Review on 🚴 CATEYE - Velo 7 Wired Bike Computer for Enhanced SEO, CC-VL520 by Joe Duncan

This is my first experience with bike computers. I started skating again after my two children were old enough to live on their own. I ride mostly in the city and do about ten miles round trip, but I've also started doing longer trips into the country. And after a while, after all this time I've been pedaling, you start thinking about some things like, 'How fast am I actually going, how many miles am I going to get on these trips, and how long is it?' the? take all? "I know what you're thinking: 'Then why do I need a bike computer when all this information can be obtained via my smartphone's maps or other similar applications along with GPS positioning?' Well I've tried it and even after one few rides, this bike computer is MUCH easier to use than any smartphone. Some things, like this computer or any bike computer, are just better suited for a specific job. In any case, everything is included for a successful installation of VELO 7. Either way, you may need a few more connections. It took me about an hour. I have a TREK mountain bike. It features shock absorbers, V-brakes and a 3-inch riser handlebar. I also have a handlebar sleeve that sits up front and just above the brake and shifter cables. The two handlebar clamps take up some space on either side of the center handlebar clamp, leaving not much room to add accessories like this computer. Despite all these MATERIALS, installation was still a breeze. If you're thinking of putting a sensor on the rear wheel because the front shock absorbers, then stop this nonsense because you can't do it; The cable from the bike to the computer itself is not long enough to fit on the rear wheel. In any case, it doesn't matter, because everything is thought out so that you can install a computer on each set of dampers. You can either mount the VELO 7 on the handlebars (parallel to you) or on the gooseneck (perpendicular to you). The bracket has two sets of half circles for each orientation. But if you're thinking of mounting your computer on the upward bend of the handlebars, remember that the mount can't be tilted towards the ground. The attachment is rigid; In other words, he doesn't lean. theft protection. The computer can be removed from the mount when you are not on the bike. Just put it in your pocket! A NOTICE. If you really want the data returned by the computer to be as accurate as possible, you need to measure the circumference of the wheel as accurately as possible. Do this by marking and measuring the distance the wheel travels in one revolution using a flat surface like the cement in your garage. Do it SITTING ON THE BIKE. If you follow the table, you can be wrong by a few centimeters. This is because your tire will go flat under your extra weight, reducing the actual wheel/tire radius. Once you have this measurement (rounded to the nearest centimetre, mine was 201cm) write this number down as you will be entering it into the computer later. NOTE: It doesn't matter where on your spokes and forks you mount the two sensor parts. The computer does not use your wheel radius measurements to calculate the data, but instead uses the circumference (see note above). So it's easy to install, but what about the computer functionality you ask? Well, that's even better: SIMPLICITY. This is how I would describe the functionality of VELO 7. It just has one big button to press and a big screen to look at. It is, and that's how it should be when you think about it: you only have one hand to press just one button because the other has to control. And you want to be able to quickly and easily glance down and read information on the big screen, because of course you have to watch where you're walking instead. SPEED is always at the top of the screen. The same applies to so-called PACE ARROW(s). SPEED is obvious, but TEMP not so much. These pace arrows—one up, one down, or both—tell you when you're moving faster, slower, or at the same speed as your average speed. Oh, even the letters MPH, miles per hour (or km/h, kilometers per hour, if you like it) are always on the screen. The MPH starts flashing when you start your ride and continues to flash until you stop at any time. A flashing MPH lets you know the computer is working and making the necessary calculations. (Elapsed time refers to flashing miles per hour, see below.) When the large button is pressed, the bottom of the screen toggles between: TM, elapsed time; DST, current trip distance; AB, average speed; MX, top speed; ODO, the total of ALL miles regardless of current travel distance; and CLOCK, time of day. AN INTERESTING NOTE: The computer stops counting elapsed time when you stop the bike. Actually it's good. It will continue when you start peddling again. A flashing MPH indicates that elapsed time is occurring. That is the same. Holding down the big button for a few seconds will reset everything on the current ride. Everything except ODO and HOURS. ODO and CLOCK are permanent. This happens until you press the ALL CLEAR button on the back of the computer. There is an ALL CLEAR and RESET button on the back of the computer; both are small and recessed. ALL CLEAR resets the computer to factory settings and resets ODO and CLOCK to zero. RESET is slightly different; This allows you to change the HOURS, MPH or KPH and your wheel circumference setting. All this without resetting the ODO. Somewhere on the net I read that the battery lasts for years. Just take a look. After a while, the computer goes into sleep mode and then only the clock appears on the screen. As soon as you get on your bike and start a new ride, the computer wakes up automatically. GRATITUDE! Probably the hardest part, and it's not that hard once you get the hang of it, is setting up the computer itself. You have to press the RESET button on the back and use the big button on the front to toggle between some simple menus and then enter some information. I liken it to setting up a Casio watch. do you remember these things Press the wrong button and you will reset all your settings and start over again. That may be disappointing. But actually it's not that bad. Ease of installation. Easy to use. Intuitive design. Gives you really valuable data at a glance while driving. Smarter than some people I know. Big display. This thing "literally gets you to church on time". The price is great for what you get. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ----- UPDATE: 2015-08-13 ----- I started having strange problems with intermittent signal generation. While driving, the computer would go to 0 (zero) mph and TIME PASSED would stop. Then it started again, then it stopped, then it started again. But eventually it got worse and stopped altogether. At first I thought it was a sensor on the wheel; I thought the two parts of the sensor were misaligned or too far apart to work properly. But it wasn't. The problem was a loose wire on the bracket. I must have taken the computer too far from the mount a day because one of those metal pickups just detached enough of the wire to stop contact, or they were never properly aligned to begin with. So I had to reconfigure the pickup with its wire. I did this by pulling the sensor out of the wire with a sharp, pointed knife. Then I just pushed it back into the wire. It must have helped because the computer was working again. No more problems with intermittent signal. Little things like that can drive me crazy. But I'll just put it in the "Troubleshooting" section. Still highly recommended!