VDO Z3 PC Link Altimeter, Heart Rate Monitor and Cycle Computer with PC Syncing Cable and Training Analysis Software Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Like others, my unit has a sticky button, especially under 12°C. Other negative points: The user interface is poor - it takes 4 separate operations to start recording a ride from scratch, which is ridiculous. While it has an altimeter it does not display the rate of vertical climbing, which is a great function to have. The wattage function is poor and average wattage is missing.
Ergonomically, the design is poor. The buttons are placed on the sides and require a strong push, best administered against an opposing thumb or finger. This is awkward to do while riding, because you have to bring your elbow into your gut to get your hand in the right place. If the buttons were top and bottom it would be much easier.
Worst of all, every so often it stops recording: on a recent ride of 380 km only 233 were recorded in detail, which is utterly unforgiveable.
The only positive thing about it is that my B&M headlight doesn't interfere with it: otherwise I would have stayed with my HAC4, which is a 2007 product but infinitely superior in handling.
The software has so many features that it is hard to work with, the graphic portrayal of performance is poor, and I am not convinced that it works as it should. I haven't yet found out how to extract my total km and metres climbed from it. The best thing about it is that you can export the data in Excel format and do your own evaluations - but this is rather laborious, because you have to do it for every little chunk that the idiot counter has chopped your ride into.
Abyssmal value for money.
PS: my unit gave up the ghost today. Despite all blandishments, the screen remains blank. What a crock!

Click Here to see more reviews about: VDO Z3 PC Link Altimeter, Heart Rate Monitor and Cycle Computer with PC Syncing Cable and Training Analysis Software

Elegantly designed, the wrist-style VDO Z3PC cycle computer keeps track of your training run times as well as includes integrated heart rate monitoring and an altimeter. The Z3PC offers data storage and the ability to download it to your PC for analysis with the included software. It also offers power measurement (WATT), calorie consumption, and fully digital wireless transmission for speed, heart rate, and cadence (with optional accessory). And it features ANT+Sport wireless signal coding that transmits to your computer without interference from other training computers nearby. It's backed by a five-year warranty.
PC Download Features
100 hours storage capacity (maximum 100 individual trips of 1 hour each)
Download of all cycling, cadence, heart rate data to PC
Lap data individually flagged for easy identification and analysis
Graph or spread sheet-display of trip (either on time axis or on distance axis)
Training-Analyzer-Software (by week, by month, by year)
Docking-Station with USB connection, compatible to Windows XP and Vista

Altimeter Features
Current altitude and gradient in % (permanently displayed)
Current temperature (Celsius or Fahrenheit)
Altitude gain uphill on current trip
Distance uphill on current trip
Maximum altitude on current trip
Maximum/average uphill gradient of current trip in %
Fast re-calibration of actual air pressure to home altitude

Timing and Heart Rate Monitoring Features
Current speed and distance; average speed
Real time comparison of actual and average speed, indication by arrows showing speed difference of +/- 1 km/h
Second, individually programmable distance counter; either forward or backward counting possible
Cadence Data (optional, with cadence sender equipment installed)
Two presettable wheel circumferences (wheel sizes)
Six selectable timers
Current trip timer (up to 24 hours)
Current heart rate (permanently displayed), ECG-precise measurement
Average/maximum heart rate
Current heart rate in % of personal maximum heart rate
Time in % of total training time:
within the preset heart rate limits (Limit Zone)
below the preset heart rate limits (Limit Zone)
above the preset heart rate limits (Limit Zone)

Calorie-consumption on current trip
Recovery time or recovery heart rate measurement (adjustable time or heart rate)
Lap-timer for 50 laps with data for lap time, average speed and average heart rate
Audible signal if current heart rate is above or below limit settings.
Personal data presettable (age, weight, sex, personal maximum heart rate)
Automatic calculation or manual setting of upper/lower limits for each of the three training zones
Current time, selectable 12- or 24- hour display
Alarm function

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VDO Z2 Heart Rate Monitor and Cycle Computer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is not an inexpensive computer; and if a good definition of quality is to meet expectations, then I have been let down.
It works well enough but the bugs it has are quite annoying. Maximum speed and maximum heart rate are important metrics, yet sometimes when I push hard I see a speed or heart rate on the display and then I find that the maximum recorded is a couple of units below it. That's simply not good. If the computer captures a top rate well enough to display it, it should not be a problem to record it as the maximum. It's the easiest thing to do in software.

Also, ergonomics could be better. To start the next lap, for instance, you have to press two buttons at the same time. It is error prone and in the heat of the ride it is easy to fail to do it, so you do it a few times and then find that it skipped two laps. It's quite annoying.
I have emailed customer support about this complaints and I got no answer, so there you go. So much for German engineering...


Click Here to see more reviews about: VDO Z2 Heart Rate Monitor and Cycle Computer

Elegantly designed, the wrist-style VDO Z2 cycle computer will keep track of your training with integrated heart rate monitoring as well as calorie consumption and fully digital wireless transmission for speed, heart rate, and cadence (with optional accessory). It also features ANT+Sport wireless signal coding that transmits to your computer without interference from other training computers nearby. It's backed by a five-year warranty.
Features
Current speed and distance; average speed
Real time comparison of actual and average speed, indication by arrows showing speed difference of +/- 1 km/h
Second, individually programmable distance counter; either forward or backward counting possible
Cadence Data (optional, with cadence sender equipment installed)
Two presettable wheel circumferences (wheel sizes)
Six selectable timers
Current trip timer (up to 24 hours)
Current heart rate (permanently displayed), ECG-precise measurement
Average/maximum heart rate
Current heart rate in % of personal maximum heart rate
Time in % of total training time:
within the preset heart rate limits (Limit Zone)
below the preset heart rate limits (Limit Zone)
above the preset heart rate limits (Limit Zone)

Calorie-consumption on current trip
Recovery time or recovery heart rate measurement (adjustable time or heart rate)
Lap-timer for 50 laps with data for lap time, average speed and average heart rate
Audible signal if current heart rate is above or below limit settings.
Personal data presettable (age, weight, sex, personal maximum heart rate)
Automatic calculation or manual setting of upper/lower limits for each of the three training zones
Current time, selectable 12- or 24- hour display
Alarm function

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Cateye CC-TR300TW Triple Wireless Cadence and Heart Rate Bicycle Computer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this primarily to keep track of the mileage I put into my bicycling workouts. Installation was rather straight forward but I would suggest dry mounting the magnet on the pedal first - perhaps using a short strip of electrician's tape. Once you're sure it's positioned correctly, then apply as suggested in the manual, or glue it in place with an epoxy product. The little mounting straps get nudged by your shoes when pedaling and throw the tempo readings out of whack.
The best feature of this is the included heart rate monitor. I paid more for a bottom tier Polar Pacer heart rate monitor with wrist band display than I paid for this unit. With the integrated heart rate monitor the bicycle computer calculates your calories burned - a great motivator!
Sínce I'm on the other side of 40, I certainly would appreciate a larger display, a better written owner's manual and larger control buttons. The larger numbers on some of the display screens are adequate, but the time for example is displayed in a smaller font and not easy to read if you need reading glasses. I'm a computer geek and normally never even bother with a manual, but this programming this unit is not intuitive. The manual requires careful reading to figure out how to step through the programming menu. You have to negotiate buttons on the front and back of this unit to program it. Once learned, you should be okay - just don't lose the manual.
I don't need or want all the lap functions, since I mostly ride on bicycle trails and not on a track, but if you want to keep track of distance, speed, heart rate, calories burned and total miles of your bike rides, then this is the unit for you.
One last word... You will need to set the wheel circumference on a course with mile markers. Using the default settings in the manual get you close, but to nail it, you may need to add or subtract a few mm at a time.

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Featuring Cateye's exclusive ID-coded double wireless system, this bicycle computer provides three windows displaying four readouts. In addition to displaying the rider's heart rate, functions offered are the following: current cadence; average cadence; maximum cadence; total pedal revolution; resettable total distance; resettable distance unit; lap number; lap timer; lap distance; lap average cadence; lap average speed; current speed; average speed;second average speed; maximum speed; split timer; elapsed time; second elapsed time; total time; clock time; trip distance; total distance; second trip distance. The single user-friendly transmitter mounts on the left chainstay.Like all Cateye bicycle computers, this one is ultrasonically welded and water-resistant.
About Cateye Founded in 1946 in Osaka, Japan, CatEye is the leading manufacturer of cycle computers, lights, and reflectors to cyclists in the world. In 1964, CatEye was the first in the industry to create a flashing lamp for bicycles, followed by their first battery headlamp in 1982, and the very first bicycle head lamp using white LEDs in 2001. The company's Opticube lens and reflectors make the brightest and most efficient LED headlights. while their LD500 remains the only rear safety light that can meet the rigorous CPSC standards for reflectivity.

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Garmin Edge 500 Cycling GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great bike computer with tons of amazing features. My only complaint about the unit itself is that the screen quality could be improved. It is not clear and easy to read - especially when you just want to glance down and see information. You really need to take your eyes off of the road for a moment or two to figure out what fields you are viewing and what they say.
I have not had any problems at all with the function of the unit. It easily found satelites and is pretty obvious how to configure. I really like the ability to connect this to my computer after rides and keep a detailed log of my rides. I gave the software three stars because it is very buggy and still quite rough around the edges.
I purchased the Garmin Heart Rate Monitorseparately. I do not have the Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor- it seems unnecessary for me. I don't really have a need to monitor my cadence and the speed measurements from the gps are very accurate - even on trails under pretty heavy foliage. I don't use this on a trainer.
I would strongy suggest that anyone who is considering this purchase make sure they visit the Garmin Edge 500 Forum on the Garmin website. You will learn more there than you ever wanted to know about the device. The DC Rainmaker blog also has an excellent detailed write-up.
As far as size, it is roughly the same size as my old Planet Bike Protege 9.0 9-Function Bike Computer with 4-Line Display and Temperature. The mount couldn't be easier. It uses two rubber bands to attach the base to the handlebars or stem. The unit locks into the base with a 90 degree twist - very easy and secure. It comes with tons of extra bands and I threw an extra set in my seat bag - just in case.

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Sharpen your cycling performance with Edge 500, a lightweight GPS-based cycling computer for performance-driven cyclists. Loaded with data, Edge 500 tracks your distance, speed, location and elevation with high sensitivity GPS. Add an ANT+ compatible heart rate monitor, speed/cadence sensor or compatible power meter for a finely-tuned analysis of your ride.

Jumpstart Your Training The Edge 500 attaches easily to the stem or handlebars of your bike with its low-profile bike mount. The Edge attaches easily to the mount with a simple quarter-turn. When you're ready to ride, just power on your Edge, acquire GPS satellites and go. Edge 500 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix satellite prediction to calculate your position faster.

Get the Data You Need During your ride, Edge 500 measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and records this data for your review. For extra-precise climb and descent data, Edge 500 also incorporates a barometric altimeter to pinpoint changes in elevation.

All Edge 500 versions work with third-party ANT+-enabled power meters to display your power output in watts as you ride. This valuable data shows you how hard you're working, regardless of conditions affecting your ride, so you can train smarter. Some versions also ship with a digital heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor.

Other helpful training features include a Courses feature, which helps you compare successive rides over the same route, as well as Auto Pause, Auto Lap and temperature readings. Edge also alerts you if you're moving, but the timer is not running.

Track Your Heart Rate When paired with a Garmin heart rate monitor, Edge 500 tracks heart beats per minute and uses your heart rate for advanced calorie computation, so you know how many calories you're burning. Train in a certain heart-rate zone to improve your fitness level or compare your pace and heart rate to past performance over the same ride.

Analyze Your Ride Once your ride's done, connect Edge 500 to your computer with the included USB cable to analyze your performance. With a simple click, you can join a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts through Garmin Connect, a one-stop site for data analysis and sharing.

What's in the Box Edge 500, Bike Mount, AC Charger, USB Cable, Owner's Manual on Disk, Quick Start Manual

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Garmin Edge 705 GPS-Enabled Cycling Computer (Includes Heart Rate Monitor and Speed/Cadence Sensor) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As I've read in other reviews, the Edge 705 base map is better than the 305 but no where close to what you would expect from an all-in GPS unit. If you want to obtain map detail on your PC and you GPS unit, don't buy the micro SD card but rather purchase the DVD version. I've confirmed from Garmin that if you purchase the DVD version, map detail can be viewed on your PC and the 705. All you need to do is copy the DVD to a micro sd card which you can insert into the unit.
As some of you may have found out, the micro sd card that comes with map detail can not be loaded on your PC which means you won't see the detail from your rides once you download them to the GTC software. Hope this saves some people money as well as miminizes the frustration.

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