Bicycle Odometers

Review by jeff101 "jeff0101" : CS600 with power

This is the new Polar cycling computer/HRM/Power Meter. Once you get everything hooked up and working it does seem to work pretty well. Unfortunatly getting to that point can be a bit frustrating and Polar made some compatibility changes which they mention on their web page (at least I didn't see it).

First off the installation took me about 2 hours to complete and the documentation was a bit misleading. The first item you will end up installing is the power sensor. According to the documentation + an addendum, the circle on the top of the power sensor needs to be exactly halfway between the center of the bottom bracket and the center of the rear axle. So far so good. Then they say that the chain should be 2mm above the sensor when in the small chainring and the smallest rear cog. I wasted a lot of time trying to get close to 2mm and it's just not possible. At that level of seperation the magnet in the sensor will grab the chain anytime there is no force on the chain. After giving up that effort I set it up at about 7mm and it seems to work ok. The magnet can still grab the chain in small chainring/small sprocket but it seems ok in other gears. In my oppinion they should never have designed/recommended 2mm of seperation. That is just rediculously small. They should also have some cheap easilly replacable plastic protector for the top of the sensor for those times when you drop your chain. Overall, having sensor under the chain on the rear chainstay is not the most elegant or cleanest solution.

My next item of complaint is the fact that the speed sensor doesn't have a replacable battery. I'm not sure how much a replacement will be, but even if it's inexpensive, I don't like the idea of downtime. Basically you will need to pick up a spair speed sensor as a backup. Considering the fact that every other battery is user replacable, this just bothers me.

The last item I have issue with is the fact that it doesn't work the old Polar serial IRDA. Fortunatly it works with the built in infrared port on my notebook, but once again I wasted time trying to get it to work with something that will never work with it. They make no mention of this in the manual or on their web pages.

Now that I covered the bad, I will point out some positives. My old computer was the Polar S710. While that worked about 98% of the time, it was very sensitive to electromagnetic interference. On any given ride, I would experience about 4 or 5 spikes where speed/cadence and HR spiked. Even with my older wireless computers (speed only), I never got spikes like that. The speed sensor on the 710 also seemed a bit slugish compared to my other wireless computers. The CS600 seems to have resolved those issues. The speed sensor is more responsive and not as sensitive to interference.

I also like the new 2.4Ghz methodology they are using for their sensors. Basically you bind the devices to the computer much as you would a bluetooth device. This way the computer will only communicate with those devices so there should never be any interference with devices that other people are using.

The new Power sensor also claims to have a 5% margin of error. I haven't tested this, but it is a 5% improvement over what they claimed for their old S series unit.

The computer display is well laid out and is easy to use. It's loaded with nice features like altitude, incline grade and estimated arrival time. I also like the new twist on mounting system. Removing the S710 from the mount was such a pain. Not so with the CS600, it's a 2 second operation and it seems just as secure.

The protrainer pro 5 software that it comes with is very good and is easy to use.

Would I recommend the product? As long as you know what your getting into it probably won't dissapoint you. The computer itself is top notch. The big weaknesses are the installation, how close to the chain the unit needs to be and the fact that you can't replace the battery in the speed sensor.

Review by J. R. Revuelta "JR" : This is the best technology there is for cycling

I've been cycling for over 20 years now... Earlier when I was a lot younger I participated in every kind of competition in every level. Now I just do my cycling to feel good with myself and finish every ride with satisfaction. Don't get me wrong, I still ride several hundred kms per week and the intensity of the rides is very hard.

This little piece of hardware is showing me, with amazing detail, every aspect of training you may imagine, and is totally customizable. You spend some time in the computer every sunday, and plan your week. The computer will then know your training parameters for the session and guide you through it. Showing the appropriate display: If you want to train based on cadence, power, heart rate, speed, time, intervals, you name it, there is an appropriate display for it, and you get to change it at will if you want to concentrate in something different.

At the begining is normal to go by riding and checking all of the displays just to check out all there is to display, you'll get distracted watching the inclination of the terrain vary as you go, or get focused on the time spent on each HR zone during your intervals.

Bottom line, this is the best of the best of what you may get for a cycling computer. A piece of advise though; be sure to know how to train before you start using it. This is not a training guide, or the software is not an advisor. If you start trying different ways to guide your training based on the info you get from it, you'll spend the whole year trying, and getting nowhere. Too much information can also clutter your way to fitness.

Review by T. S. Magann : I got the power.

I'm really enjoying this new power meter. I thought it was pretty simple to install - took me all of twenty minutes. What other power meter can you install yourself? The technology has a great deal of promise; and the data collected is voluminous. But, as with any advanced training tool, the learning curve is steep.
The head unit is great: compact and attractive, easy to get on and off the mount, easy to control, and quite configurable.
Sure, the power measuring unit itself is a bit clunky and unattractive, but it seems sturdy enough, and the batteries are easy to replace.
The included Polar ProTrainer 5 software is powerful and complicated, as one would expect.
My purchase decision hinged on my past experience with Polar HR monitors, my recent purchase of an RS800 running computer, the self-installation and the low price - - in that order. So far I have been pleased with this product.