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Submitted by
Serafin
a Racer
from Miami, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Local Bike Shop in Puerto Rico | | Strengths: | Easy Setup
User Friendly | | Weaknesses: | Limited info | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Mountain & Road Bikes | | Bottom Line: | I have been using it for a long time, I even have two of them, one in my MTB and the other in the Road Bike. I don't complaint about them. Both computers are still working after 3 years of continuosly use. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick
a Weekend Warrior
from Wollongong, Australia
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$12.00 | | Purchased At: | Rebel Sport | | Strengths: | Accurate. Easy to read numbers. Simple to use. Good battery life. Cheap. | | Weaknesses: | Once in a while would lose readings due to the sensor being bumped slightly. Elastic bands might look weak but they do make it easy to move the computer from bike to bike. | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first computer | | Bike Setup: | GT Tequesta MTB. Fuji Finest Roadie | | Bottom Line: | This computer has the basics and generally does it well. It's good bang for your buck. I noticed there was some dude complaining about it not being waterproof, but I've ridden it in the rain (too many bloody times) and the computer never had a problem. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jesse
a Weekend Warrior
from Lighthouse Point, Florida
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$14.00 | | Purchased At: | Getaway Cycles-Pompano Beach | | Strengths: | Inexpensive. Easy to install and set up. Accurate odometer function. | | Weaknesses: | Confirms the old adage "you get what you pay for." | | Similar Products Used: | CatEye M 3 | | Bike Setup: | Surley 1x1 | | Bottom Line: | The Sigma Sport BC 600 computer has all the basic functions a rider is likely to want: time, trip mileage, total mileage, current speed, maximum speed, and trip time. It does not provide a readout for average speed, but the user can calculate this by hand at the end of his ride by using the trip mileage and trip time data.
Installation of the computer unit to the handlebars and the pick-up unit on the fork is accomplished through the use of rubber O-rings (as opposed to zip ties used on many computers). This makes the unit easy to transfer between bikes if so desired. Neither the computer mount or the
pick-up has come loose over several months of use.
Data for about two dozen different tire diameters are supplied on the installation instructions. Riding a measured mile showed that the calibration factor was spot on for my wheel and tire setup (26x1.9).
The specification sheet for this computer states that the unit is water resistant (not waterproof). However, my experience leads me to believe that the even the claim of mere water resistance is perhaps a tad optimistic.
The computer's first month of use was trouble free. It never required any tweaking or adjustment.
One of my usual rides takes me past a golf course and, as anyone living in south Florida knows, the golf greens down here are in almost constant need of watering. On one particular morning a sprinkler head near the path was out of whack and instead of confining itself to watering the green, the sprinkler was spraying in a 360 degree circuit. Every few seconds the path was getting a liberal dowsing. I was winding up my morning ride and figured that a two- second shower would be a good pick-me-up before pedaling home. My timing resulted in running through the sprinkler's spray for perhaps twenty feet.
On stopping at an intersection perhaps a minute later to begin the ride home I checked the computer and saw that it had zeroed itself out. Obviously water had seeped into the unit and caused a malfunction. By the time I got home twenty minutes later the computer seemed to have shaken itself off and was again funtioning properly.
However, on my ride the following day the computer would periodically freeze for perhaps a minute and then return to normal. To make a long story less long, for the past six weeks since gettng wet the computer has been locking up like this. I was hoping that the problem was temporary and would disappear after everything had dried out. Alas, I think it a permanent condition.
The Sigma Sport BC 600 would be a good basic computer for someone interested in collecting data for their rides. However, my experience leads me to conclude that, claims of water resistance aside, the BC 600 must be kept bone dry to function properly. Perhaps some clear acrylic caulking judiciously applied around the case seams and where the wires enter the unit would render it more resistant to water.
My recommendation would be to steer clear of this particular model unless you are willing to take pains to keep it from getting wet. Otherwise, get a computer that the manufacturer clearly states is waterproof.
I will contact Sigma Sport to see if they will fix or replace my computer. However, I've a feeling that a run-in with a rogue golf course sprinkler is not covered by the warranty. It's not the end of the world, but the next computer I purchase for my single speed will be waterproof.
(Geez ... I can't believe that I've blathered on so long about a $13.95 bike computer) | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bobby Orellano
a Weekend Warrior
from Rome, New York
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Black River | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Small, compact size. Excellent battery life. Cheap and acurate had for long time and has yet to let me down. Upgradable any time to wireless. | | Weaknesses: | No avg. speed. The rubber band mountings look kind of weak. I guess i'll just have to wait and see. Batteries shouldn't come already installed. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Giant Yucon, soon Giant NRS2 | | Bottom Line: | great bang for the buck. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nicolas Bello
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Don River Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Cyclepath | | Strengths: | Small, compact size. Excellent battery life. Upgradeable to wireless (not standard though, must buy add-on wireless kit). | | Weaknesses: | Wires seem flimsly. I upgraded to wireless kit (Sigma's RDS) almost instantly. | | Similar Products Used: | None, this is my first bike computer. | | Bike Setup: | Giant Cypress | | Bottom Line: | A nice, first-time buyer bike computer. Easy to use. Lightweight design. Only feature I miss is average speed, it only provides you with your maximum speed for a given ride.
Simple to adjust for wheel size with included sizing chart.
I strongly recommend Sigma's wireless update (RDS) for this unit. You won't have to worry about tearing any cables when you're out on rougher trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dean freeman
a Downhiller
from gosport
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | queen elizabeth country park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$265.00 | | Strengths: | renforced weels | | Weaknesses: | heavy` | | Similar Products Used: | bmx | | Bike Setup: | back and front disc brake | | Bottom Line: | stone cold said so | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
david rome
a Cross Country Rider
from sydney
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | oaks | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | cranks bike shop | | Strengths: | looks good, easy to use, has to be clipped out, quite acurate.
| | Weaknesses: | Well there really was none besides when i went over 20km/ph it would fade out the 2 but sent that into my bike shop and a week later they got a brand new one for me. now its working great | | Similar Products Used: | crappy one from wollies | | Bike Setup: | giant yukon, not much changed besides grips and pedals | | Bottom Line: | this is a great product but if i were to be looking for a new computer now i would go for the more expensive($5)one which is the bc800 i think, and that tells the average speed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rusty Hill
a Downhiller
from Granby
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Cheap and acurate had for long time and has yet to let me down. | | Weaknesses: | Wires are brittle. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This is a good unit and is real reliable it will never brake | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joe therider
a Cross Country Rider
from atlantic northeast
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | the gettin place | | Strengths: | i dont really like this product | | Weaknesses: | rubber bands are weak, ilost the mounting bracket for the magnetic reciever on my fork, i guess in a crash...wire han not failed but is too thin for off road use, im sure it wouldnt last much longer if the digital readout hadent sh$t the bed last week, somehow it doesnt read the number in the tenths place (ie 15mph is read as 5mph) | | Similar Products Used: | shwinn computer...its crap too...im trying a planit bike next wish me luck | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth truth with a hell of alot of miles | | Bottom Line: | i bought this product as an impulse purchase, my computer broke the night before, i also bought one for a friend of mine and his died at the three month mark. BUYER BEWARE. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcel
a Weekend Warrior
from San Juan, PR
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Looks cool, easy to read, very easy mounting. Upgradable any time to wireless. | | Weaknesses: | No avg. speed. The rubber band mountings look kind of weak. I guess i'll just have to wait and see. Batteries shouldn't come already installed. | | Similar Products Used: | Sigma Sport | | Bike Setup: | Trek 4300. Only the frame is stock... | | Bottom Line: | Since i've only used it a couple of times i cant say its the best computer in the world. But it is working excelently so far. If it continues like this it is going to be a great gift for me, since i got it for christmas.
It has everything you need and nothing you dont. Its not a bad investment considering that a computer wont improve your performance and i dont see the real necesity to spend more than 25 bucks in a computer... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Arjen
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | visibility of display is very good, mounting it on your bike is a piece of cake: no tools necessary, not even a screwdriver! | | Weaknesses: | no average speed function, only full km's no tenths or more precise! | | Similar Products Used: | cateye mity 2 and 3 | | Bike Setup: | currently on Giant ATB bike for cross country riding. | | Bottom Line: | looks nic, mounting easily. poor features and for that price... get yourself a CATEYE!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marcus
a Weekend Warrior
from Decatur, IL
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Strengths: | Cheap | | Weaknesses: | Very Cheap | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6000 | | Bottom Line: | Cheap construction and really poor mounting. It flew off the mounting never to be seen again when I went over the bars. It might be ok if you never get off the road. Bottom Line: buy a Cateye with more features for the less money and you will be much happier. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Baxter
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere green | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Strengths: | Easy to setup, easy to read, unobtrusive, adequate funtions for most purposes, robust (has'nt let in water despite a few downpours), long battery life (18 mnths at least).
| | Weaknesses: | Mounting clip for monitor is a bit flimsy - I expected it to break, but it has lasted well so far, rubber band mounting looks weak, but again has lasted well (I suppose you could replace it with any suitable band if it breaks), wires are very thin and connections look weak - I used insulation tape to minimise any free wires at sender unit and monitor clip. | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye | | Bike Setup: | Rough road touring. Orbit frame, road setup. | | Bottom Line: | Quite impressed, having had problems with other makes before trying this one. Concerns about wires and monitor clip, but no problems sofar (famous last words !). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 17, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | heaps | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$20.00 | | Purchased At: | rebel | | Strengths: | it has lots of functions for the price | | Weaknesses: | okay, the wire broke when pulled at a reasonable force, then wen the wire got replaced with a replacement kit after a few months it stopped working, then the wire had to be replaced again. and the button at the bottum of it came of and wen i put it back it was obviously really fragile and stuck on real badly. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | old norco | | Bottom Line: | dont buy it you can ge heaps better for the same $ like a cateye or something that takes ages before it stuffs up. but wen its only that price u shouldnt expect 2 much. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
YR
a Weekend Warrior
from Israel
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Fridge to couch | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$17.00 | | Purchased At: | GOSPORT - France | | Strengths: | Cheap
easy to mount
clear reading | | Weaknesses: | thin wire
pushbuttons are hard to press (need to press at the precise
angle or use a mamoth force)
INACCURATE (read below) | | Similar Products Used: | Cateye cc-st200 (tomo xc) | | Bottom Line: | This comp is on my wife's bike. She wanted one after I kept
blabing all the stat from my Cateye. I saw no reason to get
a more expensive comp than the BC600 for all the same functions. Lately we went on a killer trip with incline so steep we could bearly walk it up. The BC600 stopped accomulating at slow walking speed - we ended up with a mile difference in our trip distance counter over 12 miles... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin L.
a Weekend Warrior
from Pt. Pleasant, NJ
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Allaire Park-Hospital Road Loop | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Depot | | Strengths: | Easy to install. Easy to read. Easy to cycle thru all functions. Easy to reset. | | Weaknesses: | No cadence. | | Similar Products Used: | Vetta. | | Bike Setup: | '99 Bianchi Campione. | | Bottom Line: | A very nice computer, very easy to install (I did it myself, using only 9 out of my 10 thumbs). Resetting milage is a snap, as is cycling thru the functions (time, speed, avg. speed, odometer, stop watch). The stop watch stops automatically, so the average speed and trip time is always spot-on.
I never thought I'd find something I liked as much as my Vetta. I like this computer much better. I will be upgrading to the 800 on my next bike in order to get the cadence function. It's hard knocking off a chili for a not having a function that not everyone uses. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Larry Huro
a Weekend Warrior
from Streamwood Il 60107
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere with hills | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Spin Doctor Cyclewerks | | Strengths: | Accuracy and ease of use.Easy to read. | | Weaknesses: | None noticed. | | Similar Products Used: | BC 400 | | Bike Setup: | Trek 1000 road bike with Mavic Open Pro rims and Ultegra hubs.SPD pedals and Specialized BG Sport saddle. | | Bottom Line: | I'm using this with the wireless option.I've found that sometimes at the start of a ride the it hasn't started clocking.This could be either a problem with the wireless systems alignment or a contact problem.It hasn't seemed to be a major problem since it only takes a flick of a finger to get it going.Once it starts it hasn't quit.I like the price and the basic important data it gives with very easy to read numbers.Well worth the price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Highspeedsteel
a Downhiller
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | K-loop | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Easy to install,
Accurate at high speed,
Reliable in mud | | Weaknesses: | Plastic is brittle and the rubber band system of mounting causes it to fail after about one year.
| | Similar Products Used: | Cateye mitty | | Bike Setup: | Avanti hammer, Z1 bombers, Formula disks front and rear. | | Bottom Line: | Good design but need to use a less brittle plastic. Might pass as a road speedo but don't buy for mountain biking. The wire was not well soldered on as well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Tsali | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Easy to install. Well designed, not complicated...just the functions you need. Works! | | Weaknesses: | None, yet....except maybe the cost of replacing all those batteries! Mine came with dead batteries in it! That's four in the sender unit, and two in the receiver unit. | | Similar Products Used: | Avocet, (on my road bike), also good. | | Bike Setup: | S-works FSR-XC | | Bottom Line: | Very nice, I'm happy with this toy and you will be too.
It came from Aardvark mail order house with dead batteries, though...and a call to Sigma brought no satisfaction. They said they can't be responsible for units "left on the shelf" by their distributors.
I bought new batteries (5 of 'em @ about $3.00 apiece)...and that's a lot of money, compared to the initial cost of the unit itself.
Bottom Line: Make sure your unit has fresh batteries and works when you buy it!
Five chilis for performance/installation.
Minus two (= three) for Sigma's failure to rectify the dead batteries problem for me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KYLE
a Cross Country Rider
from CHEYENNE WY
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | the one behind my house | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | easy to mount
inexpensive
nice design
easy to setup | | Weaknesses: | have found no weaknesses as of yet | | Bike Setup: | stock 2000 model TREK 6000 | | Bottom Line: | this thing is the best thing since sliced bread.only have a little over 100 miles on it but they have been trouble free.I have even ridden in the rain with it and it survived without a problem I just dont think I would push the buttons while the unit is being rained on.all in all I would say this is a pretty good unit for either road cyclists or mountain bikers, but will have to see if it holds up over the long haul. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie
a Cross-Country Rider
from Defreestville, NY
Date Reviewed: August 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
The one out my back door | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Accurate.
Clean design.
Easy to mount
Can use with optional cordless unit in future.Easy set up of tire size. | | Weaknesses: |
No dual tire size (Must buy BC 1200 for this feature).Rubber band mounting system raises durability questions. | | Similar Products Used: |
Cateye Mity 3 (What a pain in the posterior to mount!) | | Bike Setup: |
Klein Attitude Comp
Manitou SX E | | Bottom Line: | Works well. Unit is more attractive & easier to read than Cateye. Mounting system fears mean a one chili reduction. | | Overall Rating: |
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