Customer Reviews

VDO MC1.0 Altimeter/Cycle Computer

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

15 AUGUST, 2005

I bought this computer because I wanted an altimeter, so this review will focus on the alt functions. I researched other altimeter bike computers and found others either had suspect reliability or were inaccurate. Having only read good things about the VDO, I took the plunge.

I decided not to get the wireless version because simpler is better in my opinion.

My first ride with the VDO was 235 km through everything from hard rain to hot sunshine. The VDO worked fine in all those condition. I avoided pushing the buttons during the hard rain because I didn't want to risk getting water into it on my first ride. Plus my attention was elsewhere during the thunderstorms. But like I said, the VDO worked fine under some rather harsh condition.

The display has a lot of info on one screen. Maybe too much info because the screen is a bit crowded and some info is displayed in rather small characters. I'd like to see less info per screen and bigger characters. The % grade readout is particularly small. However, I was able to read all the displays under all the conditions.

The altimeter seems to work very well. I paid particular attention to the % grade display and I never saw it give me unreasonable info, such as negative grade when I was going uphill. I was surprised at the sensitivity of the % grade display. When going up a slight uphill, for example, the display might read 1%. Then say the grade increased a bit and sure enough, the display changes to 2%. I am surprised that the VDO can calculate such slight grades just from the change in air pressure. Remember, a 1% grade is only 1 meter over 100 meters. Nevertheless, it seems to work. The alt gets updated about every 10 seconds and it does have a fair amount of smoothing built in. So if you start going down a 6% grade the display will not jump from 0% to 6%, but rather it will count up from 0% to 6% at an increasing rate. All in all, it seems to work quite well.

Since I just got this computer, I can't comment on its long term reliability. It does have a 5 year warranty, but it appears the only service center is in Germany. Due to this and the other nits I've pointed out, I'd probably give the VDO 4.5 stars if I could. Still, I'm happy with my purchase and I would recommend this computer for someone looking for an altimeter.

The seller shipped on the same day I ordered via Priority Mail so I got the package in a couple of days. Good work!

UPDATE ON 3 SEPTEMBER, 2006:

I've used this computer for a couple of thousand kilometers now, and through a lot more rain, so it's time for a review update.

The computer seems to be holding up just fine. In fact, I'm still using the original battery. The VDO has been through several days of rain and there is no hint of water getting into it.

The clock seems to keep pretty good time. Over the course of a year it was only off a couple of minutes.

I have a friend who owns one of these, and he has at times seen some strange alt data. For example, he says he has seen max grade readouts of 48%. (I didn't know the VDO would register such grades!) He attributes such anomalies to rapid temp changes, such as when you take the computer from an air conditioned room to your bike parked on the street on a hot summer day and immediately start riding. That makes sense, since the alt calculation is dependent on the temp. I have never seen any such strange data on my computer, but I usually leave my computer on the bike.

I don't want to get into an argument with one of the other reviewers, but this computer DOES accurately measure inclines. It calculates inclines by measuring the alt change divided by the distance traveled. So you have to be moving to get a change in the % grade readout. The fact that the grade does not change when you tilt the unit means nothing. The VDO does not calculate instantaneous inclines, but it does measure average inclines.

In conclusion, I'd still give the VDO 5 stars. In fact, I like it so much I bought another one.

I have had the VDO MC1.0+ for about a year and a similar cyclocomputer with altitude, the Ciclomaster CM434 for two years. One is mounted on my road bike and the other on my wife's road bike. I ride both bikes and have lots of experience with both cyclocomputers. Since these products really compete head-to-head, I feel I can give a good comparison.

I definitely would recommend the VDO MC1.0+ over the Ciclomaster CM434 for the following reasons:

Accuracy: The Ciclomaster has an error in the algorithm for average speed. The average speed ALWAYS reads 0.3 mph low. For instance if I ride exactly 16 miles in exactly 60 minutes, my average speed is 16.0 mph, but the display will read 15.7. At least it is consistent, so I am always adjusting to "real" avg speed in my head. Both provide exactly the same altitude and climb numbers. Speed and distance, of course, depend on how you set the wheel circumference. Altitude on a loop ride always ends very close to start altitude. This is a good sign! (It can shift some if a front moves through and barometric pressure changes significantly.) I have used these altitude cyclocomputers a lot (I ride 4,500 miles a year), and I can pretty much tell you within a degree what incline I'm on - so that attests to the readings being both reasonable and consistent. I would venture to say that it can quite accurately measure the total climb on a route.

Display Updates: The VDO updates altitude and grade more frequently, so you get a reading of the incline closer to real-time. Again, the readings on the two are very similar.

Customer Service: I've have searched and searched unsuccessfully on the web for the Ciclomaster (Ciclo Sport) company and I can't find any company address/phone/email to complain about the avg speed always being 0.3 mph low. By contrast, when I first mounted the VDO MC1.0+ the mounting bracket the computer head sits in broke. I emailed and they immediately responded with an explanation (problem with a contract manufacturer of the plastic part), told it had been corrected, and shipped me a new one. No problem since.

Display: The VDO displays more info at once, provides easy access to all the info by scrolling with the select buttons, and has a sharper, easier to read display. With the Ciclomaster you have to enter a special mode (holding in one button for several seconds) to access certain functions like amount of climb.

Build Quality: Both are well-built units, but I have had an occasional issue with the buttons sticking on the Ciclomaster. I've actually had to spray in some Clean Streak to get the buttons working reliably again. I have had no problems with the buttons on the VDO (although it is a year newer), and they feel very high quality. My only negative comment about the VDO is that the plastic holder feels a bit flimsy. You really have to press and twist to get the unit in/out, and you have to hold the mount when you do that.

The Ciclomaster has a higher model that interfaces to a PC. The VDO does not.

Pros:
1.Altitude functions are good. Auto resetting is a big plus.
2.Incline is fun.
3.5 yr warrantee by a trusted name in gauges.
4.Push buttons are firm and "click"
5.Looks are modern.
6.It's marketed has having a Matrix display, I'm not sure what that means, but I had no problems reading it.
7.Installation was easy.
8.wires are robust.
9.Excellent compliment computer to a PowerTap/SRM.
10.Good computer for people who do road races, stage races, and tours that are given elevation profiles. Also a good computer if you train in the mountains.

Cons:
1.Cost is a bit high
2.Grade is measured by altitude, not a true inclinometer (if you tilt the computer, it does not change. Because of that, I wonder what the accuracy is.
4.The display always shows altitude and speed. There are 3 main screens, and the only one you can customize is the bottom one. It has ~12 functions you can put on that single bottom screen. It's rare that I even care about speed and altitude, which are always shown... maybe rec riders do, but most racers don't.
5.Wireless is not worth it. This adds a 2nd battery and a lot of weight. While it might be the most powerful thing on the planet, it still can't beat a wired system in my mind. And I've never in my life had a problem with wired computers. Don't forget that batteries are really toxic to the environment, and "beaming" your data 12 inches seems a bit ridiculous.
6.Starting/resetting the timer requires a 2 button action. Which brings me two wonder why there are 3 buttons, when all you really can do is toggle the last screen, I'd think 1 button would do.
7.There are a lot of functions I'll never use.
8.For the price, they should include a rear wheel mount and cadence sensor.

Overall I'd say this is a good computer, but I would not recommend it for people who race criteriums. I'd suggest something with cadence... and cheaper. Crashes happen in crits, and you don't want to bust up this expensive toy. I think this is a perfect complement to a PowerTap and SRM power meter. Both lack the features of this computer. It gives you a screen to monitor your speed/altitude/ridetime/temp/incline which complements a power meter's power/cadence/HR screen. This is about as good as it gets in terms of information. The only other improvement would be the ability to download the information and merge it with the power data. The incline is measured every 4 seconds, and is not so good for short climbs: although I've not tested it's accuracy. Design is good, mechanically it looks well constructed. I can't give feedback on long term reliability, as I haven't had it that long. Maybe in a year or two I'll post again.

I got this computer to replace my recently-defunct Avocet 50, one of the earliest bike computers with an altimeter. The Avocet had a single display with big numbers and only two buttons: it was quite simple.

In comparison, this VDO has a wealth of information, but to display it all requires much smaller numbers and three buttons. So of course there are pluses and minuses: the small numbers can display a lot of info at once but are hard to read when the light is dim (I ride a lot at twilight). It's hard to remember which buttons to press to find the display you want. And two of the buttons are side buttons, which IMHO are much less convenient than buttons on the front (top) face.

Another minor plaint: the documentation is unnecessarily printed in micro-type, and is not especially easy to follow.

But overall, it's a positive: the gradient feature is nice even if it may not be too accurate, and the ability to switch between two bikes obviates the need to have two computers.

The altimeter function increments by one meter at a time (the Avocet's minimum step was four meters or ten feet) which suggests rather incredible resolution in their barometric strain gauge, but it works. The unit appears to be well made.

This is definitely a cool little altimeter. Nice touch to include temperate, too. The one notable thing that is lacking is cadence. I can see why they didn't include it - they would have had to add another cable - but really? For $100, I expect cadence too. Now I have to have another computer for cadence that takes up the spot that my light used to occupy. Annoying.

Some other things that are sub-optimal are the strap that mounts it on the hanlde bar - that thing is useless; I almost threw it away and used a hose clamp. Also, their speed sensor is clunky; I had to mount the magnet at the very edge of the wheel just to get enough clearance for the sensor. Had it been half a millimeter larger, it would not have fit on my bike at all.

I've had this unit for about 6 weeks and have found it to be very accurate for all of the usual key metrics: Distance, Ride Time, etc.

I really bought this unit for the altimeter functions. It took me a while to learn my way around the unit and find all of the features. Based on riding a marked and measured century in San Diego County on my 2nd ride, I found distance, elevation gain, incline %, max. elevation, and actual elevation at several marked locations on the ride to be extremely accurate (elevation within 4').

My only complaint is that there is so much data jammed into the display that I can't really see some of the smaller type. I usually wear reading glasses, and can still read everything if I am stopped, but "at speed" you don't want to be studying the display too closely, lest you run into something.

Based on my research, the price at BikeSomewhere was the lowest by quite a few dollars. I bought directly from their website (sorry Amazon, I found out later that you had the link too) and shipping was free. Now, I'm going to buy a 2nd mounting bracket and sensor so I can set it up on my MTB bike as well. Which reminds me that the unit allows you to preset 2 bikes and keep track of mileage and elevation gain separately for the 2 bikes.

I love the MC 1.0 it works great on two bikes (you need another mount but they're cheap since it's not wireless). The display is a little small at first, but you quickly get used to where to look for what data and then you're so glad it shows so much all at the same time. I've never had a problem with it not recording a ride (unlike with wireless computers) and having the temperature always displayed is especially useful. The menus are easy to navigate and make great sense. The only thing missing is a backlight. I use mine for mountain biking and road riding and it's stood up to a lot of abuse over the last year.

This is a very well made and designed product. Everything about it feels like a high quality item. I have compared it to GPS readings and it is very accurate except with altitude/incination readings. The altitude/inclination readings depend on atmospheric pressure and it is accurate enough for general purposes, but not precise. Also, it takes several seconds to show a change in inclination (which is documented in the manual). Nevertheless, it is a very worthy product that should be considered by a dedicated cyclist.

After going through various computer/altimeters I have settled on VDO as the manufacturer of the most consistent brand. It also has the best selection of other measurements and overall is the easiest to read among those that I have used or seen others using. One minor complaint is that it doesn't tell you the peak grade you are climbing since it displays an average reading over several seconds. This also results in different grades depending on how fast you do the climb.

I'm so hooked on this computer that I'm buying it again now that my first one has failed. With over six years of service, I'm not complaining. The altimeter function is very reliable, display is easy to read once you become familiar with it. Set up is a snap and buttons to change functions are easy to use with full-finger gloves. A great computer.