bboseley

I have had a Cateye 7 cordless for about a year. From the beginning, I was never able to get it calibrated to exact mileage – but that’s not real important. (After 50 actual, it will read 48.5)

The biggest problem is that the speed readout sometimes gets into a frenzy and jumps all over. I can be rolling at 20mph and this thing reads 3mph. Then it will return to normal. I was told that most cordless computers will misbehave occasionally, so again no big deal.

Lately, the thing has begun to act up on a regular basis. Batteries? Not according to my LBS – the readout will get dim when the battery goes. (But isn’t there a battery in the fork pickup as well?) Yesterday, it just stopped working at all. 0 mph ! I stopped, aligned everything, cleaned the heads, reset the receiver – same thing for about 5 miles, then back to erratic behavior.

What’s wrong here? Does this mean I can tell my wife it shot craps and now go get one of those neat doubles?

DSchlichting

I have had the original Cateye Cordless and have have 3 Cordless 2 units. Over the years, these have gone into freak out mode as you describe once every few years. Cateye customer support is excellent. When I have sent them defective units, a new replacement has come back very quickly. Suggest you try them.

toomyus

i have a wireless too. it is reading weird numbers because its reading it late. it doesnt send the signal fast enough as ur chaning ur speed as one knows ur speed is constantly changing. there is a battery in each unit, the botton unit has no screen so its pretty damn sure that its gonna give a slow signal and weak one at that when the batteries are wearing out. i bet its the batteries. anyways its an cheap wayto find out. best of luck

Bikewer

Does this happen at or near the same locations? It's also possible that the unit is picking up interference from some radio or microwave source nearby.

froze

Your LBS doesn't know anything about wireless computers and their batteries effect on the computer. If the computer batteries get weak then yes your display will dim, but if your sending unit batteries get weak this WILL NOT effect the display being dim, it will however give you a bad readout like your describing!! First change the sending unit battery to see if that cures the problem, if not, Cateye has a very good (the best I've ever seen from anyone bike related product or not) and they will take care of you quickly.

Typically (at least with the Cateye 2 that I have), the sending unit battery will last about 1 to 1 1/2 years, whereas the computer battery in mine is now 4 years old and is the original battery.

jur

These wireless units suffer from at least 2 problems:

1. Lost pickup pulses. This results in low speed indication and lower than actual mileage. If your indications are consistently low, then that is what is happeining in your case.
2. Interference. Your display will be all over the place, high, low, crazy.

Causes:
1. a) Low battery in pickup unit leading to weak signals. Replace battery.
b) Low temperature leading to weak signals. Move the 2 units closer to each other.
c) Units spaced too far apart leading to intermittent pickup. Move the 2 units closer to each other.

2. Most likely from power lines or cars. You can't do anything about it except to get another brand or model.

froze

Odd, because in 4 years my Cateye 2 never had any interference or lost pickup signal issues and the new Cateye 7 supposely fixed any problems there might have been with those issues. Most interference problems I heard of had to do with wearing an HRM on the same arm that was closest the computer, by switching the HRM to the other arm the interference went away.

supcom

Put a new battery in the sending unit and see how it goes. After a year, you have to expect the battery is getting a little run down.

gmason

Then again, perhaps your tire circumference is incorrectly set.