Test: Polar has been one of the top dogs in training computers for many years now - be it on the bike or on the wrist. With the CS 500+ CAD, the Finnish manufacturer has an interesting bike computer on the market that goes its own way in many respects.
Features
The scope of delivery of the CS 500+ CAD that we tested included a speed sensor and a chest strap for heart rate measurement in addition to the bike computer and the associated fastening material. The functionality can also be expanded with a separately available cadence sensor. Height measurement is also standard on computers in this price range. The CS 500+ also offers the option of transferring the training data to a PC or MAC and evaluating it. But to be able to use this function, you need a special USB stick from Polar so that the bike computer can communicate with the computer. A performance measurement integrated into the pedals was also developed in cooperation with LOOK, but given the price of almost €1700, this should only be of interest to a few.
Equipment installation
Installing the Polar CS 500+ CAD is really simple. The bike computer can be mounted either on the stem or the handlebars with two cable ties. The nice little speed sensor is also attached in no time at all. The good, but rather brief instructions help with the setup. It should also be noted that the CS 500+ only speaks English. You don't have to read novels on the display, but a language selection function would have been nice. After problem-free pairing with the desired sensors, the computer is ready for use and you can start.
Practice
Of course, the main thing that catches the eye here is the huge display. With its 7x7cm, it is always easy to read and even if three or four values are displayed at the same time, it is still tidy and clear. We also liked the excellent readability in direct sunlight. The CS 500+ is operated via three "buttons" - in quotation marks because there is actually only one real button - otherwise the computer is operated via a kind of rocker switch that can be activated by pressing on the respective outer edges. This is a nice solution and works reliably in practice at all times. Polar communicates via the so-called wind technology, which works on a frequency of 2,4 GHz. We didn't have any faults to complain about in endurance tests such as directly on radio masts or on power lines. The menu navigation takes some getting used to and is not necessarily intuitive, but can be mastered after a little training.
An annoyance that many buyers also complain about is the fact that the batteries for the speed and cadence sensors are permanently installed. When these run out (Polar promises a mileage of approx. 2000 hours), the sensor must be sent to Polar, where the battery will then be replaced - cost: approx. 10€. This is probably the price for the nice and small form factor of the sensors.
[pricemesh]
