Review on Topeak Panoram V16 16 Function Dual Wireless Cycle Computer with Cadence: Your Ultimate Cycling Companion by Chris Munns

I bought this and when I couldn't get it to work on my bike I gave it away. This is not a very good design. Problem number one is the documentation: It's a huge single sheet, like an unfolded large freeway map. The author's first goal seems to be to use as few words as possible, probably to minimize the difficulty of translating into the many different languages in which this (like most cycle computers) has to be documented. Other computers (e.g. VDO, Specialized) come with small books containing a few words to help with the illustrations. In any case, the installation and initial setup guides are too incomprehensible because they have almost no text, only dense, small, very busy diagrams with symbols. The system contains many small parts (more than any other computer I've seen). and some are optional. They are packaged in groups but NOT in the same groups as the parts diagram on the documentation sheet. Imagine spending a good half hour sketching the small details and trying to identify them with the numbers. Next comes the installation and the requirements are very high. The wheel sensor should be no more than 45cm/18" from the computer, closer than any other wireless connection I've seen and impossible for my bike to connect to. And this requirement is not documented anywhere (notably on this Revain sales page), except for the size printed in 6pt font in the middle of the setup diagram. I would not have bought this car if this very strict requirement had been announced beforehand! The wheel sensor not only has to be close to the computer, it has to be aligned in such a way that the narrow end is pointing straight at the computer - also only documented. in the figure, and this strictly limits the position of the computer to the center of the handlebar above the fork. The cadence sensor is large and not only should it be within 5mm of the inside of the crank arm (often difficult to reach depending on frame layout) but it should also be up to 15 degrees up towards the computer! Like a small cannon on a frame pointing at the handlebars. Again, this requirement is not documented, except for the numbers and arrows on the installation diagram. The display is complex and has many modes. To be honest I haven't tried to figure out the many modes that can be accessed by pressing three button combinations (and holding some combinations for 2 or 4 seconds). The documentation sheet is just insanely complex with symbols for press, press and hold, pressing two keys, etc. and arrows going in all directions, like a flowchart for a complex program. But you'd better study it well before you start setting up your computer! Because if you're in setup mode and don't press a key for 20 seconds, for example while you're tinkering with a diagram, the computer reverts to the standard display and you have to go through the entire setup sequence. again! Thankfully, when I realized the computer didn't work with my bike, I gave up trying to figure out how to use it. I noticed that there are five displays arranged in a ring, so you have to go through them all to get back to the first. So if you want to know your average speed or anything else you need to press Mode five (5) times to cycle through all the displays and return to the main speed display. Try this while riding the pace line. and the Lord will help you if you want to use the stopwatch function.