so I got this old cyclometer for free, and I know it's not the greatest, but hey, it was free. since everybody in the world has probably had one, you have to know: does it have an off button?? I've got it all set up and calibrated, but I can't figure out where the on/off switch is. maybe it doesn't have one? I feel kinda stupid.

Probably doesn't have one. Used to have one, but don't remember. Been 20 years.

It'll just turn off by itself after a certain amount of time without any wheel turning activity.

A simple wired bike computer uses as little power as a digital watch. The battery should last for several years.

hm, thanks. I've got it set on clock mode and it doesn't seem to turn off at all...I'll set it back to speed/mileage and see if that changes anything. thanks!

LCD displays use very little power, especially non color without a backlight. The clock needs to run anyway. I believe if you leave the computer not showing the clock it will switch to the clock for low power mode, but it's been awhile since I owned one so can't remember.

Maybe the answer would be in the instructions? https://www.avocet.com/instrpdfs/30_31eng.pdf

yeah, that was the first place I looked. no mention. I'm pretty sure now it doesn't have one.

I have a Avocet 25, the left button is dead so i can't reset anything without a long button mashing session. Its sleep/off mode is a clock only display. as soon as the magnet triggers the pulse signal the computer comes to full wake. Im replacing it with a Ascent 4line.

I have a Avocet 25, the left button is dead

The buttons on these computers is a curved piece of metal that is taped in place to the circuit board. Since it's already not useable, you might want to try prying it apart and repositioning the switch.

Avocet computers weren't the most water resistant computers either. I had one that went bad after a ride in the rain. Even after the computer dried out, it would not work. I opened it up and found what looked like small traces of battery corrosion on the circuit board. When I cleaned the white substance off the board, the computer worked again. I took the circuit board and coated it in fish tank sealant before putting it back together and never had another problem with it.

I have recently switched to using a Garmin and prefer the way they work compared to other cycle computers. I'm over wanting to know every last mile I ride, even if it's just to the store to buy chicken pot pies. Most computers count your mileage all the time and the only way you can stop them is to remove them from the mount. With wireless, this doesn't even work. With the Garmin, it only counts miles when you hit the start/stop button. If you are a total mileage counter, this is annoying. If you are a training mileage counter this is exactly what you were looking for.

I just looked up reviews on the Ascent 4line and they were all bad. You may not be looking for something as involved as a Garmin GPS, but you might want to consider something with a more reliable track record like the Cateye units.