Jahanzaib Cateye’s Padrone Smart+ is a sleek, light, and convenient cycling computer. The Padrone Smart+ has sensors to monitor speed, cadence, power, and heart rate data via Bluetooth Smart. The large, fully customisable display with backlit display means this Padrone Smart+ is both easy to use and read when you’re on your limit.
The Padrone Smart+ has something for everyone; so, whether you’re a racing cyclist or cycling enthusiast, you can embrace this simple and sleek cycling computer to track your data and ensure you improve throughout the season.
The Padrone Smart+ uses the free Cateye Cycling app to pair to your smart phone. For a list of compatible devices, click HERE. Sharing your rides to Strava, Facebook or Twitter couldn’t be easier.
Features:
- Tyre Size: 100mm – 3999mm (Default：2096mm)
- Compatible Sensors: Cateye brand ISC-12 Speed/Cadence sensor/HR-12 Heart Rate sensor. Also works with other brand Speed, Cadence, Heart Rate, and/or Power sensors conforming to Bluetooth4.0 CSCP/HRP/CPP
- Battery: CR2032 x 2
- Battery Life: Approximately 4 months
- Size: 74mm x 46mm x 20mm
- Current, average and maximum speed
- Total and trip distance and elapsed time
- Current, average and maximum cadence
- Current, average and maximum and heart rate
- Current, average and maximum power and power balance
- Lap counter
- Calorie counter
- Audible alarm
- Compass
- Can be used as a standalone bike computer or with your smart phone
- Mirror mode displays GPS data, including call and message alerts
- Ride data can be shared to Strava and other social media sites
- Optional Bluetooth SMART sensors record Speed, Cadence, Heart Rate and Power
- Audible alarm alerts you to notifications
- Weight: 40g
Cateye Padrone Smart Review:
The Cateye Padrone smart is a sleek, compact, and simple to use cycling computer that breathes a bit of a new lease of life into an otherwise highly competitive market.
Cateye’s Padrone smart+ is the latest in a long line of lights ed computers from Cateye, and although it is easily the most expensive computer I’ve ever owned, it’s by far and away the most versatile. Here is my first impressions review of this bike computer.
Pairing
As is the case with most modern pieces of cycling kit, the Padrone+ requires you to pair with a compatible phone app. The Padrone+ is compatible with a wide range of brand specific sensors – speed, cadence, heart rate and power – as well as other brand sensors on an optional basis. Shame though, that there’s no ANT+ sensor support here.
Cateye recommend using the Cateye app for iOS and Android to pair the Padrone with your phone (as well as to review and sync ride data). I paired the Padrone with an Apple iPhone 6, and it was really easy to do so.
The app contains useful information about the Padrone as well as review and analysis of your previous rides, if you should so desire (although I find such features a bit too gimmicky, preferring instead to use my own spreadsheet).
Front of the Padrone plus and the magnet for the cadence sensor. The Padrone’s cadence sensor clips to the back wheel spoke and transmits cadence data to the computer
Internal GPS chip does away with the need for a separate device, and adds the location tracking features to the device itself.
On the front of the padrone is an ambient light and location sensor. It can tell the difference between being indoors and outdoors, and the location is used for the handy “go home” function – a simple tap on the padrone and it’ll give you a turn by turn route to your front door. The light sensor means the padrone provides automatic adjusting backlight brightness depending on the light conditions.
On top of the unit is the standard Cateye mount – it sticks on with 3M double sided foam tape, and is easy to attach and detach. The mount means you can quickly and easily detach the computer from the bike so you can take it into the office to use with your PC or Mac.
If you want to record speed, cadence and power, then you’ll need to buy the ISC-12 Speed AND Cadence Sensor and the HR-12 Heart Rate Sensor (other brand sensors are available, but will cost you extra). The HR-12 strap is nice and comfortable, although the ISC-12 stick-on sensor is a little patchy – I’ve already had to replace the original one.
Setup
Once I’d paired the Padrone to my phone, I was curious to see how it would handle the speedo and cadence data. The truth is, it did it quite well. The speed data is a little out with the speeds slightly too high, but it’s reasonably accurate in comparison to my other two main bike computers (my Garmin Edge 500 with a Vector, and an old Garmin with a Cateye wireless sensor). Cadence was also unerringly accurate, matching the output of the wired magnet sensor. Nice, since the HR-12 strap is a little too tight for my liking.
The padrone has a number of other nice-to-haves in terms of setup – it’ll auto pair an ANT+ sensor within a few seconds of them being switched on, as well doing away with having to setup the wheel size.
Settings
If you’re wondering what that small hole in the side of the Padrone is for it’s for the rubber O-ring which holds the waterproof cover in place. Simple enough to fit, and that’s all I’m going to say about that
The padrone is really nice and simple to configure. Settings can be adjusted directly using physical buttons on the padrone itself, or via the app on your phone.
500 metres of splash proofing means that if you go for a mid ride wash then the Padrone should be fine, although you’re best to keep it out of heavy rain.
As you’d expect from a modern piece of technology, there are a huge number of setting options available. These include configuring what each of the 5 LED’s indicate, the speed units, as well as being able to link with other apps on your phone.
The latest firmware update also added a bunch of new function, including the ability to switch on the backlight by simply spinning the rear wheel, as well as a neat little feature that automatically changes the screen backlight settings depending on the ambient light levels.
Display
The display is large, and the symbols displayed are easy to read at a glance. I use the padrone in my daily commute and have no problems reading any info on it at all.
The display itself is also dual language (english/french) by default so you can switch between English and French with the touch of a physical button. You can also adjust the backlight brightness to something that suits your taste.
The padrone does offer an additional mirror-mode of display, which lets you to see information normally only available on Garmin models. Don’t get too excited, though – it’s a part of the app, not the unit itself.
Battery Life
Cateye claim the Padrone has a battery life of 7-10 hours of use. My experience has been somewhere in the middle of that, with it getting me through 2 – 3 days of commuting. It’s charged via micro USB, and with the three LED’s lighting up when it is charging, it’s easy to tell whether it’s done so.
Pricing
The padrone smart+ is the most expensive computer I’ve ever bought. At a retail price of $349, it’s not quite the most expensive one on the market though.
Its closest competitor in terms of features and build is likely the Edge 820 from Garmin (which will set you back $380 CAD). The 810 is still a valid contender as well, and typically retails for $80 less than the 810 (at $300 CAD).
As much as I enjoy using the Padrone I know that I’ll happily revert back to using my Garmin Edge 500 when I go on a larger bikepacking adventure later this year
