the basic cyclometer functions as well. But for just altitude and total gain you can use a standalone watch or other altimeter. I used to have an altimeter watch that was less than $30 that gave decent results - not sure what's currently on the market.

guadzilla

Yeah, I could get a GPS, I suppose. Just that I would prefer a lower-profile solution, and also one that doesnt need regular charging. I have enough Cr*p That Needs Charging in my life as is.

Upgrading to wireless power - not right now. I just got these wheels. At some point, I'll get a Cinqo or a Metricgear system, and I'll get a 705 head-unit then, but that's still a while away. Before I spend 2 grand on a power system, I wanna use what I have till I become less pathetically slow.

Thanks for the link, Flash. I have used Pro-Trek watches for a while myself (my current one has altitude actually), but didnt realize any of them did altitude *logs*.... this looks like it has everything I need except obviously the incline feature... but I may be able to live without that. This would also be handy for when I go hiking.

Edit - Doh, I just realized that my Pro-Trek has the ability to log altitude already! Doh.... I guess I should RTFM next time... The only downside is that it logs altitude once every 2 minutes - on some of the rollers on my regular route, that will not be accurate enough, but better than nothing.

For some reason, I thought that the computers would measure incline by having some kind of meter which measured the inclination directly. But you are right - they probably measure based on dist + altitude gain.

V.

av8torjim

Sigma Rox 8.0 if you don't intend to download the information and Rox 9.0 if you do. The wireless sensors are somewhat large, but they really don't clutter the bike up. They'll also track heart rate without an on bike sensor. You wear the strap around your chest.

deepakvrao

Did the research between the Rox 9 and the 305.

Advantages of Rox: No charging

Advantage of Garmin: GPS

Disadvantages of Garmin: all the known issues as well as charging

End of it I got the Garmin and am happy I did, as the GPS is invaluable to see where your laps were, where your max HR was etc. Huge amount of data you get from it.

The 305 is cheaper than the Rox too.

khatfull

Not currently, the days of the $150-$175 refurbs on eBay are gone, unless something has changed recently.

The ROX 9.0 can be had regularly for $200.

mayukawa

Price Point sells the Sette FX-3 cyclocomputer with altimeter for less than $30.

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/178...-Altimeter.htm

I don't have one, so no idea how well it works.

jrobe

Here are some reviews. Funny.

https://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/...77_114crx.aspx

khatfull

Another option is the new Kurt Kinetic wireless computer. Can be had for $130 on eBay, and does include altimeter. Cadence is wired though. But, given it does HRM too, not a bad deal. About $30-40 less than the ROX 8.0.

jrobe

I also have a wired Powertap and it would be fun to have an altimeter that would accurately calculate total ascent and descent, etc. It wouldn't be worth spending too much money on this for me though.

I wonder how accurate some of these inexpensive altimeters really are though (or for that matter, even the expensive ones). It is useless if it isn't accurate. Are they accurate on rolling hills, etc? It must take a fairly sophisticated device to measure and record this accurately.

prathmann

I wouldn't trust the cumulative gain figure on any of them in terrain that's basically flat but with lots of short ups and downs. They all use some internal filtering to reduce the amount of noise in the raw altitude data and the details of the filter will have a big effect on the result in that type of terrain. And if they didn't filter at all then the result would be way too high.

But they can be pretty good when you have a ride with a few major climbs.

stedalus

In principle, a computer could measure grade with an accelerometer chip, but I've never seen one that does it. That's how digital levels work. But, depending on how much crap you tolerate on your handlebars, you can also get current grade from one of these (no batteries needed):

https://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup....175949&TID=367

khatfull

WTF, it's not Ti, carbon, or electronic....what place does it have in modern cycling?!

jrobe

I have one of those inclinometers on my Cervelo R3. I like it, especially out in the mountains. It is pretty accurate. It is a little bigger than it looks on the web site but not too bad. I have it sitting right next to my Powertap so it isn't too noticeable.

If someone tells you they have a 20% climb, don't believe it unless they have one of these to actually measure it. This thing reduces the bs.

guadzilla

That looks great! I know it is OCD of the highest order, but I like having a clean handlebar with only 1 stem-mounted computer on it. A second cyclocomputer would just be hideous. Then I'd have to put a bell or something on the other side to compensate and before long, even the cyclists in sarongs and flipflops would point at me and laugh.

This is small and while it does throw off the symmetry of my handlebars, it does so in a pretty small way. It is either this, or fix a second, wireless cyclocomputer on my TT (although I'll get one of these anyway - it is pretty damn handy!).

That's why I want it. There is a particular climb on my route which requires me to drop to 34/26 and I am still mashing to make it up. I would dearly like to know the gradient on that nemesis (and I hope for my ego's sake that it is more than 2%).

Thanks for the help, guys

V.

kudude

Out of left field and not basic -- do the new SRMs have altimeter function yet? My older PCIV had a spot for it, but no info. The ambient temp was great, btw, I'd almost buy a computer to have that