Blackburn Delphi 2.0 - 6.0

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Bike shop

Favorite Ride:
South Mountain

Bike Setup:
Cervelo S3, full Dura-Ace, Easton EA-90 wheelset.

Summary:
Blackburn Neuro 4.0

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
Total piece of trash. Cannot reset computer to 0 to start each ride. Goes to sleep when I stop and doesn't come back on. Stops during rides, in fact it has not made it thru one ride without malfunctioning. E-mailed Blackburn for support and got no response.

Similar Products Used:
Cateye, Sigma, dBase

Price Paid:  $35.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
The last one and the next one

Bike Setup:
Mercier Draco, Dura Ace, Bicycle Wheel Warehouse Ultegra/DT Swiss RR 1.1 wheels

Summary:
My Delphi 3.0 has been a pretty good computer in some respects--I really like the display and the interface. As mentioned in other reviews, the unit doesn't like any kind of wet weather. Even damp fog is enough to make the display go nuts, so I use this one on my "dry bike". Sadly, much of this problem could be alleviated, or so it appears to me, if Blackburn simply reversed the mount so that the computer slid in from the back. Also as mentioned, attempts to communicate with Blackburn "customer service" about this were fruitless. My LBS attempted to order me a second bike mount and after receiving the wrong part twice, we gave up. Why have a second bike feature if you don't intend to sell the mount that would allow the buyer to use it? I dunno--rhetorical question. The cadence magnet fell off my crank arm within the first 2 weeks, but a neodymium disk magnet and a bit of duct tape made a much lower profile replacement. I'll keep using this until it breaks, but no more Blackburn products for me.

Strengths:
4 line display, good interface with minimal button pushing to access all data

Weaknesses:
Unreliable with any kind of atmospheric moisture, zero customer support.

Similar Products Used:
Vetta, E3

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Cervelo Soloist Carbon

Summary:
I've given the Blackburn Delphi 4 wireless unit a failing grade for a variety of reasons, as listed under the 'Weaknesses' sectioned. The most critical problem is complete incompatibility between the Delphi wireless units and Blackburn's own X8 lighting system. When I turn on the light, the computer reads 198 km/h! It's very susceptible to interference. An attempt to contact Blackburn to report the incompatibility between two of their OWN products were met by a hostile call center worker who had no interest in helping to resolve the matter, didn't understand the products in question, and wouldn't connect me with someone with more knowledge. This computer is going on a kid's bike.

Strengths:
- large display
- nice color scheme

Weaknesses:
- Poor technical support.
- Susceptible to interference.
- Incompatible with Blackburn's own lighting systems.
- Unintuitive interface: buttons perform some functions only in specific modes, and it is hard to remember which buttons do what when.
- backlight is hard to see unless you are in complete darkness.
- stem mount bracket not included, and is usually a special order item

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Gerk's

Bike Setup:
2006 Cannondale Carbon Synapse 3

Summary:
Delphi 4.0:
- Good display and user interface.
- Problems with interference from cell phone and wireless computer network.

I'm downgrading to the Delphi 3.0 with wired speed/distance to avoid the problems with wireless interference.

Strengths:
Display is easy to read.
Good features.
Good user interface.
No durability problems over 2 years / 2500 miles.

Weaknesses:
- Cell phone and wireless computer networks interfere with the wireless speed/distance sensor. If I set the cycle computer down next to my laptop (e.g., to log my ride) the cycle computer will show speed as 60 mph!
- Wireless signal records front wheel so it does not record my time/speed/distance on a stationary trainer.

Price Paid:  $35.00 at REI

Bike Setup:
Orbea Onix

Summary:
This is for the Blackburn Delphi 3.0. I have very mixed feelings about this computer. On the one hand, the interface is pretty easy to navigate, the computer has a lot of functions for the money, I really like the display size and the fact that it has 4-lines. On the other hand, I've had 2 units, both of which were inconsistent and lasted less than 1500 mi (1400 for the first, 1100 for the 2nd). Both had been ridden in the rain and no issues there. The problems were that the wires seemed to be very flimsy. Both units had shorts in the cables between the sensor and the computer. Of course, Blackburn doesn't offer a replacement mount and cables, so I had to get new units. Blackburn replaced the unit at no charge to me (except shipping), but their customer service was slow to reply. Also, the lack of a stem mount is annoying. All in all, it is a good computer that just didn't last. I am not hard on my equipment (I have a Cateye with over 5 years and 12k miles on it, still on the original battery), but 2 computers in 2 years is not a good track record.

Strengths:
Large screen displays a lot of information
Lots of functions for the money
Rear-wheel pickup

Weaknesses:
Durability
No stem mount

Similar Products Used:
Cateye Mity 8 and Astrale 9
Sigma BC1606