Vetta RT77

Price Paid:  $45.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Any hard road / anytime

Bike Setup:
Tommasini lugged steel beauty with all Shimano '600'. 8-speed. Mavic 'Open 4 CD wheels.

Summary:
This is for the Vetta RT77. Computer worked flawlessly right out of the box. Have had no problems with it in over two years I've been using it. It's great. Cadence feature works beautifully, although the sensor magnet came off the crank arm after repeated wet weather riding. Reattached with some 3M double sided tape. The instructions were pretty good. Could not ask for a better cycle computer in my opinion.

Strengths:
Nice looking. Easy to read data. Very reliable.

Weaknesses:
Sensor magnet for the cadence needs to be anchored better to the crank arm.

Similar Products Used:
Cateye 'Astrale'
Sigma BC 800

Price Paid:  $30.00 at REI

Favorite Ride:
any

Bike Setup:
Specialized Allez Sport Triple

Summary:
I bought this computer purely for the cadence feature. I already had an inexpensive computer, but it lacked cadence so I thought this would be a good upgrade. Wrong. I could never get the cadence to work. Everything else worked, but even the cheapest computers provide those features these days.

Strengths:
Fits oversized bars
Installation is fairly straightforward
Inexpensive

Weaknesses:
Provided directions are very poor
Cadence didn't function on my unit
I didn't like the feel of the buttons
Button presses seemed unintuitive to me (holding vs single press etc)

Similar Products Used:
Cateye, Planet Bike

Price Paid:  $29.00 at Sports Basement (in

Favorite Ride:
SF hills

Bike Setup:
'04 Bianchi Pista.

Summary:
I purchased the RT77 a couple of days ago and set about installing it. My comments here are purely about installation and are offered only for first-time cyclocomputer buyers/installers. Here goes. . .

The RT comes with instructions which are reasonably clear as to the use and controls of the computer. Where the instructions fall down dramatically is on intallation/wiring of the device. There are no instructions or diagrams on clean routing of the cadence cable. Without having installed 3 cyclocomputers in the past, I would have been at a total loss as to how to run the cadence cable properly. If you are installing your first cyclocomputer, expect to pay a bike shop to install it for you--which changes the economics of your purchase significantly.

All of the preceding said, once the computer was on the bike, it worked well. As other users have said here already, the buttons and screen could be larger, but for $29, I am happy with the performance of the RT77 thus far.

Strengths:
Cadence, cadence, cadence.

Weaknesses:
Install instructions, small buttons, screen size.

Similar Products Used:
Cateye Astrale, older Cateye products.

Price Paid:  $44.00 at Perfomance Bike (01)

Favorite Ride:
the Namiquipa climb (42k)

Bike Setup:
Fuji Team '03

Summary:
Down here is pretty dry, BUT I've been caught on the road raining, and the unit has worked as before. I like the cadence option. It has been now in two road bikes, I'd to add a piece of cable to mount the speed sensor on the rear wheel (trainer blues), no problems either there.

Very pleased with it.

Strengths:
Cadence
Easy to read display

Weaknesses:
Sometimes I struggle to reset the daily odometer

Similar Products Used:
Specialized
Vetta RT 55

Price Paid:  $45.00 at LBS

Bike Setup:
Pinarello Surprise w/Campy Veloce.

Summary:
A piece of unadulterated crap. Worked fine for first week, then wire to candence mount broke when I pressed on it lightly.

Then I rode it in the rain. Fagetaboutit! Never worked right again. Tomorrow I am going to enjoy cutting it off my bike and replacing it with a Sigma 1200.

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
Abysmal quality control. Will never buy Vetta again, despite all the hype about the V100.

Similar Products Used:
Cateye (great electronics, overly complicated wiring harness)