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Value: £99.99 / $119.99
Weight: 25g / 0.8oz
Display screen measurement: 32.4mm / 1.28″
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Waterproof: IPX67
Battery life: 11hr
You probably have learn any of my opinions earlier than, you’ll know that I’ve a gentle spot for easy and no-frills know-how within the bike laptop world. Complexity and over-engineering are simple to realize in biking; simplicity, conversely, is an more and more rarefied and less-practiced artwork that I’ve an immense quantity of appreciation for. Within the greatest bike computer systems notably, we’re seeing an more and more saturated market of sprawling ecosystems, subscriptions, and greater and bolder do-it-all guarantees. The Beeline Velo 2 then gives one thing a bit completely different, that is not simply Wahoo vs Garmin.
At simply £99, scarcely greater than a Jaffa Cake or a Lady Scout Cookie and maybe some of the lovable little bike navigation methods I’ve ever used, the Beeline Velo 2 is a stripped again however pleasant companion to your using.
Design and aesthetics
Firstly, main props to Beeline for the field and packaging. I don’t know whether it is customary to overview the field your machine is available in, however I preferred how compact and cardboard-y it was. No extra packaging, no bits of plastic. Easy. It opened up like a tiny field of candies and offered the unit, a small USB-C charging cable and common mount (some stretchy rubber bands and a silicone base plate). It was thrilling simply cracking it open.
The unit is a small black button, roughly 46mm throughout and weighing a tiny 25g (0.8oz) – about half the burden of a Mars bar. It’s climate proofed via a silicone hood and dirt resistant as much as IP-67 (that means it’s mud tight). It has 4 rocker buttons that can help you navigate via the assorted shows and settings, all with a satisfying and responsive click on that may simply swimsuit these much less cell or dealing with dexterity challenges. As I discussed firstly of this overview, I feel it’d simply be the cutest, most compact little design I’ve ever come throughout and fell in love immediately with it aesthetically. If Cyclingnews provided a ‘loveliest bike laptop’ class it might win each time, palms down.
When it comes to mounting, I journey with actually massive gravel handlebars and discover numerous bike gentle and laptop mounts usually don’t match correctly with out severe fiddling. I used to be tremendous completely satisfied to seek out that the Beeline Velo 2 comes with stretchy rubber bands that may be adjusted to any measurement handlebars and hold the unit secure and sound – no points right here.
Although little and light-weight, the display screen is mighty. A pal of mine talked about she had been tempted by the Beeline earlier than however was involved that its small proportions would make it tough for her to learn the display screen. I despatched her a video of it in use straight away – the brightness and the uncluttered person interface means it’s very easy to see and comply with, even for those who are inclined to journey in a extra upright place. A minor difficulty aesthetically is that the display screen is de facto liable to fingerprints. It’s not the tip of the world as a result of you possibly can smash the brightness as much as compensate and use a little bit of the previous spit-and-sleeve to wash it, however I seen that in direct daylight it does make the display screen a bit blurry.
My favorite function although needs to be on the beginning display screen. Beeline has employed the gyroscope to great impact, providing you with a tiny little bike that wheels across the fringe of the unit as you tilt it. This happy me no finish, and I feel I will need to have sunk many hours into tilting the little machine spherical prior to check rides. In truth I nearly suppose it’s definitely worth the £99 simply to play with that function alone. It’s such a beautiful addition – why are bike computer systems all the time so severe and simple? When did all of us turn out to be such grownups and overlook the enjoyable of bikes?
Arrange and interface
It’s vital to notice that the Beeline Velo 2 actually is only a second display screen to your telephone, and it requires on the very least the bluetooth to even function. When you’re the type of one who desires to exit with out your telephone, or has a telephone with a restricted battery life, that is unlikely to be the most suitable choice for you. On one journey, I used to be out for 5 and a half hours, with it actively navigating for not less than 4 of these hours, and it sank my iphone battery all the way down to 30% twice. Admittedly, I didn’t have my telephone in low energy mode and I used to be additionally taking images, however I seen the numerous drain on my battery straight away which was annoying.
Establishing in any other case is an absolute doddle. It integrates effectively with Strava and Komoot and works with each iPhone and Android, so you possibly can monitor your efforts and routes and share them accordingly. Sharing every part to Strava is finished with a single click on in your telephone.
On the journey, the precise interface is attractive. You’ve gotten a line to comply with, and just a little bar on the backside that depicts your progress. A smaller arrow tells you what’s developing, and in what distance. At every intersection or turning level, the Beeline gives a sensible little beep directing you to have a look at the map. You’ll be able to click on via completely different settings, together with elevation, velocity, distance and all the opposite great things you want from a motorcycle laptop with none of the overwhelming distractions of a number of the extra refined items in the marketplace.
Route planning
Beeline gives its personal navigation map in-app. It was simple to make use of with a clear person interface that additionally permits you to simply import your .gpx information, or get it to trace your personal routes as you journey. Theoretically you are able to do every part you’d probably want by way of route planning simply in your telephone, nevertheless, I might nonetheless heartily advocate plotting your routes elsewhere (Komoot, OS maps or Alltrails) and importing the information in for a couple of causes.
Firstly, Beeline makes use of google maps because the underpinning infrastructure which is okay for those who’re a staunch highway rider, however much less helpful for those who’re a gravel-slash-country-lane-and-bridleway-rider like me (I don’t know if the biking world has give you a style defining identify for that but…Allroad?).
Google maps can solely get you up to now, notably if you would like some exploring in your adventures, so that you’re already a bit restricted. Secondly, you’ll have to pay a subscription payment if you would like to have the ability to plot a round-trip within the app. I’ve spoken about this earlier than in opinions (and truly in actual life to anybody standing nonetheless lengthy sufficient for me to rant about it), however I basically disagree with any {hardware} firm that places a part of its primary performance behind a paywall.
When you do select to plot in-app, Bee-line has offered easy elevation charts, the share of cycle lanes in your chosen route and a ‘highway ranking’. The highway ranking in observe is a good concept, however isn’t maybe essentially the most correct. What precisely is a ‘good’ highway between two individuals? From expertise, many of the roads appear to hover at about 50-60% and that doesn’t actually inform me that a lot apart from about half of individuals discover the highway okay, and the opposite half don’t. However, I do see what they’re making an attempt to do, and I feel with some information smoothing or different wizardry it is going to be a great way to go.
Equally, in auto-planning a journey, Beeline Velo 2 will give you the selection of ‘quick’, ‘balanced’, or ‘quiet’ routing, based mostly on how ‘busy’ the roads are. I notably preferred with the ability to evaluate the route choices at a look and felt a bit extra ready once I was biking in unfamiliar areas. For freshmen, dad and mom and caregivers who journey with kids, or those that simply desire a peaceable journey outside with minimal trouble from different highway customers, it is a actual perk to the person expertise and one I’ve not come throughout in different bike computer systems.
Efficiency
For essentially the most half, on roads, the navigation works effectively. On easy nation roads it was a sheer delight; It stored me on monitor, and I actually appreciated how simple it was to comply with. The display screen is evident and shiny for at-a-glance navigation, and I beloved having the little button-sized bee on my handlebars. I feel that is actually the place the Velo 2 shines; nation lanes, roads; simple biking. Past this, nevertheless, it does lose a little bit of its glimmer.
The primary difficulty I encountered was with rerouting after missed turns. Owing, I believe, to its Google map underpinnings, the Velo 2 robotically defaults to ‘recognized roads’ and that may be pricey for those who’re not completely comfy on massive roads or are stunned by a sudden leap in elevation. It’s additionally fairly simply confused, notably for those who’re like me and extremely poor in following simple directions. A number of reroutes in fast succession or over bridleways trigger it to only go a bit silent and also you’re left questioning whether or not you’ve tousled or whether or not it is considering rerouting you.
Equally, even in constructed up areas, the Velo 2 can simply get a bit scrambled. I used to be lately in North Wales for just a little journey, and I knew the start of the router required me to do a cool swap again and enter some kind of tunnel beneath a highway. For the lifetime of it, the poor Velo 2 couldn’t navigate me there. I used to be biking backwards and forwards for a full quarter-hour alongside a highway to a marina, steadily extra pissed off and confused, till lastly a person in a van took pity on me and directed me himself. If it wasn’t for him, I most likely nonetheless can be at that marina now. The Velo 2 hadn’t bought a clue.
It additionally would not appear to have a lot of a clue in terms of elevation both. I am used to Garmin fashions that make an enormous music and dance over hills (that little jingle while you get to the highest generally crops up in nightmares), and it’s is not uncommon to seek out me biking alongside simply staring grimly at an elevation map versus the navigation system. The Beeline Velo 2 does inform you the general elevation acquire, however would not current that data in any helpful means, which appears an oversight for a model that has labored to make the machine very intuitive and aesthetic. Realizing you have completed 800m of climbing is not that helpful when you do not know how rather more climbing you have bought left, or proportionally how nasty these hills are to those you have already accomplished. Maybe worse, for those who import a GPX into the app relatively than plotting it instantly, you are unable to see the elevation in any respect within the at-a-glance stats, which is irritating.
In longer distance rides – as much as concerning the 30 miles (50km) mark – the Beeline Velo 2 appears to work very well. I discovered it bought just a little bit confused past that nevertheless, and so I might be cautious about utilizing it on longer routes when you’ve got a tonne of waypoints or a barely advanced route. For bikepacking or multi-day adventures I might be hesitant about relying too closely on it, and would most likely default to my Garmin 540, which has been efficiently in use for as much as 3 days with out even requiring a cost, or getting misplaced as soon as.
I didn’t handle to check it in a considerable downpour; the climate gods have been on my aspect this summer season and it’s solely been briefly showers which I might greater than count on it to deal with. I did, nevertheless, spill half a cup of espresso over it and it survived, so I think about it that it might face up to a battering.
Off-road capabilities
Ah now, right here comes the true rub – not less than for me – on the Beeline Velo 2. Finally and sadly, it’s simply not excellent off-road. And that is smart – it’s designed, for essentially the most half, highway riders and motorcyclists, not for us weirdos preferring strolling our bikes greater than we do using them.
Beeline makes an attempt to get round this with ‘breadcrumb mode’ which makes use of a compass that can assist you navigate to your waypoints. It really works….alright. It isn’t the perfect. I discovered that as a result of it was navigating extra ‘because the crow flies’, it meant you’d usually need to double again on your self to determine a means ahead. In contrast to the extra refined bike computer systems that may utilise person information to seek out need traces or warmth maps, you’re completely reliant on the whim of just a little compass arrow such as you’re in a online game. In the long run, I bought my telephone out and simply checked out an OS map to determine the place to go, which does kind of negate the entire level of getting a motorcycle laptop within the first place. .
I’ve additionally seen it isn’t nice for those who don’t have any cell web sign in your telephone. You’ll be able to navigate solely by the deliberate route, but when your sign drops it stops rerouting and can default again to breadcrumb mode. This may be critically disorientating; I discovered it tough to know whether or not I might really taken a incorrect flip and bought misplaced, or simply misplaced reception however was on the proper route.
Battery life
For such a tiny little machine that utilises a lot of your telephone’s navigation, I used to be anticipating distinctive battery life, and it’s fairly first rate. Beeline experiences about 11 hours of battery life for fixed use on a full cost and I might most likely agree that is true to life, even with rerouting and varied different messing round.
I used it solidly for five hours, after which didn’t trouble switching it off; over every week later it nonetheless has about 50% battery. There are, after all, bike computer systems with rather more spectacular batteries (with related worth tags!) and for those who’re spending a number of days out within the saddle, the Beeline Velo 2 may not have the ability to address the total rigours of your adventures. In saying that, it does cost on a USB-C cable very quick, with a fast blast of 30 minutes at a espresso store providing you with greater than sufficient to energy you thru for a couple of hours.
Verdict
Studying again this overview within the edit, I concern I’ve been unfairly crucial of the Beeline Velo 2. I might prefer to be clear that regardless of a few of my misgivings, I do genuinely suppose it’s a good little machine to have and positively value it to have within the package bag – and I’m not simply saying that as a result of it is sat right here taking a look at me with massive puppy-dog eyes. The Beeline Velo 2 is an extremely inexpensive little bit of tech at solely £99. When weighing up cheaper vs costlier bike computer systems, it is easy to fall into the lure that costly equals much better efficiency and suitability. The Beeline Velo 2 reveals that is not completely true.
In a world the place every bit of tech is making an attempt to do every part all the identical time, the Beeline Velo 2 is a refreshing within the simplicity of it. It’s not excellent, however it doesn’t fake to be. It struggles with advanced routing, is not the perfect for off highway and gravel, and is rarely going to try to compete with a number of the choices obtainable at increased worth factors.
What the Beeline Velo 2 is, nevertheless, is a genuinely enjoyable, sensible, and user-friendly little bit of package that has managed to strip away numerous the noise in navigation and get to the center of what I really need on a journey. It’s compact, cleverly designed, and doesn’t take itself too critically. For riders like me who do simply need to comply with a line, hold issues gentle, and revel in using a motorcycle with out numerous information or a confused menu system, the Velo 2 is a good match.
The Beeline Velo 2 received’t swimsuit everybody, after all, however for lots of cyclists, notably newer riders, weekend tourers, or those that hate overcomplication, it is a excellent little GPS. And within the more and more loud world of motorbike computer systems, that’s a formidable achievement.
|
Display screen High quality |
Small, however loads shiny sufficient. |
7/10 |
Row 0 – Cell 3 |
|
Setup |
Fairly easy and intuitive, with a simple app-based interface |
7/10 |
Row 1 – Cell 3 |
|
Options |
What there’s is nice, however loses important factors for making some options subscription based mostly. Does not carry out effectively off-road both, and depends completely in your telephone having sign. |
5/10 |
Row 2 – Cell 3 |
|
Battery life |
first rate sufficient for day rides, however something longer and you will need higher capability. |
6/10 |
Row 3 – Cell 3 |
|
Worth |
It isn’t the costliest bike laptop, however it’s solely just a little cheaper than the most cost effective Garmin, which is much more function wealthy |
6/10 |
Row 4 – Cell 3 |
|
Total |
Row 5 – Cell 1 |
62% |
Row 5 – Cell 3 |
