Recommendation for a good cycling computer (my experience with Lezyne was horrible))

[WaveHunter]

Love to hear recommendations on getting a good cycling computer that has no sensor pairing issues and MOST IMPORTANTLY, works well with Strava Live Segment notification & tracking, and has GOOD customer support.  If you are into Live Segments and use a bike computer that handles notifications well, PLEASE let me know what you use.  I hate to spend money for a Garmin or Wahoo but I will if it's the only way to get good sensor pairing and reliable Live Segment notification & tracking.

 

As for the computer I already bought, my advice to anyone considering it is DON'T BUY IT!  Thought I found a great computer at reasonable cost in the Lezyne Super GPS.  I was WRONG!  The thing is a total piece of trash, and customer support is virtually non-existent. 

 

It looks slick, has loads of features (everything I wanted including Strava Live Segments notifications) and is positively reviewed all over the net, but from day one it was quirky at best.  Had constant issues getting speed, heart, and cadence sensors to all stay paired together.  Constantly had to fiddle around to get pairing and then during a ride one sensor would drop out.  It was supposed to support Strava Live Segment notification, but in actuality, it only does it in a very buggy way (almost useless)! 

 

I contacted customer support and they say they are aware of some "minor" issues with pairing and the quirky behavior with segments and  "they are working on it".  Their only advice...perhaps I should just be patient for the next firmware update.  Yeah right!  Maybe they should NOT be selling a unit that does not work as advertised!

 

Then, after only one month, blank screen!  The damn screen goes black even though it's fully powered.  The unit is functioning when you connect to laptop but the screen just does not come on.  Tried everything including seeking customer support from Lezyne (both from their website and Twitter).  Their customer support was the real joke.  Mock surprise "Gee, we haven't encountered this issue from our customers before"  (yeah...right!  See below).  Just lame advice on updating firmware and doing a hard reset.  Explain to me how you do these things with a BLANK SCREEN !@#$% ? 

 

The the crowning slap in the face...Customer support refuses any sort of warranty action because... (Get This) ... they have not had any similar complaints of this nature from other customers.  LOL...You've got to be kidding me!  In fact, if you go to Amazon and view purchasers feedback (which I should have done before I bought this piece of c*ap) there are numerous complaints exactly as I have described!  BOTTOM LINE...STAY AWAY FROM LEZYNE.  They are total garbage and you'll get no help from their customer support at all!

 

 

Thanks!

[malathione]

My Garmins over the years have been flawless. Maybe try pricing one of the last generation 800 series. Read up on DC Rainmaker to make sure it does exactly what you need it to do.

[WaveHunter]

4 hours ago, malathione said:

My Garmins over the years have been flawless. Maybe try pricing one of the last generation 800 series. Read up on DC Rainmaker to make sure it does exactly what you need it to do.

Thanks for the suggestion; I was looking at used ones on eBay, and long term reviews sound pretty good on that series.  Kind of annoying they are so expensive but I guess I discovered that you get what you pay for.  

[SpokaneAl]

I am also a long time Garmin user, for swimming, biking and running. For biking I use either an 820 or a 520 and they have been bulletproof in my experience.

[scubascuba3]

I've had a Bryton Rider 310 for 2 years and it's been very good and not expensive. No issues with Strava, I've not used live segments, i tend to look at segments after.

 

Bryton seems to be about half the price of Garmin and Polar.

 

I'd buy another 310 from Aliexpress. Newer and more expensive models available

[coldfusionPaul]

Be aware that garmin power buttons tend to fall apart, I've had this happen to 810 and 1000 edge models. Cycling friends have seen this with the 5xx models as well. In the US you can walk in and get a replacement but here it's "at least" 5k THB AND a 3 months wait.

 

Wahoo or bryton seem ok/cheaper replacements, maybe even iGSPORTS though not sure about live segments (I've been using their cadence sensor, lasted 3++ years).

[WaveHunter]

7 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've had a Bryton Rider 310 for 2 years and it's been very good and not expensive. No issues with Strava, I've not used live segments, i tend to look at segments after.

 

Bryton seems to be about half the price of Garmin and Polar.

 

I'd buy another 310 from Aliexpress. Newer and more expensive models available

I have heard a lot of really positive reviews of Bryton.  My primary use will be specifically for Strava live segments so "live" notifications that I'm approaching a segment are important to me as well as segment performance as I'm riding the segment .  Do you know (or can you check on your next ride) if you get good notifications performance from your unit (preferably with audio alerts of approaching segment)?  The Lezyne computer I bought was supposed to do exactly that but failed miserably.

[WaveHunter]

3 hours ago, coldfusionPaul said:

Be aware that garmin power buttons tend to fall apart, I've had this happen to 810 and 1000 edge models. Cycling friends have seen this with the 5xx models as well. In the US you can walk in and get a replacement but here it's "at least" 5k THB AND a 3 months wait.

 

Wahoo or bryton seem ok/cheaper replacements, maybe even iGSPORTS though not sure about live segments (I've been using their cadence sensor, lasted 3++ years).

I'm really nervous about Garmin because I've had several (non-biking) units fail over the years, and Garmin charges a flat fee for warranty repair (whether or not the issue is their fault).  AND I have seen a number of YouTube reviews about the issues with the power button too.  I have to admit that when they work, they work VERY well.  Still though, If I have to go for a high-end unit, I'm leaning towards Wahoo I think.

 

For anyone interested to know, I did look into IGPSPORTS.  Specifically I looked at the igsport 618 model which is very inexpensive on AliExpress at around THB 3,000.  Just like Lezyne, it has a very impressive set of features.  Unfortunately it does not handle Strava Live Segments at all ????  Also, though not a lot of reviews are yet on Amazon, those that are appearing seem to be mixed, and the negative reviews are real concerning.  What's more, I'd be uncomfortable trying to deal with their Customer Support if issues occurred because I emailed them several times about Strava compatibility and got no replies whatsoever...and their website support page does not appear to be too user friendly for a westerner at all.  JUST A HEADS-UP for anyone considering one.

 

Regarding Chinese bike electronics, I think they are starting to put out pretty impressive stuff lately!  I have Magene sensors (heart, speed, cadence) that I bought on AliExpress last year.  They pair to my iphone Wahoo app flawlessly and have performed perfectly for me.  They are ANT also BTW  They are a fraction of the price of ones by Garmin et al, even cheaper than IGSPORTS (which seem to be the exact same design), and they also make power meters that are supposed to be very competitive with western ones and significantly cheaper.  Magene is impressive from a technological standpoint.

 

[scubascuba3]

40 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

I have heard a lot of really positive reviews of Bryton.  My primary use will be specifically for Strava live segments so "live" notifications that I'm approaching a segment are important to me as well as segment performance as I'm riding the segment .  Do you know (or can you check on your next ride) if you get good notifications performance from your unit (preferably with audio alerts of approaching segment)?  The Lezyne computer I bought was supposed to do exactly that but failed miserably.

On the 310 i upload via the Bryton app after the ride which almost immediately updates Strava, maybe on the newer models they can do the live segments. Check on https://www.brytonsport.com/#/

[WaveHunter]

12 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

On the 310 i upload via the Bryton app after the ride which almost immediately updates Strava, maybe on the newer models they can do the live segments. Check on https://www.brytonsport.com/#/

Yeah, I checked a while ago and could find nothing regarding compatibility either on Bryton's site, Strava, or YouTube videos.  I did see requests by Bryton users on Strava to add compatibility even though it seemed odd for them to be complaining to Strava...I mean compatibility is up to the manufacturer of the unit, not Strava, I would think.    So I'm guessing the answer is sadly Not Compatible.

 

I guess it's time to stop being cheap and just do what everyone else does and spend the money for a Garmin or Wahoo ????

 

[bobfish]

+1 for checking DC Rainmaker's site. I've used Garmins for years with middling results. Currently 820 and 1030 which seem more stable, but still suffer very occasional bluetooth quibbles. That could be me swapping phones around, a lot. ANT+ is solid. The Garmin 130 does live segments and may be okay if you don't need all the extra fancy stuff.

[WaveHunter]

12 hours ago, bobfish said:

+1 for checking DC Rainmaker's site. I've used Garmins for years with middling results. Currently 820 and 1030 which seem more stable, but still suffer very occasional bluetooth quibbles. That could be me swapping phones around, a lot. ANT+ is solid. The Garmin 130 does live segments and may be okay if you don't need all the extra fancy stuff.

I've been doing a lot of online research on Garmin Edge 130 vs 520 Plus.  I'm very impressed with both, and think I may buy one or the other but am on the fence regarding which one to pull the trigger on.

 

I really only need what the 130 provides since my main thing is just being able to do Strava Live Segments BUT I like the idea of maps vs bread crums, and the navigational aspects of the 520 plus. 

 

My take is that the 520 plus would pretty much eliminate the need to use my phone when I need to navigate unfamiliar routes. 

 

Am I right on this?  Anyone on here that has first hand experience with both units?

 

Also, what's the deal with having basemaps for Thailand?  I'll probably be buying from Amazon US.  Do I need to buy maps for Thaiand or are they downloadable for free?

 

Occasionally I ride trails on Doi Suthep; will the trails show up like Crazy Dust, etc?  They show up on Google Maps.

[bobfish]

Doi Suthep trails are on OSM which can be downloaded for free at garmin.openstreetmap.com ... again, Rainmaker has a howto guide.

That’s how I get all my extra maps, although Japan coverage is poor. For Japan, I use my iphone. Maybe your phone has better battery life, but the Garmin lasts way longer, even if I cache the google maps beforehand. 
 

Hope that answers some of your questions. For trail planning I use RWGPS or Komoot, because Strava mapping sucks, and then transfer the route to my Garmin.

 

 

[WaveHunter]

22 hours ago, bobfish said:

Doi Suthep trails are on OSM which can be downloaded for free at garmin.openstreetmap.com ... again, Rainmaker has a howto guide.

That’s how I get all my extra maps, although Japan coverage is poor. For Japan, I use my iphone. Maybe your phone has better battery life, but the Garmin lasts way longer, even if I cache the google maps beforehand. 
 

Hope that answers some of your questions. For trail planning I use RWGPS or Komoot, because Strava mapping sucks, and then transfer the route to my Garmin.

 

 

Good idea and I use OSM but not all of the off road trails on Doi Suthep show up on it.  Here's a snapshot of all trails I'm interested in on Doi Suthep (see below).  I have all of these trails on Google Earth and can export as KML files and convert to GPX or dozens of other mapping formats but but for some reason I can't get KML's to convert to ANY of the Garmin formats. ????

 

Do you know of a way to convert Google Earth KML files to a compatible format for Garmin?  Is there a non-Garmin format you think might work?  My format converting app will convert to dozens of different formats but every one I've tried so far is will not convert.  Here's the formats I've tried so far"

 

 

[bobfish]

11 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

Good idea and I use OSM but not all of the off road trails on Doi Suthep show up on it.  Here's a snapshot of all trails I'm interested in on Doi Suthep (see below).  I have all of these trails on Google Earth and can export as KML files and convert to GPX or dozens of other mapping formats but but for some reason I can't get KML's to convert to ANY of the Garmin formats. ????

 

Do you know of a way to convert Google Earth KML files to a compatible format for Garmin?  Is there a non-Garmin format you think might work?  My format converting app will convert to dozens of different formats but every one I've tried so far is will not convert.  Here's the formats I've tried so far"

 

 

Sorry, no clue on the file conversion. You could maybe upload an update to OSM after riding a particular trail. Takes time though. 
The trails you displayed bring back many pre-gps memories of getting lost and bushwhacking around Doi Suthep,, ha those were the days! So many “options”. I used to like one of the other trails which drops straight down west of Doi Pui and then links right to head out to Mae Rim, or flows left to the Hmong village (The road climb then to the start of ATV is not fun on a DH bike)

Let us know how you go. 

[WaveHunter]

7 hours ago, bobfish said:

Sorry, no clue on the file conversion. You could maybe upload an update to OSM after riding a particular trail. Takes time though. 
The trails you displayed bring back many pre-gps memories of getting lost and bushwhacking around Doi Suthep,, ha those were the days! So many “options”. I used to like one of the other trails which drops straight down west of Doi Pui and then links right to head out to Mae Rim, or flows left to the Hmong village (The road climb then to the start of ATV is not fun on a DH bike)

Let us know how you go. 

I think I'll go back to my source for these kml files.  I got them from sites like Trailforks and GPSies.  Most of them are GPX files but i converted them to KML so I could see them on Google Earth, and I think converting them might have stripped important metadata that Garmin needs. 

 

I mean...if I have GPX files, I should be able to download them as routes onto a Garmin, right?

[Chomper Higgot]

I have a Polar M470. It provides all the functions I need for competitive cycling and race training, but does not have a GPS Map display - no loss of the way I use the computer. 

 

My M460 is paired to my Polar Flow account which is in turn linked to my Strava account and through this provides me with live Strava segments. 

 

The display is simple and easily read without taking my eyes off the road for too long. 

 

Battery life is around 16 hours per charge and the charging lead is identical to that of my front and rear lights. The M460 connects the Polar Flow App via bluetooth which enables me to easily load up my ride data while driving home from training/events. 

 

I bought a silicone cover for my M460, I believe it provides extra weather protection and reduces the chances of damage if dropped. 

 

If I have a complaint, it is the M460 is not as ergonomically well designed, or indeed as good looking, as my previous Polar CS500.