Polar CS100

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Colorado Cyclist

Bike Setup:
Fondriest with everything carbon that can be carbon; SRM Force, Zipp 404 (race) and Topolino (climbing and everyday), Oval Concept Bars (the best!), FSA cranks and misc, Selle Italia

Summary:
Well, after (only) 13 months the CS100 finally died, and I wasn't a bit sorry it did. Now I can replace it with a computer/HRM that actually works. My saga began when after only a couple of months I couldn't get it to recognize the speed sensor. Since Polar has decided to engineer their products with non-replacable batteries, I had to buy a new speed sensor! The new one worked but I found that it often stopped recording and went into pause mode. I do a bit of road racing and it is very frustrating to do an entire race without HR data because the HR sensor didn't recognize the signal before I started my ride. If you start to ride before it recognizes the HR it never records this data. During a race this is absolutely an unacceptable pain. It is also frustrating to look down at the display to have it say "paused" when you're pedaling at 25 mph and (you think) your HR is in the red. I replaced it with a Garmin 305 (refurb), which is an absolute wonder, for not that much more money. BTW, the CS100 died (I think) because I use it during stationary bike rides at the gym on bad days and it got too wet from sweat, since I have to keep it inside my bibs because placing it on the trainer display is too far away ?!?.

Strengths:
Seemed reasonably priced when I bought it and it does actually record some decent info when it's working. When you add the price of additional sensors, simply because the batteries are dead, it isn't quite so cheap.
- The polar site is decent with a good diary to record your training. Althought the newest version isn't as good as last years version.

Weaknesses:
- Keeps losing signal from sensors and goes into pause mode
- Have to buy new sensors when batteries are dead (which is quite quick) and there's no way to tell if the batteries are dead except it doesn't seem to pick up the signal anymore.
- HR belt does pick up signal as well as others I've used. Have to "wet" them before use or they don't pick up HR until you get sweaty.

Similar Products Used:
- Shimano flight deck (I love the virtual cadence but no HRM)
- Garmin 305 (an absolutely wonderful training tool)

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Performance

Favorite Ride:
Coffee Republic

Bike Setup:
Fuji Team

Summary:
Worked fine, with no problems of transmission from either the chest strap or speed sensor. THEN, during the first hot (90deg) race of the season, right when I really could have used the data of distance and HR, the screen turned black and it re-set everything. All current data was gone! This never happened before during cool weather training rides. I discovered the problem was heat. It seems unbelievable, but when there is not a good stiff wind blowing over the unit, it over-heats. I started to notice the re-setting always happened on steep hills in full sun. I bought it last Oct. and never had any indication of what it's problem was because the weather was cooling down, then the first race in April, it showed it's huge fault. Will try and take it back since the weather here in the CA central valley is hot from April to Sept. It might work fine if you live in cooler climates. I really liked it, so I'm bummed about this huge weakness.

Strengths:
Coded transmission works well.
Easy to set-up.
Love the on-stem mount!
Easy to use.
Clean mounting and no wires!

Weaknesses:
Overheats and the unit re-sets. You loose all your current data.

Similar Products Used:
Various Cat-Eye, Vetta, Polar, and VDO computers.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Recently bought the CS100. Worked like a charm on the first ride, but by the second ride, the speed sensor no longer was picking up the transmitter on the tire spoke (despite being within ~ 2 cm from each other). So at this point, I'm not getting any speed or distance information.

Heart monitor still works with no problems.

I plan to return it to my LBS to see if they can get it working. Hoping that I just got a defective unit.