Difficult choice - cyclometer

[Etincelle]

Hi,

I have narrowed my choices down to the following:

1) Polar s720i

2) Cyclosport hac4

Any recommendation?

[Squirrel 2]

1) very complicated to use & the screen is hard to read because it is so crowded with information. Too many buttons, hard to memorize the exact sequence of button-pushing to get the information you want, & tricky to do when you are out riding. Also, averages are not accessible while you are riding (speed, HR) -- you have to finish your recording session & scroll through memory to access these #'s. More than one LBS admits that lots of these have been returned, or replaced by something more basic for on-the-road use by their customers. It is a good tool to use on the trainer, if you are a real techy.

2) Ciclosport seems to have had lots of problems with this model, they set up a special web-site just for trouble-shooting this one. I did not get the HAC4, but the one I did get was very finicky with weather. Temps below the 50's & I had a 50/50 shot it would work, and bad road conditions would cause it to go on the fritz as well. Nice screen, but not reliable enough for me.

I ended up with a Polar running computer for HR functions, & the Mavic wireless for bike computer (replaced my Specialized, which had a great screen, but the wires kept popping out of the housing & were thin & easily bent). Now, everything works. If you feel you need all-in-one, I would probably look at the new Polar CS-100 or 200.

[Etincelle]

Hi,

Other than the Polar and hac4, is there another bike computer that is catching the detailed speed and cadence... and not only the average of the ride?

[spazzdog]

I use a Mavic WinTech with cadense sensor (you can buy it without). It's completely wireless. I love it! However, it does not (to my knowledge) have a "download to pc" function. I manually enter my data into my UltraCoach software.

spazzdog

[caligurl]

hubby had a hac4 and replaced it with a 720i.

we both love our 720i's. polar has VERY easy to use and understand HRM's..

you can set the main, large middle number from several different choices (i always use speed there); then on the upper number you get lots of good info by scrolling: overall time, lap, calories burned, average speed, cadence, time of day, distance..... hmmmmm i think another thing or two but can't remember off hand...

the bottom number is always your heart rate.

we LOVE the software that comes with the polar (the software with the hac was hard to figure out and in another language.... finding support online was next to impossible) we both have the infrared thingy to interact with the HRM....

you get a bit more info once you download.... like average and high/low temp and acent (you get altitude while on the bike if you want) and if you set "laps" you can get the percent of the grade...

you can't go wrong with the 720i!

[Veronica]

I use the Polar 710, the model before the 720. I've been using it for about three years and frankly it doesn't seem that difficult to use. The right hand buttons allow you to click through the various information it is collecting. I typically leave mine on speed or the clock. Average speed is accessible through the top button, average heart rate can be seen if you use the lap counter, the big red button. I don't worry about my average heart rate in the middle of a ride. I want to know what it is at that moment. How close am I am to my lactic threshhold? Can I push a little harder going up this hill?

If you are buying this particular model and spending the money to have the computer interface, don't scroll through memory, download it to your computer! If you don't plan on using the computer interface, don't spend the extra money.

V.