Matrix Series MC 1.0 Pro Cyclocomputer Review Reviewed By:Tim Cameron Reviewed On: March 15, 2004 Product Page:VDO Cycle Parts Price: $149.95
The Ride
After mounting and programming was complete I decided to ride the Creeper Trail in Damascus, Virginia. I was within a two hour drive to the Creeper Trail on cycling business while doing this review and could not resist the thought of getting in a ride on the Creeper Trail even though I will be riding it next month. Cycling Reviews sponsors two Creeper Trail Trips each year and the first one for 2004 is next month.
After unpacking my bike from my Trico Bike Case and putting it all back together, I was ready to go. I had everything programmed in correctly and took the easy way up the mountain on this trip because of time constaints. I used one of the many bike shuttle companies to take me and my bike up the mountain as I was doing 17 miles or half on the trail today. I know most of the stopping points and mileage along the way and had my GPS with me as well so I could check the accuaracy of the Matrix MC 1.0 very easily. The first thing that I noticed about the MC 1.0 was that the LCD screen was very easy to read. I don’t believe the unit would move on this mount except for a hard crash which I wasn’t going to be doing on the Creeper Trail as it is a Rails to Trails project and is a very easy downhill. I took notice at the one mile mark to see if the cyclocomputer and the GPS were close and they were within just a few feet of each other. I was moving along at a pretty fast pace of 24 mph according to the MC 1.0 and the GPS showed 24 also. This trip I was going for speed to see if I could break my old record of 55 minutes and 5 seconds. It was going to happen today as my chain came off after a small rock slung up on front sprocket. Oh well, maybe next time. The MC 1.0 held up well and seemed to be very accurate according to my GPS and the history of riding the trail.
Conclusion
If you want a cheap low price biking computer then look elsewhere. The Matrix MC 1.0 is not a cheap unit but is a well made and engineered cyclocomputer that will cost you around $100 US dollars at many local bike shops. Another great thing about the MC 1.0 is that it comes with a 5 year warranty, never seen a 5 year warranty on a Bike computer before. This says a lot for the quality of workmanship of the MC 1.0 and the manufacturer, they believe in their product and back it up with a 5 year warranty. I would recommend that the manufacutere would consider a cadence and LCD screen backlight on the unit or future units. What about a built-in GPS device for those of us who want to use their GPS while biking. I don’t believe you will go wrong or be disappointed if you purchase a Matrix Series MC 1.0 cyclocomputer.
