Vetta V100 WL2X

Price Paid:  $80.00 at various

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere

Bike Setup:
Specialized S-Works Roubaix 2006 and 2007 models

Summary:
I am reviewing the version with the Heart Rate (V100HR). I agree with the previous reviewer about battery life, the transmitters use A batteries (1@) which are not rechargeable; sometimes I get one weekend ride and then have to refresh them, seems worse in the summer. The cadence unit A battery lasts many times longer than the speed unit. I frequently ask another rider to zero out at the start of a ride so we can compare, and it seems quite accurate. Heart rate registers quickly. Maybe if I swap the cadence and speed after each ride, these will do better, the battery holder for each is identical. The holder is a b$#@h! to get the battery out, it is almost too secure. Units are unperturbed by rain and mud. It is secure in the mounting, but riders who use the raised mounting from Vetta may find it a bit bouncy, but the rubber shock mounts are well-designed.

The cable ties used to mount these units are non-standard for USA, so you have to order them from Vetta. They are thinner than the identical length found in an American hardware store.

Screens are easy to read, and "stopwatch" is separate from TT/RT, and lots of screens can be "freeze-framed" while riding, so you can do all sorts of analysis while riding, but no download functions.

The unit is sturdy, but you have to poke it to wake it up after you stop for a break. Setup is easy (even for two bikes), but you have to learn to remember or write down your odo settings because you have to setup from scratch with a battery replacement, or even if you just need to update your mileage manually.

If you are still riding a triple, the cadence unit cannot reach the magnet on the crank on a 111mm axle; you need the “torpedo-style” transmitter model with a swinging arm. Maybe you can kludge up a solution to get the magnet closer to the pickup head, I could not find a way to do it when I was on a triple.

This would be a nearly ideal unit if it used a rechargeable type of power supply, stayed awake just a bit longer, and was adapted to American-width cable ties.

Strengths:
Sturdy and secure, weatherpoof

Weaknesses:
Cable ties have to be special ordered, runs through A batteries, rider has to check after any break to get started again.

Similar Products Used:
Nothing wireless

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Price Paid:  $89.00 at Scheels

Favorite Ride:
Ragbrai

Summary:
Bought this for wireless speed and cadence, used it less than a week. It worked off and on for 4 days, and then rode in rain during Ragbrai, and it never worked after that. It went through batteries in a day following the rain, and then the speed sensor quit sending information to the computer. Had it 6 days and barely had a day that it work correctly at the start of the ride. Took it back and will get a Cat Eye model.

Strengths:
It has nice features, but it has to work to use them.

Weaknesses:
Besides eating batteries and not working most of the time, it was fairly complicated to try to get the information I was looking for,I had a tendency during rides to freeze the screen.

Similar Products Used:
Cat Eye, Sigma