What's wrong with my Cateye Velo 8 computer?

[potsy]

My Velo8 did exactly the same after about a year, have since been using my Decathlons own wireless one with no problems at all, in all weathers too.
Wouldn't buy another Cateye now. Overpriced just like their lights.

 

[aberal]

I must have owned about 20 cycle computers in my time. Or maybe not as many as that....10, perhaps? Hell who knows - who counts cycle computers? Anyway, point being....they have all stopped working for one reason or another. And not all of them have been Cateyes. They are not particularly robust bits of technology. So much so that I've given up on the fancy all-singing all dancing versions or wireless gizmos etc etc and opted for the cheapest available, which tell me how far I've gone and in what time - which is all I really need to know. Maybe they're getting better though - my latest, a £14.00 Cateye has lasted a few years now. Which is probably a cue for it to go phut.

 

[Paulus]

I have an old cateye Velo7 which is now about 10 years old. The only time it stops working is in the heavy rain, which i presume shorts out the contacts. As soon as I dry it off it starts again. I will try the vaseline trick though, I hadn't thought of that. Cheers.

 

[Banjo]

Before vaselining the contacts clean them first. I scrape mine with a flat knife blade but have been told this could damage them and iots best to rub them with a clean bit of chamois cloth.

Remember theres only a tiny electrical pulse being transmitted, any dirt even if invisible will prevent the current going through the contacts.

 

[Fnaar]

My velo 8 starte dplaying up today... very wet weather, stopped working... have tried it since... diplaty works, but doesn't register speed. Wire seems ok, magnet ok, distance of magnet to fork mounted wotsit ok too... had it 2 yrs.

 

[JonnyBlade]

I use my Garmin 405. It's much more reliable

 

[I like Skol]

My velo 8 starte dplaying up today... very wet weather, stopped working... have tried it since... diplaty works, but doesn't register speed. Wire seems ok, magnet ok, distance of magnet to fork mounted wotsit ok too... had it 2 yrs.

Yes, that's the problem. It WILL work again in a day or two once things dry out. I did the vasaline thing, put tons on then clipped into the holder and haven't had a problem since but I haven't been out in heavy rain yet so can't be sure if it is a total fix.

 

[Cheule]

My velo 8 starte dplaying up today... very wet weather, stopped working... have tried it since... diplaty works, but doesn't register speed. Wire seems ok, magnet ok, distance of magnet to fork mounted wotsit ok too... had it 2 yrs.

Exactly my problem except mine's only 3 months old. Give it a bit of time and it should start functioning again. I exchanged several emails with CatEye who were basically nonplussed as to why I even thought this might be a problem!

 

[Fnaar]

Yes, that's the problem. It WILL work again in a day or two once things dry out. I did the vasaline thing, put tons on then clipped into the holder and haven't had a problem since but I haven't been out in heavy rain yet so can't be sure if it is a total fix.

Exactly my problem except mine's only 3 months old. Give it a bit of time and it should start functioning again. I exchanged several emails with CatEye who were basically nonplussed as to why I even thought this might be a problem!

Tried it again this morning... works fine now

Might try a bit of vaseline in future (oo'er)

 

[Cheule]

I'm doing the Vaseline thing now too except it does lead to a small problem - over time, all the clipping/unclipping actions leave trace levels of Vaseline in your pockets. Given enough time I expect my pocket to look like I've just poured a tub of the stuff in there for a laugh

 

[Alan14]

I wanted a cheapish, basic wired computer, so bought a Cateye Velo 8 six weeks ago, but:

• sometimes it works intermittently (recorded 1 hour of a 2 hour ride)
• sometimes it doesn't work at all (display doesn't register at all, and shuts down, as it should do when the wheel hasn't moved for a minute or so, but the wheel was very much moving!)
• sometimes it works without a problem (faultless on a 60 mile ride last Sunday which included freezing rain)

It first exhibited the fault when it was only a week old, so I thought it might be an installation problem, but checked that the magnet is 5mm from the sensor and the cable is coiled around the front brake cable, as shown in the installation instructions. Most rides have been in the dry too, and the unit is dry.

Also have a Cateye Enduro 2 wired computer on my MTB. Must be 10 years old and still on the original battery, but the display is fading, indicating the need for a new battery. Only had a problem in recent years in wet weather when the contacts need cleaning and drying and it works again, so I'm very disappointed that my new Cateye is so unreliable.

 

[Fnaar]

My velo 8 starte dplaying up today... very wet weather, stopped working... have tried it since... diplaty works, but doesn't register speed. Wire seems ok, magnet ok, distance of magnet to fork mounted wotsit ok too... had it 2 yrs.

I mentioned elsewhere (in the caff) that last Thursday I put my cateye in the washing machine, accidentally. Having conked out on a rainy ride, it worked fine having been through 90 minute wash!!!

 

[Cush]

Another report of a wonkey Velo 8 mine is six years old. It stopped working for a day or two a few years ago, then came on and I have never had any more trouble with it till the bike came back from geting serviced last week. Since then it has been nothing but intermitent trouble. Had the battery checked, looked at the contacts but noticed that when when I go over a bump, it will either start or stop working. I have used my trusted eTrex and it does the job but I like seeing what acctual speed I am doing. So if I still have a problem in a months time it will be replaced.

 

[Alan14]

My theory is that the problem is caused by the cold, which matches the reports in http://www.bikeradar....php?t=12763004, although that's for a Cateye wireless computer.

• sometimes it works without a problem (faultless on a 60 mile ride last Sunday which included freezing rain)

Looking back, I drove for 30 minutes to the start with my bike in the back of my car before starting this ride.

Another 60 mile reliability trial last Sunday was also a 30 minute drive to the start and the computer worked throughout the ride.

So I think the heat in the car during the journey is warming up the computer's parts, possibly 'unsticking' the magnetic reed switch in the sensor.

For all the recent rides straight from home, with the bike stored overnight in a cold garage, and then riding in 4-8 deg C temperatures in dry weather, the computer hasn't worked.

 

[Cheule]

Well in my case I got home and bypassed the reed switch by sticking a screwdriver across the terminals, it still said 0.0 but the sensor legend was flashing, it just wasn't registering on the speed or odo readouts.