Getting what you paid for....arrgghh!....a cautionary tale

unCivilServant

Having read of the benefits of keeping your cadence within a certain range, I decided to get a bike computer with cadence function.

Went to Decathlon in east London, checked out their range. There was a table displayed on the shelf, showing a list of features and dots against which models had what. I chose the only one listed with "cadence", the Sigma BC 1606L DTS Wireless.

Went to France for a week's training, upon arrival decided to install the computer. I'm not an expert on bike computers but knew enough that I was a bit surprised there were no cadence sensor bits in the pack (nor instructions in the booklet for fitting them).

Needless to say, I spent a week without the very function I'd bought the sodding thing for. :x

I'll be taking this up with Decathlon--after all, their customer information basically lied to prospective customers--but it's pretty annoying. Having gashed my knee on the last day in France (meaning I missed the Duathlon I was training for....yeah I know, not Decathlon's fault but it hasn't helped my mood), I'm not able to move around easily and getting the computer back to the shop will be a hassle.

I take Duathlon with a pinch of salt on their own brands--eg their supposed athleticwear made out of cotton--but didn't imagine I'd have problems with a branded product. Sigma don't get off the hook: from digging around on the 'net, I'm now finding out that there are at least 2 variants of this model--ie comes with or w/out cadence functions--but they look exactly the same, there's no info on getting extra 'kit' for the one w/out, details on the box aren't clear etc (in small text next to the cadence functions it says "optional", with no further details on what this actually means).

Moral of the story: If buying stuff that comes in a box, ignore the shop's exhortations not to open packets, and do what you can to satisfy yourself that what you're told is what you get. :evil:

Down the Road

Should have gone to a bike shop. The staff there would have told you that BC1600 has NEVER come with the cadence kit, One of the reasons most shops stock other brands.

unCivilServant

Down the Road wrote:

Should have gone to a bike shop. The staff there would have told you that BC1600 has NEVER come with the cadence kit, One of the reasons most shops stock other brands.

It's the BC1606L though. Given that it seems little things like the presence or absence of a cadence kit don't seem to affect the name, are we talking about the same model here?

Yeah I know 'sports warehouses' aren't the place to go for expert advice....but being a Sunday (with my departure early the next day), my LBS was shut, and Decathlon is quite useful if you've limited time and a range of stuff to get. Fact remains that I wasn't after someone to talk me thru lots of options, I just expect the spec information that retailers/manufacturers do provide to be reasonably clear and correspond with reality.

Mike Willcox1

Riding your bike so that your cadence is around 100 rpm or more is a practised skill. The best way to achieve that is to use a gear that is one below that gear you feel comfortable in. After a time you will learn not to bounce in the saddle and to get a smooth pedalling action.

I think that starting off with 100 rpm is the wrong way to go and if you use a cadence monitor that's probably what you'll do.

Try counting the number of times your right foot does one rpm over 10 seconds and x by 6. You will soon get a feel for the number of revs you are doing. I've never had any sort of cadence monitor yet know instinctively when my revs are @ 100 rpm.

Keith Rapley

I think you will find you need the cadence kit, which attaches to the computer mount. I've got the previous model, although not wireless, and that's how that one works. I've had mine for years with no trouble.

unCivilServant

MW1: It's pretty unlikely I'd try to throw myself into 100rpm. Seems fairly high even by 'proper cyclist' standards, my current cadence is almost certainly rather less, and I've been riding long enough (10 years) to know that sudden changes in anything aren't a good idea.

I know all about the principle of 'use a lower gear than you expect' etc, the purpose of the computer being to monitor the extent to which this is actually happening.

The counting option seems fair enough if it works for you (and if it means *not* spending £38, there's obviously an advantage ); but seems a bit fiddly and awkward for those times when your hands/attention should be focussed on riding rather than counting.
And given that my instinct overestimates my performance in all sorts of activities I do regularly (eg how fast I'm going, getting to work on time...), I'm not totally sure I trust it! :oops:

simbil1

The cateye astrale is a simple wired computer that does cadence and also (if you buy the right kit) takes the speed from your rear wheel meaning you get a speed and cadence read out on the turbo.
There is a fair bit of cabling to organise but once installed it is simple and effective.
I have my cadence displayed on every ride and find my natural cadence slips down to the 80's especially when I get fatigued so it reminds me to gear down more. I find it very useful.

mea00csf

i have the wired cadence astrale and it is a very nice peice of kit. small unit but has everything you need on it. As a mountain biker and newbie to road biking i do find i tend to naturally tend towards 75-80 rpm. As i do find being a newbie even if i start at 90-95 ish i tend to drop down quite easily without realising it so couldn't be bothered with that whole counting method, could get very annoying very quickly!! I'm sure my legs will eventually know what 90rpm feels like eventually!

jimmythecuckoo

That's a shame because I have to say I have never had any problems with Decathlon.

aracer

I've got a cadence display on my computer (Flight deck, so virtual cadence), but I hardly ever use it. Given the computer tells you your speed, it's quite trivial to then work out your cadence based upon the gear you're in - I simply try and work on the basis of a minimum speed for a given gear, which is enough to keep your cadence up. You can do the calcs for this at home and then all you ever need to do is check your computer and provided you know what gear you're in you can tell whether you're under or over your target.

Bugly

unCivilServant wrote:

MW1: It's pretty unlikely I'd try to throw myself into 100rpm. Seems fairly high even by 'proper cyclist' standards, my current cadence is almost certainly rather less, and I've been riding long enough (10 years) to know that sudden changes in anything aren't a good idea.

I know all about the principle of 'use a lower gear than you expect' etc, the purpose of /quote]

I agree large changes are detrimental but I would like to comment on the 100rpm seems high even by proper cycle standards.

100rpm is not high its probably the norm. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion by the cycle media raving about how Lance Armstrong reinvented his technique when he 'discovered' the benefits of high cadence. Mate its been know for decadesthat a high cadence is less stressful on the joints and allows a more even distribution of torque to the rear wheel. The disadvantage of high cadence is the lack of accelleration in a sprint as you are already spinning near the top end of your leg speed.

Have been cycling for well over three decades and have learnt early on to use lower gears and spin my legs trying to sit on between 90 to 110.