Cycle computer recommendations (yet again)

[D.M. Procida]

Sorry, I know it's a perennial subject.

Having started my new job today - after nearly ten years I am no longer
Apple Juice, I am now a trainee school teacher - I've found a place to
park the bike and have a shower when I get in in the mornings.

I've also found a route, and I think it will be my regular route
<http://tinyurl.com/a3xu7> and to keep track of my progress in becoming
alarmingly fit a cycle computer might be a good thing to have. To
satisfy the ridiculous nerd in me, one which can upload data to a Mac
for further dicking about with would be nice, so, any suggestions?

Daniele

 

[[email protected]]

D.M. Procida wrote:
> alarmingly fit a cycle computer might be a good thing to have. To
> satisfy the ridiculous nerd in me, one which can upload data to a Mac
> for further dicking about with would be nice, so, any suggestions?

The top-end Polar HRM's (that do distance, altitude etc etc) can upload
to a Mac via some third party software, the bookmark for which I can't
find at the mo....

You'll need a serial->USB dongle as well.

I've got a S720i and it's a fun bit of kit. I don't bother with the computer
upload stuff thoughl.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

 

[Colin Blackburn]

[email protected] wrote:
> D.M. Procida wrote:
>
>>alarmingly fit a cycle computer might be a good thing to have. To
>>satisfy the ridiculous nerd in me, one which can upload data to a Mac
>>for further dicking about with would be nice, so, any suggestions?
>
>
> The top-end Polar HRM's (that do distance, altitude etc etc) can upload
> to a Mac via some third party software, the bookmark for which I can't
> find at the mo....

Top end Suunto HRMs similarly. The T6 with a bikePOD would provide lots
of data (including altitude) but whether it is straight forward to
upload to a Mac, or whether it is affordable by a trainee school teacher
is another thing.

Colin

 

[PhilO]

D.M. Procida wrote:
> To
> satisfy the ridiculous nerd in me, one which can upload data to a Mac
> for further dicking about with would be nice, so, any suggestions?
>
> Daniele


What are you planning to upload. Your average computer will record
time, distance and max & average speed. You won't need an interface for
that because paper and pencil (or a reasonable memory) will do the job
faster.

If you are interested in heart rate and altitude, there is the
Ciclomaster CM414 Alti M. Are you really interested in your heart rate
over 7 miles though?

PhilO

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:

>
> The top-end Polar HRM's (that do distance, altitude etc etc) can upload
> to a Mac via some third party software, the bookmark for which I can't
> find at the mo....

http://www.ismarttrain.com/

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

 

[Craig Wallace]

D.M. Procida wrote:
> Sorry, I know it's a perennial subject.
>
> Having started my new job today - after nearly ten years I am no longer
> Apple Juice, I am now a trainee school teacher - I've found a place to
> park the bike and have a shower when I get in in the mornings.
>
> I've also found a route, and I think it will be my regular route
> <http://tinyurl.com/a3xu7> and to keep track of my progress in becoming
> alarmingly fit a cycle computer might be a good thing to have. To
> satisfy the ridiculous nerd in me, one which can upload data to a Mac
> for further dicking about with would be nice, so, any suggestions?
>
> Daniele

What about a GPS reciever?
Probably cheaper than than the top-end Polar HRMs, and can give you lots
of data for transferring to a computer, i.e. speed, altitude, etc all
along the route.
I know there is some Mac software compatible with Garmins and Magellans,
though I'm not sure of the details.

It does have the disadvantages of battery life and size (relative to a
cycle computer).

--
Craig Wallace
http://craig.neogeo.org.uk
http://www.neogeo.org.uk

 

[John Hearns]

On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 15:59:05 +0100, D.M. Procida wrote:

> Sorry, I know it's a perennial subject.
>
> Having started my new job today - after nearly ten years I am no longer
> Apple Juice, I am now a trainee school teacher - I've found a place to
> park the bike and have a shower when I get in in the mornings.
>
Just buy one from Tchibo.
In fact, buy two while you are there.
Bike computers get lost/stolen/sat upon with regularity.
As others say, if you want to keep a log you could use pencil and
paper, the transfer to the Mac each week.

 

[D.M. Procida]

Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> wrote:

> > The top-end Polar HRM's (that do distance, altitude etc etc) can upload
> > to a Mac via some third party software, the bookmark for which I can't
> > find at the mo....
>
> Top end Suunto HRMs similarly. The T6 with a bikePOD would provide lots
> of data (including altitude) but whether it is straight forward to
> upload to a Mac, or whether it is affordable by a trainee school teacher
> is another thing.

Wow, er, expensive, aren't they?

I think I'd settle for something more downmarket. I'm not that
interested in my heart rate (what do you think I am, some kind of nerd?)
but I want to be able to boast about how fast I go.

Daniele
--
Apple Juice www.apple-juice.co.uk
Chapter Arts Centre
Market Road
Cardiff CF5 1QE

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message
<1h2fadw.1ym8g8s1w8d30bN%[email protected]>,
D.M. Procida ('[email protected]') wrote:

> Sorry, I know it's a perennial subject.
>
> Having started my new job today - after nearly ten years I am no longer
> Apple Juice, I am now a trainee school teacher - I've found a place to
> park the bike and have a shower when I get in in the mornings.

A slight disrecommendation for the Campagnolo ErgoBrain. It's a great
unit when it works, having a backlight function is great for audax, the
automatic gearing indicator is neat, and being able to switch modes
without taking your hands off the hoods is really, really useful.

But...

Sample of one, and all that...

My first battery lasted four months, which is fine. My second lasted a
week, which is not so good. My third lasted three days. So in June I
returned my then less than six month old unit to my LBS as a warranty
claim, and, errm, that's the last I've seen of it. Something is supposed
to be Being Done, but the summer is gone and I've been without for
pretty much the whole of it. And I do think that, when you buy something
that is so significantly more expensive than its competitors, not only
should the unit be bloody good but the service should be bloody good
too.

I /think/ the beastie didn't like a very wet audax. But I also think that
a £100 cycle computer ought to be reasonably weatherproof.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; single speed mountain bikes: for people who cycle on flat mountains.

 

[Charlie Allen]

Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message
> <1h2fadw.1ym8g8s1w8d30bN%[email protected]>,
> D.M. Procida ('[email protected]') wrote:
>
>
>>Sorry, I know it's a perennial subject.
>>
>>Having started my new job today - after nearly ten years I am no longer
>>Apple Juice, I am now a trainee school teacher - I've found a place to
>>park the bike and have a shower when I get in in the mornings.
>
>
> A slight disrecommendation for the Campagnolo ErgoBrain. It's a great
> unit when it works, having a backlight function is great for audax, the
> automatic gearing indicator is neat, and being able to switch modes
> without taking your hands off the hoods is really, really useful.
>
> But...
>
> Sample of one, and all that...
>
> My first battery lasted four months, which is fine. My second lasted a
> week, which is not so good. My third lasted three days. So in June I
> returned my then less than six month old unit to my LBS as a warranty
> claim, and, errm, that's the last I've seen of it. Something is supposed
> to be Being Done, but the summer is gone and I've been without for
> pretty much the whole of it. And I do think that, when you buy something
> that is so significantly more expensive than its competitors, not only
> should the unit be bloody good but the service should be bloody good
> too.
>
> I /think/ the beastie didn't like a very wet audax. But I also think that
> a £100 cycle computer ought to be reasonably weatherproof.
>


Make that a sample of 2 (or 3 if you count the replacement under
warranty). My ErgoBrain refused to tell me what gear I was in; maybe not
a big deal but when you pay that sort of money you expect it to work. I
returned it to LBS who agreed & got a replacement which they fitted but
found to be worse. So, they have recommended that I give up on it and
try another type. The trouble is, I find the functions on it really
useful and rare in other models. Ideally I want a backlight (commute
home in the dark for several months of the year), cadence and remote
operation so am now looking at the Cateye CC-CD300DW. Does anybody have
a good or bad word to say about it?

 

[PhilO]

D.M. Procida wrote:

> Wow, er, expensive, aren't they?
>
> I think I'd settle for something more downmarket. I'm not that
> interested in my heart rate (what do you think I am, some kind of nerd?)
> but I want to be able to boast about how fast I go.
>
> Daniele
> --
Then just get any cycle computer (cheap ones cost less than £10).
They'll all tell you how far you went and your max and average speeds.
Reason they won't be able to download this data is because it's not
worth it. Pencil & paper if you can't remember the 3 numbers. What more
do you want to keep a record of?

 

[Dave Larrington]

Also sprach Charlie Allen

> Make that a sample of 2 (or 3 if you count the replacement under
> warranty). My ErgoBrain refused to tell me what gear I was in; maybe
> not a big deal but when you pay that sort of money you expect it to
> work. I returned it to LBS who agreed & got a replacement which they
> fitted but found to be worse. So, they have recommended that I give
> up on it and try another type. The trouble is, I find the functions
> on it really useful and rare in other models. Ideally I want a
> backlight (commute home in the dark for several months of the year),
> cadence and remote operation so am now looking at the Cateye
> CC-CD300DW. Does anybody have a good or bad word to say about it?

For that price, I should forego the remote business and instead purchase an
Astrale, a Petzl Tikkina head torch and twenty-three pints of BEER...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Ha ha, you fool! You've fallen victim to one of the classic blunders!
The most famous is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia"

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Charlie Allen wrote:
>
> Make that a sample of 2 (or 3 if you count the replacement under
> warranty). My ErgoBrain refused to tell me what gear I was in; maybe not
> a big deal but when you pay that sort of money you expect it to work. I
> returned it to LBS who agreed & got a replacement which they fitted but
> found to be worse. So, they have recommended that I give up on it and
> try another type. The trouble is, I find the functions on it really
> useful and rare in other models. Ideally I want a backlight (commute
> home in the dark for several months of the year), cadence and remote
> operation so am now looking at the Cateye CC-CD300DW. Does anybody have
> a good or bad word to say about it?

I've heard similar problems with the ergo brain that were due to the the
G springs and or hanger in the ergo levers being broken. Worth taking a
look to see. If they failed like mine the failure was so gradual I
hardly noticed he indexing being sloppy, until I replaced them.

See the thread "Faulty Campagnola Record ErgoPower Lever?" for details
on how to replace the springs and hanger.

--chris

 

[Charlie Allen]

Dave Larrington wrote:
> Also sprach Charlie Allen
>
>
>>Make that a sample of 2 (or 3 if you count the replacement under
>>warranty). My ErgoBrain refused to tell me what gear I was in; maybe
>>not a big deal but when you pay that sort of money you expect it to
>>work. I returned it to LBS who agreed & got a replacement which they
>>fitted but found to be worse. So, they have recommended that I give
>>up on it and try another type. The trouble is, I find the functions
>>on it really useful and rare in other models. Ideally I want a
>>backlight (commute home in the dark for several months of the year),
>>cadence and remote operation so am now looking at the Cateye
>>CC-CD300DW. Does anybody have a good or bad word to say about it?
>
>
> For that price, I should forego the remote business and instead purchase an
> Astrale, a Petzl Tikkina head torch and twenty-three pints of BEER...
>


Yes, I do like that line of thinking & it could be an option! (I will be
getting a full refund for the ErgoBrain & as the prices for the 2 are
similar, it will not involve much of a cash outlay now)

 

[Charlie Allen]

Chris Gerhard wrote:
> Charlie Allen wrote:
>
>>
>> Make that a sample of 2 (or 3 if you count the replacement under
>> warranty). My ErgoBrain refused to tell me what gear I was in; maybe
>> not a big deal but when you pay that sort of money you expect it to
>> work. I returned it to LBS who agreed & got a replacement which they
>> fitted but found to be worse. So, they have recommended that I give up
>> on it and try another type. The trouble is, I find the functions on it
>> really useful and rare in other models. Ideally I want a backlight
>> (commute home in the dark for several months of the year), cadence and
>> remote operation so am now looking at the Cateye CC-CD300DW. Does
>> anybody have a good or bad word to say about it?
>
>
> I've heard similar problems with the ergo brain that were due to the the
> G springs and or hanger in the ergo levers being broken. Worth taking a
> look to see. If they failed like mine the failure was so gradual I
> hardly noticed he indexing being sloppy, until I replaced them.
>
> See the thread "Faulty Campagnola Record ErgoPower Lever?" for details
> on how to replace the springs and hanger.
>
> --chris


Thanks for the advice; I will take a look...

 

[Shane Badham]

D.M. Procida <[email protected]> wrote:

> Sorry, I know it's a perennial subject.
>
> Having started my new job today - after nearly ten years I am no longer
> Apple Juice, I am now a trainee school teacher - I've found a place to
> park the bike and have a shower when I get in in the mornings.
>
> I've also found a route, and I think it will be my regular route
> <http://tinyurl.com/a3xu7> and to keep track of my progress in becoming
> alarmingly fit a cycle computer might be a good thing to have. To
> satisfy the ridiculous nerd in me, one which can upload data to a Mac
> for further dicking about with would be nice, so, any suggestions?

Hi Daniele,

I have been using a CatEye Enduro 2 for 4 years. Just replaced the
mounting kit last week (intermittant connection). The computer was OK.

Go for the current Enduro at under £30 its good value.

--
Regards, Shane
"A closed mouth gathers no feet!"
Website: http://www.wonk.demon.co.uk/

 

[Matthew Nettle]

I'd very much appreciate it if someone could run through basic
functioning/measuring principles of the electronic gadgets for a person who
hasn't had anything to do with them since throwing away a mechanical one
because the click gave location away in post choir practice bicycle tag
games. I peer at shiny displays of the modern ones, but my steam age
understanding sees nothing but techno-witchcraft.

I think if I understood them, I might get one if it is the case that they no
longer click every time the wheel goes round. I hope one might help me come
to grips with metrication, so it'd be nice if it did temperature as well.

Do they count wheel revs, and if so, does one set them for different sizes or
simply whip out the pencil & envelope to convert to Brompton?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[GrumpyOldFart]

 

[Call me Bob]

On Thu, 8 Sep 2005 12:18:10 +0100, Matthew Nettle <[email protected]> wrote:

>I think if I understood them, I might get one if it is the case that they no
>longer click every time the wheel goes round. I hope one might help me come
>to grips with metrication, so it'd be nice if it did temperature as well.
>
>Do they count wheel revs, and if so, does one set them for different sizes or
>simply whip out the pencil & envelope to convert to Brompton?

Yes, they still count wheel revolutions, but silently, so you'll be at
no disadvantage when playing bicycle tag. (Tag! You're it!)

A small and unobtrusive magnet is fixed to (usually) a front wheel
spoke. A sensor is then mounted to the inside of one fork blade and as
the wheel rotates the magnet triggers the sensor switch and a
revolution is counted by the main unit.

When initially installing and setting up the computer you enter the
wheel circumference, so the main unit knows how far you have traveled
for each rev.

Computers come in all kinds of different guises and with different
feature sets. Some are wireless, requiring no connecting wire between
the fork sensor and handlebar mounted main unit, others are wired.
Each have pro's and con's.

The basic features you might want are current speed, average speed,
trip counter, odemeter and max speed. I find it's important to get a
model that has auto stop and start, most do, but a few don't. Without
auto start I often forget to turn it on until x number of miles down
the road.

You can also get models which will display things like your pedaling
cadence, heart rate statistics, all manner of things. Prices start at
about a tenner up to 100 quid and more (crikey!).

Give us an idea of what you think you might want it to do, and we can
probably recommend a few models for you to consider.


"Bob"
--


Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Matthew
Nettle ('[email protected]') wrote:

>
> I'd very much appreciate it if someone could run through basic
> functioning/measuring principles of the electronic gadgets for a person
> who hasn't had anything to do with them since throwing away a
> mechanical one because the click gave location away in post choir
> practice bicycle tag games. I peer at shiny displays of the modern
> ones, but my steam age understanding sees nothing but
> techno-witchcraft.
>
> I think if I understood them, I might get one if it is the case that
> they no longer click every time the wheel goes round. I hope one might
> help me come to grips with metrication, so it'd be nice if it did
> temperature as well.

They all work on a magnet on the wheel which passes close to a sensor
which contains a reed switch. The reed switch does click, but it's very
faint and you won't hear it above road noise.

> Do they count wheel revs

Yes.

> and if so, does one set them for different
> sizes

Yes.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

'there are no solutions, only precipitates'