I know this is a manufacturer's forum but being a new Specialized owner I'm curious what other Specialized riders are using for wireless bike computers.

I'm trying to decide between with or without an HRM. I've been out of the loop on computers for the last 10 years and my last one was a Vetta C-10 with cadence. Brands I'm somewhat familiar with are Sigma and Cateye. Browsing the web and ebay I've come across VDO, Garmin and some 'no-name' type brands.

Any suggestions and user experiences would be much appreciated.

Polar cs200cad. Check it out at polarusa. Easy to use. Easy to read. Mounts on the bars or stem. My wife, who has problems with any electrical device with buttons, even likes hers. The HRM chest strap is comfy too.

Okay, thanks for the tip, SnR. I will check it out.

After my computer fell of on a ride and disappeared into hedge never to be seen again, I brought one of these and have had it for about 18 months used mainly on MTB, Wireless as it uses gps:D Mounts on the bars and has a large screen which you can tailor what is displayed. Great training tool and you can upload the data when you get back to see where abouts you have been, and where you have stopped and fallen off :cryin: Expensive but well made and has survived several major crashes. Even waterproof to 1m. If you do regular loops or courses, you can use your best times and then race against a virtual partner. You can also upload routes or courses that you have plotted in the comfort of your home to follow on your next ride. 305s are also currently down in price as they have just released a new colour version Edge 705 with more detailed mapping capability.

And to add...

The Garmin 205/305 units are on sale now.
Making room for the upcoming 605/705 with true GPS map displays.

Even though the Garmin may be on sale it's still quite pricey, imo. I've also read mixed reviews on them as far as cycling computers go.

I think I've narrowed my search to either a Cateye V3 or Polar CS200CAD. The V3 is slightly more expensive than the Polar but I like the idea of the chainstay sensor which means I could still use the wireless with trainer.

Update:

I decided to throw caution to the wind and ordered up a V3 thru eBay. I can't wait to get it and try it out. It'll be interesting to see how the 2.4GHz V3 reacts when set up with my trainer which is located in my office that includes 2 desktop computers and a wireless router (5.4GHz). :)

My V3 arrived on Friday and I got it set up over the weekend. Install went okay except for the part of accidently including a wheel spoke in one of the tie straps for the speed sensor. Doh! Fortunately Cateye include extra tie straps. :)

I still need to determine accuracy as far as HR, speed, and cadence. I've only used the computer with the bike in the trainer but it appears to be working well so far. The 2.4GHz seems to be holding up well and I have not experienced any signal loss. The only concern I have is the speed/cadence chainstay sensor seems fragile and I'd be worried about knocking/breaking it. We'll see with a few rides if it's an issue.

Mini review....

Pros,
-Easy install
-No interferences
-Good display
-Small

Cons,
-No data off-loading
-Tiny buttons
-Fragile sensor?
-Manual is vague in some parts with regards to computer set up

I see the Garmin Edge 205 refurbished on ebay for $120. That's pretty tempting...

So how's that cyclecomputer doing?

I'm awaiting arrival of my new Specialized Tarmac SL2 and making a few more decisions on stuff like this..... would love to hear your feedback

I can give my review of the Cateye V3, which I've been using for about a month now. I've got it on my '06 Roubaix Pro.

Installation was a breeze without having to mess with any wires. This, and the clean looks of the wireless, make the V3 worth it even without all the other features.

The V3 seems to be extremely accurate. The speed measurements match up with those taken by others in my riding group. I compared the heart rate monitor with the Polar monitor that I have for running, and they were always close, if not identical. Even more important, there is not a huge amount of lag like you get with a lot of other wireless computers. I also have not had any interference problems, even when riding in large groups. On one ride, I did get an artificially high max HR reading, but I never noticed it during the ride, so it must have been a very brief glitch.

The display is nice and large and easy to read. The only thing I'd change is switch the HR and cadence numbers on the display. The HR numbers are bigger, while the cadence numbers are a little smaller. It's not a problem for me, but may be for others. I can't speak to visibility of the screen with polarized glasses on because I don't use 'em.

The computer is very easy to use. I never had to refer back to the manual after the first ride. Navigation through the various functions and display screens is intuitive and straightforward. Setting up the various HR zones and other initial settings took me about half an hour, and went without a hitch.

The lap button is large and easy to push in the middle of the ride. The other display buttons are smaller and harder to use during a ride, but you shouldn't have to mess with them much, if at all, mid-ride anyway.

Functions: The V3 has all the standard functions -- max, average, and lap HR, cadence, and speed; time in and out of HR zones; distance, calories, etc. I like it because it doesn't have a bunch of gimicky options that (1) don't really work, and (2) clutter up the computer and make it harder to use. It does what a bike computer is supposed to do, does it well, and does it sans wires.

My favorite feature has been the hr monitor. I can see when I've been keeping my hr too high for too long in a sprint, I can see when my hr plateaus that I've found a nice maintainable speed and cadence, and I can see when I'm slacking off and not pushing quite as hard as I could. These are things you can get a feel for without a hr monitor, especially if you've been riding a while, but it's nice to have visual confirmation. I've found that only a few beats per minute separates a maintainable pace from a non-maintainable one, and it's easy to push a little to hard for too long and not have enough left in reserve. For those who don't need or want a HR monitor, go with the V2 instead.

If anyone has any specific questions, I'm happy to try to answer them.