mattri347

Looking for a simple trip computer, just basic functions, distance, speed etc. Don't need it to sync to phone etc, just something basic. Suggestions?

PhilFo 

The Cateye Urban wireless is great.

John Valuk

For the job described in the opening post, I like the Bontrager RIDEtime Elite.

To me, it has a lot of the charm of an old-school digital cyclocomputer, but it works with standard ANT+ sensors for speed, cadence, and heart rate. In my experience, communication has been very reliable, and I'm not tied to proprietary wireless sensors.

It also offers some configurability for what is shown on the display.

I have occasionally found new or gently-used ones on eBay for substantially less than regular retail price.

If you don't need cadence, and you don't mind having a wired wheel speed sensor, then I think the CatEye Velo 7 is a pretty solid choice.

Iride01 

If you have a smart phone you have a simple trip computer. Download an app and use it. Though the screens of many phones can be hard to see in the bright light. But if you just want to record your ride stats, it'll do that and you can look at them after the ride and see where you went on a map.

It's hard to find something decent with just the basic functions, IMO. So pick a price range and get what is considered the better of that price range regardless of all the extra features it gives.

pdlamb

Any of the cheap wired cycling computers in your LBS will do the job well -- in dry weather. FWIW I've had better luck with Cateye computers in the rain.

BCDrums

I put a Velo 7 on The Bride's bike, it's quite nice. Large readout. Good luck!

mattri347

Thanks for the tips will check them out.

tcs

Xoss g.

No wires. No sensors. No little magnet on the spokes. No calibration.

GPS-based.

Some folks absolutely freak out when you say 'GPS-based'. Yeah, the Xoss g doesn't have mapping, it just communes with the satellites and tells you how fast you're moving and the distance you've moved.

GamblerGORD53

Sigma 16.12. wired for my bikes. 99.9% accurate all the time with TWO decimal points. Easy to see except 7s look like 2s.
The model numbers have changed tho. Unfortunately they switched to zip tie mounts like the other buggers. I take the O rings off often, none ever broke. I did email complain to them, they said most never adjust the mount.
Bontrager still has 1 decimal point I think, like a car. VERY STUPIDLY USELESS for a bike. Especially when calibrating.
I also tried the altimeter one. Pretty useless IMO. I'd rather have a slope gauge.
I have ZERO trust with POOR GPS tracking.

fishboat

According to Amazon, I've purchased 11 of these over the years. They work. No issues. Never had one fail, yet.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1BX0IQ...roduct_details

jadmt

I have had good luck with my Bontrager and easy to get pretty accurate. I run with 3 different size tires and I can easily change the wheel size to get this close on each set. for my kind of stuff I don't need any more accurate.

gmcjetpilot

I was about to post and searched. I have similar question and bought this. $7.50 + tax + free shipping on ebay. I installed it today on my folding Brampton bike clone. It took me a little time to figure out the instructions which are in China-esium-English. Simple wired speedo / odometer / /times / clock.. It fills my needs: small, light, simple to use inst /all. The battery should last year(s) with LCD display. It has sleep mode after period of non-use. It comes alive as soon as the magnet (on spoke) goes by pickup (on fork leg). It works with any size tire.

You have to know tire circumference in millimeters. (Dia (inches) x 25.4 x 3.14). My 16" folding bike (actual 16.75" tire diameter) is 1336mm. If your speed/distance is not accurate you adjust that tire circumference slightly. "Waterproof Bicycle Bike Cycle LCD Display Digital Computer Speedometer Odometer"..

• SPD : Current Speed ;up to 99.9 km/m (m/h)
• ODO : Odometer (0.001 ~ 99999 km/m)
• DST : Trip Distance (range from 0 ~ 9999 km/m)
• MXS : Maximum Speed
• AVS : Average Speed
• TM : Elapsed Time (0:00:00 ~ 9:59:59)
• CLK : Clock (12H/24H)

My question is what are the best FANCY ones, wireless and both dedicated display and ones that use phone for display. You get into ones with built in GPS and map the price goes up. I would not spend more than $100. If I need GPS and map my phone works.

VegasTriker

You can spend a lot more on a wired or wireless computer and it may have more functions than the Sunding computer for $7.50 but it will not be any more accurate for measuring speed and distance because that depends on entering an accurate circumference for the tire when setting up the bike computer. They all work the same way, by counting the electrical pulses from the magnet passing by the sensor. I've used and given away the same computer shown above. The streets where I live are laid out on a one mile grid between major streets so it is easy to verify the accuracy by watching the reading over a couple of miles with the same starting and ending point at an intersection.

If you want to accurately measure the circumference of the tire you use, tie a thin piece of cord around the tire. Add some ink or food coloring to the cord. Ride the bike a few revolutions on concrete and measure the distance in millimeters between marks. It is more accurate than trying to use math to calculate the tire circumference. The closest tire size for what I ride on the spec sheet that comes with the computer was off by 9% compared to doing an actual runout so entering the number on the chart would give you speeds and distances off by that amount.

2_i 

My experience with inexpensive no-name computers, that I will never touch again: display that must be viewed from a specific narrow angle, display that fades out when there is cold, backlight that makes display invisible, complicated nested menus where you get completely lost w/o instructions, clock function that you need to constantly readjust as it gets off by minutes per week, thermometer function that is off by many degrees, settings that get wiped out when you change the battery, magnet that must be fine tuned to assure that the computer operates, as it is astoundingly weak. Not all of them apply to every computer and you can add other flaws from your own experience.

I go with Sigma, that was mentioned before by @GamblerGORD53, but modify the mounts so they attach with hose clamps.

gmcjetpilot

Disclaimer: I do not represent this device or brand. You do as you all like. I am happy with my el-cheap-O purchase. It fit my needs and mission perfectly. To those that say I will never... Disclaimer: I do not represent this device or brand. You do as you all like. I am happy with my el-cheap-O purchase. It fit my needs and mission perfectly. To those that say I will never... OK up to you... I think $300 to $749 for a bike trip computer is dumb, and I will never. Ha ha, I just need to know my speed, distance traveled, and max/min/avg elapsed data is a bonus. There is a WORLD of inexpensive wired trip computers from $4 to $20...Not saying this one I bought is best. I just had the form, fit, function factor I was looing for, oh and and cost was right.

I have used my "no name" wired $7.50 trip computer. for week or so. I can now comment now that I have several rides about 40 miles worth of use on it. It works great. First it has a name SunDING SD548B 14 function cycle trip computer. User review below:

FIRST A NOTE AND MY OPINION ON GPS BASED CYCLE COMPUTERS... Never owned or used a dedicated cycle GPS trip/nav computer. I have used dedicated GPS based NAV/Map/Trip computers in cars, motorcycles, airplanes and boats. All of them dedicated GPS devices. Great, would never want to do without GPS.... However my CELL PHONE does almost all of what dedicated GPS units do. However I personally don't typically need NAV MAP for bike riding, at least locally. Even if I need a MAP, I can stop and use my phone in my pocket (google maps). On a bike the most I will do in a day is 100 miles? Most of the time my rides are way less than that. My "daily ride" is right at 10 miles, sometimes more. I don't need GPS for that.

ALTERNATIVES TO EXPENSIVE GPS BASED BIKE TRIP/NAV computers. There are free map and trip computer APPS for your phone. There are several that act as a dedicated Speed-O and Odometer. Then there are maps, Google map being the most common. However I have an APP on my phone that has all the aviation charts and shows my position on the chart as well as instrument approaches. It was also free. I do not use it for navigation as it is not certified, so it is only for reference.

Personally I don't like using my expensive phone strapped to my motorcycle or bicycle or kayak, for map duty. However I have old cell cell phones I retired from service that still work. YOU CAN USE THEM even of not on cell service. Google maps has offline function if you load the map into memory. I down load APPS and maps via WiFi at home. Then I can use phones internal GPS with App for all kinds of cool things the $749 Bike computer NAV device does. I rarely use my cell phone on bike while I ride. First I need a mount. I have one but it does not work on my folding bike. Which is my daily ride.

I don't need NAV MAP info real time while I ride locally. Even if on an adventure away from home I can stop and pull out my main cell in my pocket. As far as motorcycle I have a dedicated GARMIN that I bought used for $30 with lifetime map update and data base of all the gas stations and other points of interest. It also gets traffic through sub carries on FM radio commercial stations. $30 bucks...

So a bike computer for $300 or $749 does not make sense. . There are cheaper GPS trip/nav based Cycle computers. The cheap ones have cheap data base. If the data base if not GOOGLE or GARMIN, not interested. My cars and motorcycles are all GARMINS have lifetime updates. In an airplane again Garmin dedicated GPS, but the data base is certified with a certified data base. For VFR use an airplane GPS does not need to be updated but the pilot is responsibility for safe navigation and confirming with their eyeballs or ground based navigation aids where you are... BTW my smart watch has GPS. Bicycling to me is about keeping it light and simple. That is my rant.

AS FAR AS WIRELESS WHEEL SPEED SENSORS? OK why? The wire on my el-cheap-O is so discrete, light, simple, reliable (with a few zip ties) I don't see the point. . However if that is something you want go for it. It will be more expensive, add weight, need batteries...

REVIEW...
Calibration of a wired simple trip computer is simple and crazy accurate with a tiny bit of effort. So how mine works is there is a magnet in plastic holder that attaches to spoke. The magnetic pickup straps to fork. So every revolution it gets a pulse. So it needs circumference. You can estimate that. You ride a known distance. If it is high or low you adjust the circumference. In my case my BROMPTON clone folding bike has 16" wheels. The formula is Circumference = Diameter (mm) x 3.14 (Pi constant). The idea of using a string is fine but you will still not get it perfect due to compression of tire. So you go for ride. If you are reading too high distance, set a smaller circumference for example. In my case I came up with 1336 mm. It was reading high. I went to 1334mm. Still too high. So I went to 1330. Bingo. May be 1331 may be better but it's within 0.010 miles. You can set Miles or Kilometers.

Button pushing. Since there are three ways to set unit, two buttons and for reset remove battery. Note first it remembers your OD and last trip. It will go to sleep after 300 seconds but sill show CLOCK. It has a time of day clock in 12/24 format user selected. If you want to reset last trip there is some button pushing. You want to rest total ODOMETER you need to remove battery, but no need to do that, as you can reset trip miles with button. It ONLY has one leg or one trip.

Riding it is great. It will scroll through all the displays one at a time every 4 seconds. Display being small (which I need on a folding bike) it only shows a few bits of data at one time. It ALWAYS has speed, largest FONT with it's own spot in the small display.. The other data trip distance, ODD, max speed, avg speed, elapsed time will cycle through showing in the same field location. You know what you are looking at because the label changes. When it goes to sleep it wakes up and holds all the values. Because it is LCD, has magnetic pulse detection (verses wireless RF transmitter receiver) I am guessing battery will last years.

PROS: Really cheap. easy to install, very accurate once installed, gives you everything you really need.

CONS -. Learning the button pushing and somewhat confusing at first. The Chinese English instructions are not horrible but not great. It will take a learning curve and playing with it to figure it out.... The instructions are also on small double sided piece of paper. The font is small. So I need my reading glasses.. There are two buttons. Sometimes you push both at same time. Sometimes you push just the right or just the left momentarily, other times you push and hold just the left or push and hold just the right button. You get it. However once it is set up the button pushing is minimal and you never have to touch it on a ride. As I said it automatically scrolls through all the functions as you ride. However you can pause it at one. Speed is always prominently displayed. If you don't want reset the TRIP meter from last ride then you don't have to touch it ever.

Display is small, For people with perfect uncorrected near vision, no problem. ... If you need reading glasses and wear them, no problem. However I have perfect distance vision but need reading glasses. So I like to ride with sun glasses (and a helmet) and no prescription glasses or drug store "cheaters"... I can read the display because it is far enough to focus and font is large enough and clear enough to read without glasses with this caveat. . I can READ Speed, large and no problem. The other data is readable but smaller and more of a challange. The decimals are small. The trip distance is in 1/1000th. Others are in 1/10th or 1/100th. The data LABELS (abbreviated) for parameters are small. However it goes down side of display in different position, Once you know the position and order it's not an issue. I am happy. However some BIG "easy reading" display might be a better choice for some riders, but in my case a large display would not fit on my folding bike as nicely.

Bottom Line: Winner for me. If small display, not totally intuitive button-ology learning curve frustrates you.... then not for you. For my folding bike, a dedicated bike Speed-O, OD, with trip functions, great, There may be better cheap units, better display, easier button pushing...

SpedFast

I now have a drawer full of those under 10 buck bike computers since using my smartphone for everything. I do use the xoss sensors on the crank and hub for more accurate readings than the GPS provides though.

ThermionicScott 

I had been using the Specialized SpeedZone Sport for about 10 years. It was simple, easy enough to use, not too expensive.

But it's been discontinued, and my last few have died after getting wet in the rain. So I'm rolling the dice on a Sigma 5.0:

My needs are simple.

Milton Keynes

Just using Strava is good enough for me.