The first two cycle computers I brought were around the £10 mark, both corded and both broke within weeks of buying them.They were a pain to fit (especially trying to lose the 3 metres of extra wire they give you), fragile and had very limited features.
The first broke after I snagged the cord on a bush down a tight section of single track and on the second I broke the sensor after forgeting to move it out of the way whilst removing the front wheel to mend a puncture in the pouring rain. I tried all types of glue to mend it but to no avail.
I was recommended to buy the Cateye Cordless 2 by my local bike shop and after shelling out £24 I have not regretted it. Fitting is easy even on my fat Manitou forks and the design of the sensor means it does not need to be moved out of the way to remove the front wheel even with 2.1 tyres fitted. The head unit needs to be within 60 centremetres of the sensor which is not a problem as long as you mount the sensor fairly high up the fork.
The computer has all the features I need including total distance, trip distance, current speed, max speed, average speed, ride time and a clock. It has not given me and problems over the last year even after big 'offs' when the head unit has been knocked off its mounting clip but not damaged.
The only negative with this unit is the slow update time - the sensor only transmits speed data to the head unit once a second so it does not show instant acceleration like a corded computer does but this is a small price to pay for increased battery life, both the head unit and the sensor take a CR2032 battery and have so far lasted over a year and 1500 miles.
In summary buy one - its high initial price is off set by only having to buy one rather then 2 cheap ones when you break them.
Last Updated 28-11-2000
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