Read on, if you like ... Ken
Neuro 4.0 Review – 18 March 2008
Introduction
Having had a number of problems with several cycle computers over the past year, I was excited to get my hands on some of the latest technology from Blackburn, the Neuro 4.0 Cyclometer (list $125). This report presents information on the configuration and setup as well as the results of riding tests.
Configuration
This unit is unique in its incorporation of UHF digital transmission of the speed, cadence and heart rate monitor inputs. Blackburn has three different Neuro Cyclometers (4.0, 5.0 and 6.0) and they are new for 2008. The Neuro 4.0 does not have the optional heart rate monitor, but purchase of the chest transmission belt is all that is necessary to start using it. The Neuro 5.0 comes with the Heart Rate monitor as standard equipment and the Neuro 6.0 adds an altimeter to the mix. All the Neuro Cyclometers are fully wireless as the only wire in the system is between the speed and cadence pickups (integrated as a unit with a single CR2032 lithium battery supporting both transmitters). The test bicycle is my stock 2007 Specialized TriCross Sport (54.5cm frame, see Photo 1). This review is based on installation of the Neuro 4.0 on a single bicycle only but the unit supports Bike 1 and Bike 2 configurations with the addition of a 2nd set of transmitters and a mount for the second bicycle.
Test Goals
Basically, having had troubles with wireless cyclometers in the past, my primary goal was to see if the communication link for the system was consistent and unbroken during the test rides. Secondly, I evaluated the overall package (documentation, ease of setup) and, finally, I wanted to confirm that the system worked well in the presence of my Polar F11 heart rate monitor. I use this because it’s also useful for many other activities besides bicycling and its data can be downloaded to a computer. So it’s nice to have a single and consistent source of heart rate training information. But it’s also important that the two wireless setups not interfere with each other.
Results Summary
After 43 miles of riding, the system has been working flawlessly. The documentation seems to have been rushed to production as it has a few errors but I’m very happy with the way this works. See below for detailed setup and testing. In summary:
Pros: Excellent performance, solid wireless connection, easy to setup (given the complexity of the system).
Cons: Documentation errata should be corrected. Start/Stop (center, small) button is a bit difficult to depress without hitting the outside button(s) when wearing full gloves.
Documentation
The package comes with a printed Installation Guide but the User’s Manual is a .pdf file on the included CD (in 13 languages, no less). So you will need access to a computer to actually use the system (well, unless you’re one of those “I can figure it out … eventually” trial and error folks). I used a PC and Adobe Reader to read and printout the User’s Manual on 8 ½ x 11 paper. Specific print property settings that I found worked well for printing this: Page Scaling set to “Multiple pages per sheet”, Pages per sheet set to “2” and Page Order set to “Horizontal”. Also check the box for “Auto-Rotate Pages”. The result is 4 pages per page for the 76 page document (about 19 full printed 8 ½ x 11 sheets). These can then be trimmed and stapled to make a “mini” manual that is fairly portable and quite useable. Frankly, I must say that I prefer the pre-printed (and small) manuals for “on the bicycle”, but that’s just me and, anyway, you probably won’t need the manual too often once you set things up once or twice and get used to the operations.
System Parts
After reviewing the parts list and illustrations in the installation manual, the only item not described is the stem mount. Neither the part nor the installation steps for it were mentioned. I used the handlebar mount, so this didn’t concern me too much but it is an omission in the documentation. There are plenty of zip ties (and only 6 are needed for the completed installation). Besides the missing part description for the second mount option, the only complaint I can make here is that I’d like to see some kind of rubber spacers in the kit.
Installation
The first step in the installation is to review the installation steps in the supplied printed manual. Once they are digested, power to the computer is supplied by installing the (supplied) CR2032 lithium battery. There is an identical battery already installed in the cadence/speed transmitter/pickup unit. Next you have to “pair up” the speed/cadence transmitters to the computer. For this test all this effort was done for Bike 1 only but a second set of transmitters for Bike 2 would be separately paired if need be.
The pairing process itself is straightforward. Simply depress the Pairing Key button on the back of the computer, press the mode key and pass a magnet by the speed sensor pickup a few times and the display shows DONE. The computer pairing process then advances to pairing of the Heart Rate Monitor. Of course, if you don’t have an HRM (and I don’t) then this pairing process is a waste of time. The manual says that if you do not have a Heart Rate Transmitter to pair, “simply Quick Press the OPTION key to skip the Heart Rate Transmitter pairing process”. However, although I re-started the pairing sequence several times from scratch, pressing the option key never aborted the pairing process. It still ends up working okay, but you must patiently wait for it to FAIL the pairing attempt 3 times before it decides that there really is no Heart Rate Transmitter. Incidentally, according to the manual (but I didn’t test this), the Heart Rate Transmitter that is paired will work on both Bike 1 and Bike 2. It is implied that you don’t have to re-pair the Heart Rate Transmitter for Bike 2 but that is not 100% clear in the manual.
Next in the installation process is to mount the magnets and transmitters on the left side chainstay. This is straightforward but, as I mentioned above, it would be nice to have some rubber spacers. The reason is to allow making adjustments to the gap between the crank magnet and the cadence pickup. On my bike, at least, the smallest gap achievable was about 6-7 mm, against a recommended distance of 1-3 mm. To accommodate this, I cut some pieces out of an old inner tube and applied them as spacers under the cadence pickup and magnet. If you do this right, you should only need a spacer under one or the other, but not both (I’m just not that good at measuring/estimating). See Photo 2 for details. One thing to be aware of here is that the speed sensor magnet did not pick up well at all when I initially mounted it in towards the front edge of the pickup. My first thought was that the sensor was defective but moving the magnet towards the back of the pickup (see Photo 2) gave perfect results. I noted that the speed sensor magnet (mounts on a spoke) is a “hand tighten” connection only. There is no screw to clamp it down snugly on the spoke. It seems to be staying in place but I would prefer the good feeling of tightening up a screw to hold it on.
The computer mounting was easily accomplished as I already had a horizontal mount positioned between the sides of my racing bar (see Photo 3). Be aware that, while there is a stem mount as an alternative, there were no directions in the installation guide for mounting it. It should be easy enough to accomplish, though, with some mechanical insight. In Photo 3 you can also see how I have the Polar F11 mounted. For the standard handlebar mount there are shims in the kit that allow fitting either a 26 or 31.8 mm handlebar.
The only remaining setup step was to ensure that the odometer was set as I wanted it to be (zero in this case, but you can set it to your old odometer reading if desired) and then I entered the wheel size calibration and everything worked! You need to push a button at startup to allow the computer to “Link” with the transmitters and you’re on your way.
Operating the buttons is easy enough but it can be a bit difficult to get the center (Start/Stop) button pressed when wearing full gloves. This is the button you have to hold down to reset the Chronometer/Distance values. The display setup is nice with a Total Time/Ride Time option and a separate upper window where you can optionally show either Blank, Cadence, Heart Rate or Training Level (1-5). I chose to display Cadence (Heart Rate and Training Level require a Heart Rate Monitor). I also like the comparison arrows that point up or down depending on whether you’re currently riding either above or below, respectively, your average speed. There are many more speed and training options, especially with the addition of a Heart Rate Monitor, but those were not the subject of this test.
And this system works … with no extraneous wires … nice.
Other Documentation/Performance Notes
In several areas of the User’s Manual incorrect page numbers were referenced. It’s almost like the page number references were hard coded and then the table of contents was added which skewed them incorrectly. For example, see the incorrect references on pages 9, 31, 38, 39, 40 and 41 (there may be others, but I spotted these so far). In the installation manual, it’s obvious that some parts were copied and pasted as that document has a reference (on page 4) to the “Pairing Sequence” on pages 21-24 of “this manual” but the highest numbered page in the Installation Manual is page 14. Finally, the only other thing I will mention is that the Neuro cyclocomputer may be quite battery hungry, based on all the power used for the wireless connections. It will be (to me, at least) a pain if it’s time to change batteries multiple times per riding season but it is acceptable to me given that all those wires are now a thing of the past. We’ll have to see how the batteries hold up.
Update, August 2, 2008
This unit now has about 146 actual hours logged along with 2201 miles and still no problems. It's actually gone through a washer/dryer cycle (I know, I know ... how embarrassing!) and survived and is still functioning. Pretty impressive, to me at least.
Update, December 10, 2008
It's now December 10 and I (still) haven't heard word one about the 2nd bike kit for Neuro. As for the Neuro 4.0 on my bike, it currently has 3673 miles and 239 hours on it and the batteries are still going strong. So, again, I have to say that this ranks as an excellent performing unit, especially if you're looking to get rid of excess wires on your bike. But the second bike kit issue (i.e. lack of one) is no doubt costing Blackburn quite a few customers. My bike is put away for the winter at this point, so I don't anticipate any new data until Spring. Good spinning to all!
Update, April 23, 2009
On Tuesday, April 21, 2009 I noticed that I was getting an occasional incorrect cadence reading (like, pedaling at 80 RPM and seeing an instantaneous 100 RPM reading for 1 second). Then I noticed a 71 mph speed for 1 second (sometimes I'm good, but never that good, hehe, but one can wish for it). So I made a note in my bicycle maintenance log about the issues, feeling that one or the other of the two Neuro batteries (transmitter, computer) must finally be failing. Sure enough, when I went out to ride yesterday (Wednesday, April 22, 2009), the computer was not registering any data from the transmitter. Anyway, not having a real plan, I changed the transmitter battery as that's less pain because I don't have to "reset" the computer if I don't change the computer battery. Checking the removed transmitter battery, it was sitting at 3.02 volts (still full of power, it's a 3 volt battery). Next I changed the computer battery and put the old transmitter battery in it. The computer's battery had degraded to 2.82 volts, so that must be enough to inhibit proper radio communication with the wheel transmitter. All other functions of the computer seemed normal. After re-pairing the transmitter, all was well and I went on my way. The significant data point here is that there were 259 hours on the system when the computer battery no longer supplied enough power for normal operation. I suspect that the wheel transmitter could easily have lasted through another computer battery cycle, and probably more.
17 comments:
How are the batteries holding up?
If you wouldn't mind, please msg me on my youtube account.
I recently got a Neuro 4 intending to use it on 2 bikes since it's advertised with 2 bike settings. The fly in the ointment? You can't find a second speed/cadence transmitter anywhere. Contacting Blackburn customer service yields no help in locating one what so ever. The "product manager" says a kit is available but you can't buy one. Speaking with online retailers I found out (after the fact) Blackburn is somewhat notorious for not providing accessory kits for their computers. So if you wanted to use this computer on another bike you're SOL.
I'm looking into the issue of second bicycle kits. I should have more information by the end of this week (8/29/08) but as of today, I talked with my LBS and they said their Blackburn rep supplied them with a kit part number and they have several on order but no word on delivery as of today (8/26/08). They'll be meeting with the Blackburn rep on Thursday, 8/28/08, and will call me with results on "what the deal is". I'll post a new comment when I get that information (hopefully by Friday, 8/29/08). Meanwhile, I suspect that Blackburn, for whatever reason(s), just hasn't geared up production for the kits as I know they've struggled at even getting the main product line out.
Also, I now have 170 hours on my Neuro 4.0 and the batteries are still hummin' along.
Stay tuned.
OK, here's what I have so far. My LBS called and left me a voice mail indicating that their Blackburn rep said that their orders for 2nd bike kits are active and their current availability date is the end of September, 2008. However, the confidence level in that date is not very high.
I also got an email response from Blackburn and here's the exact text of that (received 8/29/08):
"Yes, we will make a second bike kit available that will include a speed and cadence transmitter plus crank and wheel magnets. The Neuro will come with two mounts (1 Stem and 1 Bar) and a second mount (either Stem or Bar) can be purchased separately (same parts shared with Delphi).
We are hoping to get these in the stores by the end of September. Thank you!"
So it looks like things are happening ... but slowly. I'd say it will be easy to get 2nd bicycle kits for the Neuro for next year's riding season (at least, from an Iowa perspective) but don't count on it for this year. I also didn't get any pricing information, but will ask for that as well.
-Ken
After my August 25 posting I managed to find an online site (http://www.webersports.com)that could get me a 2nd bike kit. They were more helpful than the Blackburn customer service reps apparently because they do quite a bit of business with Blackburn. They were given a kit part number and told that the 2nd bike kit would include the following:1 handlebar bracket, 1 stem mount, 1 crank & wheels magnet and 1 speed and cadence transmitter cable.
When I received the kit there was no bar bracket or stem mount. Upon my inquiry and Webersports follow up it was revealed to original information was wrong - no mounting hardware. It's interesting to note that with the kit I received there was one, red, rubber shim for the bar mounting bracket in the 2nd bike kit. It escapes me why this was included since there was nothing to use it with, i.e. a second bar bracket. It's almost as though whoever assembled the kit I received threw in some miscellaneous parts. It's just another strong indication to me along with the misinformation Webersports received and the frustration I sensed from the customer service people I communicated with there is something wrong inside Blackburn Design. Oh, yeah Blackburn missed their mid-September availability date too. As you might imagine I won't be buying any more of their products nor would I recommend them to my friends.
Well, it's October 1 and I have not received any word on arrival of the 2nd bike kits from my LBS. I agree that this is a significant issue and it's also quite strange that it should go on this long (the original full systems were available at retail in January/February of 2008). I'll update this again when I hear more on getting a kit and at that time I'll be sure to get my hands on one and see that all the hardware is available in it as well.
Any update on this? I too have been waiting since June of last year for a second bike kit! Quite frustrating...
I've looked into this again at my local bike shop and was told that they had gotten 3-4 2nd bike kits in November, 2008. At that time, they were told that was all that was available. And the kits were about 1/2 the price of a full up Neuro (4.0), about as expected. I asked them for an update (mid-February, 2009) and they actually got on the phone with Blackburn to find out. They were told that 2nd bike kits would be widely available in April 2009. Well, we're on the doorstep of April, so we'll soon know. But, based on past history, I would not count on it and if you really need a 2nd bike kit, it looks to me like the only way to be sure of getting it is to go with a different cyclometer model or brand ... or else buy a full up 2nd Neuro cyclometer. From the perspective of 2nd bike usage, I cannot recommend the Neuro at all (I know, that's obvious, but it still needs to be written here). And I simply don't understand the business plan that allows this to happen. Usually it means there is no plan and the manufacturer is simply not paying attention to customers and customer support. But it could also be that the 2nd bike kit market is small enough that they've just decided its priority is lowest of the low. Please comment if you know more.
Regarding the battery life, I now have 242 hours and still going strong. I will note that I removed the battery from the computer for the three months of winter that I wasn't riding (and I don't use it indoors), figuring that there's no need to drain it even running the time display. I did not remove the battery from the wheel transmitter simply because I think it actually totally shuts down unless it is communicating with the computer and/or getting inputs from the wheel sensor.
UPDATE ... 2nd Bike Kits.
Strange coincidences do happen. Not more than an hour after I posted yesterday's comment, I got a call (unsolicited) from my local bike shop saying they had just received two of the 2nd bike kits for Blackburn's Neuro cyclometer. So there you have it. They are available (here in Cedar Rapids, IA) and I was told that more could be ordered as requested by customers.
Yes it is very weird indeed! It seems like most online retailers have them in stock now too.
I just ordered one from biketiresdirect.com. It's too bad it took me close to ten months to get my hands on one...
I'm onto my second Blackburn and it will be the last one.
The first one was a Delphi 6.0 which developed cadance measuring problems after about a year. Was replaced under under waranty and i got a complete new Delphi which i sold in order to buy a Neuro 6.0 as i wanted to get rid of the wire for the cadancesensor.
The Neuro 6.0 developed a problem right from the start. The altimeter shows around the double of meters/feet as the Delphi does. And the Delphi was about +/- correct. So this means the Neuro is not.
Second problem showed up around a month after use. The cadance was always 0. There is no more audible click when i move a magnet in from of the sensor. Also, i measured out the cadancesensor on the inside of the speedsensor and i never get any contact from the cadancesensor which means the sensor is dead.
Getting a replacement kit is impossible. At least not here. If one could link me to an internetshop which has them available i would be very gratefull.
JH, per Marino's (immediately prior) comment, you might want to try biketiresdirect.com to see if they have a replacement (2nd bike) kit for you. I took a quick look at their website, however, and didn't see an "upfront" 2nd bike kit for the Neuro, so you might have to email them to get one on order. Also, I've never worked with this company so I don't have any comments on their performance or customer service. Good luck in your attempt(s) and a comment posting back here would be much appreciated after you've given it a go.
OK, JH, I got a response from biketiresdirect.com and they said "It is under Computers/HRM then Computer Accessories category." The specific URL is: http://www.biketiresdirect.com/pbmn2b/blackburn_neuro_2nd_bike_kit_w_handlebar_bracket/pp.htm ... hope this works for you.
Thx Ken,
I stumbled on it myself already but they charge another 20$ for sending it over to Europe which makes it way to expensive, i only need the speed/cadance unit, not the rest.
I can order one from a shop here on special backorder but they ask even more (57 euro + 3,5 euro for the special order = 80,5 dollars !!!!) which is crazy because i only payed 120 euro (= 160 dollar) for a complete Neuro 6.0
I'll keep on looking...
No respons from Blackburn at the time of writing. If they don't respond, i'll fix my cadance sensor myself with the speedsensor from an old computer which still lays around here gathering dust.
I have a Neuro 6.0 for 1 year. Still working, though I did encounter three issues.
1. Stem mount does not hold the unit tightly enough, causing it to jump off your bike when you attempt to reset or enter quick learn mode (or actually hit any bottom button). You have to be really careful when pushing any of the buttons on the bottom. --I want to comment on the Blackburn warranty service b/c my 6.0 took a dive as described above. When the unit was laying on the road, it was run over by a car. The unit still functioned after the event, but was chipped and scratched badly. I think the design and durability are fantastic. Warranty service replaced the unit with a whole new kit for free (Lifetime Warranty!).
2. As for the 6.0 and multi-functions, I encountered a lock-up issue when using the HR in the top right window. The unit would periodically freeze up, only to come back to life 3-4 minutes later during a ride. The elapsed time and daytime clock, of course, would be off by 3-4 minutes. The easiest way to avoid it from locking up is to place cadence or nothing at all in the top right display window. (Lots of trial and error)
3.0 The chest strap unit stopped working after 10 months. I figured the battery was spent, so I replaced it. After replacing, I noticed the HR would jump all over the place from 0 to 240 after sweating all over it. Turns out, the sweat leaked inside the HR strap unit and corroded the contacts and battery. I blame myself for not taking more care when tightening the battery compartment (has a small seal that requires perfect positioning). I recall it being difficult to tighten the HR strap battery cap and carelessly fastened it to get on w/ my ride. Since the warrantied unit came w/ a new strap, I wasn't too worried.
I am so satisfied with the 6.0 that I bought a 5.0 for another bike and another 6.0 for my wife. You can't beat the Blackburn Designs lifetime warranty, even at a premium price for the unit.
I appreciate the (Anonymous) comments, immediately above, and would like to address them. With regard to point number 1, I will add that I have not had the issue of the mount not holding the unit tightly enough. In fact, quite the opposite, I was worried that I might not be able to get it off without inadvertantly breaking one or more of the lower buttons by having my thumb slip and crunch it. Anyway, that's my experience with two different computer units that I mounted on the same mount ... it took a lot of pressure to remove the computer and no problems at all pushing the lower buttons.
The only other thing I will add is that I've had two occurrences in the past 2 weeks where the Neuro 4.0 sync'd properly in the driveway but within about a tenth of a mile it stopped receiving from the transmitter (i.e. speed and cadence both went to zero). In both cases, I stopped and re-sync'd and all was well. No adjustment was required for the magnet/pickup on the rear wheel (it was steady at about 1/16" gap). Since these are the first instances of this issue, it could be that the battery in the computer (which, you'll recall, I moved from the wheel transmitter after replacing the wheel transmitter battery) is starting to die. If so, the lesson is probably that the computer battery should always be replaced first to keep it fresh. At this point (although without adequate data to be totally sure), I'd say the wheel transmitter battery will easily outlast the computer battery by 2:1.
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