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Is the Ergo-brain a good idea?
Hi, all.
I recently built up my bike with Chorus-10, but put off adding a computer until the pain subsided. Now that there's a light at the end of the train-wreck, I'm wondering: Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? I look forward to your comments. -Mark |
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#2
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In article ,
Mark Schecter wrote: Hi, all. I recently built up my bike with Chorus-10, but put off adding a computer until the pain subsided. Now that there's a light at the end of the train-wreck, I'm wondering: Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? brifter-mangling. i considered the ergo-brain (briefly). once i downloaded the installation manual and had a good hard look at the feature/price ratio, i decided to waste all that money on the vdo mc1.0. no, it doesn't tell me what gear i'm in without having to glance back. and no it won't tell me my cadence even when i'm not pedaling. but it's reassuring to know that i'm suffering because i'm climbing a 9% grade and not just because i'm a clydesdale. also, no brifter-mangling. |
#3
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Mark Schecter wrote:
Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? I really like my Ergo-brain, but I'm a gadget geek. Some folks don't care for cyclocomputers at all - so figure where you fit in the gadget-geek spectrum. I had one of Cateye's first models, and two of the next, back when a huge (2AA batteries) computer cost a bunch. It isn't so much the built-in *buttons* on the brifter hoods that I like with Ergobrain, but the *sensors* in the shift levers that keep track of what cog/ring I'm on. Yes, I can look back at the cogs, but on a long climb, when you're too cooked to remember if you've "hit bottom" yet, it's nice to have an easy way to check your gearing. When I get really cooked, it reminds me what ring I'm on (!) Also, the ergobrain has a bazillion goofy features to fool with [1]. I like that it has two independent timers - one with auto-stop and one elapsed - I can tell how much time I've spent in rest stops on centuries - another geek joy in life! Oh, and by the way, the cadence is actual, not computed from gear and speed, so you don't get a bogus number when you coast. I really don't think any other mfr's computers would integrate with the brifters. Installation is a bit fussy, but the directions actually are good. Note that you do have to remove the brifters for the installation, and of course the bar tape, since the wires run under the tape. [1] Stock disclaimer - pay attention to where you're going instead of the cyclocomputer! Mark Janeba |
#4
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Mark Schecter wrote: Hi, all. I recently built up my bike with Chorus-10, but put off adding a computer until the pain subsided. Now that there's a light at the end of the train-wreck, I'm wondering: Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? I look forward to your comments. -Mark Pretty expensive answer to a simple question. Same for flite-deck. Not hard to install but challenging to program and finicky at best. Look at the Cateye double wireless or just get a simple wired Cateye, like the Mity series, if ya gotta have a 'puter. |
#5
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I've been using the ErgoBrain 10 for a few months on my new road bike.
Overall I like it a lot but it is a far from perfect product. The best features for me a Dual timers, one with autostart. Control buttons in shift levers. Direct readout of rear cog being used. This is exremely valuable with 10 speed cassettes. Ability to store wheel and cassette data for two different rear wheels - makes wheel swaps very easy. For me, the above features make it worth the admittedly steep price. It seems to be a high quality unit and has operated well for me so far. That being said, there are LOTS of things I don't like about it: The cadence function should be virtural from gear and speed to eliminate need to install cadence sensor. For this reason, I did not install the cadence sensor to reduce cabling clutter on my bike. The LCD display is poorly executed. It is an older vintage LCD with poor contrast. Hard to read in some lighting conditions, especially with sunglasses. The display is small for the amount of information displayed, and some data items are too small to read easily, especially for someone who uses reading glasses. The gear readout continually cycles from chainring to cassette. The switching frequency is very rapid and makes it hard to catch the cassette gear reading with the low contrast display and small numbers. Lets face it, we all KNOW what chainring we are in - there are only 2 or 3 and they are readily visible. Would prefer just to show the cassette gear with a physically larger display for easier reading. The mounting bracket could be better designed. Attachement to the bars and location of computer are fine. But the mechanism to detach the computer from the bracket is awkward. Hard to grasp the computer for removal without pressing the buttons on the side. The buttons in the shift levers, while a terrific feature, are low quality from an ergonomic point of view. They are very "mushy" feeling and give no tactile feedback when you press them. This particular design has been around for a few years now, so I'm thinking that Campy should be coming out with a newer model before too long. One would hope that they address some of the above items in the redesign. If so, it will be a terrific product. Unless you are in a big hurry, I'd recommend waiting to see what the next version looks like. |
#6
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Mark Schecter wrote: Hi, all. I recently built up my bike with Chorus-10, but put off adding a computer until the pain subsided. Now that there's a light at the end of the train-wreck, I'm wondering: Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? I look forward to your comments. -Mark Not in my opinion, same for flite-deck. VERY expensive answer to a simple question. Not hard to install, but challenging to program. Get a Cateye double wireless for a better unit. |
#7
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"Qui si parla Campagnolo" wrote:
Mark Schecter wrote: Hi, all. I recently built up my bike with Chorus-10, but put off adding a computer until the pain subsided. Now that there's a light at the end of the train-wreck, I'm wondering: Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? I look forward to your comments. -Mark Not in my opinion, same for flite-deck. VERY expensive answer to a simple question. Not hard to install, but challenging to program. Get a Cateye double wireless for a better unit. http://snipurl.com/9dfg $130 to $150. I lusted over that thing for quite a while before going with a straight Mity 8. Then, when the second Moots rolled into the picture, I lusted over the double wireless again . . . before buying a second (third, really) Mity 8. $21 bucks? Get the F outta' here.... |
#8
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Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
Mark Schecter wrote: I recently built up my bike with Chorus-10, but put off adding a computer until the pain subsided. Now that there's a light at the end of the train-wreck, I'm wondering: Is the Ergo-brain worth 3-4x the price of other full-featured cyclometers ($150-225USD) just to have the cool built-in switches in the brifters? I understand that Cateye makes the unit for Campy - are there Cateye or other makers'units that could be operated with the built-in switches? If I bite the bullet, is installation pretty much plug-and-play, or is there brifter-mangling in my future? Not in my opinion, same for flite-deck. VERY expensive answer to a simple question. I agree. I have a Flite Deck that came with my bike. While I like the gear indicator, I wouldn't pay all that money for it. Not hard to install, but challenging to program. I don't know about the Campy unit, but I can program my Flite Deck easily in a few minutes. However, installation could be a pain because the wires are so small and fiddly. Get a Cateye double wireless for a better unit. If my bike hadn't come with the Flite Deck, that's probably what I'd do. Wireless rules though -- it's awfully nice not having wires all over the bike. If you're going to spend all that money, might as well get one of the fancier computers with altimeter, downloadable data, etc. Matt O. |
#9
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You're obviously a committed rider, upgrading your ride to 10 speed.
Your machine is current - state-of-the-art. You're done, Mark. Well... maybe not. Monitor the motor not the machine... spend the $$$ on a HR monitor w/USB download feature. You'll learn more about yourself, your fitness and cycle MPH faster than watching an LCD in realtime. The HAC4 has MPH/Cadence/HR/Timers/Zones/Countdown/Altitude/Grade/etc... built-in and graph your ride profile by alt-HR-cadence/time to really fine tune your on-bike fitness. Anything less is just playing around on a bike. |
#10
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