Velomann V1.16 bike computer

The Velomann 16 is a well-made unit with plenty of useful functions, and it's fairly simple to set up. It's easy to use and doesn't disappoint in terms of performance, although it didn't really stand out from the crowd.

Fitting the computer was straightforward enough, though oddly the supplied zip ties were too wide for the holes in the computer mount. Once I retrieved some thinner ones from the shed, it attached easily to the stem; you can also mount it on the bars. The magnet was a fiddle to fit: it's in three pieces, and was difficult to tighten. Once it was positioned though there were no initial problems, and the sensor seemed fairly tolerant of the distance to the magnet: you don't need to have them almost touching to get a signal which is a definite plus.

On our first test computer the signal pickup of the unit was intermittent at best. Some rides were fine, on others the computer dropped the signal so many times that I was forced to turn the head unit round to face the ground just so I didn't get so angry that I threw it into a hedge. This seems to have been an issue with the sample we had though, rather than the computer itself: we've received another one and there's been no problems this time around.

The Velomann gives you readouts of current speed, average speed, speed comparison, maximum speed, trip time, trip distance, odometers for two bikes, clock, lap times up to 20 laps, distance per lap, average speed per lap, stop watch and temperature. There's a cadence version too for an extra £14 if cadence is your bag. There's plenty of options for this kind of money, computer-wise: the Velomann is a very decent computer and worthy of the spend, but if you don't need the lap functions – and you don't care too much about the temperature – you could save yourself £12 and get the V1.10

Verdict

Good quality computer that's simple to use