CatEye Commuter review

Originally published June 18, 2010, on Cycling.TV.

---

Brand/model – CatEye Commuter
Price –  $64.99
Info – Eight functions: ETA, Temperature, Current, average & maximum speed, Trip distance, Elapsed time, 12/24 hours clock. ClickTec. FlexTight.
What they say – “The first ever cycle computer specifically designed for commuters and those who ride for transportation, errands, and utility.”
www.cateye.com

What We Say

Opinions on the fiddliness of set-up varied in the office. I probably had the easiest time, but still had to cycle through an entire century after I accidentally changed the year. We can’t really fault CatEye for our own stupidity, but a “back” button would’ve saved my poor thumb from the agony of a hundred unnecessary clicks. That the computer’s extremely simple to use offered some redemption—ClickTec may be a horrible name, but its execution is neat, and allows for an intuitive single-button interface.

The ETA function—that’s Estimated Time of Arrival, acronym fans—is the Commuter’s key selling point: Start riding and it’ll use its crazy witch magic to tell you what time you’ll arrive. And it really works. The ETA was spot-on for every single test ride, apart from a sole exception where I got held up in a traffic jam that even the Commuter couldn’t have predicted.  It even sets itself up automatically based on your last ride, so you don’t have to touch a thing to make it work (though, of course, you can enter your own details if you inexplicably decide to take a 50 mile detour).

CatEye have set out to create a unique tool for a growing breed of cyclists who’ve been somewhat ignored by the major companies until recently.  With their ETA function and simplicity of use, CatEye have clearly hit the mark, but in other areas it feels like a bit of a swing and a miss.  The CO2 offset function betrays a very narrow perspective on why so many people have taken to urban cycling, as well as being difficult to find and use.  The lack of a cycle feature means you can only see two sets of data at once without clicking.  The backlight can’t be turned on while it’s on your bike.

So the Commuter is tricky to pin down.  It won’t leave any commuters dissatisfied—it really i’s a pleasure to use—but it’s overpriced for what it delivers.  It sits in a weird limbo where it’s too expensive for an entry-level computer, and doesn’t offer enough to be an upgrade.  Commuters may have to wait a little longer for their definitive urban cycling tool.

Price

It’s hard to see why the Commuter is so expensive – CatEye themselves have higher-end computers available for cheaper.

Design

The unit itself looks slick, the FlexTight mounting mechanism works beautifully, the ClickTec single-button functionality is inspired, and the display is extremely well organised.

Functionality

A mixed bag, this one. Is CO2 offset more desirable to commuters than, say, a cycle function? The ETA function works splendidly.

Overall

A wonderfully designed computer that works like a dream. But we’d expect more for our money.

Final Word

CatEye have applied their trademark quality to the realm of cycle commuters and… it’s a success, with caveats. If you want a solidly built, easy to use computer to track your commute, then this is probably the computer for you. But it’s priced a little out of the market, and just doesn’t offer enough to the commuter to justify its specificity.