Polar CS200cad Cycle Computer

[ozbiker2]

CS200 is rubbish!
....
....On the MTB....
....calorie counter must be something of an approximation....
....Garmin Edge but isn't it a pity to be carrying a GPS that doesn't navigate....

BS. Seems some people can't be satisfied by anything.

The CS200 is for road bikes. Put it on a MTB and of course it will break!!!! It works fine for almost everyone, so maybe the problems are a user issue.

All calorie counters are an approximation, and a very rough one too!!! A power meter will get you a "closer approximation" if you spend a grand.

The Edge is NOT a navigator and is not advertised as one. Carry an IPaq or a TomTom if you want to know where you are and you are cycling so fast you can't follow the scenery. The Edge is a TRAINING AID, and a b..y good one too. You can however use it as a very effective route director for Audax rides, etc. if you know what you are doing and have the appropriate software and know how to use it. The Edge is not designed for this task but does perform it quite satisfactorily.

 

[Rich8P]

The CS200 is for road bikes. Put it on a MTB and of course it will break!!!! .

Really, you'd think that Polar would make that clear in the advertising material then wouldn't you????

Seems strange, considering how many bikes in my two LBSs come with Polar advertsing material taped to the bars.

Why do you think that "Polar is proud to sponsor Australia's premier mountain bike event" (http://www.wildsidemtb.com/sponsors.html)

It works fine for almost everyone, so maybe the problems are a user issue..

Tut, tut, not been reading the past entries on this topic???

If the unit is fitted according to the manual and doesn't work (bad signal, pedal magnet falls off easily...) then it is not good kit. Accessories should clip on and work.

All calorie counters are an approximation, and a very rough one too!!! A power meter will get you a "closer approximation" if you spend a grand.

25% difference on a 2 hour ride between to HRM from the same company is certainly very rough, I'll give you that.

 

[TrekDedicated]

The Polar CS200... or in expanded view is "Polar Complete Sh*t 200".. I've had this for almost a year and the relationship started off pretty well. But, now the honey moon phase is over. The moment I go out of my HR zone and I have the sound on, my speed is cut in half or doesn't register, and the monitor stops recording. Then, it goes off and on, off and on. Only once I go back into the designated zones the computer work properly.

Now, if the sound is off and I go out of the designated zones, it works much better. However, I need the sounds to keep my in check as a I train. Why the heck is this a problem is beyond me and it shouldn't be.

Rest assured, once I save up, a PowerTap will be my next purchase and never will I work with Polar again.

If anyone else has experienced this, please let me know.. I'm calling Polar this week about it, but it's just another thing on my to due list and it pisses me off.

 

[jur]

I have a Polar S150 and it is a miserable piece of sh*t. I have to mount it with the strap so tight it is deforming the strap hole, almost tearing out. Any looser and it is intermittent. And it stops recording intermittently too, like the Stop button was pressed. It is very frustrating to do the Alpine Classic 200 only to find that 15km wasn't recorded.

After reading this thread about the CS200 I guess Polar won't be seeing any more of my hard-earned.

 

[Bigbananabike]

More; CS200 - some weeks ago the heart rate was intermittant at best. Set away. Came back - no problems. Still had problems.

LBS said to wash out etc the chest strap connections each time I use it. Did that thoroughly (which I'd not been doing at all - after a ride I'd just hang it on the clothes line to dry - didn't like the idea of exposing battery etc to water).
Its now very good. Not totally perfect but probably no brand HRM would be.

 

[ward17]

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[fitz]

Bottom line with these things is that QC at Polar is bad. They are an unreliable piece of kit. Im on my second.
So:-
Buy local and sent it straight back if faulty in any way.
Only accept a new replacement.
Send it back again.
And again until they get it right or you find a better brand.
They'll soon learn.

 

[CSShelby]

These computers are complete ****. Mine is doing the pausing in auto start function mode too because of something being wrong with the signal or something. It's rubbish. And you have to send it out for them to figure out the problem. What garbage.

 

[Bigbananabike]

I finally gave up on my CS200 (see my previous posts - I was pretty happy with it). I stopped showing distance where it should and I was only able to get the distance at the end of my rides.

I gave in to the realisation that I don't use it properly - I don't use the HRM as I should and while it had lots of good info - calories etc - so what!

I've gone back to a Cateye Astrale 8 for my three bikes.
I had one years ago for 14k kms and it was faultless apart from wet contacts in really heavy rain(CS200 never had a problem with rain ).

I've sold about 30 Astrale8s and never had a complaint either.

I'm very happy with just current speed, distance and cadence as I ride