Schwinn 17 Function Bike Computer
Improve your workout efficiency when cycling with this Schwinn 17-function bike computer. Designed to attach securely to your handlebar, the computer tracks such info as speed, distance, time, and calories burned, helping you develop an effective workout routine with each ride. The computer is easy to install and includes a backlit screen for crisp viewing.
About Schwinn
Founded in 1895, Schwinn is an American icon that has been synonymous with quality and innovation. They have built some of the best-known and best loved bikes of numerous generations–Aerocycle, Paramount, Phantom, Varsity, Sting-Ray, Krate and Homegrown. Today, Schwinn continues to be a leader in the industry with innovative bikes such as the new Sting-Ray, Rocket mountain bikes, and Fastback road bikes. With a continued dedication to quality, forever synonymous with the Schwinn name, America’s most famous bicycle brand looks forward to providing another century of innovation, freedom and performance to people of all ages.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great value for the price
It takes a little bit of time (5-10 min) to find the best position for the magnet-sensor pair, but that’s about it. Easy installation, large and clear display. Input of parameters is simple.
For it’s price, it is definitely best buy. And for most people, it will also be more then enough in terms of functionality.
4 Stars Great Value, Does the Job I need.
I bought one of these for one of my bikes because I didn’t want to spend a lot on a computer until I figured out better what features I wanted and did a little more research.
The computer’s controls are not the easiest to use but after figuring it out, it works fine. I found the main features I use and need are; 1. Current Speed, 2. Trip Distance, 3.Moving Time, 4. Average Speed and 5. Time of Day. All these features work great and get the job done. It’s worked so well for me and I found I didn’t really need additional features so I bought 2 more of these for my other Family Bikes.
Pros:
- Good Value
- Seems Accurate
- Tracks Moving Time (i.e. it stops timer when stationary for a few seconds)
Cons:
- Can be a little hard to read in some light conditions.
- Sensor may need a little fine tuning to get the spacing correct.
- Controls and instructions are not the greatest
5 Stars Works great!
pd = f
p = 3.1416 (pi)
d = diameter of tire in millimeters
f = wheel factor
I was a little confused at first, but after fiddling around with it for awhile, and reading what others have said about it here, I finally got it setup right, and it works great. Like others have already said, you need to get the proper wheel factor entered. You can figure out the wheel factor with the above formula, or just measure the circumference of your tire and convert that to millimeters to get the wheel factor.
4 Stars 2000 miles and counting
I’ve been using this computer for over 2000 miles and it’s still working great. I can’t believe a cheap thing like this has lasted so long and I haven’t even changed the battery yet. It’s a good product.
5 Stars Terriffic Gadget — Weak Installation Instructions
I have only used this thing for a day, so I can’t speak for the long term.
Installation is not difficult once you understand what to do. The instructions are poor. For example, instructions for mounting the bracket to the handle bars say, “Using a Philips screwdriver attach the mounting bracket to the right side of the handlebar.” This was the first sentence in the first task I tried to do. There are NO screws at all! The bracket is attached with cable ties. And, I can see absolutely no reason it has to be on the right side of the handlebar. As you can see from the pictures I posted, my bike has a reflector attached to the right, so I had to put it on the left. In short, everything in the first sentence of the first instruction I tried is wrong.
They tell you to install the sensor and magnet first. I feel strongly this is a mistake. I think you should install the handlebar bracket first. This makes it easier to route the cable, position it and wind up the extra slack.
The sensor goes on the inside of the right fork - facing the spokes. You may be able to mount it on the left fork, but the easiest way to route the sensor cable is to wrap it around the brake cable which (at least on my bike) is on the right side.
The magnet clamps to a spoke immediately beside the sensor. The fork is vertical but the spokes are not — they’re angled. So, you cannot mount the magnet parallel to the sensor. Getting the two parts to align and not strike requires you move the sensor up and down the spoke until the two parts are close without touching - see my close-up picture of these two parts installed.
When I first installed it I though it wasn’t working because I would move the wheel and no speed appeared. I discovered there’s a brief delay before the speed appears so you need to have a little patience. I agree with the review that says you should test the device by moving the magnet near the sensor before beginning installation. This give you confidence it’s working if you have trouble getting the parts aligned good enough.
Setting up the meter for the first time was a little confusing. When you initially turn it on it steps you through a procedure to input the various setup data. You have to reset everything to change any of these settings, so get the numbers you need together before you start, or step through without entering anything so you know what will be needed. You probably know everything except the wheel circumference in millimeters (millimeters? — let’s get a rough number in fine detail). If you know your wheel and tire size (which is on the tire) you can get the number from a table in the instructions. Other reviewers have made a big thing of measuring your rolling distance to do this. I didn’t do it, and I can’t see why it’s necessary. If you miss the value by the maximum amount possible on the chart for a given wheel size it can’t be off more than 1mph when going 20mph (or a distance of 1 mile in 20), and if you use the correct number from the chart it’ll be a lot more accurate. Now, if the numbers in the table are wrong that’s another thing. Maybe somebody who’s compared his measured results with the table for his tire will post the difference and how much error that would cause in 20 miles. But remember, this $10 gadget isn’t intended to be used by the national bureau of standards.
Once installed and setup it works great. I like the current speed, the average speed, the distance traveled, and time peddling (it stops the clock when you stop moving). The meter snaps in and out of the mounting bracket easily. As someone said, you don’t have to reset everything to reset your trip data. Toggle to the DST (distance traveled) display and hold down the left button for a few seconds. This will reset the distance traveled, the trip timer and the average speed. The odometer accumulates total distance traveled since the last master reset.
The magnet isn’t held in place very tight and I wonder if it will tend to move, but not so far in about an hour’s riding.
I can’t see how you can beat this gadget for the price.
PROS: Works great.
CONS: Installation instructions weak.
Edited 10 hours later to add:
I can now speak to long term reliability. It failed since I wrote my review 10 hours ago, and 24 hours since I installed it. It’s not the battery, because if you press one of the buttons the display lights up and the button functions work properly. It has to be the sensor signal not working, and I’ve seen similar complaints in these reviews. Oh well, it was great for the one hour of use I got.
NOTE: Rating is now based on how it worked yesterday.
Buy/More Info
