Recommendations for Cycling Computer w/Altimeter?

[GaryG]

My Vetta V100A has recently crapped out (the fork mounted transmitter
cracked). I may be able to purchase a replacement transmitter, but was
wondering if there are better units out there (e.g., the Specialized Turbo
Pro).

I prefer wirelesss, and I'm not interested in big bucks units (e.g., Polar).
I don't really care about cadence (though it would be a nice feature).

Recommendations?

TIA,

--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists

 

[Terry Morse]

"GaryG" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I prefer wirelesss, and I'm not interested in big bucks units (e.g., Polar).
> I don't really care about cadence (though it would be a nice feature).
>
> Recommendations?

The Ciclosport model that doesn't have heart monitor feature is a
good computer, and it's relatively inexpensive. Wired or wireless:

http://www.ciclosportusa.com/cyclometers.htm
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

 

[PhilO]

Terry Morse wrote:
>
> The Ciclosport model that doesn't have heart monitor feature is a
> good computer, and it's relatively inexpensive. Wired or wireless:
>
> http://www.ciclosportusa.com/cyclometers.htm
> --
> terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

I have one and it works well. A lot of features for not too much money
and lot easier to use than others I have tried. Cordless, but still
more reliable than the Cateye I have on the same bike.

Downside: a bit bulky and the mounting bracket attaches with a rubber
band which needs replacing every few months when the rubber perishes.
I'm thinking of wiring mine on as a more permanent solution.

PhilO

 

[catzz66]

GaryG wrote:
> My Vetta V100A has recently crapped out (the fork mounted transmitter
> cracked). I may be able to purchase a replacement transmitter, but was
> wondering if there are better units out there (e.g., the Specialized Turbo
> Pro).
>
> I prefer wirelesss, and I'm not interested in big bucks units (e.g., Polar).
> I don't really care about cadence (though it would be a nice feature).
>
> Recommendations?
>
>

I was given a HighGear HRM/watch that has with it an altimeter function.
This feature does not seem to be very accurate. It was a gift, so
I'm not complaining, just posting for info.

 

[Rosey]

I have the cyclospirt 436M (also had 64 hours of memory). List price was $219, I
bought it on Ebay for $70. They usually have a 434 (without the memory) for sale
somewhere on Ebay. Just search for ciclosport.

Nita




GaryG wrote:

> My Vetta V100A has recently crapped out (the fork mounted transmitter
> cracked). I may be able to purchase a replacement transmitter, but was
> wondering if there are better units out there (e.g., the Specialized Turbo
> Pro).
>
> I prefer wirelesss, and I'm not interested in big bucks units (e.g., Polar).
> I don't really care about cadence (though it would be a nice feature).
>
> Recommendations?
>
> TIA,
>
> --
> ~_-*
> ...G/ \G
> http://www.CycliStats.com
> CycliStats - Software for Cyclists

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> My Vetta V100A has recently crapped out (the fork mounted transmitter
> cracked). I may be able to purchase a replacement transmitter, but was
> wondering if there are better units out there (e.g., the Specialized Turbo
> Pro).
>
> I prefer wirelesss, and I'm not interested in big bucks units (e.g.,
> Polar).
> I don't really care about cadence (though it would be a nice feature).
>
> Recommendations?

Gary: I haven't found any options other than the Ciclosport (which others
have mentioned) that does altitude accurately. Other brands tend to
over-estimate the amount of climbing (sometimes by quite a bit) and reading
usually aren't repeatable (meaning that the same ride will give fairly
different results from day-to-day).

The downside to the Ciclosport is a bit if clunkiness in size, terrible
instructions (perhaps in the original German they're better?), and a pretty
poor computer mount (I recommend using a bit of string as a safety device to
attach the computer to your bars, in case it decides it wants to jump off on
a bumpy descent, not that that ever happened to mine...).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Thanks, Mike. I've pretty much come to the same conclusion, and replaced
> my
> computer with a Cateye wireless (sans the altimeter feature). I'm
> currently
> looking for a wristwatch altimeter (Sunnto, or ??) as a replacement for
> the
> altimeter- thinking that it will be useful for hiking, backpacking,
> skiing,
> etc. The only thing I'll miss is the "current grade" feature of the
> Avocet
> (but that was sometimes wildly inaccurate at times).
>
> GG

Supposedly the new Nike altimeter wristwatches are supposed to be pretty
good; we've sold a few, but I haven't tried one myself yet. How did the
Avocet wristwatch figure percent grade (without a way to know distance
traveled)? Even on the bike computers that calculate percent grade (such as
the Ciclosports), that's a pretty unreliable figure, since they sample only
once per 20 seconds, and don't average it out over enough readings, nor
apparently filter for "noise" (even though they obviously do for total
accumulated climb functions).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[GaryG]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Thanks, Mike. I've pretty much come to the same conclusion, and
replaced
> > my
> > computer with a Cateye wireless (sans the altimeter feature). I'm
> > currently
> > looking for a wristwatch altimeter (Sunnto, or ??) as a replacement for
> > the
> > altimeter- thinking that it will be useful for hiking, backpacking,
> > skiing,
> > etc. The only thing I'll miss is the "current grade" feature of the
> > Avocet
> > (but that was sometimes wildly inaccurate at times).
> >
> > GG
>
> Supposedly the new Nike altimeter wristwatches are supposed to be pretty
> good; we've sold a few, but I haven't tried one myself yet. How did the
> Avocet wristwatch figure percent grade (without a way to know distance
> traveled)? Even on the bike computers that calculate percent grade (such
as
> the Ciclosports), that's a pretty unreliable figure, since they sample
only
> once per 20 seconds, and don't average it out over enough readings, nor
> apparently filter for "noise" (even though they obviously do for total
> accumulated climb functions).
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>

Sorry...my mistake. I meant to say that I'd miss the current grade feature
on my Vetta V100A computer (the one that died the morning of the Death
Ride).

I do have an older Avocet Vertech watch, but the band is broken on it. It
also has a pretty large elevation "trigger" setting, resulting in consistent
under-reporting of elevation gained while cycling (though it seems to be OK
for downhill skiing).

GG

 

[Eagle Jackson]

I use a Suunto Observer watch for altimeter functions when biking and
skiing, and leave the bike computer stuff to a "normal" cyclometer,
like a Cateye Mity 8. I've not found a bike computer with altimeter
that I liked much.

 

[Andrew W]

How about a GPS with altimeter. A Garmin e-trex summit could replace
cycle computer, maps and your separate altimeter, with the added
benfits of telling you where you are and where to go.

Waterproof, secure hadlebar mount, wireless, accurate, doesn't need
re-calibrating, massess of trip data. What more could you want?
(except cadence of course).

Andrew Webster

 

[Booker C. Bense]

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In article <[email protected]>,
Andrew W <[email protected]> wrote:
>How about a GPS with altimeter. A Garmin e-trex summit could replace
>cycle computer, maps and your separate altimeter, with the added
>benfits of telling you where you are and where to go.
>
>Waterproof, secure hadlebar mount, wireless, accurate, doesn't need
>re-calibrating, massess of trip data. What more could you want?

- -Something that worked all the time. Since I have a GPS for other
reasons I've tried it on a few local rides and it looses signal
often enough to make it unusable as a ride recorder. You also
have to deal with the battery issue.

_ Booker C. Bense



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