If you agree that ultra-powerful bike computers equipped with too many fancy features aren’t necessary, you may find CatEye Stealth 50 vs Evo+ as attractive choices. Unlike other manufacturers, CatEye prefers to concentrate on the essentials and performance. CatEye Stealth 50 is a very good bike computer that gets many things right; is the successor, CatEye Stealth Evo+, even better?
Continue reading to find out further about:
– The dimensions of CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+
– The comparison of their build quality and durability
– What features that CatEye Stealth 50 offers
– The new features introduced by CatEye Stealth Evo+
– The performance of CatEye Stealth 50 vs Evo+
– Whether you should go for Stealth 50 or Stealth Evo+
Design
CatEye’s decision in delivering simple units with all the essential features covered is definitely a wise one. Other manufacturers seem to be in a GPS arms race, but for cyclists who just want to track the most important metrics, CatEye still offers the best value. See also: CatEye Velo 7 vs 9.
In principle, additional features will increase price. Unsurprisingly, the cost for a full-featured bike computer nowadays is getting very close to the price of a smartphone. So, by focusing only on the essentials, the company can keep CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+ at reasonable price points. Not to mention that these CatEye products are very compact; they can easily fit in the palm of your hand.
You can get these GPS based, ANT+ enabled bike computers without any additional accessory. But they are also available in complete bundles that include the heart rate sensor strap, speed sensor, and cadence sensor. If you are interested in either CatEye Stealth 50 or CatEye Stealth Evo+, you should consider getting a complete bundle because the price is going to be lower than if you buy the accessories separately.
Size-wise, CatEye Stealth 50 vs CatEye Stealth Evo+ are very similar. They each measure 70mm x 40mm. Each of them comes with a cradle which has a plastic strap. You can tighten or loosen the strap via a wheel, so swapping these units from bike to bike will be a breeze.
Put them side by side, and you will see how they look like twins. The only things to distinguish them are the product name on the top and the product code. Interestingly, CatEye Stealth 50 is coded CC-GL50, while CatEye Stealth Evo+ is coded CC-GL51. They each have a wide display screen which has three parts for showing different information at once.
Unfortunately, both CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+ are not easy to read when under direct sunlight in a bright day. If the sun shines directly on the display screen, you will need to adjust your viewing angle in order to be able to read the displayed information. This is a minor inconvenience, although this isn’t a significant problem in the larger picture.
Durability and Weatherproofing
Although these bike computers come at affordable price points, don’t underestimate their build quality. CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+ are well-made and durable. They even have solid weatherproofing.
Instead of using a Mini USB plug, these bike computers use a special docking mechanism to connect to your computer. The design of the dock has been optimized in such a way to prevent it from getting wet when exposed to rain.
These CatEye bike computers are said to be highly weather resistant. They are able to withstand serious environmental conditions, such as heavy rain, snow, fog, and humid air. But keep in mind that they are not completely waterproof, so they shouldn’t be submerged in water.
Features
So, what are the differences in the features of CatEye Stealth 50 vs Evo+? They both have GPS and ANT+, so they both are able to track your distance and connect to various sensors. However, the older CatEye Stealth 50 doesn’t have maximum and average power measurements, power balance measurement, and current altitude. These are the new features available on CatEye Stealth Evo+.
As mentioned above, the display has three parts to show different information. The upper part can be adjusted to show current speed, average speed, or maximum speed. The middle part is for the clock, altitude, and power measurements. The lower part is the most flexible, as it can be adjusted to show speed, power, cadence, distance, heart rate, or time.
If you don’t connect a speed sensor, the bike computer will track your speed based on the GPS signal. However, connecting a speed sensor will allow you to get a more accurate metric. Also, when training with a trainer machine at home, the GPS signal won’t be able to track your speed as you are stationary; in this case, a speed sensor is useful for tracking your speed.
The sync rate of the GPS sensor can be adjusted to every 1, 2, or 5 seconds. You can get the most accurate tracking from the 1-second interval setting, but it will drain the battery very quickly. The 5-second interval setting is fine if you have a speed sensor, in which case you only need the GPS sensor for tracking your route and distance.
Battery Life
If you want to go on a long bike trip, you need a bike computer with a long battery life. It will be useless if it runs out of power in the middle of your journey. Fortunately, both CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+ have decent battery life.
They each can last for up to 10 hours per charge. This should be sufficient for most bike trips, except the longest ones that go for days. Both CatEye Stealth 50 vs Evo+ run on USB rechargeable batteries. So, you won’t need to spend money for battery replacements.
In Use
Connecting the heart rate sensor strap and the cadence sensor will require a few repeated reads of the instructions, but it is not difficult at all. Once you get the grasp on the different button presses, you will be able to connect these sensors in no time. If you don’t want to read the instructions, there are online tutorial videos that can help you set up the sensors.
Each of CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+ only has a single “Mode” button on the front, right under the display screen. Press this button once to see the tracked data during your ride. In order to start or stop a session, press down the button for two seconds.
Although the display screen is a bit limited in terms of customization – you can only cycle through the pre-determined metrics for each part of the display screen – you get everything you need. Scrolling through speed, cadence, power, heart rate, and distance is very quick and simple. Also, the clock is easy to access, and the icons are easy to understand. You can set the backlight to activate automatically when the unit is turned on.
Both CatEye Stealth 50 and CatEye Stealth Evo+ can pause their tracking automatically when you stop moving, for example when facing a red light or a wader. You won’t need to press any button. Once you start moving again, they will continue tracking automatically as well.
The power button and the menu setting button are located on the back panel. This is to prevent the unit from starting or stopping accidentally. Unfortunately, this also means that you need to remember to reset the session before every ride. Forgetting to do so will mess your data. Also, there is no map function, which some people may find as a disadvantage.
Both bike computers here are truly weatherproof. Many users say that their CatEye bike computers can go through heavy rain and snow just fine. This will give you some peace of mind when you are riding outside and get caught in a bad weather.
Software
You can connect either bike computer here to your computer to sync your data. The CatEye Sync software is available for Windows and Mac. However, connecting your CatEye unit to an old Mac may be difficult because the CatEye Sync software needs access to the Applications folder during the installation. Depending on the security settings, the operating system may block the access.
Nevertheless, the CatEye Sync software works well when tested on Windows and the newest Mac. The initial installation is a bit lengthy, and may take about 30 minutes to complete.
Once the software is properly installed, it is very easy and simple to use. You can upload your rides to a map and get an in-depth analysis. You can also share your performance data to Facebook, Strava, Training Logs, or the company’s own sharing platform, CatEye Atlas.
CatEye Stealth 50 vs Evo+
Conclusion
Although these two bike computers look very similar, CatEye Stealth Evo+ is the better model. It comes with more features. In addition to tracking your speed, cadence, and distance, it can also monitor your heart rate, power, and altitude. CatEye Stealth Evo+ is highly weatherproof with a solid battery life.