Panoram 17 Function Cycle Computer A radical new concept in computer design. Superwide screen displays all of your cycling information at once. Right side displays all speed information. Center section is for time functions. And the left displays distance and maintenance information.
Submitted by
mklasi
a Weekend Warrior
from Rapid City, SD, USA
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2011
Strengths: I have used the PANORAM for about 8 years. My battery died last week and now I have to reset the tire size. I cannot find the instruction sheet so can anyone give me a clue on resetting the PANORAM?
Weaknesses: You lose everything when the battery dies.
Bottom Line:
In my view this is a good product. It has been through one minor bike accident and suffered a scrape to one edge which did not affect its operation or the mount.
Submitted by
Scoop
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston Texas
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2010
Strengths: Big display, backlight, clock - it does what its supposed to do!
Weaknesses: short battery life with backlight on, instruction are a little tough for "newbies" to understand....
Bottom Line:
This thing works great for the price, I'm hard on equipment and use things to the extreme, mine has seen, mud / water / heat / cold / sand / gravel / dirt... no problem! I've crashed so hard that it knocked it off the bars and into the woods - found it, brushed off the dirt and attached back on for another day! AWESOME! I've had 6 of these and all 6 have performed flawless!
Bike Setup: (3) Specialized Stumpjumper Expert / Bighit / Rockhopper
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
HauntedMyst
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL USA
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2008
Strengths: Big screen, backlit, lots of info displayed, main button easy to access.
Weaknesses: Bad battery time, a poor mount, odometer doesn't work, programming not intuitive.
Bottom Line:
What seems like a great computer in theory is a turd in day to day use, thank goodness it's been discontinued. For starters, the mount is great in theory, but sucks in day to day use. A simple push of any button flexs the mount. Also, the mount has no stem attachment option, just handlebar. The battery doesn't last long if you use the backlight option. I ride a lot at night and so I burn through batteries. Typical Topeak quality - not up to par with my expectations. The odometer function on the bike doesn't work on mine so I have to estimate my annual mileage.
Submitted by
Maria Mikulich
a Downhiller
from Marion, Michigan USA
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2007
Strengths: I liked the size of the screen. The numbers were easy to read and I liked the easy to reach mode button.
Weaknesses: The instructions are terrible. After unfolding the poster-size one sheet of instructions I eagerly looked for written instructions. Not much in that department, mostly pictures of screens. I could not figure out how to input wheel size so I recruited my husband who has always been able to figure these things out for me and he gave up. After 15 minutes each we both gave up. I have already packaged up the unit and am sending it back tomorrow. I am sure the computer works great but the set-up was frustrating.
Bottom Line:
They really need to update the instructions and make them user friendly.
Submitted by
peter
a Cross Country Rider
from hiroshima
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Strengths: Big screen, nice pleasing design, easy set up mechanically, wireless, though the computer programming is a bit tedious.
Weaknesses: There are a couple of BIG problems. One, the screen reacts adversely to exposure to direct sunlight. In fact, such exposure will eventually result in the entire screen turning into what looks like an oil slick under glass, where all readings are impossible to see. So, obviously, don't leave your bike parked outside in the direct sun with the computer attached--however, there is nothing you can do about the sun exposure on a half century ride in the open country--this is a MAJOR problem. The other is that the glue that adheres the base piece (black) to the top shell (silver) easily looses its adherence, and if this happens, the digits on the display lose parts of their characters, making it impossible to read. This happens if they are dropped, or are knocked against something hard. Once this happens, they are dead in the water. Other problems are noted elsewhere in these reviews, such as fixed screen settings, usually not what you want, difficulty in swtiching from one bike tire setting to another with almost impossible to see tiny number designations separating one from the other, and a few other things.
Bottom Line:
At first I loved these computers--so much so that I bought one for all four bikes (five actually as I have another carbon bike, an older but beautiful Giant Cadex that I use for the Portland Pedal during my summer visits to the NW), and replaced these as I went through the problems described below. I have had the sunlight problems with all of them, and one or two never fully recovered. I have had the loose case problem with two, meaning I had to throw them away. One other turns on, shows the display, but won't pick up the wheel revolutions, even though all others do in the same set up. Overall, I have gone through about 7 or 8 of them--pretty pricey even from eBay. I am going back to the cheap and reliable Cateyes (that is what led me back to these reviews). I strongly suggest you look elsewhere for your bike computers.
Similar Products Used: Cateye, Specialized, a few others
Bike Setup: 4 bikes: 3 carbon, 1 alum; STP 400, Giant MCM Team, Giant MCM Limited and Trek 8000 Superlight, 2 with disc, 2 with canti--all very light (the Team is a very quick and nasty 17.5 pounds!). All personally built from ground up.
The set-up went just fine connecting to the fork sensor no problem the first time.....I was able to imput the proper wheel dimensions / Mph & time no problem......I run the 31.8 mm bar & the mount would not fit around the fat part of the bar (The supplied bolt is too F*****g short).....I ran to the hardware store & bought a longer size 3 metric bolt & got the mount to fit just perfecto......It look greats & the mount feels somewhat solid sitting directly over the stem.....I agree w/ the reviews so far....The mount should have been revised a long time ago......Over all I give it a Good rating
Strengths: Since I couldn't get it to work I'd have to say none.
Weaknesses: This review is for the 'V12' version, not the unit pictured here. First off the unit packaging hides a lot. 2nd the two mounts it comes with don't fit on my mountain bike, or my road bike. 3rd whoever came up with what can be displayed on the screen at one time has never used a bicycle computer before.
Bottom Line:
Again this is for the V12 unit, not the other Topeak Panoram shown here.
First I'll go into the mount, as mentioned above it doesn't fit my mountain or road bikes, I've got standard handlebars. The computer itself is very slim profiled and the packaging it came in accented this, what the packaging hid was the wireless receiver that is thicker than the computer and make mounting even more difficult. The mount is one of those sticks out and screws into a single bolt from the side deals. There is a ratchet pattern on at one joint, but not the floating pivot joint so I certain that even if it could go on your bike, it wouldn't stay put.
Now onto the computer itself. With this HUGE screen you'd think that you can see all sorts of things, nope that's not the case. Screen 1, current speed, current distance and 'time of day', not ride time, that's right 'time of day'. Screen 2, average ride speed, current distance, total ride time for wheels spinning or wheels still. Screen 3, Max speed, odometer, ride time for wheels spinning. When I bought this I wanted to see current speed current distance and ride time for wheels spinning without pressing buttons. I know that there are a lot of perferences for what people want to see, but come on. These screens are static and cannot be modified to show other data. What a waste of money.
Again this is for the V12 unit, not the other Topeak Panoram shown here.
Similar Products Used: Cateye Enduro 2 (the grand master to compair all computers to), Cateye cordless 7 (so-so, doesn't work very well on a road bike, would probably be better on a mountain due to fork mounting issues) Supergo Wireless (price was cheap, unfortunately mfg quality and performance followed suit)
Bike Setup: Old school GT steel hardtail LX (never say die) 8-speed components (these things have outlasted every mtn 9-speed thing I've ever used, in some cases 2X or more lifespan, and they hardly ever need tweaking or adjustment)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Brooklyn, New York, USA
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2006
Strengths: Tons of Info...easy to read....and VERY easy to install.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I originally borrowed my dad's bike to see if riding was something that I really wanted to do. I bought a Bell cyclocomputer and it was a piece of crap....it didnt really give enough info and the overall quality was really bad. So I followed some reviews about this item...and boy am I glad I did!!!! This thing puts exactly the information that matters to me right there in front of you...without having to press any buttons. I will admit, setting the thing up is a bit confusing, but once you get it the first time...its a cake walk after that. Also, people complained about the mounting bracket being cheap---what did you expect??? a welding kit??? I mounted it using the supplied hardware and also added a very thick rubber band as a shim to avoid any rotation on the handle bars. My father in law took a header over the handlebars (and blamed it on my brakes being "too good") and the thing didnt even get a scratch. Also, some people complained about the screen scratching easily, so I left the protective plastic film on the screen and have not yet encountered that problem....BOTTOM LINE---GET THIS COMP!!!
Bike Setup: It's my first bike so don't laugh at me----Raleigh Mojave with some after market stuff.
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Submitted by
Charles Hill
a Racer
from Grayson, Ga., USA
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2005
Strengths: accurate mph, clock, lots of info, very durable until recently
Weaknesses: small clock display
Bottom Line:
Installed on my motorcycle to have more exact mph reading as most motorcycle speedos are patheticlly inaccurate. Also wanted additional tripmeters for calculating travel distances while motorcycle touring and a clock. I've had trouble free service with mine for over two years 'till last week when it fried for no apparent reason. I've decided to buy another one from ebay ($37.00 with shipping) since I already have everything set up on the bike. Hope for at least two more years from the new one.
Bike Setup: Takes a little patience ( < 1/2 HOUR) to install & adjust for the mechanically inclined. Conveniently centered on handle bars.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
GeeJay
a Cross Country Rider
from Bacliff, Texas
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2004
Strengths: Good and solid. Lots of info. Very clear to read while riding.
Weaknesses: It is not so easy to setup because instructions are pathetic.
Bottom Line:
The PANORAM computer from Topeak is a nice device. In my view, some of the features it provides are meant to satisfy curiousity. Once you have read them few times they become irrelevant. Speed, maximum speed, and other fewer pieces of information are the only ones you really want to know about every time you ride.
The installation was not easy. You will find the way just I did, but it is not "a piece of cake" as you may assume. Specially so if you have a mountain bike. The model I bought is wireless. The sensor attached to the fork is meant for road or race bikes. However, there is a way to make it work just fine if you can live with a black plastic strap attached to your fork.
The instructions were written by someone who barely speaks English, and whose intellect rides an elevator that does not make it to the top floor. You will have to make a lot of deciphering of your own. Very specially so on how to initially set up the computer, and how "thousands" of miles are entered once you have riden those many miles. The digits for "thousands of miles" are not easy to decipher on how milage is displayed.
Once you invested a good chunck of your life and some aggravation, you will have a very nice and reliable computer that works as it was meant to. I do not regret my purchase, but I was not expecting to confront a number of situations that did not make my life easy.
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from Colchester, Essex, UK
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2004
Strengths: Lots of features. Durable. It's a gadget!
Weaknesses: Usual bracket probs. Size.
Bottom Line:
I orginally got this for a Peter Lynn kite buggy. Wanted something to mount on a flat tube of the buggy so size was not a problem. The computer and sensor suffered several hundred miles of abuse, mainly beach related, without a problem, I even butchered the mount to fit flush. When I got back into cycling was uncertain about using the panoram but mounted it, despite half the mount missing! Being mounted at the bottom of the riser bars near the stem sort of protects it and it doesn't look so big. The functions are quite simple to use once you remember which combo of buttons to press for what.
In all a good product that has been punished in a situation it wasn't designed for and still works great in the situation it was!
Submitted by
Pritch
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol, UK
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2004
Strengths: Great display - all the info, at once, genuinely. It's also actually very easy to use once you get the hang of it. It's at knock-down prices now too.
Weaknesses: The bracket is a little poor, although it is genuinely adjustable. Some display and functionality quirks which can be annoying. Takes up a LOT of handlebar space.
Bottom Line:
I'd always wanted to give this computer a try but could never justify the price. However, as they are now being heavily discounted I got one, and got a spare kit so I could use it on my other bike as well.
It was easy to fit both kits. Although I hate zip ties, you can at least remove the one on the sensor if you have to. You have to pretty strong though if you want to tighten it properly. The bracket is genuinely multi-adjustable, if you're having problems with crookedness like I did at first I recommend you adjust the third screw; the one right next to the bracket itself. I promise you it is possible to find an angle where it isn't crooked if you mess around with all three screws, and thank god I did find it, because it's just horrbile when it's crooked. The bracket is flexible, which to a certain extent is a good thing, but it does mean that it can weaken in time, and it also means that you get tremendous flex when pushing buttons, as they are very firm and clunky. The main unit has a nice quality feel about it however. If you have lights on your bars, especially ones that take up a bit of space, you may have to mess around for a while before you can find a place for the Panoram to reside. Myself, I went for right over the stem, absolutely central, it's so big that anything else seemed to catch my eye all the time. I had to move my lights either side of it, and needed extra shims to move them along. If you have riser bars you might be screwed though. This thing does hog space!
Why why WHY won't someone, Cateye or especially Topeak given this thing's width, come up with a stem bracket? It would be secure, guaranteed to be straight, and out of the way of the handlebars. It's one of those things that I just can't figure out why no-one ever develops. It's not like we all ride with DH stems, most of us could mount a Panoram perfectly there, with a really strong bracket!
Anyway, as per functionality, this thing is pretty spot-on. It's the one to get if you're a bit of an info jukie like me, more so than the new V12 and V9 which are a bit disappointing. This really is the daddy within the price-range, you have to get three figure sums out before you'll get a unit offering more.
I mentioned the button-pressing thing - it's necessary I find to put your fingers behind the unit and thumb the buttons to support it which is a bit annoying. Luckily, you seldom have to press buttons when riding as info you want is displayed. One thing that does annoy me though is that when in motion the unit automatically switches back to speed/trip distance display. What if I want to continue in odometer/maximum speed mode? It won't let you. Kind-of annoying, I like to make these choices myself!
It's good that you can program your accumalted data back in if you have to change the battery, something I regard as pretty essential in a decent computer.
By the way I have the wireless version, which I can say works absolutely fine even when about 18 inches away from transmitter on my Saracen. Not only that, but if you take the time to actually measure one of your wheels, and multiply the number of mm by 3.14, you can get super-accurate measurements when you program that in. I recommend this over simply using the provided chart, as your tyres will always be different. For example, my Marin is 2088 and my Saracen is 2135, yet on the chart they would be 2100 and 2130.
I know people moan about this computer being tricky to use and the instruction sheet being complicated but actually it's really very simple if you just spend a bit of time familiarising yourself with it. If you can't hack it maybe a simpler computer is for you. It doesn't make this a bad product, indeed, I am in general very pleased with this computer - there are weak spots - but I think if you can get a good price it's worth a very good look. The mode system is fluid and it's easy to program.
It isn't as durable as a Cateye. If you're a hardcore rider I'd stick with a smaller computer that's less easy to damage, but if you're a commuter or gentle-ish XC rider this could offer you as much as you'll ever need from a computer... if you're wiling to get accustommed to it and make the effort required to unlock its potential.
