VDO VDO MC 1.0 Cyclocomputer/Altimeter

Price Paid:  $80.00 at Performance Bike

Favorite Ride:
Kestrel RT700

Bike Setup:
Shimano Ultegra group, Ritchey wheels, Vredestein Tricomp Fortezza, Fizik Arione saddle.

Summary:
Display easy to read. So far, data displayed has been accurate. Waterproof. Ease of installation. Looks and feels sturdy.

Strengths:
Waterproof, love the altmeter and temperature displays. Ease of installation. Feels and looks sturdy. Could be mounted either on the handlebar or stem.

Weaknesses:
none so far

Similar Products Used:
Cateye strada.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Cervelo RS, full Campi Record

Summary:
One thing I learned while setting wheel size is to use the method of marking your front tire and the floor where they meet and moving forward through one revolution and precisely marking that spot on the floor/ground where the line on the tire hits its low point. HERE"S THE TIP: make sure you're on the bike when you try this as that pressure will change the circumference of your tire! Also, it's important to be on a uniformly hard surface, and make your line as straight as possible. My road bike tires are listed as 700x23C, which is 2133 cm (84"). When I measured without my weight on the bike I calculated 2118 cm (83 13/32"). With my weight on the bike, it measured 2103.4 cm (82 13/16")!

Strengths:
Everything already mentioned.

Weaknesses:
Cyclometers with altimeters tend to be a bit heavier than those without.

Price Paid:  $130.00 at PerformanceBike.com

Favorite Ride:
I live in Utah, I have 20 favorite rides

Bike Setup:
road bike

Summary:
This is a pretty nice computer with some higher-end features. Setup was reasonably simple. Be sure to be in your selected units (MPH/KPH) before setting home altitude. There's a big difference between 4580' and 4580m and it takes a long time to scroll through the numbers.

Don't be dissuaded by my littany of "weaknesses." Overall I think this is a good computer, VDO just needs to put some more thought/effort/time into the design of the mounting system.

Strengths:
Ease of setup, number of features, unique features. The computer its self seems durable. The computer engages very solidly to the handlebar mount. The buttons are easy to navigate with full-finger gloves. Large display shows important information clearly.

Weaknesses:
Attachment of the transmitter, attachment of the computer mount to the handlebar. Both are done by two zip ties and are not very rigid. VDO could really take some clues from Cat Eye here. If the magnet pickup moved separately from the mounting base and then locked down this would be a much better design. A system more like a hose clamp would be better than the zip ties. For $130 I would've thought I'd get a stronger mount. I don't think they were thinking of road forks when they designed the transmitter.

The little "beep" when the magnet passes the transmitter is annoying. The magnet that came with the computer is cheap and doesn't mount very securely. I put on a Ksyrium magnet instead. I can also see the transmitter vibrating around the fork and getting destroyed in the spokes.

VDO has also put way too much emphasis on the altitude feature. They've made the altitude readout the same size as the speed readout. If they made the altitude half as large they could display speed, altitude, trip odometer, and ride time all at once (hint hint).

Similar Products Used:
Topeak Panoram

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Performance

Favorite Ride:
Hunterdon County, NJ

Bike Setup:
Litespeed Classic w/LOOK fork, Dura Ace 9 speed components, conventional handbuilt wheels w/tubular tires

Summary:
I got this wired cyclometer to replace a lower end wireless VDO cycle computer which would lose the signal whenever I rode near high voltage power lines.
The MC1.0 is packed with features including sleep mode to conserve battery power, auto start/stop, current speed, average speed, max speed, pace arrow, clock, ride time, stopwatch, second programmable trip calculator, 2 separate wheel size calibrations and odometers, total cumulative odometer, current temperture, easy home/zero altitude calibration, current altitude, max altitude, current grade, average and maximum grade per trip, altitude gain for 2 separate bikes, total cumulative altitude gain.
Mine has worked flawlessly for two years. Only complaint is the flimsy handlebar mount which is poorly designed, and broke almost immediately. I repaired it with Krazy Glue and a couple of zipties.

Strengths:
Provides every cyclometer feature imaginable except heart rate functions and GPS.
Durable, accurate, reliable, easy to set up and use. Conserves battery power well.

Weaknesses:
Loses one point on overall rating for poorly designed, flimsy handlebar mount.

Similar Products Used:
VDO C2D2
Avocet 25, 40, 45

Price Paid:  $129.00 at Performance

Favorite Ride:
Hills Out Of Prescott (Wisconsin)

Bike Setup:
Serotta custom Ti with either Mavic ES or Williams Cycling wheels, plus soon-to-be-added Cateye Enduro "extra computer"

Summary:
I have two of these and have used them for several years. They do a very good job of recording altitude accumulated.

However, both of mine have been "acting up" this year. I first noticed the one registering a consistent 58 miles per hour one day, which is right up there with the fastest speed I've ever achieved--the problem was that the bike was leaning against a wall and I was standing next to the bike. The (temporary) solution was to re-seat the battery, but I've still noticed after most every ride that my max speed is always somewhere in the 50s (Nope--didn't do any screaming descents), and invariably I've accumulated some extra miles. Yesterday it was 9 extra in 103 total.

Strengths:
Pretty darn good job of consistently recording accumulated altitude. Using a ride up the Sandia Crest from Albuquerque as a yardstick, I have consistently got 6,200', give or take 50'. Also, it is nice to know your current slope.

Weaknesses:
Mine seems to have gotten flaky--actually the one working the poorer of the two was purchased this winter. Also, current altitude is easy to read, but current slope, usually of more interest, is smaller, harder to read. A minor problem is that one has to be careful seating these guys in their mount, lest they pop out on you while riding over a bump.

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