bike planet computers
- Thread starter svtchris
- Start date
I own 2 of 'em. A 9.0 (Includes temp. function) and an 8.0. simply stated, they work great! 4 lines of info all at once. I will be taking delivery of my new LeMond Tête de Course, and will be reinstalling the Planet Bike computer back on it.
There are 2 negatives I would list... The temp. function is a little erratic on hot sunshiny days, but I guess its simply registering the changes in temp as I am riding. (When riding in and out of shaded portions of the road the temp fluctuates by 5° or so. The radiant heat off the pavement also gives high readings as compared to that given on the local radio stations). I view the temp. function as a novelty, interesting but not a necessity. The other gripe I have is that it is designed to mount on a 26.0 clamp diameter. I called Planet Bike about this and they said they were no plans for a mounting bracket to fit an over sized bar (31.8) at this time. I am going to try a longer threaded screw with the present bracket and see if it works. Having dealt with these 2 minor annoyances, I would still recommend the computer overall.
I have one of the 9.0 models on the stoker position of my tandem. In addition to what has already been mentioned, I'd add that the wiring is much more durable than is typical for bike computers, the wiring is available in various different lengths, the design and build quality is outstanding, and the user interface is the best on the market. My wife vastly prefers her Planet Bike 9 over the Avocet she had previously. Planet Bike recently upgraded the design of their temperature gauge--the pick up is now somewhat better isolated. But it still will reflect the relatively large differences between being in the shadows and in direct sunlight, reflected heat off the road etc. It's accurate--you simply need to take into account the wide variance in recorded temperatures of a moving object out on a road.
One last word of caution! If you have 31.8mm handlebars, the computer mounting bracket DOES NOT fit!!! I have not figured out how to solve this problem yet on my bike, and will be calling Planet Bike again tomorrow (Monday for a fix). In my previous post on this issue, I stated I had spoken with Planet Bike, (this was approx. 9 -10 months ago) lets hope they have a fix, as the longer threaded screw failed miserably...
