Cycle computers have become pretty much essential for all professional and even club cyclists. One of the main reasons for this is the range of features and data generation that characterises modern versions. In this article I'll give you some of my best and valuable tips that'll make selecting your own computer as easy as pie.
The first thing you need to consider is what type of cycling you do. If you're a recreational road rider then a simple cheap and cheerful computer from any bike chop will do the job. Those who are into racing and personal training should consider going upmarket and spending a little more to get a good quality model from a reputable manufacturer that is sure to work well and be reliable. Finally if you're a downhill mountain biker that likes your ready rough and tumble with plenty of thrills and spills then consider a super tough mountain bike specific computer that won't break when you do your first big jump.
Secondly you'll need to think about what specific functions you need for your bike computer, modern versions can have a bewildering number of functions and so it pays to choose only those that you'll need. My personal opinion is that the main functions that you need are speed, time, distance, average speed and time of the ride. That's the bare minimum that you'll find on any cycle computer and so these functions will be available on most computers that you can buy. Other features that you might find are calories consumed, split times, multiple distance unit displays and trip times. My main advice is to choose only those features that you need; any more than that and you'll be wasting cash and getting an overcomplicated unit that will be more difficult to use.
Wireless or not. Wireless cycle computers have become cheaper, easier to find and more reliable in recent years and that's a good thing. With a wireless cycle computer you're free from all those fiddly wires which make your bike look a mess and are much, much easier to fit than a standard unit. My advice here is if you're proud of the way your bike looks and want to keep is looking great then go for a wireless cycle computer. The only exception to this is if you're a serious downhill biker, big landing can displace the sensors on a wireless unit and so in this case I recommend a wired unit.
Follow these tips to get the prefect bike computer every time.
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