Polar CS600 is Out!

vadiver

Fine on the two hours. It sounds like you have one.

The online manual states that if it switches to a 5s sampling rate it will remain their until it is swithched manually back.

Are you saying that is incorrect and it reverts back to the user set default?

IOW, I have a 1s sampling. I ride 2h20min. I get about 2h10m of 1s data and 10m of 5s data. Then on my next ride it starts back at 1s sampling?

JTE83

If some of you have already got this can you post a pic of the Protrainer 5 software like the calender screen and a 1 sec workout file?

Does it display power and HR as % of HR Max also?

Gee, 4 years to develop it for the serious racer and they couldn't put enough 1 sec memory in it! Polar's product manager should be fired!

JTE83

It seems the power sensor is out now too. Check this link, 2 were in stock when i last looked.

http://www.amazon.com/Polar-CS600-C...D/dp/B000OMSBN2

manos

I receive email from the shop I have been order the CS600 with power meter that polar inform them the 12 of April they go to send in all Europe the orders to the shops and after that day the shops go to send it to the costumers , who wait for two months …example me !!

I agree with you , for the same reason , that Polar's product manager should be fired !

__________________
http://www.talosteam.gr/

MikeERides

I love my trusty old Polar S710i (have the power unit on my Trek 5200 and wireless Speed/Cadence on my Trek 5.9SL), but the new features of the CS600 really looked nice so I was really excited about it and immediately upgraded when it came out. Paid $432 to have my LBS order it. Man, am I disappointed! If you like the S7xx series, be ready to be disappointed by the CS600. The upper right button no longer scrolls the top of the display (leaving the bottom at whatever you wanted), now the upper button scrolls the whole display one direction and the other button scrolls the other direction. There is also no way to view all possible functions. Each screen must be manually configured with your computer, so you need to figure out what you REALLY want to see while riding, because you can't change the displays and there are only 6 displays available total. The default display settings don't even show temperature while riding! The CS600 uses a "standard" IrDA port, so be prepared to upgrade your Polar IR Interface as well (unless you have a lapstop sporting an IR port). The CS600 is quite a bit bigger than the S710i, but you actually get LESS information on the screen -- there's more white/unused space.

The upgrade to version 5 of the Polar software was also disappointing. They replaced "speed" with "pace." Instead of average and max speed, you see average and max pace in time. I haven't been able to find a way to get Speed to display. Luckily the upgrade to 5 leaves 4.x in place and they both reference the same files, so you can look at the CS600 files from the 4.x version after you transfer them with 5.

The CS600 just plain sucks.

impakt

I actually did the same upgrade, and i couldn't disagree more. I actually see more of what i wanted to see, yes you have to manually configure them through the software, but after that i love it.

They didnt replace speed/with pace, it was an upgrage that allows you to chose different options for different sports, and the default is pace. Go to options person properties and sports and edit cycling, change pace from automatic/pace to mph and you are good to go.

sorry to hear you are dissapointed I love mine!

The planning/syncing with the computer+ the displays+ the rear wheel mounting speed sensor+ NO MORE INTERFERENCE from dang power lines+ grade % and it looks friggen sweet

I love my cs600, the displays are so much better because you dont have to reset them every time like the 720. Every ride i would have to
calibrate altitude(cs600 is automatic)
reset trip
set the display i want, only 2 configurable options(top and middle)

the cs600

i ride, thats it. the displays are preset to exactly what i want, 3 configurable options with 4 things being displayed at any given time.

impakt

+ i forgot about the cadence limits. i LOVE that feature

jmocallaghan

It's easy for people to hate the Polar but the reality is it's a tool just like others out there. if you've got multiple wheels or want to use the computer on multiple bikes but dont want to throw down tons each time and have multiple wheels to boot, it's a good system.

The display takes a little to get used to. I will admit that. It is probably harder for people who've already owned a 625 or 725 to do it then neophites because we're used to the hoodo voodo to get the polar display how we want it. The new system is easy to understand. display wise and you can set it to do quite a bit. It's got it's quirks on distance logging, I'll give it that. But generally you have an idea of what you're doing that day or worse case, run another computer or... change the display to give you what you want.

The performance pro 5 software is nice but it's not cycling peaks. It's good for all around stuff and does have some added power features. Principally, you now can set zones based on power and send them to your CS600. However, they only are in increments of 10. I'd prefer they went more narrow then that.

The instruction manual blows goats... well, it's finnish... so reindeer?

Thom_y

Is the CS600 compatible with Cyclingpeaks software ? Can't tell from website, and they didn't answer that part of my email.

Thanks

jmocallaghan

Yep it looks it. Will have a good answer for you tomorrow after I run it at 1 second recording for a bit.

impakt

hehe its not finnish, its FINGLISH

It is compatible with cyclingpeaks, which imo is a better sw for power users

jmocallaghan

Ok, loaded the software, had my first hard ride yesterday on it. it works fantastically. Going out again in a few minutes in the rain to see how it rides (not by choice but because of the weather). Polar trainer 5 software is still having some issues in the set up on my computer. for some reason, it sends all files to 10/14/2007. Oh well, I'll figure it out....

MikeERides

If you made the same upgrade I'm surprised you aren't disappointed as well. My first post was pretty emotional since I expect so much from Polar. After seeing your post I decided to give it a second try and took it out again this morning for another spin. I remain disappointed. To be more specific:

- The CS600 allows you to see a max of 18 viewable readings (3 "fixed" readings on 6 displays). But the CS600 has ~25 available readings. The CS600 has everything I wanted in a new cycling computer, but about 1/3 of those things aren't displayable AT ALL when riding! Choose your favorite features and forget the device has any more than that available. Unless you carry a laptop around on your bike so you can change your displays to show what you are missing out on...

- More specific on that "Fixed" issue... I'm an ultra distance cyclist, with many rides during the year exceeding 24 hours. On any given long ride I may want to look at my speed and cadence, then later speed and watts or speed and distance if I'm getting close to a checkpoint. On the "S" series, the top button cycles through ALL available readings, so I can customize the Speed display as I want it on the fly - with all possible readings available. Not possible with the CS600.

- On the "S" series, Heart Rate is always in the lower left corner, the lower right corner has another reading (like temperature or bike number), the middle changes between the main displays and the top is variable. So I actually get to see up to 4 readings per display. The CS600 is reduced to 3 readings per display. Less information on a bigger screen with more wasted space (blank parts of the screen).

- This is a $400-650 cycling computer (depending on if you get the power option). Do you really want to leave it on the bike for any extended period? Maybe I'm just not trusting, but I found the watch form factor to be extremely convenient. Gone with the CS600.

Don't get me wrong, if I wasn't comparing the CS600 to the Polar "S" series I'd say it was a pretty good cycling computer with excellent features. But I still stand by what I said before... Compared to the Polar S710i, the CS600 just plain sucks. Polar took a HUGE step backwards with the flexibility of the interface.

Mike

MOlenick

Does anyone have the power unit attached? If so, how long is the cable from the cadence sensor that mounts to the chainstay to the battary pack that mounts on the seatstay. I have asked Polar and their answer is vague (2 to 2 1/2 feet).
Thanks