Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Size; simplicity |
| Disadvantages: |
Large transmitter; Easy to accidentally reset |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Given how much I like cycling, and how much I like gadgets, there are few little toys I get quite so much fun out of as a cycle computer. Ever since my dad first fitted an analogue speedo to my bike as a kid I've had a fascination with how fast and how far I'm riding.
So when building up a new bike one of the first things I got for it was this tiny Cateye Strada Wireless. I hadn't intended on spending so much on a computer (£39.99) but the small size of the main unit (about 2cm x 3cm) sold me with its simplicity.
Fitting:
Without a wire to fiddle about with this could hardly be an easier computer to fit. The cradle for the main unit can be mounted in the normal fashion on the handlebars, or in the centre on the stem, with the unit able to slip into place in one of two positions so that it's always the right way up to read. The cradle is attached by means of a sturdy plastic 'belt' which screws tight easily and ensures a secure fit.
The computer unit sits in the cradle in a 'rocker'. This is because there is no actual button on the front. Instead the button is on the back, and as the unit rocks forward when you press it the button on the back is depressed.
This might seem an odd way of doing things, but it has a couple of advantages. Firstly, with no small button to press on the front it can be operated easily with a gloved hand, and secondly, it allows the front of the unit to be perfectly sealed to stop the ingress of water.
The transmitter is attached to the fork by way of a small cradle of it's own which is zip-tied in place. This cradle allows the transmitted to be moved left and right to get it as close as possible to the magnet which is mounted on a spoke. Again this is a nice touch, and means there aren't hours spent trying to get the transmitter into the exact right place on the fork. The transmitter, however, is rather large and is certainly not something that will merge in with your bike!
The instructions for setting up the unit are well-laid out and perfectly informative. It took me about 5 minutes to have all of the details inserted to ensure that the unit records the correct speed.
Operation:
As stated above this computer basically has just one button, on the back, operated by pressing on the bottom of the unit to 'rock' it in its cradle. This cycles through all of the options which are: time of day; time riding; distance covered; trip distance; average speed; max speed; and odometer.
The current trip is reset by pressing and holding the button for about 3 seconds. Here is possibly the only other problem with this item - it becomes very easy to reset your trip accidentally. I've done it a couple of times when, without thinking, I took the bag off I was wearing, and rested it on the handlebars to find something in it.
Overall:
I've never had any problem with this losing a signal and not registering my speed, and a couple of times when I've left it in my pocket for a ride it has managed to record that ride, so the transmitter a receiver seem to work really well together.
The size of the computer is a bonus, it sits on my stem nice and neatly in the middle; and the simplicity of the design is pleasing (as well as practical). The only issues would be the size of the transmitter, and the possibility of accidentally resetting (I wouldn't list the absence of a backlight as a negative because so few cycle computers have this).
After (what the odometer tells me is) 1055.9 miles in the past couple of months this is still working perfectly, with no scratches showing on the screen, and no blemish in the LCD display, so the build quality and reliability seem spot-on so far.
At £40 it will seem like a lot of money for a cycle computer, but the biggest compliment I can pay this is that I'm considering setting it up on all of my bikes, not just the one it's on at the moment.
| More Reviews |
 Cateye Strada 5
Review of Cateye Strada Wireless by
chorscroft
Advantages: Cheap
Disadvantages: Lacks features, durability
Cateye have managed to produce a very functional cycle computer at a very good price point. The controls take a bit of getting use to as there are very few buttons on the computer itself but are very simple once mastered and can easily be accessed when riding. The unit doesn't have very many advanced features or tricks and lacks capabilities found in more expensive models such as average pace and heart rate but handles the basics adequately such ...
...by a speed reading and is very easy to see at a glance and the other less vital info is set below it in smaller writing but which is still viewable. However I am concerned about the durability, as the unit feels quite plasticky and not terribly water resistant. Overall though a great buy for the money. ...
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16.06.2009
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