Cat Eye V3 Triple Wireless W/HR sensor

Price Paid:  $180.00 at Grand Performance

Favorite Ride:
100 mile loop from my house to Afton State Park & back

Bike Setup:
Motobecane Imortal Pro w/ SRAM Force & American Classic 450s

Summary:
The unit is easy to install with the universal handlebar/stem mount and 2-in-1 chainstay-mounted sensor. All you need is a pair of scissors to clip the zip-ties. Set up was not too hard once you figured out how to do it. The instructions were so-so.
The unit itself is very compact. The display gives you 3 lines of data though this makes the numbers small so you need to know what you are looking for.
When the unit works, it works very well. Except about every 2 out of 3 time I reset the unit it loses synch with the speed and cadence sensor and it has to be completely re-setup. Also sometimes it takes a few times to get the unit to resynch with the speed and cadence sensor.
The buttons on the display unit are a bit small and stiff. They are difficult to use while riding with full finger gloves and essentially forget about it if you have on heavy winter gloves – something pretty frequent in MN.
I will be selling this unit and buying the Cateye Strada Wireless.

Strengths:
The unit is easy to install with the universal handlebar/stem mount and 2-in-1 chainstay-mounted sensor. All you need is a pair of scissors to clip the zip-ties.

Weaknesses:
Frequently when reset, the unit it loses synch with the speed and cadence sensor and it has to be completely re-setup.

Similar Products Used:
PowerTap Pro

Price Paid:  $135.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Anything with friends

Summary:
Install: About 15 minutes; only needed scissors to cut zip ties. You might upgrade to a stronger tie if you have them.

Manual: Good **** Stars

Programming: Just be sure to note the main menu is reached via the buttons on the back and the bottom left activates each menu option; both right buttons toggle through options. Easy as pie.

Ease of use: Good, the button are a bit hard to press at first, but no more than anything else out there. I've tried the polar and the buttons are about the same; not perfect, but not bad. Speed, Heart Rate, and Cadence are really easy to read while the lower 1/4 inch of the screen is just a tad bit harder, but again about the same as my polar cs200cad.

Accuracy: I believe the unit is very accurate with regard to milage and of course as with other units the calorie consumption is probably pretty close. I can't find a setting for weight so the Polar is probably just a bit better, but these are all guesses I.M.H.O; units are probably all about the same +/- few % points.

Functions: I have to say this little inexpensive computer does a lot for the money. You get Speed, HR, Cadence, Calories, Total Distance, Count Down Distance to Goal, Averages of all, Max of all, Current of all, Total Time, Clock, and a lot more.

I do agree with one reviewer above that a software package would make this a very good competitor to the Polar units. However, I own a CS200CAD on another bike and downloading is such a joke that really don't do it anyway.

Bottom Line: it's about $50-$70 cheaper than the Polar 200CAD so if you won't use the software it's a better buy.

Strengths:
Easy Install
Easy Manual
Easy Programming
Easy to Read overall
Easy to use

Weaknesses:
I wish the backlight was push to turn on/off or programmable to run for 10 minutes at a time. I know if would drain the battery, but I don't care.

Similar Products Used:
Polar CS200CAD

Price Paid:  $150.00 at Nash bar

Favorite Ride:
crater Lake

Summary:
Bought this unit lots of features, however, unit was defective. Called Cateye did a few tests while talking with their tech. He decided unit should be replaced I sent it in mid July. Now it is mid September all i get is they do not have one to send me and can not refund my money. they have never comunicated with me I always have to call them an get excuses. In short cateye SUCKS try a specialized unit at leaste if you have a problem they will fix or replace it.

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
Never worked and nobody at cateye gives a damn.

Price Paid:  $150.00 at Ebay

Bike Setup:
OCR Alliance Comp
Ultegra upgrades
Dura Ace/Mavic Wheels
Still trying to find the perfect saddle......

Summary:
Great product for the price. Good features in terms of the number of functions - although the readout could be larger. Whilst the buttons are very 'un-friendly' when wearing gloves you do eventually get used to the amount of pressure needed to change views. The only significant item missing from this comprehensive computer is a good software package. This where the Polar units excell but at a much higher cost.

I would recommend this product to anyone who has a limited budget but is looking for a computer with all the bells and whistles. Wireless speed cadence and heart rate....... really, what else do you need?

Strengths:
Super easy to install. Lot's of features at a good price.

Weaknesses:
Small display - cadence readout especially difficult to read. No software.

Similar Products Used:
Sigma 1606, Cateye Strada Wireless

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Price Paid:  $180.00 at Local bike shop

Bike Setup:
LeMond Victoire with aero clipons

Summary:
A badly designed display makes the V3 worthless as a training or racing aid. The cadence display is an afterthought - tiny, faint digits in the far bottom right corner of the middle display panel. They are too small to read while riding, and if the sun is from your right, the shadow from the edge of the case hides them. Cadence cannot be displayed in any of the three display panels. Previous CatEye computers could do that.
The computer occasionally loses synch with the speed and cadence sensor. When that happens you have to completely reset the computer including clearing all of its stored data. Some functions, including the one for resetting sensor synch, fail to update the display. So you never know what is not implemented and what just does not work...not that it makes any difference.

Strengths:
Easy installation.
Heart rate monitor works OK.
Speedometer works OK when it is in synch with the computer.

Weaknesses:
Badly designed display: cadence not usable while riding; space wasted on useless features.
Very hard to operate: small control buttons with no tactile feel.
Computer failures: occasionally loses sensor synch; some functions do not work; some functions do not update the display; you must completely reset in order to reset sensor synch.
Awfully expensive for a speedometer and heartrate monitor, and not good for much else.

Similar Products Used:
CatEye Astrale, CatEye Strada cadence, Erisman Pacemeter