fish@ihlpg.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (05/14/85)
*** AC T YOUR AGE *** After numerous rave reviews of this little electronic marvel, I bought one, and I've got a few negative remarks about it. My chief complaint is that the cables and mounting brackets for the wheel and cadence sensors are extremely flimsy. The cables are fixed to the frame by way of nylon wire ties, and the brackets are made of a soft metal that bends easily. Since the alignment of the wheel and cadence sensors and their magnets is critical, they require constant adjustment. The cables are thin and have the consistency of wet spaghetti, with about the same strength, I'd imagine. The unit is not completely weatherproof, either. Cateye does not recommend exposing it to a hard rain, so you evidently must remove the unit to a saddlebag or something if you're caught by a storm. That leaves you with the problem of what to do with that cable hanging down from where it plugged in to the cadence jack. On the positive side, the unit does have an accurate timer and cyclometer, and it is nice to see how fast you're going. However, it would be nice if the chronometer would stop when I do. You have to stop it when you wait for a traffic light, and I'm always forgetting to turn it back on, so I rarely get a feel for my actual moving average speed. I'd like to hear from other cateye owners who may have solved some of these problems. For cyclists who are contemplating getting one of these gadgets, I'm reluctant to recommend it to any one who rides under less than ideal conditions, as I do. __ / \ \__/ Bob Fishell ihnp4!ihlpg!fish
blb@cbscc.UUCP (Ben Branch) (05/15/85)
My wife has had a Cateye Solar for about two years, and I just got one a couple of months ago. We don't really have any complaints about the mounting brackets; if you use the plastic strips that go under the mounting bands, you can tighten it pretty darn well. It has gone out of adjustment only once, and that was the cadence meter after putting the bike on the back of the car for about 100 miles. It readjusted fine. The cables aren't very aesthetic, but they haven't been a problem. There is a plug-hole in the mounting unit attached to the handlebars (the one the computer itself slides onto) for keeping the cadence cable jack out of harm's way when the unit's not there. We haven't ridden in a lot of sloppy weather, but there has been the usual thunderstorm or two, and we haven't had any troubles (yet anyway.) I particularly like the fact that the unit records your max speed, and keeps your average speed to the tenth of an mph. I used to have a Pacer 2000 that kept average speed only to the nearest whole mph, which doesn't mean much. Plus the Pacer's pressure-membrane buttons often had to be hit *just right* to register, which was a big bore.
kjchapman@wateng.UUCP (Kevin J. Chapman) (05/15/85)
I agree with your comments on the flimsy nature of the Solar's
cables and brackets. While I've never had any problems with the
wheel sensor, I keep on hitting the cadence sensor with my heel.
It would be nice to have the speed averaging shut off while
you're stopped at a light, but I find that it's almost become
instinctive for me to turn the thing off whenever I stop. I guess
people wonder why I jab at the air above my handlebars at stoplights
when I'm on my non-Solar equipped bike :-).
The other two problems you mention are easily taken care of.
When it rains just put a little sandwich bag (or something a bit
sturdier) over the computer. If you do then you don't have to worry
about the cadence plug hanging loose. On the other hand, if you
still want to take the thing off, there's a little hole on the mounting
bracket just beside the point where the wheel sensor wire is attached.
You're supposed to stick the cadence plug in there when it's not plugged
into the computer.
Oh, and one comment I wanted to add: three months of weak winter
sun in a north-facing window is a poor way to keep the batteries
charged, as I discovered. It's probably a good idea to stick the
thing under a bright light during those non-biking months.
--
Kevin Chapman
Computer Communications Networks Group
Waterversity of Uniloo
'Loo, Ont., Canadabarrys@tekecs.UUCP (Barry Steel) (05/16/85)
> The unit is not completely weatherproof, either. Cateye does > not recommend exposing it to a hard rain, so you evidently must > remove the unit to a saddlebag or something if you're caught by > a storm. That leaves you with the problem of what to do with that > cable hanging down from where it plugged in to the cadence jack. > I've used a baggie and a rubber band with good results. There is a small hole on the left side of the mounting bracket to plug the unused jack into (pretty clever, these Japanese). > On the positive side, the unit does have an accurate timer and > cyclometer, and it is nice to see how fast you're going. However, > it would be nice if the chronometer would stop when I do. You > have to stop it when you wait for a traffic light, and I'm > always forgetting to turn it back on, so I rarely get a feel for > my actual moving average speed. > I agree, this is a pain, however, it does represent your true average speed (you went working at that stop light, now were you?) > I'd like to hear from other cateye owners who may have solved some of > these problems. For cyclists who are contemplating getting one of > these gadgets, I'm reluctant to recommend it to any one who rides > under less than ideal conditions, as I do. > During the winter, when I was riding my clunker bike, the Cateye sat around in a "sunny" window. It discharged so far that I had to buy new batteries (it would not recharge itself). When that happens, you loose your odometer reading, which can NOT be reset. I DO think that, given the above limitations, the Cateye is the way to go. I would like a cyclometer with the following features, is there one? Resetable odometer. 12/24 hour clock. MPH to tenth. Too low/high alarm on cadence. Water-proof! Silent mode (NO BEEPS). Ability to store two wheel diameter constants (so you could switch bikes quickly). Optional heart rate sensor. "Stop time when I stop" mode. Temperature sensor. Cost ~$100. Sounds like a good idea for you entrepreneurs out there.
jans@mako.UUCP (Jan Steinman) (05/16/85)
In article <5325@tekecs.UUCP> barrys@tekecs.UUCP (Barry Steel) writes: >During the winter, when I was riding my clunker bike, the Cateye sat >around in a "sunny" window. It discharged so far that I had to buy new >batteries (it would not recharge itself). Same thing happened to me. I figured, "If they charge 'em, why can't I?" I put about 10 mills through them overnight -- it works like new. Be very careful of the current level, though. Those AgO cells can go off like a blasting cap, which is probably why there are not chargers for them available. >When that happens, you loose your odometer reading, which can NOT be reset. About September of 84, I posted a schematic and directions for setting the Cateye Solar odometer to some arbitrary value, using a signal generator, a resistor, and a common NPN transistor. The idea is to fool the thing into thinking you're riding at over 80mph. It is a simple matter to calculate approximately when the proper mileage will come up. I will attempt to dig it up and re-post it if there is interest. -- :::::: Jan Steinman Box 1000, MS 61-161 (w)503/685-2843 :::::: :::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans Wilsonville, OR 97070 (h)503/657-7703 ::::::
barrys@tekecs.UUCP (Barry Steel) (05/17/85)
> Same thing happened to me. I figured, "If they charge 'em, why can't I?" > I put about 10 mills through them overnight -- it works like new. Be very > careful of the current level, though. Those AgO cells can go off like a > blasting cap, which is probably why there are not chargers for them available. For those of us less inclined, the batteries can be purchased at your local camera shop for $3 (takes two). I have also purchased a second mounting bracket for my other bike ($12), so I shouldn't have to worry about that cold, dark window ledge.
mjl@ritcv.UUCP (Mike Lutz) (05/17/85)
-- From Bob Fishell's article (479@ihlpg.UUCP): > My chief complaint is that the cables and mounting brackets for > the wheel and cadence sensors are extremely flimsy. The cables > are fixed to the frame by way of nylon wire ties, and the brackets > are made of a soft metal that bends easily. Since the alignment of > the wheel and cadence sensors and their magnets is critical, they > require constant adjustment. The flimsy cables and tie-wraps annoy me too, but I've had to readjust the sensor & magnets only twice (and I've pulled the front wheel several times). > The unit is not completely weatherproof, either. Light rains don't bother it, but the downpours do. However, downpours bother me too, so, wimp that I am, I don't ride in them. > ... That leaves you with the problem of what to do with that > cable hanging down from where it plugged in to the cadence jack. Maybe I'm addressing the wrong problem, but there is a little hole in the side of the handlebar mount to hold the cadence plug when the cateye itself is removed. > ... However, it would be nice if the chronometer would stop when I do. You > have to stop it when you wait for a traffic light, and I'm > always forgetting to turn it back on, so I rarely get a feel for > my actual moving average speed. This is the single most annoying problem in my opinion, partially offset by the availability of the cadence. Overall, I do recommend the Cateye, even with the problems mentioned above. -- Mike Lutz Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY UUCP: {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!mjl CSNET: mjl%rit@csnet-relay.ARPA