As I did not want to get another Garmin unit for the Avanti Inc 3, and also did not want to share the Garmin Edge 510 with the Avanti Inc 3, I decided to get a Cateye cycle computer as a standalone cycle computer for the Avanti Inc 3.
Prior to that, I searched on Taobao to find a combination mount with Cateye on top and GoPro type mount below. There were a few, and I bought two of them to try out, since they were not too expensive. However, the quality of the Cateye mounts from Taobao were quite dreadful.
As you may know, most Cateye computers are activated by pressing the bottom of the screen, which tilts the whole unit to depress the small button at the back of the unit. However, after inserting into the first Cateye mount, I could not press down the screen at all. The design is flawed and this makes the Cateye computer useless as I could not interact with it at all.
As for the second mount of a different brand, I could barely depress the button after inserting the Cateye computer. Worse still, upon removing the Cateye, the snap fit arm of the mount broke! This is really poor quality. Either the button does not work, or the mount breaks. Seems that it is not so easy to copy and make the Cateye mount...
I have no choice but to get a mount of a higher quality in order to ensure that it works properly. I found the REC mount which is designed and made in Japan, which should work better since Cateye is also from Japan. It can be found at The Bike Settlement.
In any case, I decided to get a large screen Cateye computer to match with the new REC mount. Last time, when I first saw the Cateye Padrone, I thought it was ridiculous as the screen was so much bigger than the Cateye Strada that I have.
However, I recently realised that it is actually very useful, as it makes it so much easier to read the numbers on the screen. Besides, the Garmin computer also has a large screen.
The Cateye Padrone+, which has backlight compared to the non-plus version of the Padrone
Comes with the standard Cateye sensors which I have already installed so many times
Comparing the size to my hand, it does not look so big...
...but compared with the Cateye Strada, it is huge!
The user manual which is the usual Cateye style. Highly detailed but also utterly confusing.
The backlight function can be set so that it only activates during a preset timing, such as when it is dark. I set it to activate at 6pm and deactivate at 7am.
Small but useful backlight
Weight of entire speedometer setup is only 53 grams
At the same time, I also got the REC mount which has a Cateye mount on top and a GoPro mount below. Having tested it at the shop before buying, the Cateye mount works well like the original. It has to work, since it is actually more expensive than the Cateye Padrone+ cycle computer!
REC mount for Cateye. Garmin mount is also available as an interchangeable piece as seen above.
The dazzlingly array of mount combinations and types available from REC mount
Close up look at the mount. Very minimalist design.
See how thin the clamps are!
You can change the mounting bolts to black ones (supplied) if you prefer
A spare Garmin mount is supplied
The Cateye mount is actually an adapter that allows the Cateye to be fixed onto the standard Garmin mount
Big Cateye Padrone screen on the slim REC mount
Mounting hardware for the GoPro mount at the bottom
Bottom of the REC mount for mounting the GoPro mount or other light mounts (sold separately)
Position adjustment is possible by using alternative mounting holes or by flipping the whole mount upside down
REC mount weighs 77 grams on its own
Cateye on top, Cycliq Fly12 below
Still looks bulky from the side
From the top view and rider's point of view, at least it still looks quite neat, with only the Cateye and the Spurcycle bell visible.
With the installation of this REC mount completed, the Cateye and Fly12 can now share the same mount, and take up much less space on the handlebar. Not a commonly used combination, which is why it was difficult to find a suitable mount to fix these items onto the bike.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Every comment is moderated before publishing due to spam bots. If you don't see your comment yet, it is likely that it is currently being reviewed. Thank you for your patience!