# Avocet Computers, what happened to this company?



## Ricky2 (Apr 7, 2004)

Back when Greg was riding, Avocet used to dominate the market. Everybody I knew had an Avocet. What happened to them? You can't even buy the computers anymore in Exel, Performance, Nashbar, etc. Are they still sold?


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## CoachRob (Sep 14, 2004)

Ricky2 said:


> Back when Greg was riding, Avocet used to dominate the market. Everybody I knew had an Avocet. What happened to them? You can't even buy the computers anymore in Exel, Performance, Nashbar, etc. Are they still sold?


Avocet had made excellent quality cyclocomputers, ski watches, etc, for MANY years. However, they have been sold and bought a few times of late and they are a LOUSY company to deal with now. I wanted to buy their computer for my bike in June and coldn't find them anywhere. So I called them. The conversation went like this:

Me: Hi! I want to know where I can buy your cyclocomputers.
Customer Service: You can't.
Me: I can't?
CS: No, they are not available for at least 6 months.
Me: Six months? But cycling season is over by then. Are you just kidding me?
CS: No sir. We no longer mfgr our own products. They're made overseas and they are running behind. They won't be sending any stateside until January 2005 at the VERY earliest.
Me: Doesn't that mean you will lose a LOT of business, including your ski watches?
CS: I suppose. Is there something else I can help you with?

In 2003 I sent my altimeter ski watch in for a battery replacement in October. It did not return until March, AFTER ski season. They couldn't care less when I wrote a letter questioning what the big delay was (you cannot replace the battery yourself because it has an altimeter function that only they know how to readjust after battery installation).

This is a company that I don't think is serious about staying in business. It is originally, after all, French, so they're not in a rush to do ANYTHING except vote against us in the U.N. I say good riddance!

CatEye, Vetta, Ciclosport, and many others make fine products that perform very well

C'est la vie!


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

If a car manufacturer came out with a revolutionary new car in 1983, and kept making the same car, without change, for the next 20 years, what do you think would happen to sales ????
What do you think would happen to the company ??


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## SHVentus (Mar 15, 2004)

Mr. Grumpy,

But how much change is needed in a cycle computer?

I really liked my Avocet 45TT. But it failed a couple times (? quality control). I sent it in each time. The first time it was returned fairly quickly, but the the last time (last Sept.) is another story. They first told me that I should have it in a month, then by January, & now it's suppose to be by this June (next month). :-(

I sure hope that they fix it, and their company, as I don't see any other cyclocomputers made that perform all the same functions as the 45TT (I really like the cadence feature).


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## terzo rene (Mar 23, 2002)

They also sucked way back in the 80's when they did everything themselves. Customer service was a phrase they never heard of and they had a very high defect rate in my experience. After going through three or 4 in short order I threw them over the side and it seems everyone else did too.


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## SHVentus (Mar 15, 2004)

I just talked to the "repair" guy at Avocet this morning. He said that the board was bad on my 45TT, and he couldn't fix it. He said that they didn't have any units for the season to replace it. Yeah right, just more round & round BS. So I call performance & ordered a Cateye Astrale for 29.99.


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## wildboar (Nov 27, 2008)

MR_GRUMPY said:


> If a car manufacturer came out with a revolutionary new car in 1983, and kept making the same car, without change, for the next 20 years, what do you think would happen to sales ????
> What do you think would happen to the company ??


The Mercedes-Benz W126 was a series of flagship vehicles manufactured by German automotive marque Mercedes-Benz. Premiering in September 1979 as the successor to the earlier W116 line, the W126 was the second generation of the Mercedes-Benz flagship to officially bear the S-Class name referring to Sonderklasse or "special class." 

*The W126 had a twelve-year production run between 1979 and 1991*, the longest of any S-Class generation since the flagship models were first built in the mid-1950s.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

I used Avocet for years and my fav was 45TT. I had 2 and they eventually failed and the Company could not help.
I then went to CatEye Strada Wireless and have been very happy wih them.
Easy, Clean install and never any problems. Large reliable display and very accurate.
Except for an occassional new battery, the 2 units I have have worked perfectly for years.


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## Puchnuts (Oct 9, 2008)

I'll second the Cateye Strada Wireless. I have two of them on two of my machines. Aside from needing a new pair of batteries each season, they have never failed me in the several years I've had them. Once in awhile the sensor or magnet might need re-positioning from bouncing over potholes or such, and the contacts sponged-off after runs through sand and dirt - but that's been all.


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## laffeaux (Dec 12, 2001)

SHVentus said:


> So I call performance & ordered a Cateye Astrale for 29.99.


A good choice.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

Kudos for reviving a 4 1/2 year old thread.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

I have a stockpile of Avocet 30s and, yeah, most of my bikes are steel (with DT shifters).


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

I had an Avocet 35 that was in daily use for over 20 years. When it finally failed I ran out to buy another one. I couldn't fund any, so I finally gave up & bought a $15 Vetta. It's great. I like almost as much as the Avocet.


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## mcteague (Feb 7, 2005)

I remember when the first Avocet computer came on the market. They delayed delivery for nearly a year due to one issue or another. I owned many over the years but moved on. Now I have a Cateye Strada Wireless and love it. Small and does what it needs to. Far more reliable than the Sigmas that preceded it.

Tim


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

CoachRob said:


> It is originally, after all, French, so they're not in a rush to do ANYTHING except vote against us in the U.N. I say good riddance!


Avocet had no French connection whatsoever. The company was started in the late 1970s in a room above a bike shop in Palo Alto, CA, was selling loads of stuff by the early 1980s and then gradually faded. Last year, I could still get tires from them or their successor. Not sure about this year.


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## suprcivic (Apr 10, 2009)

i had the avocet 30 on my MTB. I was so cool. Then I got the original cateye mity. That made me cooler but nothing could ever touch my purple vetta c-15 from the years of purple anodized aluminum. best trend ever.


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## wildboar (Nov 27, 2008)

Uber GREEN:


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## dombey19 (Oct 2, 2008)

I liked Avocet cyclometers, but I'm not certain why. I probably went through five of them. Two to three years was the average life span.


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## wildboar (Nov 27, 2008)

My 30's seem to keep on ticking, never had a problem with them.


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

MR_GRUMPY said:


> If a car manufacturer came out with a revolutionary new car in 1983, and kept making the same car, without change, for the next 20 years, what do you think would happen to sales ????
> What do you think would happen to the company ??


Depends how good the car is.


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## Ken2 (Jan 30, 2004)

*Avocets on ebay*

Avocet 30s still have a following, judging by the appearance on ebay of USED ones that fetch over $20!


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## fasteddy07 (Jun 4, 2007)

I have two 50's Loved them.

They still work ( I think) been a while.

Sad about Avocet -

It's a jungle out there.


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

JaeP said:


> I have a stockpile of Avocet 30s and, yeah, most of my bikes are steel (with DT shifters).


I think I too have a pair of head units and several mounts for em. IIRC I have the version that goes to 59:59 and then resets to zeros.

Not bad cept ya gotta remember how many hours you've been riding.

M


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

mcteague said:


> I remember when the first Avocet computer came on the market. They delayed delivery for nearly a year due to one issue or another. I owned many over the years but moved on. Now I have a Cateye Strada Wireless and love it. Small and does what it needs to. Far more reliable than the Sigmas that preceded it.
> 
> Tim


Have you been snooping in my garage?! That sounds exactly like my progression. The GF-mobile still has my last Sigma on it. She don't ride much, so it works fine!

M


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## freethinker (Sep 10, 2009)

I bought a 35 some years ago, its left button never did work very well. Now a couple of segments in the display are out, and I'm looking to replace it....I bought it because I had good experience with a 40 I bought back in '92, which never gave me any trouble and is still on the bike and working just fine. I also seem to remember riding Avocet tires way back when.


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## Maximus_XXIV (Nov 10, 2008)

All my 40s and 45s failed, sent them in and they failed again. Went computerless until picking up a Garmin Edge.


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## XR4Ti (Jul 8, 2008)

I still have the 20 (my first bike computer) on my old bike. Working just like it did on day one! (in fact I'd sell it if someone wants to go retro  )


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## ruby055 (Sep 2, 2013)

*The Truth*

Avocet was always located in Palo Alto, but are essentially no longer supporting products. They never produced anything at all, they developed a schematic for a bike computer in the late 1970's and built a prototype above a Palo Alto bike shop based on a prior design using a new mass produced 1 inch LCD, later they made design improvements with the help of the local silicon valley brain trust including the added 2 button silicon function controls. That original design eventually lead to the Avocet 30 released in 1982-83 which was and is the best selling bike computer of all time with what amounted to a 60% market share by 1990. Both Greg LeMond, Dave Scott also of Northern CA heritage all rode with Avocet 30's, and helped make the company a huge success in fact nearly every Tour rider had a Avocet on a bike in the 1980's, including non US teams like Panasonic and even many of the European teams like Motobecane, so lots of people assume they were French. The 30/31 was available in 3 original colors then 8 then 16 colors, later they added models with altimeters stating with 35. They expanded their line to rebranding of other bike products including tires and, saddles, which they neither designed or manufactured. All of the early cyclometer models were all originally made in the USA but generally outsourced production to 3rd parties in both Texas and Nevada. Then the early to mid 90's many other designs started to flood the market form Asian manufacturers. Soon Avocet was forced to follow suit and outsourced all production overseas and the quality declined they lost market share and the company was soon sold several times over. They now have fewer than 10 employees with annual sales of <1.5 million mostly on sale of technology and intellectual property used by other manufactures. So go out an get a Cat's eye Urban its just as good but you can only get it in Black. LOL!


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

That's *Cateye*...since it's not actually the eye of a cat.


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## spdntrxi (Jul 25, 2013)

I have a 45 still... It works too

Just got a garmin 810 though


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

I miss the Avocet 30 I used to have. It looked cool, had a HUGE and very easy-to-read display, and was utterly simple and intuitive to operate. And it came in colors.

Too bad whatever passes for the company nowadays seems to have its head firmly planted in its poop-chute.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

Thread dredge. I still have a stockpile of old avocets (more non-working ones than working ones). Sadly, a lot of the new wheelsets cannot accommodate the magnetic pickup ring that Avocet uses. I sometimes wear a tinfoil hat so I don't want the G'ubment tracking my whereabouts with those new fangled GPS units. I found a $13 cyclocomputer at Wally World that does everything my old Avocet can do and more.

Old fart out.


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

JaeP said:


> Thread dredge. I still have a stockpile of old avocets (more non-working ones than working ones). Sadly, a lot of the new wheelsets cannot accommodate the magnetic pickup ring that Avocet uses. I sometimes wear a tinfoil hat so I don't want the G'ubment tracking my whereabouts with those new fangled GPS units. I found a $13 cyclocomputer at Wally World that does everything my old Avocet can do and more.
> 
> Old fart out.


If you want to use those old rings - snip off the 'clip' attachments and remove any extrusions with a razor blade. Then 'glue' it onto your hub using the blue Permatex gasket sealer found at automotive stores. The stuff never dries. You can later pry off the ring, and the sealant will peel off of the sensor and the hub and/or spokeheads. And if you use minimal sealer, it looks clean.


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## jason124 (Jul 25, 2006)

MR_GRUMPY said:


> If a car manufacturer came out with a revolutionary new car in 1983, and kept making the same car, without change, for the next 20 years, what do you think would happen to sales ????
> What do you think would happen to the company ??


While Wildboar has a point (is he even active here still?) and I own a W126 Mercedes S-class, I have him beat. Check out the Mercedes G-Wagen which has been in production since 1979. Granted, they've tarted it up a bit and added modern accommodations, but the basic vehicle is still the same.


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## KevP (Oct 29, 2021)

ruby055 said:


> *The Truth*
> 
> Avocet was always located in Palo Alto, but are essentially no longer supporting products. They never produced anything at all, they developed a schematic for a bike computer in the late 1970's and built a prototype above a Palo Alto bike shop based on a prior design using a new mass produced 1 inch LCD, later they made design improvements with the help of the local silicon valley brain trust including the added 2 button silicon function controls. That original design eventually lead to the Avocet 30 released in 1982-83 which was and is the best selling bike computer of all time with what amounted to a 60% market share by 1990. Both Greg LeMond, Dave Scott also of Northern CA heritage all rode with Avocet 30's, and helped make the company a huge success in fact nearly every Tour rider had a Avocet on a bike in the 1980's, including non US teams like Panasonic and even many of the European teams like Motobecane, so lots of people assume they were French. The 30/31 was available in 3 original colors then 8 then 16 colors, later they added models with altimeters stating with 35. They expanded their line to rebranding of other bike products including tires and, saddles, which they neither designed or manufactured. All of the early cyclometer models were all originally made in the USA but generally outsourced production to 3rd parties in both Texas and Nevada. Then the early to mid 90's many other designs started to flood the market form Asian manufacturers. Soon Avocet was forced to follow suit and outsourced all production overseas and the quality declined they lost market share and the company was soon sold several times over. They now have fewer than 10 employees with annual sales of <1.5 million mostly on sale of technology and intellectual property used by other manufactures. So go out an get a Cat's eye Urban its just as good but you can only get it in Black. LOL!


Hi, just come across this piece and found it fascinating. Like most I had an Avocet back in the day, my first was a 30 in flo green, the exact one LeMond had on his yellow Bottecchia when he won the 89 Tour and the Worlds. Like most it packed up and had it replaced and updated them several times through to the 45 which was my last. I still have that 45 but, you guessed it it doesn't work. Recently came across a flo green boxed unused Avocet 30 and it will sit on my desk as a piece of iconic nostalgia! Thanks again for the piece, really enjoyed it and if you have any nore info please post.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

ogre said:


> If you want to use those old rings - snip off the 'clip' attachments and remove any extrusions with a razor blade. Then 'glue' it onto your hub using the blue Permatex gasket sealer found at automotive stores. The stuff never dries. You can later pry off the ring, and the sealant will peel off of the sensor and the hub and/or spokeheads. And if you use minimal sealer, it looks clean.


Thanks Ogre. I used 3M double sided tape on a Shimano wheelset but I like your idea much better.

I'm really an old fart. I prefer the messy, entanglements of wired cyclo computers. Even Wally World went wireless (that's a lot of alliteration). They're $16 but look super bulky like a wart or something.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

KevP said:


> Hi, just come across this piece and found it fascinating. Like most I had an Avocet back in the day, my first was a 30 in flo green, the exact one LeMond had on his yellow Bottecchia when he won the 89 Tour and the Worlds. Like most it packed up and had it replaced and updated them several times through to the 45 which was my last. I still have that 45 but, you guessed it it doesn't work. Recently came across a flo green boxed unused Avocet 30 and it will sit on my desk as a piece of iconic nostalgia! Thanks again for the piece, really enjoyed it and if you have any nore info please post.


It did seem like pretty much everyone had one for a while there. I must have had at least a few. I also seemed to have pretty good luck with them. Interesting story for sure.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

I liked the Avocets because the display was so simple. Too bad they don't reintroduce the design, and in wireless.


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## MDM (Jun 10, 2020)

I have two Avocet 50's that I no longer use. I think the altimeters in them give more accurate cumulative elevation gain over a ride than my Garmin does. However, the wiring harnesses I have crapped out (failure of the cadence sensor and poor contact with the head unit).


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Peter P. said:


> I liked the Avocets because the display was so simple. Too bad they don't reintroduce the design, and in wireless.


Definitely an opportunity there. They’d do well… good-looking, clean, intuitive design.


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## MDM (Jun 10, 2020)

I think most everyone is going with a GPS cycling computer like Garmin or Wahoo. I think the market for a basic cycling computer without GPS is vanishingly small.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

MDM said:


> I think most everyone is going with a GPS cycling computer like Garmin or Wahoo. I think the market for a basic cycling computer without GPS is vanishingly small.


I have 1 GPS computer (an ancient Garmin 800) and at least 10 wireless regular ones, so my ratio is 1:10.


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

I could have sworn my earliest computer was an Avocet 15, but what I googled wasn't what I remembered. What I remembered was a single display, showed speed, trip distance, odometer and probably time. Two buttons on the face. The computer was very dangerous because it did not record max speed. You had to be looking down to see how fast you went.


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## MDM (Jun 10, 2020)

DrSmile said:


> I have 1 GPS computer (an ancient Garmin 800) and at least 10 wireless regular ones, so my ratio is 1:10.


I have two Garmins and one hardly gets used. I just switch them between bikes. I have the speed/cadence sensor on all bikes.


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## SevenRoadie (Nov 30, 2021)

I love this thread! Like dusting off an old book. 

I raced with an Avocet 30. Why? Because Greg did! I used the training log that Eddy B. published every year, decades before Strava. Kept track of miles, course, meals, sleeping. Now I'm old, slow and grumpy, but I have GPS data, HR, altimeter, power meter and every bit of data I need to know why I'm slower than other people. I charge lights, cameras, radar, PM, shifting yet in the old days I just had to change a watch battery every now and again in the Avocet. Biggest challenge was wrapping that wire just right along the front break cable.

Cheers


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

SevenRoadie said:


> I love this thread! Like dusting off an old book.
> 
> I raced with an Avocet 30. Why? Because Greg did! I used the training log that Eddy B. published every year, decades before Strava. Kept track of miles, course, meals, sleeping. Now I'm old, slow and grumpy, but I have GPS data, HR, altimeter, power meter and every bit of data I need to know why I'm slower than other people. I charge lights, cameras, radar, PM, shifting yet in the old days I just had to change a watch battery every now and again in the Avocet. *Biggest challenge was wrapping that wire just right along the front break cable.*
> 
> Cheers


I remember that! Not sure the model I had (It was the simple black with silver lines around the edges, 2 buttons), but I would take the time to meticulously guide the sensor cable from the handlebars to the fork by perfectly wrapping it around the front brake cable. Had to be perfectly wrapped and nicely finished with a clean electrical tape piece.
Is the bike shop in question Palo Alto Bicycles? That shop was amazing. I lived hours from the nearest bike shop and anything bike related was cool to see. My brother went to college near Palo Alto, so when we visited, I begged my parents to take me that shop. I was in heaven. So neat to see all that stuff in person (Avocet computers, Wheelsmith wheels, many custom steel bikes, Campy!) after spending hours drooling over my Performance Bicycle and Bike Nashbar catalogs. This brings back good memories!


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## SevenRoadie (Nov 30, 2021)

burgrat said:


> I remember that! Not sure the model I had (It was the simple black with silver lines around the edges, 2 buttons), but I would take the time to meticulously guide the sensor cable from the handlebars to the fork by perfectly wrapping it around the front brake cable. Had to be perfectly wrapped and nicely finished with a clean electrical tape piece.
> Is the bike shop in question Palo Alto Bicycles? That shop was amazing. I lived hours from the nearest bike shop and anything bike related was cool to see. My brother went to college near Palo Alto, so when we visited, I begged my parents to take me that shop. I was in heaven. So neat to see all that stuff in person (Avocet computers, Wheelsmith wheels, many custom steel bikes, Campy!) after spending hours drooling over my Performance Bicycle and Bike Nashbar catalogs. This brings back good memories!


I grew up in Denver, and was within a short ride from The Denver Spoke, which famously built Alexi Grewal's 1984 Gold Medal bike (still have some of the front fork stickers). I loved that shop... eventually raced for them (Colorado Velo) and worked there in college (put me through school!). But alas, that shop is gone. So too is the Spoke that was famous for its shop "on the Hill" in Boulder. 

Cheers


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

I used Avocet computers for years until I got tired of replacing them every two years. I've been using a GPS computer for the last few years, but I also use a wired Cateye Astrale 8 rear wheel pickup, at the same time. I find the wired computer much more accurate than GPS. The Cateye just won't die (it must be over 13 years old) The rear wheel pickup works well when the bike is on the trainer.
As for Avocet, I've used the Model 20, 30, 40, 45, and Model 25, which used a normal spoke magnet......They were all junk.


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

SevenRoadie said:


> I grew up in Denver, and was within a short ride from The Denver Spoke, which famously built Alexi Grewal's 1984 Gold Medal bike (still have some of the front fork stickers). I loved that shop... eventually raced for them (Colorado Velo) and worked there in college (put me through school!). But alas, that shop is gone. So too is the Spoke that was famous for its shop "on the Hill" in Boulder.
> 
> Cheers


Loved the Denver Spoke. If you raced for Colorado Velo, then you probably recognize my "handle" here too! Dong was probably the best salesman ever... "you be faster now bud!" 😂 Shame what happened to it. I never heard the full story but the rumors I heard about Pat Clark's escapades were "interesting." I still have a custom-built Clark-Kent from in Excel tubing! I'm still in touch with some of the guys who worked or hung out there. One was the owner of Creekside Bikes in Parker until the pandemic killed it. 😢 Good memories. Oh, and I had Avocets all the way up to the 50! First altimeter bike computer IIRC. Also had one of their ski/mountaineering watches as well.


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