Any real differences in basic cycling computers?
 

So I've been thinking of picking up a used (or possibly new) inexpensive cycling computer. Just the basic stuff like speed, average, high, odometer, etc. I've noticed there's a bunch of basic units by companies like Bell, Sigma, Cateye, etc. They all seem about the same to me. Are they? Anyone have recommendations types they particularily like? Thanks.

Oh and on the ones that have GPS, are they normally used by mountain bikers - or are they good for roadies, too?

What and how they upload.

If you start cheap Garmin, you upload you data and later, if you choose more expensive Garmin - you upload your data to the same pool.
This is of course not unique to Garmin. But research it. Look at Strava, and the "hub". Hardware changes, but your data history is - forever (or a decade).

If you have the budget for a GPS/cyclometer combo, then my thought would be "why wouldn't you want one?" Whether for road or mtn.

I can't speak for any of the non-GPS devices. I'm sure there are excellent ones. Me? I use a Garmin Edge 500 that quite old now and out of production. The things I get from it that I like are:
1) A record of my track
2) Heart rate, both real-time and logged
3) Calorie count, real-time and logged. But if you are going to wonder why one day you burned 200 less Calories than you did for the same ride another day, then there-in lie the devil. You'll be vexed forever.
4) Pretty much all the data you get from a non-GPS cyclometer.

I like Garmin's but some people have issues with them and they are on the pricier side. I've heard good things about Lezyne, they are much cheaper. If I was on the cheap, I'd get the Lezyne Super GPS.

GPS puters work fine on both mtn and road. If you are willing to go used take your time and watch ebay and facebook groups. You can probably pick up a garmin 200 or 500 now for around $50-75 if you aren't in a hurry. I bought a 705 several years ago for $70 which is old as hell now but still works and has way more features than I'll ever use.

In answer to your question, they are all basically the same. I've used Cateye for years because they are readily available. The wired ones have exceptional battery life, compared to wireless. I've also used Sigma. Personally, I'd stay away from Bell.

I never really understood why people use these devices. I just take my smartphone with me, and it gives me exactly the same data through Strava or Runkeeper. I guess they stem from an era before everyone had smartphones.

The only benefit I can see is turn by turn navigation on some of those units. But even then, if you get a sturdy handlebar mount for your phone (I keep mine in my back pocket personally), it practically does the same thing.

I have one by Sigma, never had any issues with it, except for the cable attaching to the sensor breaking. They sell replacement sensors though, so no issues. Sigma makes some really good products, I have 2 front lights of theirs as well, nice and bright, well designed.

Cateye makes good products as well, but I have never tried one of their cycle computers.

Nowadays though I rarely use the cycle computer. It is nice to see current speed, but I find my rides more enjoyable if I am not seeing the numbers. I just want to see calories burned, avg speed etc. after the ride, which I do through Strava or Runkeeper on my phone.

It's been my experience that the people who use phones as their cycling computer get pretty inaccurate gps readings which leads to inaccurate distances and speeds, which is especially noticeable when they are out mountain biking through the trees. I've just noticed this over the past few years on strava. When some ridiculous gps route is shown, like having the rider pedal a mile and a half through a lake, it's usually because that rider is using a phone as a bike computer.


I have a Garmin 1000 explore which I like but have stopped recording every ride and don't take it mountain biking anymore. This is a personal thing because I find I have more enjoyable rides without the numbers ticking in my brain.


If I were looking for a relatively cheap cycling computer that did gps, I would be looking at the Garmin 25. It seems to do a lot of what I would want a cycling computer for (even connects to a power meter) and is small...also doesn't require any weird wheel sensors.




Now, if you don't care about having wheel sensors connected to your spokes, and you don't care to have gps, you should be able to find very cheap and reliable computers from Cateye and other companies. I think I have a cateye laying in a box someplace that I was using before I got my first Garmin. That thing never had one issue except for the speed sensor thing on the fork rotating and slightly hitting the spoke magnet.

I personally get very accurate readings on my phone. I used to get less accurate readings on my older (6 yrs old at this point) phone. It just depends on the phone and how good the GPS receiver in it is. I think most recent smartphones have pretty good GPS modules now.

That's a good point.... You can get just about everything you get from a dedicated unit from your smartphone too. I just prefer the dedicated units and I'm not a fan of giving phone apps access to all my daily life. I can't even upgrade my banking app now that it wants location, contacts and other permissions. Yes I'm one of those... I even put tape over the camera on my laptop. Orux maps has a phone app that I do use, but seldom for biking, though that is what I think it's intended for. It actually may do too much and might be hard to use during a ride.

Turn by turn from my experience works better for some on their phone and other it works better on a dedicated device. I am not a fan of turn by turn guidance any how. Don't people know where they are??

Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions - they're quite helpful and I'll be using this thread to guide me to what I ultimately buy.

In answer to the smartphone question, yes I could use my phone. But I like how small the cycling comps are. And as another poster pointed out, I dont use my phone for everything. I prefer a dedicated unit for some things.

Phones don't make very good cycling computers. They're way too big and fragile, power consumption is too high, and the controls are nearly as good. Plus they're super expensive.

It really depends on what you need. I prefer wired units without GPS. Wired units are cheaper, more accurate, and respond faster. Plus you can get many years out of a battery. They don't give you is convenient and comprehensive data about your ride afterwards, but you only use your computer in the moment, that's a nonissue.

Yeah I agree about the phones. And I think I'm definitely gonna get a wired unit vs wireless after everyone's comments.

I use a single Garmin Edge 500 now for my three bikes. I just pop it on to the one I am using for the day and it has setting for each bike so it knows which one I am on, and if there are extra sensors and such I have configured, wheel size, etc.

But before that I had a CatEye Velo 9 that did everything I wanted from a basic, wired, cycling computer. It is cheap and works well. Battery life was great. I only had it on one bike though, of course. The bike I used most. Coupled with a cycling phone app in your pocket or saddlebag will then have your realtime speed/distance/time and the phone also records your GPS data for later analysis on sites like Strava if you care for that stuff.

What a wondrous modern age we live in, where GPS capability is considered in a discussion of basic cycling computers.

To underwrite your insight, then Barometric Altimiters should be a standard as well (for manufacturers). :(

Yeah, all basically the same.

Look at their features ... do they have what you want to track?
Look at how much distance they'll track in one go. I did come across one computer once that only tracked up to 999.9 km in one ride ... not useful to me then.
Look at their buttons and how easy they appear to be to change from one view to another.
Look at the display to see how easy it is to read.

Personally, I like the Cateye computers, but that is probably just a personal preference. :)

the question is, do you really need some kind of GPS? I'm thinking to changing my computer too since i dropped it and the screen partially broke. I'm interested on Cateye smart computer since they can sync with your phone and uses a speed sensor that's more accurate than GPS data for speed calculation in my opinion.

in other words,
what feature do you need form a cyclocomp?
do you really need that feature? (GPS? Cadence?)
do you like the models? (this is important)
where do you want to put it? (some can be putted on handlebar, some on Stem, and some are off handlebar)

Thanks for the info everyone. Another forum member kindly sent me some ebay links to inexpensive basic 'puters and I ordered one last night - for under $3, lol. I think it will work for my needs though, and I will update this thread once I get installed. :)