CYCPLUS M1 GPS Wireless Bike Computer Review
This review is limited to my user experience only over the course of a week and 20hrs riding time using the CYCPLUS M1 GPS wireless Bike Computer. my review also reflects the differences to my current Garmin Edge 820.
For all the technical details please view the product website. The review does not cover the XOSS Mobile App functionality apart from the uploading of the ride data to strava.
Ordering
The Unit is currently available direct from Cycplus UK @ £46.41 (payable in dollars only) & Amazon at £49.99, both are post free. I ordered from Amazon and it was promptly delivered within 3 days. View all purchasing options from Cycling Bargains
Packaging
The parcel was securely packed as usual from Amazon, The actual unit was boxed and presented well, Included Computer, Standard Bar Mounting, Charging Cable and Colour User Guide.
Setup & Sync with Monitors
Setting up the Cycplus M1 was straight forward following the Installation Guide, this mainly consisted of the Display Units & Time offset. Then ‘pairing’ to my Garmin HRM Belt and Stages Power Cranks was also very quick & easy. Ensure when setting up the Cycplus M1 that you download the “XOSS” App from the relevant App Store as detailed in the user guide, and not the Cycplus M1 App which is also available on the Store. I used a Google Pixel 1, which is a fairly old phone now to download and install the XOSS App without any problems.
Bike Fitting
Fitting the Cycplus M1 unit to the bike was simple for me as they fit without modification or adapter into a standard Garmin GPS Mount, this was essential for me with 7 Bikes with existing Garmin out front Mounts. This is not mentioned on the Cycplus website but they are compatible. The Cycplus M1 unit does come with a standard handlebar fitting, out front mounts can also be purchased separately or in a bundle.
Display Options & Layout
First thing i noticed was how quick the Cycplus M1 turns on & off, with no maps and bloated software it turns on and usable near instantly.
The display is very simple, consisting of three screens, one screen for Actual up to date data, another screen for average data and the last screen for maximum data. There is “no option” to change the layout or number of screens in the current version, you get what you get. Saying that it was fine for me and displayed all the GPS data plus my HRM & Stages Power & Cadence data. Although if you train with power you do not get all the nice power options you would get with a Garmin, it's just the 3 second power, average power & maximum power during the ride.
The display characters are easy to read, especially the Current, Average & Maximum speeds which is in the larger size. The type of display screen with its matt background is also easier to read than my Garmin Edge 820, useful if you're older with failing eyes like myself. The screen is not a touch screen, i prefer it this way as when its raining the Garmin touch screen can be unusable and have resulted in losing rides.
The controls consist of three buttons on the bottom of the unit and are straightforward to use. Starting the ride, pausing and saving is straight forward, but you don't have Auto Start available when you start moving. There is a small indicator > that the ride is recording, i did forget a few times to start the ride when I left home.
XOSS App
Uploading your completed ride using the XOSS App was easy, although was noticeably slower upload speed than Garmin Connect. The upload is wireless Bluetooth but it's not fully automatic at the moment like the Garmin. Once you open the XOSS App, there's 1 click to connect to the Cycplus M1 and 1 more click to “sync” all outstanding rides. Once the ride is synced it is automatically uploaded to Strava very quickly. It also supports upload to Training Peaks.
I viewed my rides and analysis on Strava so did not look at or review the data on the XOSS App. If you don't use Strava or Training Peaks you can still review your route and statistics in the XOSS App.
GPS Accuracy
I did notice when viewing my rides on Strava that the recorded route sometimes wanders off the underlying road, usually in areas of tree cover or bad satellite reception, generally its accurate and did not effect the overall route or picking up Strava segments and koms. But to put it into perspective this also happens occasionally on my Garmin Edge 820. But i do think the Garmin has slightly better Satellite detection.
Battery Life
The battery life was excellent during my 1 week review of this Cycplus M1 GPS unit, i did 19hrs of ride time and 26hrs TOTAL elapsed time (when the unit was turned on). I did not charge the battery at all during this period. I needed to charge the Garmin after every ride and on 5+ hour rides IT would regularly go into battery saver mode.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a cheaper basic GPS Bike Computer option than the Garmin range & you want excellent battery life but don't need maps, customisable screens or comprehensive power data while training then this Cycplus M1 unit could be a good option for you. I am satisfied with my purchase for the money and I've not used my Garmin Edge 820 since. On value for money I would give the Cycplus M1 GPS 5 Stars.
