Pros
- A quality, very configurable GPS unit
- Excellent touchscreen and graphics
- Good battery life
Cons
- More bulky than other units
- No peripheral connectivity
Price as reviewed:
£189.99
Mio’s cycling computers focus on its excellent colour touch screens with the Mio Cyclo 210 bringing that functionality to a new lower price point.
Although it’s slightly smaller than Mio’s higher end units with a 3.5in screen, the Mio Cyclo 210 is still quite chunky. But there’s a limit to how much you can reduce computer size while still having a usable touchscreen whilst keeping costs down – other makers’ smaller units revert to multiple buttons to control functionality.
In contrast, there’s only one physical button on the Mio Cyclo 210. This switches the unit on and off and also returns you to the previous menu. Everything else is controlled via the screen and you can use on-screen buttons to do everything but switch the Mio Cyclo 210 on.
Getting started with the Mio Cyclo 210 is very easy: turn it on and you have just six menu options, displayed via large coloured buttons. Hit Dashboard and you’re ready to roll, with two screens of stats and a map screen. You can configure the screens displayed too, selecting the number of screens, number of fields on each and the data displayed.
The Mio Cyclo 210 includes a Navigate function. You can map out routes easily on a computer with Mio’s mapping software. It’s detailed, accurate and easy to use and includes many footpaths and bridleways as well as roads. It’s also easy to download a route onto the unit, where you can follow it on the coloured map. Quieter roads for cycling show up in purple, as against the brown for busier roads.
Mio’s mount is not compatible with Garmin units
There’s also a Navigate wizard built into the Mio Cyclo 210. Type in an address on the screen and it will plot you a route to get there and display the distance and profile and, on a second screen, a map. You can then just hit Go to follow the route. There’s also a Back To Start button and a Where Am I button if you get lost.
Like the Mio Cyclo 505 HC which we reviewed a couple of years ago, the Mio Cyclo 210 has a Surprise Me route creation function. This seems to have got smarter though. When we tried it previously on the 505, its suggestions included a trip along the A4 through the centre of Slough; this time it kept almost exclusively to quiet roads.
You can set up to six profiles on the Mio Cyclo 210, so you can either share the device with other users or set up different profiles for road and gravel riding. The profile used will determine the roads and paths that the mapping software will use in creating routes and navigation.
Following a route is straightforward with turn-by-turn instructions and a series of beeps when you reach a turn or junction.
What you don’t get on the Mio Cyclo 210 is any connectivity to peripheral devices. So if you want to know your heart rate or your power output, look elsewhere.
The MioShare app lets you manage your data and stats on a computer and automatically upload your data to Strava.
The bike mount uses a different system to Garmin’s. It feels more secure and you can buy compatible out front mounts from Barfly and others. The standard stem mount uses zip ties rather than O-rings. Again, this is more secure, although it’s a hindrance if you need to swap the Mio between bikes.
Verdict
The Mio Cyclo 210 provides lots of functionality and flexibility to configure it as you want. The touch screen interface works well and there are quality graphics. But it’s quite a large unit and the lack of connectivity to peripheral devices limits its usefulness for the enthusiast.
Details
Weight: 152g
Dimensions: 114x68x18.6mm
Contact: www.eu.mio.com
