Wireless Computer

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mgrove
I have used a variety of computers. I am sick and tired of running wires on my bike. I would like to get a new !wireless computer that I can run off my back wheel. I would really like to have cadence on it too.

Does anyone have any experience with anything that works well in this configuration?

Thanks

The Sigma BC 1600 Can go wireless, and has the option of cadence. Flite Deck will do it also for you provided your Shimano compatible... No one will do it via the rear wheel as far as I know.

You can go wireless, and off the back wheel (for speed) if you use a Polar S710i or S720i.
All you have to do is open up the speed transmitter and move a little jumper to increase the signal strength (battery life is shortened slightly).
You will then have a wireless, rear wheel transmitted heart rate monitor and bike computer in one.

The cadence transmitter is an optional extra that you can purchase from your Polar dealer, it is also wireless.

I know this works because I have the same set up on one of my bikes for use on the mag trainer.

isn't there a new MAVIC, wireless, with cadence

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by MASCO
isn't there a new MAVIC, wireless, with cadence

You are correct. That unit will set ya back a $100.00, plus another $50.00 for the cadence unit... (If you can find one in stock). 😄

I'm using ultegra STI and was thinking changing from my cateye cordless to the shimano flight deck wireless, just coz it can show which gears I'm on and cadence without additional crank detector.

Its more expensive and runs wire to both the lever. Can anyone with experience with it give me some input?

Try doing a search on the Flite deck, I think you'll find people don't like the manual that comes with it. (Difficult to follow/understand).

Ok, I'm ignorant. What's the value of having your computer run off the rear wheel?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jstraw
Ok, I'm ignorant. What's the value of having your computer run off the rear wheel?

My guess is if you can't ride the roads outside, and intend on using the bike with a rear wheel only trainer, you then have a little data/feedback from your training session...

I've been using a Vetta V100HR wireless and love it - reliable, durable and accurate. There is a cadence kit available for it as well...

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mmpc001
I've been using a Vetta V100HR wireless and love it - reliable, durable and accurate. There is a cadence kit available for it as well...

Interesting, I have a V100A with the cadence unit and "reliable, durable and accurate" has not been my experience. I wonder what other bike computers you've tried (esp. wireless) that you are comparing it to?

I find the V100A to be very fiddly with very short battery life on the transmitters and have found the cadence unit to be particularly inaccurate. One thing I particularly don't like about it is you need to reinitialize the altitude *every* time you ride - if my garage was 1410 feet above sea level when I got off the bike and neither the bike nor the garage has moved it's still 1410 feet! It's not difficult to do just unnecessary.

With respect to the cadence unit, if I ride at a steady cadence with the cadence displaying, it will oscillate between 54 and 88. It doesn't do this constantly but does it often enough that I suspect the average cadence is probably not accurate. There is another possibility I've considered for why it does this: the computer isn't very powerful and it prioritizes updating the display lower than managing counters. In this case, the average cadence might be accurate despite the oscillation.

Finally, the transmitters go through batteries at a fairly high rate. If they last a month, it's a long time.

I'm not questioning your results, only saying I've not been able to duplicate them.

Oh, one other comment. You'll probably be more successful getting in touch with bin Laden than Vetta. I've called them several times, left messages, etc., and have yet to speak to a human from Vetta.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Greg

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ghsmith54
Interesting, I have a V100A with the cadence unit and "reliable, durable and accurate" has not been my experience. I wonder what other bike computers you've tried (esp. wireless) that you are comparing it to?

I find the V100A to be very fiddly with very short battery life on the transmitters and have found the cadence unit to be particularly inaccurate. One thing I particularly don't like about it is you need to reinitialize the altitude *every* time you ride - if my garage was 1410 feet above sea level when I got off the bike and neither the bike nor the garage has moved it's still 1410 feet! It's not difficult to do just unnecessary.

With respect to the cadence unit, if I ride at a steady cadence with the cadence displaying, it will oscillate between 54 and 88. It doesn't do this constantly but does it often enough that I suspect the average cadence is probably not accurate. There is another possibility I've considered for why it does this: the computer isn't very powerful and it prioritizes updating the display lower than managing counters. In this case, the average cadence might be accurate despite the oscillation.

Finally, the transmitters go through batteries at a fairly high rate. If they last a month, it's a long time.

I'm not questioning your results, only saying I've not been able to duplicate them.

Oh, one other comment. You'll probably be more successful getting in touch with bin Laden than Vetta. I've called them several times, left messages, etc., and have yet to speak to a human from Vetta.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Greg

I have a Vetta V100HR wireless with wireless cadence. When I first got it back in June I left the chest transmitter in the car on a hot summer day and it fried it (ther's a warning in the manual not to do this). I called Vetta up and they said send the whole thing back and it was replaced. I've been using it since with the same batteries and no transmission/battery problems at all. You should have just demanded a replacement up front as you obviously have a bum unit.

I really like mine. The HR is picked up by the unit itself and not the mounting bracket where the speed and cadence data are picked up which means you can put on the chest transmitter and put the unit in your pocket and get HR data while your off of the bike.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ghsmith54
One thing I particularly don't like about it is you need to reinitialize the altitude *every* time you ride - if my garage was 1410 feet above sea level when I got off the bike and neither the bike nor the garage has moved it's still 1410 feet! It's not difficult to do just unnecessary.

Of course you have to recalibrate the altimeter, it works by using a known altitute calibrated against air pressure. Since air pressure is not constant, but the known altitude is, you have to recalibrate the altimeter at the known altitude for the current air pressure (the monitor has no way of knowing that you are starting measurement from the same point - it does not have built in GPS).

Pretty much the same system used on most airplanes.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by davidbod
I have a Vetta V100HR wireless with wireless cadence. When I first got it back in June I left the chest transmitter in the car on a hot summer day and it fried it (ther's a warning in the manual not to do this). I called Vetta up and they said send the whole thing back and it was replaced. I've been using it since with the same batteries and no transmission/battery problems at all. You should have just demanded a replacement up front as you obviously have a bum unit.

I would have done had I been able to get in touch with someone from Vetta. I've had the unit for about 6 months now but I'll try again.

Anyone else with the cadence unit see the behavior I see where the cadence oscillates? As I said in my original post, this doesn't happen constantly, I just notice that when I leave the unit on the speed/cadence display that with a steady pedaling speed (with maybe 1-2 strokes/minute variance) the cadence will periodically go from 88 to 54 then back to 88. I don't watch it constantly but I would guess this happens 2-3 times per minute. It'll display 54 for a few seconds then before returning to the correct speed.

Greg

I just bought a V100HR, but having read several reports of dissatisfaction with the wireless componentry, I elected to go with the wired sensor kit (with cadence). I am curious to see how the unit performs 'wired'. If my results are good, then some of you may want to convert to the wired harness. I will report next week.

I purchased a Vetta V100A wireless unit with wireless cadence last fall. It has worked well on the two dozen or so rides I was able to get in before the weather deteriorated, and I have experienced no problems.

I have a V88 wireless that I bought lightly used on ebay. The first thing I didn't like was the wheel magnet, it was way too heavy with a metal housing and a set screw to damage the spoke with. It was so heavy I felt it would cause imbalance at high revs so I made my own lightweight magnet/housing (okay I'm handy, what can I say?)
The next thing that doesn't work as it should is the auto start. I need to remeber to start it myself at the beginning of a ride, then if I stop for more than a couple minutes it shuts off (as it should) but then it doesn't start by itself when I shove off again. I miss alot of km's from my ride records that way.

Interesting Post... I bought a V100HR w/ wireless cadence last november but haven't been able to use it yet. Still waiting on my bike(couple of weeks i'm told) and the weather to warm up(it's about -40 right now) but I'll certainly post some reviews as soon as the spring comes! Hopefully the wireless cadence setup wasn't a waste of money 🙄

If you can wait a bit, there is a new unit coming out that is a GPS/heads up display, attached to your helmet. See:
http://www.motionresearch.com/products.htm

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by MASCO
If you can wait a bit, there is a new unit coming out that is a GPS/heads up display, attached to your helmet. See:
http://www.motionresearch.com/products.htm

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