The C3DS overcame seven other wireless computers in the price range of 35 to 70 Euros. Top scores (5 stars) for functional versatility and usefulness. Menu is logical and easy-to-navigate, distinct large display and easy mounting.
Submitted by
Ginzo
a Weekend Warrior
from Scranton, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2011
Strengths: None
Weaknesses: Slow response, did not work on back wheel as advertised, not accuate compared to wired unit off by 2/10. Even on front wheel the response was slow. Bad purchase...will return
Bottom Line:
I purchased the wireless unit to install on rear wheel for winter training as stated. However, the transmitter must be within 23 inches of computer, which makes rear wheel mounting impossible. Also magnet placement way to touchy, slight movement and unit stops working. Mounted on front wheel side by side with Sigma and response to speed change was very slow and inaccuate. Compared with two different wired units.
Submitted by
lodya
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2011
Strengths: Easy to read display. Nice feature set.
Weaknesses: Multiple problems from day 1.
Bottom Line:
I bought this on sale thinking I was getting a great deal on a wireless computer. The clip for the spoke magnet broke on installation. I contacted VDO and they sent me a couple of new magnets. Once mounted, the unit only worked intermittently; then it stopped working altogether. I replaced the battery and reset the computer - no luck. I contacted VDO with this issue but they have not responded. I will stay away from VDO products in future.
Submitted by
Robert Broberg
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilsonville, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2011
Bottom Line:
This is a great computer. Thus far, have had none of the problems other owners have described. An advantage is that the sensor can also be put on the rear wheel. I'm happy with it as I paid a fraction of retail ($23 vs $89), it is well constructed, good looking, has nice features including a navigator mode, and is easy to set up. Just ordered -- from Nashbar --the cadence kit for $10 instead of the $40 retail price.
Similar Products Used: Also have a VDO C2 ds that seems to work fine.
Bike Setup: Land Shark Dirt Shark
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Chris Broome
a Weekend Warrior
from San Luis Obispo, CA
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2009
Strengths: Wide range of functions, automatic start-stop, dual bike capability. Its the same easily-available and inexpensive batteries for the pickups and the head unit.
Weaknesses: I have C3DS computers on two bikes. They started to lose signals from cadence and wheel sensors. Replacing the batteries and swapping the units from bike to bike helped for a short while, but not long. I could never get the mileage to read correctly or even correspond to a second (different brand) computer on the tandem or on a second solo bike.
The orientation of the head unit on the handle bar is very, very sensitive - I guess it can't handle much variation in signal strength or direction from the pickups.
According to the user guide, you have to send the unit back to Germany for any warranty repair.
Bottom Line:
Given VDO's reputation in other areas of electronics and instrumentation, I expected a reliable and accurate product.
This was a disappointing waste of money and a time-wasting experience.
Similar Products Used: Older Performance CM300's - no longer manufactured and several years old, but very reliable and accurate.
Bike Setup: The solo bike has pickups from front wheel and cadence from crankset; the tandem picks up speed from rear wheel and cadence from rear crankset.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Yan Duval
a Cross Country Rider
from Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2009
Strengths: Great features when it works. LED is a good idea on sensors.
Weaknesses: Various problems. I had my first one a few years ago. Worked pretty well so bought a second kit for my wife. Frequent need to change batteries. My computer started to fail after 2 years. After a year, my speed sensor developped an habit of failing to work below 15C. My wife's computer was never able to calculate trip distance correctly.
Bottom Line:
The general design is good, but there are quality problems plaguing the product. In the end, I spent so much time messing with batteries, positionning and all that requested warranty repair at MEC. They were kind enough to reimburse the whole thing.
Similar Products Used: Cateye Mity: More than 10 years of flawless performance.
Bike Setup: Stumpjumpers, Trek 1200 and Pilot 1.2
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2009
Strengths: Simple menu. easy setup
Weaknesses: one quit after 2 weeks. Spotty signal acquisiton. couldn't get cadence to work regularly.
Bottom Line:
The good: Mine works great! Setup and programming was very easy. I like the straightforward and simple menu. No complicated button combinations to remember. The menus are all easy to find and figure out. I did not set up cadence on my bike (never use it).
The bad: My wife's quit working after 2 weeks. Couldn't get a regular signal, cadence was spotty, etc. New battery didn't help. Electronic devices have a habit of not working when my wife handles them, but in this instance i believe it's not her fault. Exact same problems many others described.
Wondering if the cadence combo screws it up. Anyone else besides me hook up the computer only?
Submitted by
Jeff B
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2008
Strengths: Very easy to navigate. Easy to set up, if you read the instructions.
Weaknesses: Cadence is spotty. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it pretends to work but is giving info that can't be right (cadence of 20 when I'm doing something closer to 100)
Bottom Line:
The computer has only ever given me problems when the batteries were dying. Once I replaced the batteries, it worked great again. I've never had any problems getting the wireless to work.
Bike Setup: I've used this both on my road and mountain bike.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Drummer
a Cross Country Rider
from Chakovec, Croatia
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2008
Strengths: Simple and logical menus, nice keys, strong casing.
Weaknesses: Signal range about 10". Doesn't work when mounted on the bars.
Bottom Line:
It doesn't work. Changed all the batteries, moved the sensors and the computer itself all over the bike, nothing helps. Optimistic as I am, I also bought a cadence sensor and a complete "second bike" kit with sensors & mounts. Total cost 250 US$. Total waiste.
Bike Setup: MTB: Orbea OIZ PV Wind, roadie: Author A3303
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2008
Strengths: Clear display, seems solidly built.
Weaknesses: The computer can pick up the transmitter signal if it is within 3-4 inches of the transmitter. But once the computer is on the handlebar mount, it loses the signal. I have spent a lot of time over the course of a year trying to get this thing to work consistently, and nothing that I have tried has worked. It seems to have a very weak transmitter. It cannot be the bike design, as I have had other wireless computers work just fine on it. I've been unable to use it long enough to even test its weather-worthiness, or battery longevity, or the cadence kit. I've wasted enough time.
Bottom Line:
Bottom line is that this was probably the worst cycling purchase I've made in the past 10 years. I thought VDO's reputation in other areas would carry over into its cycling products, but it has not. I wish I had read the reviews out here before "getting a great deal" on Ebay. Now I know why the seller was selling it. Maybe the wireless unit will work on a road bike with a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the computer (instead of having to communicate around a shock fork crown), but like I said, I have had no problems with other wireless units on the same bike.
Similar Products Used: Vetta C200 (an excellent older wireless computer), Cateye Strada (wired), Cateye Astrale (wired). I'm sending this VDO to the manufacturer and going back to either Vetta or Cateye.
Bike Setup: Gary Fisher Hoo-Koo-E-Koo hardtail
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Harold
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Vegas, NV, USA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2007
Strengths: none
Weaknesses: hard to say when the product doesn't work.
Bottom Line:
Purchased this when I was building up the Look frame because I wanted something with cadence. I'd seen other VDO's reviews and they seemed to get fair/good ratings. I tried several times to get this thing to register with no luck. I've replaced batteries and that didn't help either. I've sent manufacturer several e-mails with no response. This has got to be the worst product I've ever used, and adding to the insult is the manufacturer complete lack of support. Spend your money on something else that works. I only wish MBR would allow me to give it negative Chili's.
Submitted by
Sherwood
a Cross Country Rider
from Olympia, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Strengths: Easy installation, using just the quick setup pages. Very legible LCD. Logical menu structure, Using the table to set tire size gave readings that matched other "corrected" computers. While riding, one push switches from cadence to trip mileage. Double wireless synchronized well, and one the "digi reset" was run, the sensors and the CPU have stayed in synch, with no dropouts.
Weaknesses: Manual is printed in microscopic print in many languages, solved by downloading the pdf file from the website, and printing out in large size. Unit is not easy to initialize without reading the manual first.
Bottom Line:
I love it - best computer I've seen yet, but I would expect that from VDO. Their instruments are in the best cars I have driven.
Similar Products Used: Several Avocet computers, and most recently, a specialized Turbo Elite
Bike Setup: Trek carbon road bike
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Brandywine, MD
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2007
Strengths: Color scheme matched my bike, easy to configure.
Weaknesses: Where to start...utterly useless display, inaccurate, hates any kind of moisture to include the moisture from your breath, wireless only works when the sensor is within 1-2 inches of the computer, eats batteries.
Bottom Line:
An abysmal product with equally abysmal support from the manufacturer. Without a doubt the worse computer I have ever owned in 20 plus years. Thank goodness, Bike Nashbar offers great support for returns three months after purchasing.
Similar Products Used: Performance, Cateye, Specialized
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Brad Butler
a Weekend Warrior
from Oceanside, CA
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2007
Strengths: Tons of features. Wireless
Weaknesses: Very bad luck with the wireless reliability, both in speed and cadence.
Bottom Line:
If you can keep the wireless functions working correctly, the unit is great. Otherwise, it's pretty much worthless. I've been beating my head against it for a while right now...can't get the speed or cadence sensors to register. Tried new batteries and everything.
Submitted by
Jason Pate
a Cross Country Rider
from Memphis, TN
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2006
Strengths: The functions (if they worked) would be nice, that is why I purchased it in the first place. Wireless keeps things neet.
Weaknesses: Price, can't seem to keep it working. Tried new batteries, holding it right next to the receiver, nothing works. Came to MTBR to get the manufacturers website.
Bottom Line:
Don't waste all that money. I have one that cost $30 and it is better.
