On test: Trek Time Computer and Time Watch, December 24, 2008

Whimsical timekeepers for the low-stress crowd

Cyclingnews technical editor James Huang gears up with something decidedly different from the usual crop of high-zoot carbon racer gear and discovers that sometimes simpler is better.

The Trek Time Watch is matched with the Time Computer
Photo ©: James Huang

Trek’s new Time Computer and Time Watch are for those times when you just want to hop on a bike and pedal - somewhere, anywhere - without having to tax your brain with power meters, heart rate monitors, or percent gradients. These things are about as basic as you can get and are glorious precisely because of it.

The Time Watch is essentially just a decently sized analogue clock - nothing more, nothing less. On the other hand, the marginally more complex Time Computer switches to a digital readout that also displays current speed, trip distance and trip time, with information sent from an analogue wireless transmitter.

Want to know your maximum speed, average cadence and blood volume pumped by your left ventricle on that last interval, too? Sorry, wrong bike and wrong state of mind today. Best come back after the coffee buzz has worn off.

Both widgets are encased in soft plastic housings that simply snap around your handlebars with no tools required. Standard and oversized mounts are included, too, and both are offered in five different colours. If you're shopping for junior, there's also a child version available with a single 22.2/25.4mm mount.

Swapping between the two sizes isn't nearly as easy as it's made out to be in the instructions, though, so thankfully you likely only have to do it once. And while the snap-on installation is convenient, unwanted removal (i.e. theft) for the first low-life that fancies one for himself is snap-off convenient, too. Total bummer, dude.

Otherwise, there’s not much else to say. The Time Watch keeps time (sorry, we didn’t have the manpower to compare its accuracy relative to the mercury atomic clock on the wall of HQ) and the Time Computer coughs up the pertinent info quickly and easily via its single button.

More to the point, they're just plain fun and don't think we didn't notice that Trek launched these suckers just in time for the holiday season. Though they're a bit expensive for what they are, we still wouldn't be too disappointed to find either of these in our stockings. Ho, ho, ho!

Price: US$40 (Trek Time Computer); US$25 (Trek Time Watch)
Weight: Seriously, does it matter?
Pros: Fun shape and colours, idiot-proof operation
Cons:Housing sizes harder to swap than expected, easy to steal
Cyclingnews rating:
More information: www.trekbikes.com

Photography

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Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

• The Trek Time Watch and Time Computer are simple and fun ways to keep track of the bare minimum of information.
• Colorful snap-on soft plastic housings are easy to install.
• The Time Computer includes a wireless transmitter and clip-on spoke magnet.
• Both the Time Watch and Time Computer are offered in a wide range of colors to suit your bike, or your mood.