Customer Reviews

Cateye CC-MC100W Micro Wireless 10-Function Bicycle Computer

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

First off, I am a casual biker so I didn't know if I "needed" this or not. Now that I have it, I really dig it!
Mounting the whole thing took me about 20 minutes--15 to read the pictograph directions and 5 to actually put it on. But that is because I am a little cautious and really wanted to do it right the first time. It actually was quite easy because the installation diagram is very detailed, showing exactly which direction the pieces go, in what order, etc. The computer mounts on the handlebar with double-sided tape and cable ties, keeping it plenty tight and secure. The sending device attaches to the fork the same way and is very ingenious the way it reads off the magnet you attach to the spoke.
A little bit harder was programming it the first time, following the menu flow digrams. But after a few minutes it was very intuitive and I got it set up (with mph, wheel size, etc.) and was ready to take it for a test spin. Which is where its greatness was immediately apparent. I followed a route I knew and the odometer was spot on. The elapsed time pauses when you do, the average and max speeds worked great. In fact, this thing is amazing!
So, bottom line, even if you don't think you need one, you'll soon wonder how you got along without it. Well built, high quality, instructions in about 20 languages, fun to use, and practical. Can't beat it.

the two things you need in a good cyclometer is that it is small and lightweight, but has all the features you need. This one fills both creteria nicely. The unit is small, but is incredibly easy to read and navigate. and, if you are like me, the last cyclometer you owned consisted of a wire running down your fork -- forget it, this one is wireless. It does the job perfectly, at a great price.

I guess you probably know by now that the instruction manual sucks. I'm typically not much of an instruction manual guy. I'd rather figure it out by pressing the buttons, but there's no way a human could figure out how to program it (e.g. setting your tire size, clock etc.) without resorting to the manual. So if you do buy this product, you may wish to tape the manual to the inside of your helmet. Then, as has been stated in many other reviews, get your Manualeese to English dictionary ready.

Installation was not difficult, except that once you choose a location, you're stuck with the results. Unless you can find some long skinny zip-ties, once mounted there's no going back without cutting the ties that came with it. Replacements are not easy to find as the zip-ties are an unusual size (long for their gauge). I made the mistake of mounting it to the handlebar stem instead of the handlebar itself (you can mount it either way). Having it on the handlebar itself allows you to rotate it slightly to get better contrast from the screen.

The unit was working fine for about 6 months or 100 miles (whichever came first?). After a few weekend rides the tire size indicator (A) started flashing. I just ignored it. Apparently this is the Manualese signal that your battery is about to die. Once fully dead I replaced the battery and all seemed fine. I dug up the manual and figured out how to set the clock and tire size (and learned why it was flashing in the first place) and input a guesstimated ODO setting. Unfortunately you have to remember your ODO setting as it forgets when the battery is removed (how much extra would it have cost them to throw in a couple bytes of NVRAM for the ODO?). So how many miles it actually survived I can not say because by the time I had a replacement battery the old one was totally dead and I could no longer read it. It had around 100 miles on it

Next week I take the bike out and the LCD display looks very dim, but all the functions seem fine - you just have to look at the LCD from a strange angle. I dug up the manual to look for an LCD contrast setting, but it does not exist. So I figure the replacement battery might have been defective. I go out and by another CR2023, replace it, and no luck, the screen is still very dull and hard to read.

So all in all I'd say this unit performs well when it works (maybe I just got a lemon). But they could really use some improvements in the user interface/manual.

I agree with all other positive reviews here but want to address another reviewer's 'issue' with the mounting system. If the Zip Ties (and computer) are slipping/sliding around on your handlebars, an easy solution is to wrap some electricians tape or a small piece of inner tube around the handlebar before mounting the computer and tightening up the Zip Ties. This is a sure fix....Ride On!

Over all I'm happy with the device. It's small, but the LCD takes up most of the face, so it's easy to read. For a first time bike computer owner like myself, I found the button combinations to be a bit esoteric, but the learning curve isn't that bad. The directions tell you to get the spoke sensor very close to the magnate. I failed to get it close enough, and wasted some time figuring out why it wasn't working. Don't make that mistake and get the spoke sensor very close and you'll save yourself some time.

The directions leave something to be desired, but I found an updated copy on the website that was slightly better than the copy that was in the box. If you decide to purchase this, you might want to download it now and read it so you know how it works before it arrives.

[update]
After using this for several months it started having trouble getting a signal from the sensor on the spoke. Sometime moving the device on the handlebars helps. I replaced both batteries and verified I'm with in distances specified in the manual, but it still randomly stops displaying the speed. I'm feed up with it and will be replacing it a wired device. I'd bump my rating down to 1 star, but amazon won't let me do that.

If you also have the Nightrider Flight HID lighting system, this does not work because of radio frequency interference between these powerful lighting systems & a wireless computer.

This probably happens with all of these HID light systems (Nightrider, Light & Motion, etc). See their webpages for details (the webpage will tell you the above).

The lighting system shuts off the computer. Moving the computer away from the light works, but then I cannot see the computer as its pretty far away from the handlebars, mounted on the bike.

I had to get a wired computer, which solved the problem.

The Cateye MC100W is a very nice computer, but suffers from a poor mounting system. The mounting bracket is attached to the handlebar with two tie wraps. There is no way to tighten it enough to keep the computer stable. As a result pushing a button ofter requires two hands, one to hold the computer and the other to push the button.

This computer rocks! Super easy to use, super easy to install. Tells you speed during ride, average speed, fastest speed, distance, time elapsed, mileage, and its got a clock so you don't have to mess with looking at a watch! Its totally worth the money! In fact... get two!

I love this & am planning on getting another one for my husband's bike soon. I really like that it tells me how fast I'm going during my bike ride, as well as what my average speed has beend during the entire time. It also tracks trip distance & total trip distance, as well as time. There are different memory settings that you can use to track all of this information. The only thing I would like better is a more secure form of fastening it to the handlebars. Every once in a while during a bike ride it will slide upside down on the bar. (It comes with cable ties to fasten it to the handlebars.)

This is a reliable, nice, bike computer BUT the instructions are incomprehensible. CatEye should be ashamed as they have made bike computers for like 20 yrs.

Their website is sleazy as well as I gave a fair review of the product and they then removed my review from their site after one week.

A good product that is difficult to operate. My friends totally corroborate my conclusions.