Top 5 Best Wireless Bike Computer Reviews 2017
If you are an avid bike rider, or you just want to be able to track how far you go, your current speed, etc., when you’re on a bike ride, then a bicycle computer is a good thing to have. Bike computers help you keep a record of your bike trip and even help you learn from it.
Bike computers attach to your handlebars and will tell you your speed, how far you’ve gone, and allow for GPS if you choose to purchase one with that feature. Because there are so many features that you can find on a bike computer, none of them are the same whatsoever. It’s up to you to decide what features you want the most and which features you could live without.
Wireless bike computers are ideal because there isn’t the need to hide or contain a bunch of wires for the computer to work. They are easy to install, small, and they can easily be moved from one bike to another. One of the major downsides to a wireless bike computer is that most of them take batteries, which can become costly, annoying, and battery life is varied.
Since not all wireless bike computers are equal, which ones are the best for you and which should help you avoid? In this article, we’re going to go over five of the best wireless bicycle computers that you can find on the market today that is worth the money you’ll spend on them.
CatEye – Strada Wireless Cycle Computer
Price: $49.99
Key Features:
- Shows cyclists their current, max, and average speed, total trip distance, elapsed ride time, pace arrow, and clock
- Automatically knows when you’ve stopped and stops counting time and averaging speed
- The base is the only button you need; it allows you to toggle through all functions easily
- Easy to mount, adjust, and move
- You can switch it between bikes and it has a dual tire size
Pros:
- While this computer is tiny, it is incredibly accurate when it comes to your average speed, trip distances and time
- Incredibly easy to mount onto your bike and adjust if need be, all with your hand.
- Easy to change between functions while you’re going. Instead of a bunch of different buttons, there’s just the one that you need to hit
- It’s wireless, so you don’t have to try to hide the wires or move them out of the way
Cons:
- This computer does require batteries in order for it to work
- It’s easy to accidentally touch this computer and have all of your data erased or changed
- Removing the computer can be quite tough to do, it requires a lot of force and can erase your information in the process
CatEye Velo Wireless Cyclocomputer
Price: $40.00
Key Features:
- Comes in multiple colors
- Single button operation with eight functions
- Wireless sensor
- Provides current, average, maximum speed, trip distance, and total distance
- Has an auto start and stop, power save, and sleep mode
Pros:
- The quality of this product feels as though it is meant to last, cyclists won’t have to worry about it breaking suddenly
- There are so many features on this computer, all of them are easily accessible with the single button on the computer
- Once the magnet and sensor are securely installed onto the bike, it’s secured tightly. It’ll barely move, plus the sensor doesn’t require adhesive so there isn’t any residue left behind
Cons:
- After a couple of weeks, some buyers found that this computer stopped working. They found that the wireless connection was no longer working
Garmin Edge 25 GPS Cycling Computer
Price: $169.99
Key Features:
- One of the smallest cycling GPS computers in the world: Weighs only 25 grams
- Great GPS setting; tracks your location even under tree cover
- Connected features allow you to easily share details of your ride with friends via social media
- You can easily pair this with a heart rate monitor, cadence sensor, and speed sensor
- You can download courses, view personal records, and more
Pros:
- This unit is so simple to use, even the design of the computer itself is simple
- Incredibly compact, it’s the same size as a wristwatch
- The screen is easy to read; you can flip between a clock, a data screen, and a rough map of the path you’re traveling
- There’s a beep that lets you know that you’re flipping through pages and the buttons are large enough that you can easily touch them if you’ve got gloves on
Cons:
- You do need to buy additional add-ons if you want to be able to track your heart rate or speed
Lezyne Mini GPS Bike Computer
Price: $129.00
Key Features:
- Has GPS option
- Tracks your speed based on current, average, and maximum speed
- It has 100 hours of memory on it
- Very small and easy to install
Pros:
- Easy to use and set up
- Battery life is good, especially considering it does take batteries
- Easy to switch between bikes if you need to
- Easily saves maps, your mileage, and vertical feet climbed
Cons:
- The GPS does require some time to connect to a signal
Garmin Edge 520 Bike GPS
Price: $249.99
Key Features:
- Offers in-ride challenges through Strava live segments
- Pairs with compatible indoor trainers for data display and control
- It has automatic uploads, live tracking, smart notifications, sends/receives courses, social media sharing, and weather functions
Pros:
- The screen size is large enough to take a quick glance while you’re riding but small enough that it doesn’t take over your handlebars
- Battery life lasts 8 hours, as long as you don’t have the backlight on all the time
- The GPS assistance works wonders if you’re riding around on tricky paths and trails
Cons:
- The configuration of information can be somewhat unreliable; it can sometimes leave the screen reading off gibberish
- There is a lot of lag time when it comes to maps updating, using the cadence sensor, and the maps tend to freak out when you go on a new trail
